Haggling?

[Underdog 1,593]

For me this consideration comes down to a lot of factors. How are you treated when in the store? Sometimes I go into shops and guys stand there BSing when I am trying to do business. This annoys me a lot when I am in a hurry, especially if a NICS check is needed and I have to wait for that as well. It would be nice to have the salesperson to at least acknowledge you and say I will be right with you, etc. I have gone in there when a salesperson is making a sale and he is sitting there BSing and waiting for the NICS call back and won't even give me, another customer, a minutes to find out what I want. In particular, I just wanted to see something under the counter. After waiting to see if he would acknowledge me for a couple of minutes (mind you he is doing nothing except talking), I finally said, I would like to see that. The reply is that it will be a couple of minutes. I clarified and said, is that 2 minutes, or will it be 10? He said it would be 10-15 minutes. I left. It could have been a potential sale for him if he could have "multi-tasked".

 

 

I am also annoyed when I go to a shop that I have done a lot of business with and the guy continues to nickel and dime me do death. $20 NICS charge when others are $15. Say, I have purchased four or five items at full price in the last year and there is something I want but isn't in stock. I have asked about it coming in on numerous occasions. I don't expect the gun shop to reem me on an internet transfer purchase of an item that I have been questioning him about for a long time and have gotten replies like its not available, too popular now, etc., when I am able to order it myself and have it sent to him and probably save some money. It's annoying enough that he couldn't find it or get it for me. But, If he couldn't get it for me and I regularly do business with him, I don't expect $70 plus tax for the transfer. That offends me. It is a two way street.

 

Also, it seems sometimes that unless you are going to make a major purchase of $600 the shop owner isn't that interested and helpful, even when you know that you are purchasing something lesser in value, possibly used at either a premium used or new price. I don't want to feel like I am wasting his time, especially when I haven't haggled.

 

 

There are many times when I can get ammunition much cheaper at a gun show, but I buy from a local store to give him a little more on his bottom line. Even the shops that annoy me I purchase a little here and there from them, as i still want them to stay in business to give me options.

 

I guess if I am going to pay a premium to get something through a gun shop, instead of an online transfer, then I expect that shop to give me awesome customer service and bend over backward to get my business. If I ask about a particular item and I want the shop to check on it for me and give me a call back, then I expect to get a call back. On the flip, if a dealer puts something on hold for you, or goes out of the way to find that model that he hasn't been able to get, then you owe it to support him.

[DevsAdvocate 112]

It's weird... Americans are a bit honest when it comes to buying stuff. We have a tendency to accept things at face value and pay for them. In foreign nations, it's okay to haggle, and typically the rule of thumb.

 

I mean, you're not gonna haggle for a can of peas at the supermarket, but cars, guns, boats, etc are all fair game.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

I generally don't haggle, per se, but may ask for a small consideration. For example, the last two gun transactions I ask if I could get an OTD price in even dollars. I was quoted $406 and change on one and went OTD at $400 even. The other had a $599.95 price tag on the gun and I asked if we could do an OTD price of $600 even. If either dealer had said no, I would have still purchased. It's just nice to get a little sumthin', sumthin' to feel like you got a deal.

 

Mark-up on new firearms is not large. I generally know what a good price is, on the arm I'm shopping for, going in, so there really is no use "haggling".

 

Adios,

 

PIzza Bob

[HKHockey 5]

Yea what he said I will deal with these guys all day. If it's Ramsey Outdoor in Paramus I wouldn't buy from them. Or the Bullethole. Not for their prices but due to their piss poor customer service and one particular sales guy's condescending attitude at Ramsey Outdoor in Paramus. The guys at the Ramsey Outdoor in Ramsey are pretty good. Although I did ask what their transfer policy was and one guy told me if they couldn't get it or didn't have it they'd do a transfer. This was during the great Obama gun rush of 2009 for a Bushmaster rifle. I know they charged me 50 bucks for the transfer but I don't think that included NICS.

 

With that said I'd much rather drive halfway down the Parkway to deal with the forum vendors than buy from someone who doesn't appreciate my business or treats it like a chore having to do their job.

 

 

Was not even aware that their were multiple Ramsey Outdoor stores. I live in the town next to Ramsey and decided to stop by with my LEO buddy while he was looking for his off-duty (NYPD) G26 a few months back. Guy behind the counter looked at my friend up and down after he explained his situation and said "Are you really a cop?" even before my friend asked for the price. Needless to say we found this to be incredibly rude and my friend promptly flashed his badge and walked out. Found a genuine mom-and-pop store right across the border in Sloatsburg who helped my friend out immediately and was extremely friendly. He saw me milling about his shop and wanted to know if I wanted to look at anything as well while I waited. Told him I just recently applied for my FID and he took the time to explain alot of the rules and regs regarding transport and his experience as well as a gun-owner. Showed me a bunch of pistols and asked about my personal preferences, caliber choice and even suggested a few that were ambidextrous (I am a southpaw). Will probably use him to purchase my first pistol and one of the suggested FFLs from this site to transfer instead of giving a dime to Ramsey Outdoor. Would rather spend money out of my pocket on transfer fees and gas (Ramsey outdoors is literally 5 minutes from me) to drive further out and build a good report with small shop owners. Just my 2 cents.