guyfromohio
Member
Makes sense to me.
budsgunshop black friday scam? was anyone on here able to buy the doorbusters?
- Thread starter bhhacker
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LockedBreech
Member
I use Bud's. Still will. I tend to avoid Black Friday despite a few good deals in the past. Everyone ends up looking crappy. Business owners look crappy when they're not willing to let 100% of their inventory walk out the door at a loss, customers look crappy when they act entitled and fight and complain.
I'd far rather just save up. Or wait for a normal run-of-the-mill sale. Black Friday, especially the day after Thanksgiving, showcases the very worst attributes of the free market.
I'd far rather just save up. Or wait for a normal run-of-the-mill sale. Black Friday, especially the day after Thanksgiving, showcases the very worst attributes of the free market.
I think that's bait and switch too. Come in and get great bargains only when you get there you have to bring a pit bull and a chain saw to get those deals. That's the bait. And they want you to buy something else when you get there. That's the switch. It's a classic for a reason. It's as bad as that baloney about buying stuff for 99% off I see on commercials where you pay big money for money for a "bid pack". What a scam. If the government actually did their jobs this stuff would put people in prison. But hey, it's the 21st century and anything goes.
dogtown tom
Member
Nailed it.
It's always amusing that people think a vendor OWES them something.
If you don't like the vendors price buy elsewhere.
If the vendor runs out of the item, buy elsewhere.
If the vendors website crashes, buy elsewhere.
Whining, it's the American way.
Steve CT
Member
I think if a vendor is going online (Bud's or Best Buy...) they need to either assure that they have the capacity to handle the traffic or accept the consequences.
If they limit quantities, OK, say so upfront (which Bud's apparently did), and be prepared to let the buyer know that the item is sold out.
If you lack the resources to respond to the online customer effectively and timely on the status of the order, maybe re-think what you are doing or how you are doing it. A responsible online seller cannot be just a "little" bit in and expect to keep the customer.
If they limit quantities, OK, say so upfront (which Bud's apparently did), and be prepared to let the buyer know that the item is sold out.
If you lack the resources to respond to the online customer effectively and timely on the status of the order, maybe re-think what you are doing or how you are doing it. A responsible online seller cannot be just a "little" bit in and expect to keep the customer.
Sounds like they need to "(=invest) " in a better hosting company and increase their bandwidth or close up shop online, period. Seriously, buds claims to be an internet retailer. Could you imagine the consequences for a company like Amazon to market a sale like this only to have their site crash, and such limited supply and poor communication about terms or sale and limits?
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
See...
They did. They tried, anyway. Their provider helped them prepare. It just wasn't enough and so they'll try again to do better.
The moral of the story is, don't do fun and cool stuff for the masses. They don't value it and will resent you for it.
fanchisimo
Member
I was trying to get a pistol and I accept that there was only so many. I was not one of the lucky ones. The thing that irks me is how they are handling the fallout. Even the response kind of puts the blame on the customer. While overloaded servers can't be helped and I understand them not buying more servers/computing power for the sake of a sale just a few days a year, to put the blame on "greedy" customers is less than admirable.
Another idea I've seen thrown about is if Bud's wants to do things like this for its customers and not have the cherry pickers and people trying to create new accounts for the event is to somehow give existing members the opportunity. Some have suggested a code via e-mail or to mark your account as a customer before x date. This seems like a viable idea. Bud's did their best, and unfortunately came up a little short. While some of this scorn isn't deserved I think their handling of it was less than stellar.
Another idea I've seen thrown about is if Bud's wants to do things like this for its customers and not have the cherry pickers and people trying to create new accounts for the event is to somehow give existing members the opportunity. Some have suggested a code via e-mail or to mark your account as a customer before x date. This seems like a viable idea. Bud's did their best, and unfortunately came up a little short. While some of this scorn isn't deserved I think their handling of it was less than stellar.
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Info came from what people reposted they were told by one of the CS reps on the phone as they were trying to get a full refund without that 10% cancellation fee. There was the claim by Buds that there were 15 or so of each gun available at the black friday price. They also claimed that they were all sold out of the TISAS and Canik by 8:05, which is impossible since their entire site was down during that time. Which means they had zero for sale and there hasn't been a single person that has been able to show they were able to purchase either pistol with a screen print out of their receipt. I did see one person posting a screen shot of the shotgun they got at $49, but that was about it from various forums and sites I have tracked this deal through.
As far as multiple hosts, no. They are having cloudflare in dallas host their site only. They only have 1 server, and were claiming that at almost 10,000 concurrent users hitting the site caused the crash. Which means they have very poor hardware setup for an event like this. I get the fact they don't usually pay for more since they only tend to have 1000 or less users on at any given time, but with an event like this they should have been coordinating with their host to make sure they could handle a much larger traffic surge.
It was rank amateur antics by Buds the entire way. Not coordinating with their host to deal with a larger surge in traffic, not using a cart system that automatically reserves a gun once put in the cart while removing it from inventory once added to the cart was just horrible web site functionality. Then to have the website switch prices on an item from a sale price to full price at the last screen is pure bait and switch by the very definition of the FTC regulations.
Not only that, the ad scan of the "door" buster doesn't even list limited quantity for the item either nor a time frame from which the purchase for the sale price is good for. Both are required to prevent the sale from being an illegal bait and switch. So it was completely illegal and unethical what Buds did with this sale. No inventory for a few of the "bait" merchandise. No limited time frame or quantity disclaimer. And switching the price to full price while a customer is in the process of paying for the item are all grossly illegal. I have at least submitted a complaint to the FTC about it. I don't plan on following up more than that because I at least didn't lose any money over this debacle. Maybe the FTC slaps them hard with a fine and maybe they do nothing. Either way, Buds is never getting my business again.
