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What's going on at a heritage Guild?

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I was in the Easton store yesterday to shoot and had to wait for a spot to open up. While waiting, I did a little window shopping...wanted to check out the Sig P320 in particular. I asked one of the guys at the gun counter if they had it and he walked over, took it out of the case and then asked "are you a PA resident?" I replied "no, Jersey" and he said "well, this isn't New Jersey compliant" and started to put it back. I asked if it was due to mag capacity and he confirmed that it has a 17 round mag...I asked if they make <15 rounders for it and he said sure, but we don't have them so it's not Jersey legal. I finally convinced him to hand me the gun after I reminded him of their two stores in NJ. I held it for about 10 seconds and handed it back after determining that it wasn't comfortable in my hand and seems very heavy in the barrel...not balanced at all.

 

When did HG start hiring arrogant little pricks like that guy? Every other time I've been there, I've had great experiences at the gun counter.

 

 

This signature is AWESOME!!!

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Same thing happen to me back in 2013. They had their S&W weekend. I was looking for the M&P 9 with 5" barrel. Asked if they could order me one at the sale price since they did not have in stock. Sales guy said sure can would be delivered in 4 to 6 weeks. Then I told him I was from NJ. Then the excuses started to flow. "We can not sell you the gun, it's illegal in NJ." I explained that the gun was not illegal the 17 rnd mags were, but they could be modified to be NJ legal. " We can't sell it to you because of ATF rules." I asked how others in NJ have already acquired that model firearm if it is against ATF rules. " I don't know, but we can't sell you the gun" I said okay and walked out of the place, never to return. F' em!!

 

Funny thing I found the firearm on Gunbroker from a dealer in Missouri. And he had no issues sending it to my LGS.  

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Why are gun stores filled with so many arrogant dickheads? I just don't understand how this started. That is the main reason I stay away from these larger-type establishments. Some of these employees may be knowledgeable about guns but they act like they're just SOOooOOO much better than you because they are on the other end of the gun cabinets. And half the time, they don't know shit about guns.

 

I'd have no problem telling him to eff off and go spend my 500 bucks elsewhere, right after telling the manager that the kid was acting like an idiot.

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Gotta be honest, I was asked the same question at the Easton PA Heritage Guild.

Myself, I walked away laughing and spent my $1500.00 at another store.

Of all the stores to do this-they have a NJ location...um transfer?

It's all about customer service and customer experience, I know, I run a business. Never would I do that to a potential client.

I generally go to Pennsy to get away from some of the arrogant NJ gun mafia(no one on this forum btw-true) that feel they are a step above you (as recessedfilter mentioned).

 

I won't purchase even a patch from them.

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Possibly they may be irritated and tired by an endless string of looky-loos all day long.  People lacking the paperwork/license, people lacking the money.  Imagine spending a half hour showing product to some bored clown who can't possibly complete the sale?  Sort of like a car salesperson giving test drives for an hour to some kid with no insurance or license.

 

Do Heritage counter staffers work on commission?  I have no idea.

 

Get enough of the tire kickers for 8 hours, and then a legit customer like you comes in, but they are worn out and pissed off by that point.

 

Or, the guy behind the counter could be just a D-bag.  We'll never know.  I've had good chats with Heritage staff, sometimes buying and sometimes not (yet).  I've spent thousands of dollars in that store in the last year.  Maybe speak to the manager and express your concerns and see what happens.  If ignored, cross off the list of potential vendors.

 

I'm sure some vendors here have caught wind of a D-bag employee and dealt with it.

 

But I really, really have to stress that the forum sponsors here should be your first line of purchase.  I was shopping a Beretta Storm carbine recently.  Heritage wanted $900 for it, and a forum sponsor would get it for around $600.  And he is local.  Sort of a come Jesus moment.

 

Sorry for the wordy post.

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I was just killing time while waiting for a range spot to open (not shooting at EFGA in snowy 30° weather) they had a 30-40 minute wait and the small side of the range was empty. I won't be able to buy anything at any of their stores soon enough. I've never had a problem with any other visits there....in fact, I bought my shotgun at their Easton store. I'm pretty sure it was a one-off issue with one douchey employee...kinda looked like a d-bag but he was the closest to the Sigs so I got stuck with him for a couple of minutes.

