Bad LGS experiences

[ShawnC]

I don't know why I was thinking about this today, but I thought It'd make for some interesting responses.

A few years ago when I was in the Navy, I went to my LGS and picked out a nice Marlin 444. I brought it to the counter and prepared to do all the paperwork. When they asked for my ID I showed them my Military ID.

Them: "Sorry but we need a letter from your commanding officer that says you can have this gun."
Me: "Uhh...no you don't. I don't live on base."
Them: "Sorry sir, but yes we do."
I whipped out my driver's license and said "Well, now I'm buying it as a regular citizen."
Them: "Sorry, sir."
After a heated, but civil, couple of minutes trying to explain that as an American Citizen, living in a civilian home, I should not need any permission to purchase a firearm, they were unconvinced, so I walked out. One of the guys chased me to my car and apologized, then said :"Why don't you just get the letter from your CO..." :banghead: Another short, heated, but civil (no cussing or yelling) minute of trying to reason with the guy (who I believe genuinely didn't agree with store policy), then I left.
The next day I drove an hour or so out of my way to purchase my rifle at another store (those in Hookset, NH, you know where I'm talking about) and found it for less, and no tax.

So anyone else had bad LGS experiences?

 

[MJ_ATL]

There's a couple of places I just don't shop for guns anymore... nothing as bad as your story but its the experiences with the LGS staff that think they know vastly more than anyone else and let you know it that make me abandon specific shops. Don't tell me that my choice is bad without real evidence and then why are you selling it if its bad?

There's another one around here that I haven't bought anything at and won't because they were making fun of someone holding a Glock with their support thumb over the gun hand and getting their hand chewed up by the slide. Why didn't they go in and help the poor guy? Bad customer service there.

 

[speedway]

I went into a gun shop in CT looking to purchase a WWII M1911a1 knowing that they had a few there. I had a big lump of cash in my pocket ready to buy one.

I picked out the one I wanted and asked how much they wanted for it. The shop owner said to me "you can't afford it".

I started laughing and walked out. I had more than enough on me, and was ready to spend it until he was rude to me. I had seen the gun on gunsamerica and knew the price range they were looking to get and I was more than ready to pay what they wanted, but the guns in this store have no price tags on them.

I ended up finding a nicer one, and cheaper a few weeks later somewhere else.

 

[mortablunt]

^ Stuff like that is why I buy at shows. I can comparison shop quickly and get what I'm after at the bets deal. To top it all off, most vendor are not entirely opposed to haggling.

 

[InkEd]

There is one LGS that I refuse to even shop nowadays. The owner is always a JERK and the prices are WAY to high on EVERYTHING. His loss not mine. Last year, I spent over $6K on new guns alone (don't even mention accessories and ammo) at his biggest competitor across town and a few hundred at his competitor literally down the street. It's unfortunate because his counter staff are good BUT he's such a tool that I won't even set foot inside the store anymore.

Equally, I really like the other two LGS in town.

 

[Hanzo581]

The biggest thing I run into is how the employees act as though they are doing you a favor helping you. I mean I try my best to give local shops money, but if you don't treat me right, I'll buy online cheaper and all you'll get from me is the $20 for the transfer....

 

[Bojangles7]

There's a LGS/range that I will never buy from. I called to ask about their transfer fee and the lady asked what kind of gun it was. When I told her it was an AK (SLG-21), she said it would be $100. After laughing at her and hanging up the phone, I realized I wouldn't be doing business with them unless it was to use the range.

 

[Mick_W]

The 2 lgs I go to, the one has great customer service and a great group of gun guys working there that are quick to greet you when entering and will gladly help you with anything you need. The downside is they usually have slightly higher prices and a smaller selection. The other store has a very large selection and great prices on their used guns, the downside here though is no one will come help you. You have to go to the counter and wait till someone feels like helping you. They do this to me at this store and I have purchased 3 firearms from this in the last few months, plus brought in a friend who has purchased from them.

 

[Cosmoline]

There always seem to be a few shops in any large town that don't really want customers. I've been in a few here that were outright hostile to me just for taking up their air. I can only assume the storefront was a tax dodge of some sort and not for any real business purpose. There are also stores notorious for being rude on principle. I value service over prices, and will pay a little more sticker price for it.

I just don't go back to the rude places.

