Gun dealers don't want to make money or what?

[SteyrAUG]

I'm well aware of that. But how much money would he get if my buddy didn't buy anything?

Zip, which is why he can hardly afford to blow people off like that. He's already trying to make it happen at 5-7% which is a losing game if you aren't moving things like Wal Mart.

[Eurodriver]

shitty dealer attitudes and prices -> people shopping online -> even worse dealer attitudes

With the margins that dealers make, especially having to compete with online, they can only afford to hire people with nothing better to do, or who want to be there because it's part of their hobby. Neither of whom are going to be in any itching hurry to actually work. There are, of course, exceptions, so anyone reading this who is already hitting "reply" to throw a fit you can assume I'm not talking about you if it doesn't apply. I also worked in a shop for several years and saw all of this firsthand.

I haven't bought anything in a retail shop in years. There is just no reason to. There are small dealers like Steyr that offer transfer services or who's overhead is low enough that custom orders are affordable. Parts and pieces and ammo I get online.

It's unfortunate that the brick & mortar stores may go away, but they dig their own graves. Even if they just offered both online and brick & mortar like Grant, they might survive. But the guys that want to sit on their ass and lament "the internet" ruining them are missing the point. It's not the internet that ruined them, they ruined themselves by refusing to adapt and hiring morons.

Maybe you missed the point, but I am speaking about online dealers as well.

Specifically, well known vendors associated with this site. Can't even reply to an email?

I'm guessing it has something to do with vendors getting hundreds of email inquiries from people with no intention to purchase.

But when I'm trying to ask a question so that I can place an order, I expect an answer.

[C4IGrant]

shitty dealer attitudes and prices -> people shopping online -> even worse dealer attitudes

With the margins that dealers make, especially having to compete with online, they can only afford to hire people with nothing better to do, or who want to be there because it's part of their hobby. Neither of whom are going to be in any itching hurry to actually work. There are, of course, exceptions, so anyone reading this who is already hitting "reply" to throw a fit you can assume I'm not talking about you if it doesn't apply. I also worked in a shop for several years and saw all of this firsthand.

I haven't bought anything in a retail shop in years. There is just no reason to. There are small dealers like Steyr that offer transfer services or who's overhead is low enough that custom orders are affordable. Parts and pieces and ammo I get online.

It's unfortunate that the brick & mortar stores may go away, but they dig their own graves. Even if they just offered both online and brick & mortar like Grant, they might survive. But the guys that want to sit on their ass and lament "the internet" ruining them are missing the point. It's not the internet that ruined them, they ruined themselves by refusing to adapt and hiring morons.

This is all true. Many gun dealers are older and really do not like change. So they ignore the internet.

As I have said about 10 million times on this forum, gun dealers are to be viewed the same way as a used car salesman. Yes there are exceptions, but not many.

Where we are located (out in the middle of BFE), we would NOT SURVIVE on local sales. Dealers must branch out and do other things.

IMHO, once the baby boomer generation passes on, we will see a more modern gun dealer that is better at using technology and SHOULD have better CS.




C4

[C4IGrant]

Maybe you missed the point, but I am speaking about online dealers as well.

Specifically, well known vendors associated with this site. Can't even reply to an email?

I'm guessing it has something to do with vendors getting hundreds of email inquiries from people with no intention to purchase.

But when I'm trying to ask a question so that I can place an order, I expect an answer.

If you e-mailed us (and I did not reply in a timely manner), I apologize. I might have missed it or flagged it for a response at a later time.

Larger online dealers get about 500 e-mails a day, 20 PM's a day (on various forums) and tons of phone calls. Not to mention keeping up with their posts online (especially if they are post whore like us).

While the above is no excuse, I think people need to realize how much typing and talking goes on for an online dealer (especially if they are popular).


C4

[KhanRad]

Additionally, Today, I called well respected, established manufacturer of firearms that all of us here are familiar with and asked them what their lead time was on shipping for a certain high end model. They answered, and I told them I'd like to buy one.

"Yeah bro, just go ahead and buy it online. I'm a little busy right now."

I promptly hung up.

I think I'll just give my money to FN instead. I have no problem ordering online, but really? You're too busy to take a couple thousand dollars off my hand? Alright.

Sorry to hear about your PredatAR experience. Enjoy the SCAR.

[QuietShootr]

Sorry to hear about your PredatAR experience. Enjoy the SCAR.

Must have got The Man himself on the phone.

's all right. FN will still be cranking out guns when LaRue is a dusty footnote in a yellowed Gun Digest, forgotten on my great-grandson's shelf.

[Eurodriver]

Hey guys, I never said any names...

Must have got The Man himself on the phone.

Hah! No. Someone did just tell me however, that if I mentioned to "The Man" that I was met with shitty customer service, he'd "probably tell you to go F yourself".

I guess what I'm so baffled at is:

-Brick and Mortar shops pricing guns $500 above MSRP and having zero customer service.

-Online dealers seemingly ignoring customers who are throwing cash at the monitor trying to get orders placed.

I am usually a 100%, order online and forget it kinda guy. BCM comes to mind, usually uppers ship the same day I order, no hassles. Its great. But when I'm dropping close to $3,000 I want to make sure that money isn't going to get tied up in a backorder status, If they charge the card when they ship or when the order is placed, etc. Call me old school but when spending an entire month's pay as an E5, I like to have human contact.