The UK gun trade, bloody useless!

[richard1951]

Just like M and S every monday morning they get 100s of itims of femail clothing back that dont fit or wrong colour, that they bought on saturday went clubing sat night then got full refund on monday, free outfits every week .
Some shops are just stupid.

 

[Tamus]

Outch, I can see someone got out the same side of the bed as I did this morning clearly return postage for a shotgun would be £30 quid, if it was a complicated as you make out for rfd's to send rfd's then why would others bother? Some in the trade bother, and clearly do well out of it, my point entirely, others don't and loose customers (or at least this one). I also value my time, aside from the cost of fuel etc, and don't like wasting it on wild goose chases, if the gun is as amazing as they claim then surely I will fall head over heels for it and part with my hard earned cash so there should be no need for it being sent back.
I give up, must be only me out here that wants to feel like a valued customer and not an incovenience, I'll shut up and not worry about it, just amazes me that in every other industry people put a lot of weight behind the online side of sales these days, and a part of that involves being able to have things sent to you before you commit to keeping them, which is where local RFD's come in.

Mr grumpy... me? ... Nah!

I drive from South of Edinburgh to Inverness to go shooting some of the time. I'll then happily drive another 35 miles North to Gregor Macleod's fantasmagorical Emporium, just for a looksee, on the offchance. I once picked up a very rattily stocked and shot out .270 Sako for £150 that way, and it is now rebarrled courtesy of Border barrels and immaculately refinished, total cost still a lot less than £1k. I wouldn't waste anyone's time having stuff shipped all ways on a maybe though. But mibbee that's just me.

 

[Mr. Gain]

I see no harm in asking whether a S/H gun can be sent on approval when the potentially buyer is a long way from the seller - a situation that is common now that many guns are advertised on-line.

However, it also seems to me that a seller is not behaving unreasonably if he declines to provide this service. IMO he has as much right to decide it's not in his interests as the buyer has to decline to travel to see the gun at first hand.

Rather than a single case being grounds for launching a general tirade at the trade, therefore, I'd suggest that the number of RFDs who are prepared to be flexible in this way does the trade no small credit.

I hope the OP will take consolation from the thought that there really are lots of good S/H shotguns about, and there's a high probability that he'll find one soon that is more readily available to view.

 

[deerstalker.308]

I see no harm in asking whether a S/H gun can be sent on approval when the potentially buyer is a long way from the seller - a situation that is common now that many guns are advertised on-line.

However, it also seems to me that a seller is not behaving unreasonably if he declines to provide this service. IMO he has as much right to decide it's not in his interests as the buyer has to decline to travel to see the gun at first hand.

Rather than a single case being grounds for launching a general tirade at the trade, therefore, I'd suggest that the number of RFDs who are prepared to be flexible in this way does the trade no small credit.

I hope the OP will take consolation from the thought that there really are lots of good S/H shotguns about, and there's a high probability that he'll find one soon that is more readily available to view.

A balanced response Mr gain, and I do agree with you, but in this case I was happy to put a deposit down on the gun in question, I thought that might have helped them realise I was actaully genuine, and you are right, there are plenty of good second hand guns out there, I will keep looking though, I appreciate you not totally shooting me down in flames, and my tirade (which I have to admit was possibly a bit hot headed) was not by any means directed at the whole trade at all.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Mr grumpy... me? ... Nah!

I drive from South of Edinburgh to Inverness to go shooting some of the time. I'll then happily drive another 35 miles North to Gregor Macleod's fantasmagorical Emporium, just for a looksee, on the offchance. I once picked up a very rattily stocked and shot out .270 Sako for £150 that way, and it is now rebarrled courtesy of Border barrels and immaculately refinished, total cost still a lot less than £1k. I wouldn't waste anyone's time having stuff shipped all ways on a maybe though. But mibbee that's just me.

Ah, but you see, Edinburgh to Inverness, at least you get scenery to look at on the journey driving round the fens aint quite the same........

