Liberty & AMSEC reviews from owners

[heeler]

While most of us dream of a secure vault such as this few of us go so far as actually buy one.
Anxiously awaiting the pictures.
Looking online at various safe outfits I am amazed at the different prices being offered on this safe as well as the differences on the shipping.
Good luck.

 

[a1abdj]

Looking online at various safe outfits I am amazed at the different prices being offered on this safe

Hopefully the amazement ends in about 2 weeks, when you should start seeing everybody advertising the same prices.

 

[heeler]

So is Amsec going to start controlling dealer pricing or start limiting advertised pricing like Fort Knox and Cannon has?

 

[a1abdj]

So is Amsec going to start controlling dealer pricing or start limiting advertised pricing like Fort Knox and Cannon has

Some of their dealers are giving them a hard time due to the issues being created by internet dealers, as well as others who are selling the products, but not really in the security business. Heck, there are people selling their products that aren't even authorized dealers to begin with. It's a mess.

I'm going to leave it at that for the time being.

 

[Tryjo]

Well, it took some leg work on my part to find all the necessary people to make this project work, but I'm glad I got a good price on this model.

 

[heeler]

And from the sounds of things Tryjo,you scored it at the very last minute so to speak.
No wonder that place I checked out in California (West Coast Safes)was saying "sales ends May 31".
I guess Amsec broke the news to them and a lot of others.

 

[a1abdj]

No wonder that place I checked out in California (West Coast Safes)was saying "sales ends May 31".
I guess Amsec broke the news to them and a lot of others.

I'm hoping it puts some people out of the safe selling business. It makes it very difficult to do my job the way it is.

 

[heeler]

I can understand where you are coming from a1abdj as the place I bought my BF from was a large firearms dealer first and sold these safes along with other safes too as an extra sales/profit motivation.
Although they did not deliver and set them up they did have selected outfits that did and one of them was an Amsec dealer that I chose.
Totally insured and bonded and did the job quite professionally as well.
Again I can understand the consumers side and can more than understand the dealers side of things as well considering what insurance costs are including bonding,vehicle insurance,workmans comp. etc.
Still I am very happy for the relatively low price I paid for my BF and quite possibly what Tryjo paid for his killer safe.

 

[a1abdj]

It's not the local gun shops that bother me, especially when there is no other dealer in the area that sells the gun safes. Many small locksmith dealers don't like dealing with safes over 500 pounds.

I have a big problem with the internet only dealers. I have a problem with non related businesses selling the product. A good example is a local clothing store that is now selling AMSEC gun safes. I also have a problem with anybody selling the product for as little over cost as possible, because they only thing they have to do is push some paperwork.

Guess who AMSEC (and others, because they aren't the only company that has had these issues) calls when there's a problem? They don't call the pawn shop. They don't call the clothing store. They call me, and expect me to support a product that I was undersold on.

I always relate this to the car business. To be a dealer for a major auto manufacturer you must be capable of fully supporting the product. You have to have an investment made in their brand. You have to build a dealership, stock their product on site, and offer a service department. In some cases, you must also offer a body shop.

Walmart could sell you a Ford cheaper if they didn't have to do any of this. However, who would fix your car? Modern cars sometimes require highly trained techs with equipment that many independant shops do not have, or can not afford. How do you think the Ford dealers would respond if Walmart starting selling Fords at retail for less than their wholesale cost?

Companies that play these games are walking a fine line. If they step too far over, I hope they have some factory employed techs willing to hop on a plane and fly out to fix whatever problems arise.

 

[heeler]

Again I more than understand what you are saying.
Oddly enough though Amsec must have realized there was a customer demand(via the internet dealer?) to let all of this happen.
But eventually the true safe&vault dealers said to them enough of this if you want us to stay in business and support your product.
Which I certainly do and obviously Amsec does as well.
I just dont want to see a scenario of prices that were quoted by Tryjo of a local Amsec dealer that in my opinion and yours that were way out of line.
Capitalism certainly has many bumps and grinds before pricing is sorted out for a given market/demand.

 

[a1abdj]

I will tell you that I was able to get pretty darn close, just not close enough. I can't fault him for saving the money and buying local. Even if I don't agree with how that dealer conducts business it is in fact supporting his local economy. That is something I can certainly get behind.

As far as AMSEC, I have no idea what they knew, or thought was going on. My wild guess is that they had no idea until the complaints started flowing in. As one of the largest manufacturers in the world, they have a very large dealer network. I believe they have over 1,200 security based companies that sell their products nationwide.

I've been on this forum for several years, and have made a habit out of point people towards their local dealers. It is very rare that I get a request where I can not find a dealer within several miles of that person's location. Selling safes has never been a problem for AMSEC, or their dealers. What has become a problem is the cheapening of their product image, and what used to be secure information, falling into unworthy hands.

I call tell you that commercial buyers have become hesitant to purchase products sold at the local sporting goods store. It's not a problem for me, because I sell other lines that protect their products, and have simply moved them from AMSEC products over to one of the others.

This thread has around 500 views. That's 500 pairs of eyeballs that are curious about this topic. People searching for information about gun safes find this site on a regular basis because of the vast amount of information that myself, CB900F, Sturdy Safe, and a few others (I applogize for not remembering your names off the top of my head) have shared here on the board.

Do a Google search for AMSEC BF, and you will find THR threads as the #4 result, after AMSEC's own site. They have no idea that I have probably sold more of their product than anybody else (through other dealers of course). I have sold 10 times less AMSEC product this year than I did in 2008-2009. Some of that is loss to other sources, but much of it is diverting my customers to other brands. They have a local clothing store selling their product. Teenagers have access to safe combinations, and the names and addresses of safe owners. When somebody is up there buying a safe, they will gladly make up information on the fly in order to make a sale.

I can't be a part of that. If anything happens that gives the brand a black eye, that's automatically attached to me as a dealer. I really do hope they get this mess cleaned up. They make some great products, but so do other manufacturers who keep their dealer network in check.

 

[Tryjo]

Well, the beast has arrived and has been placed. I must say, I was impressed with the movers that placed this 3400lb behemoth for me. It took them two hours to move it about 20 feet, but they did it with skillful precision; and didn't break anything to boot.

I am very pleased with the safe's overall look and feel. It seems to be very solid and I can't see anyone flipping this thing over easily. When the door is opened, one can easily feel the weight just in the door alone. The interior is spacious and the design of the panels suites my needs. The dial spins without any problems, and the five spoke handle operates smoothly. The door shuts flush with the body of the safe and there is very little play between the two parts. I like that the bolts stay in the retracted position until the door closes to prevent smashing the bolts into the body of the safe. When the door closes, the bolts extend and secure the door.

I'll post more comments as I continue to examine and use this unit. Here's a quick picture taken from my cellular phone.

 

[heeler]

I was wondering when your safe would come in.
Glad you found a professional service to move it to your satisfaction.
As far as I am concerned that part is practically as important as the choice of safe you buy.
Imagine that much weight getting loose in the house.