 

[Toforo]

A few years ago when I was in the Navy, I went to my LGS and picked out a nice Marlin 444. I brought it to the counter and prepared to do all the paperwork. When they asked for my ID I showed them my Military ID

Saw your other posts - prior USN and Border Patrol?
Cool... where were you stationed in NH back then in the Nav?

We mighta' been stationed the same place up there!

 

[orionengnr]

I once visited a large, well-stocked and well-staffed gun shop in Eglin IL, with an indoor range. It was a two or three story building with two of everything (cough cough GAT Guns), a counter probably 100 feet long (seemed that way at the time, anyway) and enough counter staff that you did not have to take a number.

Unfortunately, all the counter help were real monkeys--they would take a pistol from the counter, rack the slide, point it at their co-workers' posterior, press the trigger and say "huh huh huh...dude...I just shot your butt!" I thought I was in a real-life Beavis and Butthead episode.

I didn't stick around long, and never went back. Not sure if they are still in business, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that an employee or customer had been shot and they had been sued out of existence.

I left IL about 7 years ago, and I miss a lot of things about the Midwest. On the other hand, there are a lot of things I don't miss one bit...

 

[ShawnC]

I was stationed in Kittery, ME. Didn't want to give away the name of the store there, but anyone from there knows what store it is.
There from '02 to '06.

 

[Lakedaemonian]

Since no gunstore owners/employees have chimed in yet, thought i'd do so. My worst gunstore experience was a few weeks ago when an elderly man passed out, fell over on 2 fishing rod racks broke a bunch of <deleted> and then his grand daughter screams... "he's not breathing!!" I've never flown up a flight of stairs more swiftly in my life. By the time I got there he was coming around. He and his family then exited quickly and left no information, and refused our offers to call an ambulance. Oh, and I love it when the omish guys come in and cut the zip-ties off the compound bows so they can dry fire them. Oh, and I also love it when those "bargain sharks" come in and beat you up on price and insist on getting free ammo to boot. Come on man, I took 5% off the gun and the ammo is on sale. I always hear about gunstore patrons that complain about the LGS. & I bet some places are really that bad. Hell I've been into some stores that really get on my nerves, but think of the totally awsome people we (as gunstores have to deal with everyday) "I'm a veteran! I deserve a discount!" Ya dude so am I. You already get free healthcare (OIF, War on Terror vets) and an awsome GI Bill (I'm using mine, its sweet) no reason at all to mooch anymore. We don't deserve a free ride just because we got paid realtively well to carry a gun and body armor and be idolized for it. SPOILED!. Sorry for that tangent. I'm just trying to voice the opinion that, granted for every one good, responsible gunstore patron; there are 3 guys behind them that bring loaded guns into the store and try to trade them. Or say their gun isn't working properly and proceed to load the gun in the store and show you. (Ripped the gun from his hands in this instance and asked him to leave.) So, don't go downplaying your LGS. Its tough to be chipper and super friendly with some of the award winning customers we deal with. Oh wait, I forgot the escaped felon that tried to buy a gun, the wife beater that lied on his gun form, the drugged up guy that told me he was buying the gun to go shoot his dad.... the list goes on. Firearms attract all kinds. =/

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Was the shop in Kittery?

 

[Owen Sparks]

My worst gunstore experience was a few weeks ago when an elderly man passed out, fell over on 2 fishing rod racks broke a bunch of <deleted> and then his grand daughter screams... "he's not breathing!!" I've never flown up a flight of stairs more swiftly in my life. By the time I got there he was coming around. He and his family then exited quickly and left no information, and refused our offers to call an ambulance.

WATCH OUT! This sort of thing is often used as a diversion to distract employees while an accomplis walks out with merchandise. A friend worked in a drug store once where a customer had a "siezure". It was convincing enough that nobody noticed as her boyfriend ducked behind the counter and made off with a bunch of prescription drugs. Nobody even noticed untill they watched the security tapes.

 

[Lakedaemonian]

WATCH OUT! This sort of thing is often used as a diversion to distract employees while an accomp walks out with merchandise. A friend worked in a drug store once where a customer had a "siezu was convincing enough that nobody noticed as her boyfriend ducked behind the counter and ma with a bunch of prescription drugs. Nobody even noticed untill they watched the security tapes.

