Has your Gun shop ever Screwed you over

[Old Dog]

Fraud and deception are criminal offenses and should be prosecuted.

Yes, and I think that is what many of us have experienced. Some of my experiences:

"Oh, no, this pistol comes with only one magazine." (This was where I had to go home, dredge up a recent gun rag article -- and even manufacturer's ads --noting the pistol is sold with TWO magazines.

"Oh, no, I have to sell you this one, it's store policy." (When I politely request that I want to buy a new pistol in the box, NOT the one that's sat in the display case for six months, shows substantial wear on the barrel, has had the slide slammed home on an empty chamber AND been dry-fired hundreds of times by moronic customers and stupid, bored gunshop employees).

The old bait-and-swap. Closing the deal on a new model Springfield Armory Mil-Spec (3-dot sights, wood grips, etc.), the gunshop clerk brings out an older model SA GI model (tiny issue sights, plastic grips, etc.) in a cardboard box ... "Sorry," I say, "THAT's the gun I want," pointing to the display model under the counter ... "Not this one you've had hanging around since 1992." "Oh, no, it's the same gun," the clerk says ... This actually happened to me in a certain San Diego gunshop a previous poster says is the best shop in that city ...

The "Don't call us; we'll call you." Gunshops and gunsmiths who dodge your calls or make excuses why the work isn't completed yet or your order isn't in already ... for weeks on end ... They won't call YOU to let you know why it's taking so long, and you have to hire private detectives just to get these jokers on the phone so you can hear the excuses ...

"I've been busy and haven't gotten around to it yet" ... from the gunsmith in another SoCal store, who took TWO WEEKS just to replace some sights in a 1911 ... (after initially promising a reasonable one-day turnaround ... should'a done it myself, just didn't have a staking tool then).

Being quoted one price for a desired firearm over the phone; driving 60 miles to the gunshop with $1000 in the wallet -- and then having the clerk in the store say, "I don't know who told you that, this is what we're selling it for" -- $150 more than the price I was quoted over the phone ...

The "Ignore him -- he doesn't look like he's gonna buy a gun today" syndrome. This is when one peruses the offerings under the counter for twenty minutes, with no offers of help from the three clerks behind the other counter who can't be interrupted during the intense discussion about their escapades at the tavern the previous night ...

So, not to keep ragging on gunshops -- up here in Washington state, I've had pretty much nothing but positive experiences and friendly customer service ... can't always say the same for my California experiences ...

The big thing is, friendly and efficient customer service -- at least for me -- can overcome high prices. I'll always pay the higher price for a gun if the shop consistently treats me (and other customers when I'm there) with respect, when the staff is knowledgeable, friendly and will occasionally go the extra mile to take care of customers ...

 

[overcast_days]

These posts remind me about the time I decided to sell my 3 month old, only fired 12 shots, case kept BLR .22 . I took it to 1 of the 2 local gun shops. I walked in flagged down one of the owners and proceeded to inquire about selling to rifle to the shop. She opened the case and within a quick glance, not even bothering to do a inspection or look at her books, offered me $80 . Who would be stupid enough to sell a almost new Browning for $80 ?

Needless to say I didn't sel it to the shop. I also haven't bought so much as a paper target from them either.

 

[Kermit911]

Bobs Little Sports Shop in Glassboro NJ is VERY good. I got my Desert Eagle .50 Cal from there for only $1,000.00 and he threw in an extra clip.

 

[Dave R]

Nope, never been screwed

I've had two issues with the shop I like (Shapel's in Boise.)

First time, I bought a well-used Colt Mustang. Either it wouldn't shoot well, or I couldn't shoot it well. They have a 30-day return policy on used guns so I traded it in on a new FEG PPK close that I have been happy with.

2nd time, I bought a CETME that had the well-known 'not enough windage' problem. The problem was really with Century's build, but the store fixed it for me by fabricating a new front sight. Works well.

So they took care of me both times.

 

[Sean85746]

$125.00 for a Python?

I had been going to this particular shop in Tucson for YEARS. I bought many, many guns, and many, many thousands of dollars worth of ammo and accessories.

I had a NICE, 6" Colt Python with the "ultimate stainless" finish. I was wanting to trade that snake for a 1911, as I had 2 other Pythons, and it was a safe queen.

I walked tot he used shelf, and found a decent 70 series blued 1911. Nothing special, but clean, and tight. The price on it was $425.00. On the shelf below they had a 6" stainless Python, not nearly as clean as mine for $750.00.

I thought.."COOL", I can make the swap, get a couple little things, and we are all happy.

I called Dave over and said I wanted to trade the Python...he said, "Okay Sean (He knew my name, had known me for years, I never quibbled prices), let's see what you got."

