View Full Version : Caveat emptor (stores that have burned you)
I would like to start a thread where members can post buyer beware to help other members from getting “burned” by stores that have a history of screwing customers. Now while we do have the BBB, some may not take the time to look at a businesses rating or may “forget” to before placing an order. I know I spend more time on m4 than on the BBB site.
If you’ve had bad experiences with a business please let our members know. I kind of envision this to be a cut and dry thread where you state your experience and the facts and maybe we can keep the signal to noise down for people to easily see how a company treats their customers.
I hate to think of this as a negative thread but let’s keep this one for bad experiences and if it goes well possibly open a new thread on stores that have great customer service that go above and beyond.
So do you have any stores (online) where you have purchased something that turned out so horrible you wish you would have taken your money elsewhere? Let’s hear it.
I used to do a fair amount of $$$ with the old Ares Armor. They kicked out the old owner and morphed into AWC. (I think that's right) The new company and ownership took about $250 from me and never delivered the product. Mostly lowers. Anyway, I initially tried to work with them as they asked for patience through a difficult time and that turned into "f-you, we're in bankruptcy and good luck". All the while still advertising and selling. So "f-them".
Just beware of the people who didn’t get their way disguising themselves as saying the store/vendor burned them.
I think it’s ok to say I feel burned by Nike. No more for my family.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180904/52e196bef85524848c2527556ce6fb7f.jpg
I initially tried to work with them as they asked for patience through a difficult time and that turned into "f-you, we're in bankruptcy and good luck". All the while still advertising and selling. So "f-them".
If they're in bankruptcy, then you're a creditor. Unless you received a bankruptcy notice, they are not protected and you can sue them (if the $$$ is worth the hassle to you).
Doc Safari
09-04-18, 14:26
I'll see your gripes and raise you kudos.
Here's my list of companies that I've NEVER had an issue with.....EVER:
1. Bravo Company
2. Optics Planet
3. MidwayUSA
4. Palmetto State Armory
5. C4IGrant
6. AIM Surplus
7. SWFA
8. Natchez Shooters Supply
9. Numrich gun parts
10. Brownells
I may think of more later...but these are vendors I would not hesitate to order more from.
If they're in bankruptcy, then you're a creditor. Unless you received a bankruptcy notice, they are not protected and you can sue them (if the $$$ is worth the hassle to you).
It isn't at this point.
Moose-Knuckle
09-04-18, 15:44
I think it’s ok to say I feel burned by Nike. No more for my family.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180904/52e196bef85524848c2527556ce6fb7f.jpg
Their products are shit anyway. Ever see anyone run in an ultra-marathon or win an Iron Man who wore a pair of Nikes?
The "sacrifice everything" campaign should be an insult to anyone who ever lost a loved one that laid their life down for their fellow man; MIL, LEO, FF, EMS, good Samaritans, etc.
I buy a lot of crap online, and have had surprisingly decent luck. I've never been totally *burned* by anyone, even dealing with retailers that have a less than stellar reputation, like Botach.
The worst thing Botach has ever done to me was ship really slowly. But so have outfits that generally have good reps, like Sons of Liberty Gun Works, (it once took them two weeks to even ship a partial LPK and a couple extractors). I've always gotten my stuff though.
I was trying to hold off on my response and this post for another week but I see now they have changed their shipping policy. I was hoping people would post the facts and let the members come to their own conclusions.
I placed an order with Four Winds Technology aka FWTguns on the night of 8/5/18. Which was a Sunday.
https://i.imgur.com/Qu710Qw.jpg
I received an order confirmation on 8/6/18 which was the following Monday and I contacted my FFL which emailed them their information on that same day.
https://i.imgur.com/cpcufo3.jpg
I contacted FWTguns to verify they received the FFL which they responded the next day that they have.
https://i.imgur.com/F9R0p4B.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GfySuP1.jpg
I contacted them on 8/19/18 (approximately 3 business weeks) after trying to be as nice as possible inquiring about the order.