I thought about this, but no firearms where missing nor cash. I was more worried about a tumped up lawsuit coming down the pipe honestly. If they wanna go through all that, i'd rather a gun stolen (insurance) than a lawsuit that could cripple the buisness.

 

[ShawnC]

Was the shop in Kittery?

The biggest one there. (Only one I think)
To be fair, I really don't blame the counter guys, as they were just following store policy. They weren't jerks about it, just had to stick to their rules. But thier rules sucked.

 

[Shadow 7D]

I actually like my local store, Gunrunners, there are a number of LGS's around Anchorage, and they have told me to go ahead and get a better deal, they wouldn't lower it any more...

But the will talk to you about the guns, they have a hell of a display, better than most museums, hanging on their walls, and always have a few interesting pieces, they are more likely to throw a milk crate or ammo case of accessories on the counter and say "if it's in the store, it'll be in this one or that one" and if it isn't, you write it in the book, and if they get something in, they'll call, unless the lost the book (again)

Oh and they had a gun I wanted 2 days after ordering in, good timing on my part, and a willingness to add it to their distributor order that was shipping that day.

They are crusty, they are (somewhat) crude, and they know their stuff, and what they don't, they will go through a rather impressive collection of books to find out. Nicest customer service is the police supply store, as long as you are spending, otherwise, call them over when you are ready to purchase.

 

[Telekinesis]

Unfortunately I have quite a few. Just try being an 18-20 year old guy in a gun store... I'm actually surprised that I still buy ammo and guns from some of these places. I won't even bother with the cat calls of "you only wana see that gun cause you play Call of Duty" Yes, exactly why I chose the shorty "DSA Para SA 58" over the full length with bipod and asked for it by name. Never mind that I had two grand in cash in my pocket and was looking for a new gun

Some of the more interesting ones have been when I went in to look at some pistols to decide what type of pistol fit my hand best and the employee ended up pulling a random 1911 out of the display (not clearing it) and then repeatedly dry firing it into my chest. He then proceeded to leave me holding a M&P 45 while he took a phone call to assure some poor guy that "bird shot for HD is exactly what I use in my shotgun. Just aim for the throat and he'll bleed out before the medics arrive"

One time I was in another store buying night sights for my Sig 228 and they offered to install them for free so I sent it back with them and started looking over a few of their pistols in their cabinet. Then I look up and see the same guy who I sent my pistol back with handing MY GUN to some random guy who just walked up. Thankfully this guy was nice and told the clerk that it wasn't his gun. I hate to think of what would have happened if I hadn't seen it and he'd not been so ethical...

A third store had some holsters I wanted to look at, but they wouldn't let me use one of their floor models to check the fit of the gun (perfectly understandable). But when I brought my gun in the clerk grabbed it out of my hands and started yelling at me asking where I'd gotten it, and didn't I know it was illegal for someone my age to even dare to touch a pistol? (look at my sig if you have any questions about that little law...) and the threat to keeep (Re: steal) my pistol as it would be illegal for me to leave his business with it. Only a threat to bring a police officer over and show him my copy of AL and FED code convinced him to give me my gun back.

Same gun store a few years later tried to refuse to transfer (not even sell, but just transfer) me a folding AK because it was illegal for them to transfer someone under 21 a PGO shotgun. He didn't seem to believe me that a Underfolder AK was not in any way, shape or form a shotgun, but it still took his boss (store owner) to clear that up. I now only deal with the owner (who apart from hiring complete idiots who may end up getting him sued, is a pretty nice guy)

Had another guy (a gunsmith FFL, not a gun store) tell me while I was asking him to be an intermediary FFL while selling one of my pistols (buyer's FFL would only receive from another FFL) "oh, don't worry about the fed law that says you can't ship a pistol to another guy through the post office, I do it all the time! just hide it in a box and label it 'machine parts' and ship it to his FFL". I don't think I ever got through to him that I needed him to do the transfer and that he could legally ship through the post office because he had a FFL...

but this is also the same guy that made me spend an hour on the phone trying to get him on this website (with his own user name) so that he could see my PMs to someone else about selling the gun, and then berated me because I was using PMs instead of an open question and answer session.