Damon555
Member
Sam1911 hit the nail on the head......Why even bother trying to give out a limited number of great deals to bring in customers when those who don't get it are just going to complain all over the internet. Not everything is a conspiracy. Just because you didn't get the deal or even hear of anyone getting the deal doesn't mean it didn't happen......
OilyPablo
Member
What does this even mean?
rogerjames
member
They are a business. They didn't offer these deals to lose money. It was a marketing ploy to draw people to their site. They drew people to their site and MOST of them were unhappy with their experience. Not a good way to attract new customers. It's a FAIL any way you cut it, regardless of who is to blame.
To post an explanation that largely blames the consumer, is completely ridiculous.
To post an explanation that largely blames the consumer, is completely ridiculous.
Steve CT
Member
Sam1911, actually, I pretty much agree with everything you said.
Maybe Bud's would have been better served by simply saying "we couldn't keep up, and we are sorry that we did not do better, we will try harder in the future". In 40+ years of direct Customer Service I've learned that trying to explain to the customer that it was their fault that "we could not serve you" is usually a losing proposition, no matter what the facts or circumstances are.
Maybe Bud's would have been better served by simply saying "we couldn't keep up, and we are sorry that we did not do better, we will try harder in the future". In 40+ years of direct Customer Service I've learned that trying to explain to the customer that it was their fault that "we could not serve you" is usually a losing proposition, no matter what the facts or circumstances are.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
It was more clear before the paragraph breaks. The next line explains it.
fanchisimo
Member
Sam, you've proven your point. First the text was bad because it was in a huge block. I broke it up for easier reading and now it doesn't have breaks in the right place, ya just can't please some people. 
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
LOL! Fix it! NO! Fix it back! There is no "good" -- there is only least worst!
There is no "good" -- there is only least worst!
DeepSouth
Random Guy
Hopefully companies will wise up quit doing that kind of silliness. Just have good prices...... 365 days a year. Don't decide to aid insanity, create enemies, and lose money in order to..... Well, I get lost there.
jhb
Member
I think those specials were maybe a handful setup for those ridiculous prices. Much like the car dealer advertisements that show a car at a huge discount.....but in the ad they show a stock number or two and those are sold to family members and friends long before you see the ad. Not saying buds sold them to friends and family.......rather they could have had 2 of each at those prices. .....nothing said how many there were.
In this case there is no way they were gonna let thousands plus of these guns go at those prices. So i don't think they scammed anyone.......rather they are guilty of misleading folks who aren't used to big city style marketing. Not that buds is in a big city per say...but I'm used to this living near the big city myself and seeing it on a daily basis.
I can see why people are disappointed and maybe even a bit upset at buds......but I don't see it being that big of a deal. Rather buds should have clarified how many or at the minimum made it very clear that when they were gone the deal was over. so folks would have realized they all weren't going to get them. Much like when the pallet of big screen but zero features TVs are gone from the box store. the deal is over with.
In this case there is no way they were gonna let thousands plus of these guns go at those prices. So i don't think they scammed anyone.......rather they are guilty of misleading folks who aren't used to big city style marketing. Not that buds is in a big city per say...but I'm used to this living near the big city myself and seeing it on a daily basis.
I can see why people are disappointed and maybe even a bit upset at buds......but I don't see it being that big of a deal. Rather buds should have clarified how many or at the minimum made it very clear that when they were gone the deal was over. so folks would have realized they all weren't going to get them. Much like when the pallet of big screen but zero features TVs are gone from the box store. the deal is over with.
I think it is very damning that in the multiple responses that Buds has given in the past two days they have refused to say how many guns were available at the discount price. To me that means the number was incredibly low and they know it would make them look even worse if they told us the number.
rogerjames
member
It might be very understandable that they were unprepared and underestimated traffic. The fact that they release a statement essentially blaming "greedy customers" for their problems is just unacceptable.
USAF_Vet
Member
What else would you call people who are told "one per customer" who try and take five? Thrifty?
Elkins45
Member
Bud's owes me a $99 pistol. WalMart owes me a 50" flat screen. The government owes me food stamps. Much entitlement these days.
did you not understand the explanation? it seemed pretty clear to me. they aren't telling you how many guns were available because there wasn't a limit on the number of guns. there was a limit on the dollars.
maybe you should offer to design it for free for them next year.
wojownik
Member
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Such is human nature, unfortunately. I tried to buy something online from Buds Friday, not even a Black Friday deal, could not complete the transaction. Gave up and moved on to other things. Meh. Ditto on BestBuy, FWIW.
All Bud's needed to say was "sorry, will try to do better next time." The statement by their VP was over the top and bush league, even for a small or mid-sized business. I won't hold that against them, but it just a little yellow flag about Bud's operations. Not their ethics or intent. Just their ability to handle "bumps in the road" with a level of maturity I'd like to see in a business.
Does anyone know if Bud's relented on the 10% cancellation fee for purchases, for customers who requested it due to the confusion? Yes, that speaks of pretty poor attentiveness on the part of the buyers (um, check the final price in cart before clicking?). But one can also understand the frustration of those who might have gotten a case of buyer's "tunnel vision."
Yeah, I suppose you could call folks trying to exceed the 1 per customer rules as "greedy." But I could toss the same epithet at a business that sticks to a hefty cancellation fee, when there had been known issues with their on-line store availability that may have lent to confusion. If they did waive the cancellation fee, good on Buds, that speaks well of them. But if they did not waive it ...
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