 

[Dalua]

I wonder whether it's also worth considering that while it's in the post and at another RFD's, no-one is going to be able to buy it at the owner's shop. The arrangement you suggest does not compensate for that fairly important loss, perhaps?

Under the arrangement you suggested, if you don't buy the gun, no-one gets anything out of it at all apart from the carrier: whereas if you motor up to look at it and don't buy it, the loss is solely yours - which is probably what most traders would consider reasonable.

 

[richard1951]

Most reasonable customers as well...
Richard

 

[Chanty Wrassler]

Just like M and S every monday morning they get 100s of itims of femail clothing back that dont fit or wrong colour, that they bought on saturday went clubing sat night then got full refund on monday, free outfits every week .
Some shops are just stupid.

M&S aint stupid, they know this full well and incorporate the costs into their prices. It's the other M&S customers that pick up the tab for the freeloaders.

 

[jay 22]

im sure you could agree to pay in full then when you get to view it at your rfd. if it isn't up to scratch then they would refund you your money.

 

[Brithunter]

Well i have in the past gotten two rifles shipped to a dealers on approval. One was before payment the last one which happened to be the 25-06 P-H 1200C was paid for first. Both turned out to be better than described over the phone. The P-H came fro Gilsan's in Yorkshire via Guntrader the BSA Majestic from a shop in Cornwall and was far better than he said on the phone. Both times it was cheaper than the fuel to drive there to view.

 

[richard1951]

yes Chanty you are right .
but it was the point i was making someone else prusumably gets it in the end and the same with most guns, i was always brought up to , buy something if i wanted it and not if i dont , the other week i drove 80 miles each way to see some guns, admitidly i did not know which one i realy wanted and wanted to see 3 but i did buy one of them. the following week i went 40 miles to see the nice men in the cheshire gun room and bought nothing as i still am waiting for FAC but if i had seen something i liked i wouls have paid for what i wanted and left it with them till it came , as it happens i will get a tikka new and they did not have in stock in .243 but they will get the sale later .

 

[Dalua]

i went 40 miles to see the nice men in the cheshire gun room

Totally off thread, but have you tried Branthwaite's in Cheadle Hulme while you've been in this neck of the woods?

 

[stone]

When will this great nations guntraders realise that customer service is a real thing and not some airy fairy nonesense, and is in fact the best way to get business!
I am in the market for a 20 bore and found the gun I like the look of most, the company are in mid Lincolnshire, and I am in south Norfolk, the gun is priced circa £1000. So I emailed the company with a few questions and expressed my interest, and asked if they would send it (at my cost of course) to my local RFD. No reply, mistake number 1.
I called them today figuring not everyone checks emails as regularly as I do, and they denied ever having seen my email depsite apparently checking them......I was then told that they wouldn't post said shotgun as "they had been let down so often in the past" when doing so. I asked how exactly, and the reply was that apparently guns got sent back damaged/test fired (heaven forbid a gun should get fired!!!)and that I was welcome to buy the gun based on their description, if not I could come up to the shop.
Its about a 2 and a half hours to their shop from me, and not a trip I want to do if the gun isn't for me, so I gave them another option... I offered a depposit of either £50 or £100 to assure them of my integrity, but alas no joy, forgive my rant, but do people actually want customers any more. Derek Lee, consider me to be a non-customer of yours, if this is your idea of a business model then good luck to you, and many others like you within the trade who routinely fail to help potential customers. I know there are some good ones out there, I have several locally, and I know of others nationally, but there are many who are still stuck in the dark ages!

Rant over.
(if anyone has a nice 20 bore, I'm still looking.......)