He offered me $125.00 trade value for my Python.

I told him that that was a slap in the face, and I took my Python and walked out.

I have not been back to WEST OF THE PECOS on Pima since.

I went to Legal Pawn on South 4th Ave, and got a nice Commander, 4 mags, and a couple boxes of ammo.

Legal is an awesome place to shop. I shoulda went there first. Mike is a good guy, just like his Daddy was!

 

[nordaim]

I have not had any bad runs with particular shops, but I have had problems with employees.

I prefer to put my hands on anything I buy so am not that interested in ordering over the web or placing a custom order with a shop so tend to frequent all the shops in my area to see what they have, until I find what I want. There is one particular employee who has an attitude about those of us who come, browse, and do not buy a gun. I have bought large quantities of ammo in one trip, but since I looked at, and did not buy, a firearm, I get crap from him for it ("Ah, just window shopping, again I see.")

On the other hand, there is another employee who has taken, literally, hours of time to show friends of mine firearms. Never a complaint about it and he always addresses us when we come in and makes polite small talk.

Regardless, it all comes down to one thing my preferred gunshop's owner said:

"I'd rather take the time so you know what you want, because if you don't buy today, you'll buy someday and that means this time was important."

 

[Daniel T]

Dutchman, you should really tell us what shop it is that you're talking about. If they are screwing you, they could easily screw someone else.

 

[MAUSER88]

Yes, got screwed real good from my guy. It's his loss though as I spend about $5000.00 on guns and stuff. Moron!

 

[TheDutchman]

Sorry Daniel I rather not. Lot of the Austin THR guys go there.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Lock, Stock, and Guns (Yucca Valley, CA)

I drop by and put two cheap Turkish Mausers on consignment (because person-to-person sales are a pain in the tail in CA).

They take 15% of the sale, which seems reasonable. They asked me for a top price, and a bottom price. So we put the Mausers out at $99 each, with $60 being the "sell no lower than" price.

I left the store, and five minutes later got a call on my cellphone telling me that they'd just sold both Mausers. I think "Great, $198 -15% = $168 or so, not too bad". Then the owner tells me that they just sold for $60 each. I asked how it was possible that someone managed to bargain them down to rock bottom within five minutes of my leaving the store. Turns out, the store decided to buy the rifles from me and resell them. They generously bargained themselves down to $60/ea, presumably with the intent to slap a $130 tag on them and put them back on the rack.

Further, they had the unmitigated gall to charge me 15% for selling the rifles to themselves.

So, I told the guy to turn around and put them back on the rack with the original price we agreed on, which he grudgingly did. When I got back from Iraq, they claimed they'd sold one of the rifles for $60 while I was gone; claimed the buyer drove a really hard bargain...

To be fair, their shop has some horrendous deals, but also some great deals (mostly from their zealously combing the estate sales as retired military folks kick the bucket in Central California). So, I don't necessarily avoid them like the plague, but repeatedly chant "caveat emptor" under my breath whenever I walk in the door.

For a good shop, I like DJ's Sport and Loan up in Woodinville, WA. Small pawnshop with wall-to-wall firearms, including some pretty unusual items. Usually pretty good prices, friendly staff, and good inventory flow. Ditto Discount Guns down by Tukwila. Both shops have rather unsavory names, but good places to buy.

 

[wingman]

Good gunshops for sure are hard to locate however by and large all business
seem to be less honest in our changing times. :banghead:

 

[bjbarron]

Jackson Sporting Goods in South Jersey has a great assortment of new and used guns at very reasonable prices. The problem is the owner of the place is just plain nasty. I go in about once every five years and ten minutes in the place reminds me of why I don’t go there. He belittles customers and really only seems to want to deal with cops. The place is dark and dirty and usually empty. He has been like that for 20 years.

A year ago I walked in and plunked down $400+ for a nice stainless .45 cal revolver. I literally didn’t want any contact with them except to buy the gun. While filling out the paperwork (Jersey is a bitch) he mentioned that I couldn’t take it out of the store without a trigger lock (not true, any container, even a tied bag, is OK). I told him I would buy the gun and run home for a lock…no more than a half-hour out and back. He said he wasn’t in the business of holding guns.

I ripped up the paperwork and walked out. My patience level for this store is zero. If you guys knew what a pita it is to get pistol permits in Jersey you would know what that cost me. I had to reapply and wait another month for a permit. I went to another store and bought a Kimber 1911 instead.

