Please help me settle an argument about buying gun stuff online

[Monkeyleg]

I had an advertiser on my site who has an online store selling guns and accessories. He was advertising on the site for a couple of months, getting a good number of people clicking on his ads and going to his site, but people weren't buying.

When he told me he wanted to cancel advertising, I suggested that he look at his competitors' prices, as his were really high. For example, on the base model of GunVault safe, the Mini Vault Standard, his price is about $150, where everyone else is about $115 to $120.

I've read the threads about some online gun stores, as well as comments about brick and mortar gun stores. People always mention good prices. I'm assuming that price is a major factor for everyone. I'm just wondering if you're willing to pay a bit more for something if you're getting something else, and how much more. 10%? 20%? And what would that "something else" be? Better service? The item is in stock?

Replies much appreciated.

 

[neverjeg]

Assuming the items are identical 'except for price' then the only reason I might go for the higher priced item is an excellent trade history (personal experience) with communication, delivery time, support if needed, reasonable shipping. It's still all about value - real or perceived.

 

[jbauch357]

If I'm shopping online I'm going to pay the lowest price possible (including S&H), unless that lowest price is via a vendor that I have had bad experiences with - then I'm just going to go one price level up.

I don't know what he could possibly offer in an online experience that would make it worth paying even 10% more for an identicle item.

Brick and mortar stores are different - as in you work face to face with somebody, how long it takes to get there plays a factor, and even the neighberhood or part of town you have to go into will have some impact.

 

[hardluk1]

I will never buy on line if i can get something for the same money from a area business. Typicaly the shipping cost will brake the deal on line. Now say'n that i have bought ammo for years from one company more for the reason that they don't change things from year to year and prices are at or below market to my door. I have a general store less than 1/2 mile from my house that i have bought 4 guns from lately and a safe that i could not buy cheaper anywhere. Even some small amounts of ammo like 22 cal. When local or area store can't be unpriced there is not much need to buy on line.

 

[yeti]

Unless a seller has proven to give exceptional service, if I'm shopping online, I'm going for price. If I have never dealt with you, or you don't have a lot of really good word of mouth support, then the only thing you have to entice me into giving you a try is price. And even with price, if I don't have some idea of you dependability, I will probably email you with a question, to to see if you are TCB. A prompt answer to a question from a potential customer lets me know that you are keeping an eye on things.

 

[divemedic]

When I buy local, it is for things that I want now. If I am buying online, I am trading instant gratification for a lower price. I buy almost everything except groceries online at times.

If I am buying online, I expect to get lower prices, and I take all factors into account- that includes shipping and sales tax.

 

[daskro]

I've bought nearly all of my firearms and ammo online. Even with the FFL cost and shipping, I can find it cheaper online than at my local shops. Competing online is a race to the bottom for price. If the shopowner likes his higher margins with lower volume, then he should close his online shop and stick to selling locally.

 

[Rontherunner]

I might pay a little more to get everything from a single vendor on a single order (vs. multiple orders). I do try to support my local gun shop and within reason will pay a bit more to keep them in business.

Online, I would not pay more than 5% or so more, and that would be only to use someone I've used before and been happy with.

 

[TheBookGuy]

Monkey,
I own a used bookstore and the only people who I have come in and tell me they shop at Amazon are those who need the instant gratification of getting something I currently do not have in stock. BUT, they don't realize that even if i did have it it would be as much as they would pay online minus the s&h. Most people seem to want the BEST deal possible without paying for it. They expect to get a first edition book for 50 cents. NOT going to happen unless its at a thrift store, I am a brick and mortar store with overhead and not a charity store.

Used books are obviously not going for as much as a used firearm. Most people opt for a used version of something as opposed to paying almost double for new.
Guns ,books, vehicles, and homes are about all someone would pay good money for used. No one wants a used hamburger or a pre-owned condom.

In answer to your question though, most people online are reasonable with pricing, however you get the handful of people that think their stuff is THE BEST. You just have to learn to seperate the wheat from the chaff.

It sounds like this guy is upset with you because of lack of sales, if he is getting the hits from you but not making sales, he needs to be more competitive.

This is just my 2 cents.

 

[rbernie]

I'm assuming that price is a major factor for everyone.

Vendor reputability and purchase data privacy is always the first and most important criteria, followed by price and lastly by stock (often I do NOT need something right away, so it's not as big a driver as price).