I was told it would be made a priority and their response seemed generic with thank you for your patience.
https://i.imgur.com/r3qan5v.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bqeDsPv.jpg
Then I sent them another message on 8/27/18 basically asking if this will ship and or when and pointed out their policy of prompt shipping and firearms could take 2-3 weeks to ship. Which now I see an updated site policy stating it could take “several weeks” for shipping. I have not received a response from my last message yet. I’ll be able to post a pic of the message if they ever reply.
Updated policy:
https://i.imgur.com/bEbnB0O.jpg
This is now the start of the 5th week and I’m being to wonder if I should contact my bank. I am also wondering if I’m not being patient enough. I have ordered another firearm from them a year or two ago and they had prompt shipping, hints why I ordered from them again. Upon reading reviews from the BBB I see this is not the first time this has happened.
I sent this to them today:
https://i.imgur.com/1wMpC39.jpg
I can’t send them anything through their “contact us” on their website. It give me an error message and says I can’t change anything.
If anyone knows how to post the links where it shows the pics without having to click on them that would be great.
I will keep this updated with the outcome.
I'll second that report on Four Winds Technology. A couple of months ago I ordered a Stribog from them because their website indicated that it was in stock and they had the best price. The gun business is slow right now, so shipping the next day is common. After two weeks I emailed. No response. I then called several times. No answer. Then I got lucky and someone answered the phone. She told me it would ship the next day. Nope. I called back again and asked her if they actually had it when I placed the order. She said yes, but acted like she didn't know what was going on in their shipping department. They finally shipped it out a day later. Look them up on the BBB's website. There are many people with the same story. Avoid Four Winds Technology like the plague. The savings isn't worth the cost.
Rayrevolver
09-04-18, 20:20
I have been lucky, even trading pistols it has been all good.
Only issue was with JEC Customs. They make brakes and have a brake that works with a suppressor I own. Paid them for stuff that never showed up.
BBB was involved. I even got a call from the owner, promised a shipping date... then nothing.
I'm currently having an issue with Apple. It's making me think I'll go with a google phone next and I've been die hard apple for YEARS. Every TV has an apple TV and I've got 3 macs, 2 air port extremes, 3 iPads and all our phones have been iPhones.
My issue started 3 weeks ago with my iPhone 7 dropping cell coverage. It would blink to stay out for up to 15 minutes and do that 4-5 times a day. Tried everything online I could find to fix it. Got on a chat with an apple person and they said to take it in to a certified apple place and they'd work on it. It is whatever model (A1660) that has had network connectivity issues. Well I took it to my local Simply Mac store since an Apple store is a 2 hour drive. The simply mac guy told me that they are just going to mail it to Apple and they'd just replace the phone, there wasn't a tech at the store that was going to open it up and change the defective part. Not exactly what the guy on the chat made it sound like. Well I left it with them and after 2 weeks I got it back with a note that said there was 3rd party hardware on it and they wouldn't touch it but I could pay $319 for an out of warranty replacement. It was odd since I bought the phone brand new from Verizon and it has never been messed with, opened or otherwise until I dropped it off to Simply Mac. Simply Mac was no help and told me that I could call Apple and that was it... So that started my conversation with Apple. First lady told me she had to restart her computer and would call me back. I mowed grass and got tired of waiting (over an 2 hours for supposedly a 5 min call back). After my second attempt I got referred to a "tier 2" guy that was helpful. We spent 2 hours trouble shooting it and then he finally gave up and said that he's turning over the issue to engineering and he'd call me back. I got a call back in 2 days within the window he said. Engineering said it was a battery issue and not the A1660 model issue that drops coverage. I'm confused on how a battery issue is giving me network issues when everything else works perfectly. Also Apple's website says that it's $29 for a battery replacement plus 6.95 shipping. Still haven't gotten a response on that question... I was supposed to get another call back tonight but it appears that isn't happening. I'll be calling him back tomorrow. Hoping they make it right but I feel like they were just trying to blow me off and say some BS to get me to go away. I'd be okay with paying for a new battery but my battery health is only showing 86% capacity. I just have a hard time believing it's a battery issue but it could be. Just wish they would have been honest up front instead of trying to feed me a load of BS.
