Edit: I received a credit from Buds on November 18th that came close to reimbursing me the difference. Since I took the time to complain I felt I should take the time to give them credit.

I quick rant on a recent online purchase experience: I purchased a Sig Sauer 220R3-45-SSE P220 Carry Elite Stainless from Buds and the price dropped $316 before they even shipped it to me.

All they did is point me to a Norton Price protection link to file a $100 claim that will take weeks if not months and not account for the at least 10% tax on the difference.

I posted a negative review and Buds immediately censored it by deleting my review. Whether Buds has an inflexible posted pricing policy I neglected to read the fine print on or not, dropping a price before even shipping the gun and not making a correction is unlike any store I have ever purchased from.

The Gun is still at my FFL waiting for a background check.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GRH,

Let me see if I have this correct. You purchased a gun at the advertised price. After the sale was complete, the price dropped. You want them to honor the lower price, is that correct?

One quick question for clarification : If the price was raised after the sale, would you send them more money?

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Let me see if I have this correct. You purchased a gun at the advertised price. After the sale was complete, the price dropped. You want them to honor the lower price, is that correct?

One quick question for clarification : If the price was raised after the sale, would you send them more money?

I simply posted an emotional reaction to a perceived slight and am ready to move on. In every previous online purchasing experience, I have had the store offer price protection and price protection by definition only works one way.

Here are a few examples;

https://lifehacker.com/all-the...a-price-d-1661273299


I simply mentioned my beef and can leave it at that. I can own not reading the fine print if it is in fact available and I have no reason to believe it isn’t. Feel free to take your position but your counterpoint is again by definition not relevant.

OK.

Perhaps I misunder s ood your post. Sorry.

I don't think you misread the OP's post, but I can't say I'd be pleased in his shoes, either.

Of course, most purchases I've made with price protection were appliances, etc, that could be returned for a full refund then re-purchased at the sale price, so the store is disinclined to have to jump through all of that vs just giving me the friggin' discount and being done with it. Guns be a slightly different animal, albeit one that is equally or more expensive.

I would not be happy in your shoes.

Check with your credit card and see if it offers price protection on your purchase. I think they'd have the most leverage over Bud's.

Thats chickenshit. Retailers typically offer price protection on purchases. My wife is the queen of getting partial refunds from Nordstrom.

I've made purchases from Rocky Mountain ATV and had them give me credit for items purchased that then went on sale and I wasn't even aware of the price change until they emailed me the credit.

Stores do this to avoid this very situation and to avoid lost sales. Personally, I'd return the gun to Bud's if they won't honor the lower price

I agree it's BS that the price dropped before the gun was even shipped, and Buds should have given you that price.

F12517's suggestion, though extreme, is what I would do. Have the FFL return it, say it was refused due to a deceptive price practice. Get your credit card company involved if necessary. $315 is a lot of money, effectively the cost of a police turn-in Glock.

Depends on the markup of the retail item and the cost. Could well be that the particular gun you bought wholesaled at a much higher price, and the next shipment cost a lot less. The markup on guns is very slim. Look at the magazine sales Sig has had lately. Any chance?

I agree with Fredward, except on one point. If the markup is small, Buds has little to loose sending you the cheaper one and passing the discount on to you. And if the markup is indeed slim, sending you the more expensive one gets that expensive bitch out of the inventory. I don't see the downside of giving you the deal, except changing paperwork etc. I was really considering buying a rifle from them, going back and forth about the $$ to do it. I'll look elsewhere and see if I can get the same deal.

If you can swing the $$ buy the cheaper one. Then don't sign for the more expensive one, and have it returned. Unless there a restocking fee. Seems shitty either way.

I also agree with you, that is not cool. I am very wary of buying from Buds (I have not bought anything from them, but I have seen enough around here that I avoid them).

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Depends on the markup of the retail item and the cost. Could well be that the particular gun you bought wholesaled at a much higher price, and the next shipment cost a lot less. The markup on guns is very slim. Look at the magazine sales Sig has had lately. Any chance?

That is what I am thinking. Most sellers have a restocking fee such as 15 percent of purchase price if a buyer changes his mind before the firearm is transferred.

The local FFL we use charges twice as much to receive from Bud's than from anyone else. I think most LGSs hate them

The most egregious part is Bud's censoring his review.

Many credit cards offer price protection that will reimburse for this type of situation. Typical time frame is 90 days.

quote:

Originally posted by Monk:
The most egregious part is Bud's censoring his review.

This!

It's one thing to be a douchebag about price matching their own price, it's another to censor his negative review about it (assuming it was all factual).

I agree and would have expected them to notify me of the price drop. To their surprise I probably would have bought $316 (maybe more) of other stuff and been a happy customer - instead of a pissed off one that may not shop there again.

Cabela's used to sell their gun safes that needed delivering on lay away. Seemed a bit silly but was an excellent system. They would total your purchase and have you pay everything except one cent. That kept the safe in their computer so they could track it. We would go to pick it up, drop off the penny at customer service, and they would finalize the sale which then kicked it out of inventory.

Some people would have their safes there for months. On occasion the price would drop between the purchase date and the pick up. When that happened the balance when from one cent to a negative number in their system. They would not only give us the safe to deliver but would take out the difference in cash, stuff it in an envelope, and have us deliver that along with the safe.

Buds has earned the emnity of the FFLs across the nation.

With the price dropping PRIOR to it being shipped the correct and honorable move is to refund the difference. That's how I read the OP. Color me unsurprised that Buds did not do this.

At a price of $1,022 I am tempted to get me one of these to augment my pair of P245's...

Oh, and at $1,340 I'd be pissed, too.