 

 

This signature is AWESOME!!!

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What do you think his perception of you was?

 

Don't judge too quickly.

 

Sales people need to be nice to everyone.  Without that, a business fails, or at least fails to do as well as it could.  The salesperson's perception of the customer is not an important component to the equation.

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Funny thing, I was in Easton Heritage today after a range session, decided to ask about the P320 as well (I own a P250). I got the short guy with the a very close cut (same guy?). He said, you from NJ? I said, yes, just want to get a feel for the trigger since I wanted to compare it to my P250.  He didn't give me anymore gruff, maybe you loosened him up.

"

I wonder if they have recently changed their sales strategy / commissions and transfers to NJ are not as attractive? I heard the, "you from NJ?" thing a couple of times as we were at the counter.  They always have better inventory in Easton, but I pick up guns in Branchburg.

 

BTW, I too was underwhelmed by the balance and trigger on the P320, I was hoping for better. I really like the balance of my P250 (better loaded than empty mags), but the DAO is tough.  i will stick with it.  I love the trigger on my wife's SR9, but I like everything else better on my P250.

 

The smoother lines on P320 are nice.

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At this point, I'm not too worried about it. I'm sitting in Newark airport waiting on my flight to Houston...my new home. My .45 ACP is in my checked bag so HG will never have to worry about THIS former NJ resident darkening their door again.

 

 

This signature is AWESOME!!!

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At this point, I'm not too worried about it. I'm sitting in Newark airport waiting on my flight to Houston...my new home. My .45 ACP is in my checked bag so HG will never have to worry about THIS former NJ resident darkening their again.

 

 

This signature is AWESOME!!!

 

Congrats on the move! :)

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They suck rip offs. I have purchased a few guns from them and sent a few people there and they never knock any $$ off. There guns are 100-200 more than getting them new on gunbroker with shipping. There ammo prices are a rip also. They gave me 800 on a trade I had a 1500 smith and Wesson from the performance center and they said were lucky we make 100 on this I went back a few weeks later there it is in the case for like 1300.

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Same thing happen to me back in 2013. They had their S&W weekend. I was looking for the M&P 9 with 5" barrel. Asked if they could order me one at the sale price since they did not have in stock. Sales guy said sure can would be delivered in 4 to 6 weeks. Then I told him I was from NJ. Then the excuses started to flow. "We can not sell you the gun, it's illegal in NJ." I explained that the gun was not illegal the 17 rnd mags were, but they could be modified to be NJ legal. " We can't sell it to you because of ATF rules." I asked how others in NJ have already acquired that model firearm if it is against ATF rules. " I don't know, but we can't sell you the gun" I said okay and walked out of the place, never to return. F' em!!

 

Funny thing I found the firearm on Gunbroker from a dealer in Missouri. And he had no issues sending it to my LGS.

If their store was in PA and you're a NJ resident, he was correct in telling you he couldn't sell you the handgun because of ATF rules. They would have had to ship it to a NJ FFL who would then transfer it to you.

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If their store was in PA and you're a NJ resident, he was correct in telling you he couldn't sell you the handgun because of ATF rules. They would have had to ship it to a NJ FFL who would then transfer it to you.

Yes, it was the PA store. And I'm aware that all handgun sales from an out of state buyer must be shipped to the buyer's home state to complete the transfer. He was stating some other kind of ATF rule, I just can't remember what it was. I believe it was something along the lines of since the firearm was illegal in NJ they could not sell it to me. As we all know the firearm is NJ legal, but standard mags are not.

 

And it's my understanding that I can "buy" the handgun from anyone , but it must be "transferred" to me from a FFL in my home state. Just like you selling a handgun to a PA resident, they give you the money for the firearm, but you then send it to their FFL of choice for the transfer. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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Yes, it was the PA store. And I'm aware that all handgun sales from an out of state buyer must be shipped to the buyer's home state to complete the transfer. He was stating some other kind of ATF rule, I just can't remember what it was. I believe it was something along the lines of since the firearm was illegal in NJ they could not sell it to me. As we all know the firearm is NJ legal, but standard mags are not.