He also spent another half hour telling me just how illegal it was for me to own a pistol while under 21, and that even HE could go to jail for just knowing about it. He then proceeded to accuse me of lying on my applications for my multiple CCWs and then offered to "look the other way" because we were "friends". I haven't talked to this guy since and will in no way recommend his gunsmithing services. Morals in business are pretty important to me and his offer to "work around these pesky federal laws" just didn't work for me.

So, don't go downplaying your LGS. Its tough to be chipper and super friendly with some of the award winning customers we deal with.

Don't mean to contradict you, but there is no reason I should be treated the way I have by FFLs. I believe that any business should be judged by the way they treat all of their customers, and to treat someone this way while he is actually trying to pay for services is just insane! IMO they deserve to have their business practices questioned on public forums.

 

[splithoof]

Does anyone remember the old, now closed B&B Sales in North Hollywood, Ca?
'Nuff said.

 

[ShawnC]

Having worked in retail, I know it works both ways. I can't imagine some of the idiots who wander into a gun store completely clueless. I would imagine generally it's split up between people who know what they want, and clueless people who have some vague idea about which end the bullet comes out. And sometimes, especially at Big Box, idiots will slip through the cracks and end up behind the counter.

 

[sarduy]

i had $700 in my pocket ready to buy a nice semi .22lr and i stop at "NATIONAL GUNS" in miami not the nicest place but their ammo was cheap so long story short, i drove down there and saw an ak-22 (wasr 22lr) at $299... i give it back, then i ask to see a sig 522 for 399 (at this point i wanted to buy them both) so i ask him "how much for both?" he got a bad look on his face and told me to wait, then he went back there to "ask" the owner when i over heard them talking in spanish... traslation goes like..

seller- there is a dumb guy looking at all the weapons and asking for prices, now he want to know if you can lower this...
owner- nahh _______ that, that's the price... (also with an attitude)

then i just put a smile on my face and told him...

if i'm a dumb, you guys are complete _______ with an attitude. at this point the seller knew that i could speak spanish and i just walk away( keeping my cool), another kid just follow me replying...________ them ...lol....

that same day i went to another store and got 2 savage 22lr for $250 out the door (a Mark 2 and model 64)

 

[loadedround]

Time for me to post my tale of woe also. There is a very large gun store in my area that not only sells firearms but everything else for the outdoorsman (not Cabela's). The clerks are friendly and for the most part knowledgeable. Haven't a complaint there. However thr store's owner has a pricing policy of list price on firearms. I doubt if he has any idea how many people come into the store just to "play with'' a particular firearm and end up buying it elsewhere. I am one of these people and buy from a mom and pop shop a few mies away. Actually much better prices and more personal service.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Wow,
I must be one lucky SOB. In the past few years, I've dealt with 4 LGS'. One was a little over the top with a gun store, bow, pistol and rifle range, and an entire fitness center complete with boxing ring. The owner basically bought out an entire strip mall and converted it to one big place. The gun shop guys (who played double duty as RSOs) were generally very pleasant to deal with, but their prices were through the roof. $250 for a Maverick 88 12 gauge $550 for a used Sig 226, older model without the rail, etc. They also dealt on commission, so those were priced okay. I kick myself to this day for not buying the Ruger Security Six in .38 special being sold for $250.

2nd LGS I used was a small mom and pop shop. Not a lot on display, very small inventory. Good place to wander in and BS for awhile. Most of his sales were done on transfers, orders, and gunsmithing services.

I now split my time and money between two LGS', another small mom and pop who is geared more toward hunting (bows, rifles, shotguns, MLs and revolvers), and the one I usually use with a massive inventory.

So far, I've not had a bad experience in any of them.

 

[M-Cameron]

I went into a gun shop in CT looking to purchase a WWII M1911a1 knowing that they had a few there. I had a big lump of cash in my pocket ready to buy one.

I picked out the one I wanted and asked how much they wanted for it. The shop owner said to me "you can't afford it".

I started laughing and walked out. I had more than enough on me, and was ready to spend it until he was rude to me. I had seen the gun on gunsamerica and knew the price range they were looking to get and I was more than ready to pay what they wanted, but the guns in this store have no price tags on them.

I ended up finding a nicer one, and cheaper a few weeks later somewhere else.

at that point, i would have 'accidentally' dropped my wad of cash on the floor....

and as im picking it up say "yeah, your probably right....hey, could you do me a favor and hand me that hundred by your foot...".....and just walk out the door.