I'm rocking my old iPhone 5 while I wait...lol
Edit:
Finally got a call back (a day later than originally agreed upon), they are finally going to replace it. Well they say so if there is no water damage, etc. We shall see if that happens or if they come up with something else. It's going to take 4-5 days to get the box to ship it back to them and then I'll have to wait on the replacement to arrive. I'm figuring another 2 weeks at least...
LMT Shooter
09-04-18, 21:06
Menards
I went there for doors, flooring, and a floor heat system when I had my house built. Menards screwed up all 3 things. They sent the wrong doors when they delivered them, hollow cored ones but I had ordered, and paid for, solid core doors. I sent them back & finally got the solid core doors delivered. I had ordered enough flooring in a single lot # to avoid color match issues, but when they called & said it came in, they brought me the 3 different lot #'s from their shelves. My floor heat system, it took me 3 trips just to get them to order a boiler, because the company that they used to design the system & generate the parts list didn't specify a boiler that they stocked. When it finally came in, they sat on it for weeks, until I asked the guy who delivered my doors to check on my boiler.
I was trying to hold off on my response and this post for another week but I see now they have changed their shipping policy. I was hoping people would post the facts and let the members come to their own conclusions.
I placed an order with Four Winds Technology aka FWTguns on the night of 8/5/18. Which was a Sunday.
(Pic)
I received an order confirmation on 8/6/18 which was the following Monday and I contacted my FFL which emailed them their information on that same day.
I contacted FWTguns to verify they received the FFL which they responded the next day that they have.
(Pics)
I contacted them on 8/19/18 (approximately 3 business weeks) after trying to be as nice as possible inquiring about the order.
I was told it would be made a priority and their response seemed generic with thank you for your patience.
(Pics)
Then I sent them another message on 8/27/18 basically asking if this will ship and or when and pointed out their policy of prompt shipping and firearms could take 2-3 weeks to ship. Which now I see an updated site policy stating it could take “several weeks” for shipping. I have not received a response from my last message yet.
This is now the start of the 5th week and I’m being to wonder if I should contact my bank. I am also wondering if I’m not being patient enough. I have ordered another firearm from them a year or two ago and they had prompt shipping, hints why I ordered from them again. Upon reading reviews from the BBB I see this is not the first time this has happened.
I will keep this updated with the outcome.
Four winds is a no-go. Same thing here. Bought a silencer listed as in stock, after no call from my dealer, I called them and they said they looked into it and the nfa stuff is more hassle than they want to deal with... wtf, then why list it in stock?
They did refund my money, but they clearly have no clue whats going on.
....
On the opposite end, glockstore.com has become one of my favorite places. Good prices, fast free shipping (ive had 2days and im in east PA), they let you call in order mods, and always easy to reach with by phone.
Psa has a bad rap, but my experience is always good. Might take a while to ship, but when its 30%less, Im fine with that.
Apache Gun Works
I ordered a barrel based on an X-caliber blank 10 months ago and despite three or four emails now I have received no barrel and no response. I have since moved leaving me with an aching feeling that I may never receive the paid-for product. I may resort to contacting my bank if I have recourse. After the first email (about six months in) I did some googling and realized that at least one person was in the same situation and contacted the owner, at which point he simply canceled the order and refunded their money. I was just hoping to assemble and shoot a new TL3 with S&B before the end of this season. I knew I should have used a more reputable barrel maker.
sundance435
09-05-18, 16:04
The Nike thing is pathetically ironic, too, from a company built and supported by slave labor. I'll be honest, that never led me to actively avoid buying anything from them, but their latest move changed that. The only company I've consistently received iffy service from is LA Police Gear. Sometimes they have sales on stuff that, in conjunction with always available 10-15% off coupons, are a good deal. The catch is it's never in stock and their backorder times are pure fantasy. It used to be relatively easy to cancel an order, but not anymore. I've limited my orders from them to only a few things that are in stock and shipped free with a coupon.