 

And it's my understanding that I can "buy" the handgun from anyone , but it must be "transferred" to me from a FFL in my home state. Just like you selling a handgun to a PA resident, they give you the money for the firearm, but you then send it to their FFL of choice for the transfer. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Yep, just needs to be transferred to you by a FFL in your home State....so PA handgun sale = ship it to NJ FFL and have FPID/P2P to complete transfer.

 

Since HG seems to make up laws (ie, pistol is not legal in NJ) I would avoid them, following the law is one thing but making it up as you go along is when I would RUN..

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I though I was the only one that had that experience:

 

Wouldn't sell -transfer to a NJ FFL-just the gun

Wouldn't swap the mags for 15 rounders which the manufacture still makes BTW.

Wouldn't ship it an FFL that would alter the mags.

 

This was a couple years ago. Screw those clowns. Never went back.

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I though I was the only one that had that experience:

 

Wouldn't sell -transfer to a NJ FFL-just the gun

Wouldn't swap the mags for 15 rounders which the manufacture still makes BTW.

Wouldn't ship it an FFL that would alter the mags.

 

This was a couple years ago. Screw those clowns. Never went back.

 

Crazy, better sticking with local shops or buying online and having transferred locally.

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As a regular at Heritage Guild (range and a couple of purchases) I think this thread is interesting.  I think of them more like Cabela's, a shop that focuses on clean retail sales with higher margins for people that don't like to mess around. Sort of like a "no haggle" car dealer. That is what you are buying. If you are price sensitive, they will never make you happy. If you are looking to do complicated purchases that require after market changes for legality, or personal customization, etc. you aren't going to be happy.

 

Those features are what make most of the other guys that sell on this forum attractive to a certain part of the market place. If you are looking to get a great deal, or configure something that is not-out-the-box, don't go to HG.

 

If you are a confused first time pistol buyer who wants either a Glock 19 or Sig P226 or a fancy out of the box Kimber, and you want to fondle a bunch of them and go home knowing what you bought (but not worry about the price), they will make you happy.

 

It's 'merica here, vendors for all types.

 

I think it is reflective of that positioning that they don't have a presence on this forum.  BTW, their approach is hardly the only or even the best way to go. I think that RTSP (from my reading of the stuff here, I've never been to their store or range) tries to go after some of the same market as HG and does seem to please at least a few of the folks here :-)

 

On the positive side, they had 300 round CCI Ar-Tactical boxes for $24.99 on Sunday. I bought one box, not sure if they had a limit, but it appears that a few boxes of .22LR are sitting for a day or two again.  It seems the market price for non-match .22 is now 8 to 9 cents a round. The days of 3 or 4 cent bulk ammo appears to be over the event horizon.

 

They also have pallets of 5.56 and 7.62 ammo on the show-room floor, didn't check prices.

 

BTW, the funny thing is their Branchburg and Easton Archer departments are really a different animal, but that is a different discussion.

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I'm surprised he turned around and put the gun back. But he was right that you could not take full ownership/possession in PA, and that the gun was not NJ-compliant. The last part is no big deal though. I just recently had a CZ75 sent to The Mastodon. When I got the compliant mags in the mail I went to pick the gun up.

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A few years ago I wanted the M&P Pro in 9mm. They were tough to get at the time. heritage guild in branchburg pulled one from the PA store, swapped the mags for the factory 15 no charge, and discounted the price. I haven't bought anything since as I have been busy modding it, but HG was good to me.

 

I did all this from the NJ store, maybe the PA people are not versed in our obscure laws.

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I'm another regular at HG Branchburg.  My experience with them has always been positive, and I've found everything I've bought from them to be competitive price-wise all things considered.  Everything new has been priced close to other local dealers and some close to internet pricing.  Some of the used handguns I've bought have been absolute bargains, and they'll hold something for me with nothing more than a handshake.  THen again, if the price isn't right I won't buy it.

