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Thread: AAC screwing small dealers and customers rant

  1. #1
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    AAC screwing small dealers and customers rant

    Got a letter in the mail from AAC stating they no longer ( as of 01 DEC 07 ) will sell suppressors by the level 1,2,3 system. They now have a dealer and stocking dealer program. Dealer is 9 and less and of course stocking is 10 or more< or you can buy from some of there larger distributors. It goes on to say this will help with there backlog on orders yada yada yada. I call BS. They only want to sell to there cheering squad only. They can charge less than a small dealer and take a % of our buisness away. So If someone comes to me for an AAC transfer from one of them, I will charge them 150.00 for the transfer... Rant off

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    Got a letter in the mail from AAC stating they no longer ( as of 01 DEC 07 ) will sell suppressors by the level 1,2,3 system. They now have a dealer and stocking dealer program. Dealer is 9 and less and of course stocking is 10 or more< or you can buy from some of there larger distributors. It goes on to say this will help with there backlog on orders yada yada yada. I call BS. They only want to sell to there cheering squad only. They can charge less than a small dealer and take a % of our buisness away. So If someone comes to me for an AAC transfer from one of them, I will charge them 150.00 for the transfer... Rant off
    I'm betting that the $150 transfer will merely take money out of your pocket with no effect on AAC at all.

    Someone who wants product X will drive an extra 20 miles to get product X from someone who won't charge them $150 extra for it.

    I'd simply tell your customers that you don't deal with AAC any more. Then show them why SWR, Ops Inc, Surefire, Gemtech, AWC, Soundtech, YHM, HTG, and STW are probably better for them.

    It's their business. The model they are using is not new.

    It certainly sucks for the small guy, but maybe you'll end up getting better deals from a stocking dealer who wants to moves cans that are tying up cash flow.

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    I seem to remember a bit of talk a while back on the silencertalk site concerning small dealers complaining about delivery times. It has always been the stance from AAC on that site that the reason that small volume dealers have such a time getting in products from AAC is because the dealer hold's the customers money until the can is ready. I am sure this is true in some circumstances, but cannot be so in all. I know from my own personal experience, when I first got my M42K several years ago, I went through a small dealer. Paid (dealer) for the can in January. Had serial number and started paperwork in Feb or March. Got approval and it was late June/early July before my can was ever ready. I don't see how I could have gotten my serial number if my dealer had not already paid for it. It was crazy, having a form 4 approved, calling every 2 weeks and getting told "Two more weeks". Maybe AAC got tired of the smaller dealers complaining about stuff like that and that is their response? Who knows.

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    I am not sure what you are unhappy. What is a 'cheering squad?'

    AAC wants to encourage dealers to have items in stock so that a customer can go into their store -- see the can and how nice it is, and then get it quickly with only one transfer time. To do this, AAC gives an extra low price to dealers who buy 10 or more at a time. Dealers who do not want to buy so many still get a dealer price with a comparable margin to dealer price from other silencer companies.

    Are you saying you want as much margin as a dealer who buys 10 or more silencers at a time?

    Would you prefer a buy-in like to sell HK products (I think it is around $12,000)?

    Any system we come up with is bound to please some people, but not others.

    "They can charge less than a small dealer and take a % of our buisness away."

    Actually it has been the small dealers who usually charge less -- often just marking up a can $10 or $50. They work at home and sometimes ensure that full-time dealers cannot make a fair profit needed to run a business. This system will help prevent that by allowing full-time dealers who order more product to make the larger margin they need to stay in business.

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    Maybe it is a blessing in disguise, their quality has really seemed to suffer lately based on reports from Silencertalk.com and a few other forums. Not sure I'd be willing to put up with all the nonsense and then get a bum can on top of it.

    Off center end cap hole.

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    I understand you trane of thought but, If it aint broke why fix it. . I only have so much capitol to deal with and now you are making me spend thousands more to carry you product line and make a decent profit. I could see buying 10 or more suppressors, but if I order m42000 and 762 sd's the delivery time is in months not weeks, so now I have thousands of dollars waiting for you to deliver with no confirmed delivery. so how can this customer come over and take a look at the cans when they are still in your factory getting coated or welded? I try to carry most popular models from various manufactures, but if I had to buy 10 from each company to make a decent profit I would go out of buisness. This is a secondary job for me I also have a full-time position,,, so I hope you can see where I am comming from as a small guy ...

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    Yes, the delivery time being unpredictable is a problem. I am sorry about that. I know we have said this before but we really hope to be caught up with demand soon so it will be easier.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Trim2L View Post
    Maybe it is a blessing in disguise, their quality has really seemed to suffer lately based on reports from Silencertalk.com and a few other forums. Not sure I'd be willing to put up with all the nonsense and then get a bum can on top of it.

    Off center end cap hole.
    The hole is perfectly centered but it is relative to the bullet path (as it should be) rather than centered in the end of the tube. There is so much welding for ultra-high strength and durability that the tube warped a little from the heat. The EDM bore in the final stage still puts the hole perfectly centered relative to the gun's bore even though it is hard to tell from the photo. Even so, this one should not have shipped and the customer is welcome to a new can. We reprogrammed the CNC welder about six weeks ago so that this won't happen again. Buy one and it will be good or we will make it right.

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    You are NOW offering to make them right.

    From what I've read, they've been WRONG for a long time while the EDM process has been touted as the latest and greatest improvement as opposed to a fix for your overzealous welding and warped cans.

    EDM is a breathtakingly expensive and tedious process, is it not?

    Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball...

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    Quote Originally Posted by rsilvers View Post
    Buy one and it will be good or we will make it right.
    I'm sorry but I don't have the time or patience to wait months on the hope the can will be made right. It is commendable that AAC is doing the right thing for that customer but at this time I would rather wait until AAC's QC track record is a little more consistent. I also prefer to support small dealers, like the original poster, who in turn support customers like me.

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