Years ago I was in the market for a 30-06 and a .22 win mag
On looking I ordered both from Avalon guns
After finally getting a phonecalls from them to say both guns were now in the shop I drove from Birmingham down to them one Saturday morn
On arrival at the shop to my surprise they actually had only one of the said rifles in the shop , the other was still on a ship at the port waiting on customs
So pretty peeved I went to leave the shop , on doing so the sales guy offered me a cheap under the counter scope as a sweetener I guess
Bought the scope at a good deal went home and then cancelled my order with them

From there I approached good ole Derek Lee as he had the same said rifles in stock
So placed the order with him and arranged to pick up both rifles
Again another trip from Birmingham via Toft On my way to Downham market as I was shooting in the area
On entering his shop
I found Derek also only had one of the said rifles in as it had not come as promised via his own couriers
I decided after Derek offered me a sweetener to take just one rifle and he would RFD-RFD the other rifle as soon as it arrived
I got the second rifle a month later
Since then I hav never touched or recommend Avalon at all
but hav used Derek Lee many times since
Lots of people I know talk about how bad a service they get from Midway uk
I hav never had a problem and Pete has always bent over backwards to help
Moral of the story
This is not one
I suppose it's a case of if your face fits the world is your Oyster

 

[Brithunter]

That might have been the case but Lee's have changed since he got into bed with the Sportsman.

 

[stone]

Totally off thread, but have you tried Branthwaite's in Cheadle Hulme while you've been in this neck of the woods?

Another shop I often deal with
Arthur has given me some cracking deals on rifles and shotguns in the past, even good discounts on purchases
Again a pleasure to deal with even thou he still owes me for a RFD-RFD transfer I paid for that did not go ahead
But there is story to that...!!
But I shan't rock the boat just incase the discounts stop .. Lol

 

[Morgy]

Steve at Ivythorn is a proper bloke as is ChrisC, dealt with both of them, in fact am awaiting the arrival of a 410 from Chris now!

 

[willie_gunn]

Dalua Totally off thread, but have you tried Branthwaite's in Cheadle Hulme while you've been in this neck of the woods?

Strangely enough I popped in there today as I was working nearby.

A gun shop of the old school I would say, absolutely delightful and nothing is too much trouble. Not a huge stock in terms of centrefire rifles but probably the nicest collection of Guerini shotguns you're likely to see outside of Guerini themselves. I would have no hesitation in going back there.

willie_gunn

 

[Cut+Squirt]

See if Steve Beaty at Ivythorn Sporting has anything that suits, he will send it to your local RFD.atb Tim

A very pleasant and genuine guy to deal with...........He sent a rifle to the other end of the country for me to have a look at prior to buying..........the rifle was exactly as described and the deal was done.

 

[DerekLee]

In response to some statements within this thread I feel it necessary to clarify a couple of points. A major section of our business involves sending guns purchased by our customers out to their RFD. These guns will have been made accessible through our professional standard, high detail photographs and our honest descriptions by phone or email. The customer will then pay in full before we despatch the gun. We experience very few returns. We are very conscientious regarding our stock and by sending out for viewing have found that it increases the risk of damage and also that at one time almost 20% of our stock was out being viewed which we decided was unacceptable for customers who had travelled to the shop.
Regarding the statement “Derek Lee are now part of the Sportsman Empire” this is totally, factually incorrect and as an independently owned family business potentially damaging. This statement has resulted in us receiving numerous phone calls from our suppliers wondering what is going on with our business and also on a lighter note my wife wondering what I have done with the money from the sale!! This confusion may have arisen from the fact that 2½ years ago we employed Paul who had previously worked at Sportsman Gun Centre in Paignton.
To make it totally clear; Derek Lee Gunsmiths Ltd is a Registered Company whose sole Director is Derek Lee and the Company Secretary is Maria Lee. We have no involvement with any other business whatsoever and have no intention to be associated with any other business.

 

[Whitebeard]

See if Steve Beaty at Ivythorn Sporting has anything that suits, he will send it to your local RFD.atb Tim

I have dealt with Steve Beaty, top man and an absolute credit to the trade, its a pity they all cant be like him.

Ian.