 

Are they perfect?  Nope. I wish they had more used inventory and had some of the trade-in deals seen on the internet.  But they meet a need, and I've gotten to know the staff in the gun room - some nice folks.  I've found that building a relationship with the employees of whatever vendor you choose to work with almost always improves service.

 

Could I save a few bucks sometimes?  Maybe, but not much once you consider all costs involved.  And I put a value on being able to walk in (or call them) and have them put my next purchase on hold (because of OGAM or P2P wait times) without so much as a dime out of my pocket until I pick it up.    

 

I use the Easton range regularly because it's the closest for me and I find the PA store to be nice because they have more in stock, but used prices are higher out there and the transfer times to ship something to the NJ store is a bit long considering they are the same company.  It also appears turnover of the PA staff is high as there is someone new every time I'm there.  Not excusing the attitude seen by the OP, but experience tells me rules get put in place in reaction to something that happened before.  Maybe they got burned somehow (though hard to see how).

 

I've tried several other local vendors, both big and small, and haven't found one yet that is as easy to deal with than HG Branchburg.   I've had vendors insist on me having a P2P before letting me handle a gun, other vendors refuse to take a gun out of the case unless I put a deposit on it, even one refuse to sell me HP ammunition since I'm not LEO.  No sense getting all worked up about it, I just move on.  I haven't found one yet that doesn't have quirks.  But then again, I do too.  

 

All IMO... 

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I think the key sticking point for me on this is, They have NJ stores, are they franchise? or one owner? If a single owner doesn't understand that his store is 10 mins from NJ, and he will get consistent NJ customers, then he is lost. How could you be so ignorant. if it's a franchise, then maybe the PA owner just doesn't care about it. 

 

If they are indeed related to the NJ stores -why can't they just say, sure you can handle this all day long, you wanna buy? give us money, then go to our store in NJ, do your nics, and pick up your NJ legal pistol? This is essentially what is done when someone buys on gunbroker, or the like. This seems like a huge miss for the store.

 

I also hate the "ignorant" rule making, I feel it's a responsibility of a store, so close to a border of another state, to know those laws and educate correctly a potential customer. As stated, it is not illegal to own the firearm, only the magazine.

 

I HATE the NJ gun laws, but a business cannot loose site of fact, and fact is, NJ has a VERY high average income bracket comparatively to many other states. This should relate to more potential discretionary income...in english- More sales!

 

I get the whole, communist state, and PA is free and all, but really, it's a business, get over it.

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Franchise or one owner?

 

Good question, I think it is really appears to be some kind of a partnership. It seems to me that the three stores have some level of shared infrastructure (same inventory/POS system) but the store managers tend to run pretty independently in practice.  Some weird things happened in the Archery shops about a year ago that showed that independent decisions were being made, but the consequences were shared. I asked the guys in Easton why they had about 60 Parker cross-bows on pallets on the showroom floor, turns out someone in NJ totally overbought and Easton was stuck helping dump the inventory....

 

As to the handgun thing between the stores, it is surprising that they don't try hard to reap the benefits of coordination. Again, I bet it has to do commissions or other sales incentives that are counter-intuitive.  

 

The other thought I have is I wonder if they have experienced visits from the Bloomberg types being on the Express in NYC/NJ and they are always in fear of the under-cover straw buyer type to get splashed on the news....  That is probably alot more probable than we want to believe. Heck the Sarco folks act REAL scared of that all the time.  Their NJ-based history gives them reason to have the hee-bee jee-bees. Dunkelbergers too (I don't visit their store, but the stories are well documented).

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I have been to the HG Easton store a few times (at least 10X or more).  Never gave me a problem.  Never ask if I was NJ or not.

Let me fondle their weapons all day.  NJ legal and illegal.

Of all my times there and all the time they spent with me, I only bought one thing from them.

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This is the only time I've had this problem. I've been there quite a bit as well and never seen this particular (non) salesman at the gun counter. Not only did he not even want to let me touch the gun, he did nothing but bad-mouth NJ and their laws...not that I disagree but if you're in the business of selling, you should really try NOT to insult your potential customers. Maybe I'll mention it to Steve over @ the Facebook page...

 

 

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