Several other stores in the area are much more comfortable…leather sofas, FOX on the tube, the muted pop pop pop of the range in the back, and lots of pleasant gun talk. The problem is they don’t have the assortment that the pita guy has. Jersey pretty much sux for gun stores anyway. Probably the biggest and best is Ray's up in North Jersey, but he is closing. I generally have to buy my guns over the internet and have them shipped into a FFL dealer. Costs more, but you can't find a decent assortment of anything in Jersey.

 

[Blueduck]

My favorite was a small gun/pawn shop I went into. Seeing nothing of interest I asked if he could order a certain pistol for me.

He happily replied that he would order any pistol for me at cost +$40 . I thought that a pretty good deal deal until he explained he also needed $50.00 for shipping and another $50 for a "transfer fee"???

Final straw was when he pulled his "Cataloge" out to determine the price he would have to pay---It was a Gun Digest and he was using MSRP

 

[Wolfy]

bjbarron

I hadn't heard Ray's is closing.

From your description:

"Several other stores in the area are much more comfortable…leather sofas, FOX on the tube, the muted pop pop pop of the range in the back, and lots of pleasant gun talk. "

Sounds like Shoreshot.

Have you tried Gene Salomon or Brick Armory?

 

[Notch]

There is a shop here in town that I have spent many thousands of doallrs in over the past 15 years... Many handguns and rifles for myself and friends as well as the people I dragged in there that ended up buying guns. So a while back I am driving by and decide to stop in look around a bit and inquire as to whether they knew of any C&R mg dealers in town. I finish up looking through the rifles with a batch of Moisons and some Enfields and I walk up to a guy I have dealt with in the shop for years and ask if he knows of any C&R auto dealers... He YELLS out "We dont do C&R and we dont sell machineguns!" I realize the entire shop is now looking at me. I dont even bother pointing to the C&Rs I had just looked at...The whole rack of rifles sitting there in front of his face, I just walked out. I will NEVER spend another dollar there again, and I will stop friend from doing so too!

 

[cracked butt]

Generally most of my experiences have been good.
On inquiring how much it costs to use a certain dealers FFL I was given a quote of $50. I then asked if I would get a price break if I ordered three firearms from the same distributer at a time, the answer was $150. I never walked into that shop again.

One place I don't take stuff to have worked on anymore is a chain store with the initials GM. I had a scope mounted and boresighted there, and it was off by 1 1/2' at 25 yards. I had the serving redone on a compound bow string there and it unravelled after 4 shots. I recently saw a Romanian M44 MN with a sewer pipe bore with a tag on it that read "Russian service rifle $199".

 

[Greg45]

The gun shops in my area (Cincinnati) are pretty awful. There's a couple nearby, and with the exception of one, (Shooters Supply in Loveland) they're mostly overpriced, and overstocked with combat tupperware or Kimbers.

It's all but impossible to find a high end 1911 in my area. Never have seen a Les Baer in any gun shop around here, and have only seen a Wilson CQB once.
Target World carries some Ed Brown Kobras if you feel like spending $2400 plus tax on one.

Even the gun shows around here are generally overpriced with a low amount of selection. Not many deals to be had around here.

 

[ARperson]

I had mostly good experiences....

(ARperson better half is posting instead of ARperson)

At Bradis on the southwest side if Indianapolis I have had mostly good experiences. Sure some of their prices are a smidge higher than at some other big chain stores or some of the gunshows. But most are as good or better. Ammo is also slightly more expensive than at gun shows in low quantities. Priced fairly well when you buy a case.

But I tell you most of the time I am willing to pay a little more to help keep the shop open. They are a business, and do have bills to pay and employees to employ. Granted a royal screwing over of customers is a sure way to go out of business. But where will we be when we have put all the local guys out of business because they have slightly higher prices than the adds in shotgun news. I read the stories of guys being insulted in trades and just walking out. Have you ever thought of a nice conversational tone, asking them to explain their bid, or that you know that is excessively low.

I was going to trade a Springfield 1911 and a Glock 31 that had become safe queens. The guy behind the counter at Bradis told me flat out there were getting a lot of used guns in during that period of time, had a LOT of stock, and warned me that the price he quoted would be lower than I might get selling person to person. I asked him to quote me anyway, and he did. Needless to say I took my guns home, but he gave me an honest assessment of what was going on. Now if he gave me the quote first and I just stormed off insulted and mad, I may not be able to understand where they were coming from and would have left behind an honest business, wonderfull people, and best candy/toy/gun store I have ever been in my life!

I go the backroom at Bradis and fondle C&Rs almost weekly. I may only purchase one a month or every other month or so. But I tell you what, I sure am glad to have them there with all those guns for me to fondle. You can pick them up for a decent price, whereas at some of the other stores I've seen beat up bubba'd 91/30s for over $600!!.