I will not buy from the cheapest seller if I cannot validate that my payment information will be reasonably safe. But once I get a list of 'trusted vendors', I rotate between them based almost always on price.

 

[DHJenkins]

For me it's:

Reputation
Total price
Stock

A low price is no good if you don't get it, it comes late, is out of stock, customer service sucks, etc...

When it comes to price, I'm willing to pay a bit more if I know I'm going to get what I want, when I want, and if something is wrong the company will make it right.

Honestly, I can't say how much more I'd be willing to pay for "free" shipping, extra parts, a free doo-dad or what have you because it depends on what I'm buying, how much it is and how badly I want it.

There's also the sales tax factor. Someone local may have what I want for the same price, but if I can avoid paying $80 in squandered city sales taxes, I'll probably go online for it, provided the total cost including shipping is less.

That being said, I do try to hit my mom & pop local gun store first to see what they have (small plug for Don's Guns in San Antonio )

Honestly, to an informed purchaser, there are just too many factors to weigh to be able to give you a 'pat' answer.

 

[putteral]

The only time I buy locally is if they have the Item I want and everybody online is out of stock. I always find the best prices online. When I ask my local retailer if he can match the online price he always says no!!!

 

[akodo]

Think of it like buying a bag of chips at the gas station rather than at the grocery store.

'Brick and Morter' (Mortar!) stores have the benifit of allowing the customer to walk in and walk out with the product RIGHT NOW...plus being able to give an actual eyeball assessment of what is being sold. That has real value. The internet will have to save me about 5% to offset this value.

If an online merchant wants $320 for something and I can buy it locally for $340 and I can get it RIGHT NOW, that is worth something to me, and I will buy it local.

Now, between two internet places. First off, I think in terms of 'total price' so a website that offers the item for $300 and slaps on a $30 delivery price vs a second place that offers it for $320, I go with the second store...but not everyone notices that. I suggest NEVER giving free shipping, but simply clearly and accurately mark the shipping very close to the item price, as this covers BOTH types of buyers.

$320 with free shipping!
Only $300! (shipping hidden)
$300, $20 shipping

Third type is my preferred pricing method.

In fact, a website with a lower price but no clear shipping price may make me skip them. I absolutely hate websites where you have to fill out all sorts of info about shipping address, credit card, etc etc and then just before you finalize the transaction, then you finally get to see the shipping and handling charge. I hope to buy the product for the lowest cost, but I don't feel bad at all if I pay 1% more total cost to a website that is clear about shipping and handling.

Next up for me is are websites who are known to ship the stuff fast, accurately, and have good customer service. I have no problem paying a percent more or so to get it from someone who has good customer service and reliable fast delivery.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Overall price is always the deciding factor to me. I will take shipping, FFL transfer costs, and miles traveled to the shipping point into account to decide which one is cheapest. Customer service is almost irrelevant to me. If I buy a gun online, and there's an FFL who is always nice and charger 30$ for the transfer, but another FFL who is always an ### to me but only chargers 25$, I'll pick the second. Words don't mean anything. The 5 dollars saved are real. So if it's a contest between two websites selling the same product, I can effortlessly choose between them. I will always pick the one that is cheaper. I also as a rule never buy a gun from a brick and mortar store, though I do use them to handle the weapons in person. I also use the store I do this at as a range, so don't think I'm not giving them any business at all.

 

[lamebums]

I do not buy online at all. I prefer to visually inspect anything before I buy it. If I can't find it in a store that I can walk into or at a gun show, then I won't get it. It's a matter of principle, rather than price.

 

[MarineOne]

I buy things both online and from the B&M (brick and mortar stores). It really depends on what I'm buying and when I'm buying it.

Some of my factors when I'm shopping/buying online:

- Depending on where I make my purchase, can I still expect a certain degree of customer service? Example: I'm not looking for the retailer to hold my hand, but I don't want the "Now serving number ...... " routine either.

- If I have a choice between online or local, will I save enough to justify buying online or from the walk-in store?

- Is it's availability just online, or just in a B&M? Example: When I bought my M1C there was nowhere locally to get one so I had to buy it online.

- If the store has both walk-in and online stores, which one can I get a better deal from? Example: Impact Guns has both walk-in and online stores.

- Return policies: what kind of hoops will I have to jump through in order to get a refund or replacement? The exemption here of course is ammunition.



I've been buying stuff online for years, but I certainly won't pass up a good local deal if I see one.



Kris