Trouble-free companies for me across multiple orders (in no particular order):
1. Brownells
2. G&R (honestly, I have no idea how Grant and Roxanne have the time to answer so many emails AND questions on here AND run the business)
3. SG Ammo
4. Amazon (only applies to "sold by" or "fulfilled by")
5. Target Sports
Averageman
09-05-18, 17:21
Sig will never see another penny from me.
I bought this rifle
https://www.sigsauer.com/store/sig516-patrol.html
and it was a complete POS from the first day at the range. It took nearly a year to get a replacement and it too was less than worthy of the Sig name.
Upon having a quick conversation with my friend who is a lawyer, it went something like this, what are you a dumbass contact your CC company immediately and dispute the charge for undelivered goods because you only have 60 days to do so. It sounded just like Paul Harrel when he said it and what went through my mind was “hey joe you better get down, we are taking fire”.
I now have three unanswered emails from FWTGUNS and I filed a dispute tonight with my CC company. Maybe they will answer the last one since I requested a refund. I’ll keep everyone updated.
BBB contacted me.
FWTGUNS is now out of business.
Charges are in dispute with VISA and looks like I’ll get my money back.
I've had issues with just about every vendor I've ordered from. SGAMMO may be the only vendor who hasn't messed something up thus far.
Recently ordered a 6920 from a beloved M4C vendor, it was advertised with an Aimpoint PRO free with the rifle. Didn't come with it. It was a mistake on the vendors part, and I understand those situations, but it was kind of like- oh that was incorrect didn't mean to advertise it that way- oh well. And this was the second incorrectly advertised item I ordered from this vendor.
I would've ordered the rifle elsewhere and gotten a better price, but the free PRO made it a killer deal. Not so much though.
Got an M&P 9 FS from that same vendor a few years back and the APEX DCAEK installed by them was installed improperly leading to soft primer strikes/failure to fire. Was told by the vendor S&W had to warranty the work and they could do nothing for me, I sent it to S&W (On my dime), they said "Hey you have after market parts- they are causing the soft strikes/failure to fire, only way we can do anything is to charge you to install factory parts and take out the after market parts". So I had them send the gun back to me and I did the work myself to get it back up and running. Informed the vendor and it was like- oh too bad for you, oh well.
Same vendor about 5 years ago, ordered a M&P 9 FS that was advertised as coming with 3 magazines. Came with 2. When contacted vendor said- you aren't LE so you only get 2 mags. Nowhere was any of this stated where advertised. Same thing- oh well, pound sand.
Anyways, those 3 transactions turned me off. I could forgive one or two, but the same mistake with false/poor/mistaken/incorrect advertising didn't sit well with me. Make a mistake once, that's fine, but same mistake twice, that's poor performance. The shop is a good shop and they are good people, so I'm not going to make a huff about it, but I still got the raw part of the deal on multiple occasions.
Tried a bunch of others and it's much of the same.
Not a believer in bad luck per say, but for some reason I am a person whose orders get messed up all the time from pretty much everyone I order from.
It's odd, quite often I get sent double or triple items from vendors, I always notify them and try to send the extras I didn't pay for back to them. Most of the time they just say- keep it, it isn't worth it for us to pay shipping and process it, unless it is a big item and then they will pay for shipping, but that leaves me with having to print out a label and drive to Fedex or USPS office to send it. It costs me time & money and is an inconvenience.
I find that most people and businesses are just plain disorganized and make too many mistakes.
Doc Safari
10-18-18, 10:27
I find that most people and businesses are just plain disorganized and make too many mistakes.
Describes every place I ever worked before I retired to the ranch.
One place I worked the owner's nephew quit to work for a major company. At his resignation he told his uncle, "Your company has no leadership, no training, and no communication."
Pretty much describes American business as far as I'm concerned.
I've had issues with just about every vendor I've ordered from. SGAMMO may be the only vendor who hasn't messed something up thus far.
Recently ordered a 6920 from a beloved M4C vendor.......
With the problems you listed, I'd like like to know the vendor so I can stay way.
Thanks!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.