Plus it's nice to have some place local when on a nice day you need a case of 5.45 to stretch the legs on your SAR-2.

Just my two cents, and not defending the poor businesses, but let's do keep in mind that the store owners and employees have to put food on their dinner tables as well.

 

[F4GIB]

There is a shop here in town that I have spent many thousands of doallrs in over the past 15 years... Many handguns and rifles for myself and friends as well as the people I dragged in there that ended up buying guns. So a while back I am driving by and decide to stop in look around a bit and inquire as to whether they knew of any C&R mg dealers in town. I finish up looking through the rifles with a batch of Moisons and some Enfields and I walk up to a guy I have dealt with in the shop for years and ask if he knows of any C&R auto dealers... He YELLS out "We dont do C&R and we dont sell machineguns!" I realize the entire shop is now looking at me. I dont even bother pointing to the C&Rs I had just looked at...The whole rack of rifles sitting there in front of his face, I just walked out. I will NEVER spend another dollar there again, and I will stop friend from doing so too!

Name, please. I'd like to avoid them too.

 

[KFD147]

Does this shop start with a "H" or a "M"?

Jason

 

[NMshooter]

Bwahahahaa!

ABQ is so much fun!

The internet is the only way to get decent accessories short of making your own here.

 

[Notch]

Name, please. I'd like to avoid them too.

The Frontiersman on 394. I bought my first handgun there. Come to think of it I bought my first rifle there too. Even if your having a bad day, there is no reason to treat customers like crap.....Paul.....

 

[Retread]

Throughout the 90's, I used to live in Western Washington near the town made famous by Mary Kay Letourneau. There was a gun shop there that used to advertise that all guns were sold at 8% over cost. I had spent many thousands of dollars on guns, ammo and stuff there. One day, I asked them to hold a particular gun for me while I went to the bank and got some cash. They charged extra if you used plastic, and I wanted to save the 3%. I asked the owner, (one of the three stooges) if he could take it into the back room, so it wouldn't get accidentally sold, but he reassured me it wouldn't. Fifteen minutes later, I returned, and the gun was in the process of being sold to someone else. The guy laughed it off, telling me next time I'd come prepared. I gently told the him what he could do with his attitude and left. Several months later, like a fool, I decided to give them a second chance, and ordered a 8 lb trigger spring for my glock from the so called In House Armorer. (I wanted to match a New York spring with a 3.5 connector.) He said he would call when it came in. About a month later, I was in the area and stopped to check on it. It hadn't been ordered. He then took a spring out of a used glock in the cabinet and asked, "got your gun?" I said no, but I knew how to install the spring in a Glock. He then handed me the used standard glock 5 lb spring. For those of you who don't do Glocks, they are very different in appearance, I said, "that's an 8 pounder, right?" He replied, "yes." I then told him he could keep his used 5 pound spring and left, never to return.

Even though he was more expensive, I started going to Wade's up in Microsoft land. I'd take my kid up there with me, and Wade would take the time to come over and play around with my kid. He even remembered his name.

 

[Byron Quick]

In the past six years, I've spent at least 10K with my main dealer. But I'm small potatoes. There's over 900 physicians in that county and many of them shop there. So when I ask him to let me know if he gets something in...it usually doesn't happen. He's got a MD looking for the same piece who spends more money with him. I can live with that. He's in business to make money.

But a few months ago, I was in there while they were pretty busy. I wanted to see a gun. The owner asked me to wait until they had finished with the other customers. I had no problem with that...they were ahead of me. But, after about twenty minutes, the owner finished with his customers. And started talking with someone browsing about a recent golf game. When he started on the details of the fourth hole, I left. Steaming. Almost shook the dust of the place off of my shoes. Vented to friends but asked for their advice. (I've got this teensy weensy tendency toward extremism.) Waited until I had cooled off in a few weeks. Went back. There was a nice S&W Model 66 for sale used. Not a good price but not totally out of the ball park, either. Called the owner over and asked what was the best he could do for me? He knocked two hundred dollars off the price and took a post dated check.

I think when he got through talking golf that he realized that he had pissed off a customer who's spending close to 2K annually with him.

 

[KimberGoldMatch]

OMG 720 for a glock? I love glocks but I guess here in florida they are just cheaper. I just paid 720OTD for a brand new USP compact 45.....

Take Aim Guns here in Tarpon Springs FL is a nice big shop, a little large on the prices, but that gets counter acted cause they treat everyone that comes in there with respect no matter of age. Really nice and knowledgable staff. A+

I'll second Take Aim, their prices were a little high but I'll make that sacrafice for friendly folks.