My weird experience at a gun store

[Kar98]

Nobody has ever won an argument with a customer, or his wife, for that matter.

 

[Moonpie]

pics or gtfo?

 

[ml1209]

pics or gtfo?

I tried, but that’s what started this whole issue.

 

[Dad_Roman]

Exactly

 

[ml1209]

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not asking anyone to take sides. You can go to that store every day, it’s none of my business what you do with your money. I just presented my experience. Your experience may differ. In either case, I’m more than content to shop elsewhere.

 

[sigken]

I actually have very good experience with this store. I've bought things from them, done FFL transfers both incoming and outgoing with absolutely no issues.

I've read somewhere that an FFL dealer can and will deny any transaction if he doesn't "feel" good about it although everything seems legit. No offense to you, the OP, but it could have been something that set him off I don't know. It could be one of those "better safe than sorry" kind of thing.

It's a good thing that you took your business elsewhere. Everything should be happy at the end of the day

 

[BRD@66]

I tried, but that’s what started this whole issue.

 

[ml1209]

I actually have very good experience with this store. I've bought things from them, done FFL transfers both incoming and outgoing with absolutely no issues.

I've read somewhere that an FFL dealer can and will deny any transaction if he doesn't "feel" good about it although everything seems legit. No offense to you, the OP, but it could have been something that set him off I don't know. It could be one of those "better safe than sorry" kind of thing.

It's a good thing that you took your business elsewhere. Everything should be happy at the end of the day

It was more than just denying service. Way more. I don't doubt a lot of people have positive experiences there. I did too, until...

Man, and I was looking for an close-in FFL too. Oh well.

In all my years of working with FFLs, I have never had such an experience. The extreme swing to anger was alarming. He was practically yelling at me. I couldn't figure out what I could've done that would elicit such a response. And this was right after I called ahead to say I was stopping by to ship out some guns, to which he said, no problem.

So I go in there, and bring my two handguns in, in cases. An employee was helping me fill out a form (seller info, buyer info, etc), which I was doing. Then I remembered I wanted to take a pic of the guns' serial numbers before they pack them up. The whole time, I never talked to him as he was hovering in the background. The employee and his wife said the serial numbers were on the form. I said, okay but I still want to take a pic, just for my record. That's when I hear something like "You need to get out" from behind me. I turned around, thinking, what did I do? He then continued to say, "Out of my store now."

I asked him at this point, what did I do?

He didn't seem to care, and said you need to leave. Silence in the room even though there were some customers there.

I had taken a water bottle from his cooler, and I said, here let me pay for this then.

He then says, you leave now or I'll forcibly take you out, in so many words.

And I left, saying something like I'm never coming back.

I mean, he has the right to refuse service and eject someone from his store, and he sure exercised that with a vengeance.

It's not like I tried to buy a gun there and he thought I was sketchy. I had the buyers' FFLs. How cut and dried can you get? You can accept it or ignore it, your choice. By all means, continue to go there, I got no say about that.



Contrast that with Scott with Lone Star Tactical Supply. I go in, still in a sour mood about what had happened. I probably had more of a cold demeanor than I was in David's store. I realized I never did take those pics so I ask him, can I take pics of the serial numbers before he packed them up. He said, "Go right ahead." And...that's it. Night and day. It was like stepping out of a hellish reality into a peaceful, tranquil world.

 

[TreyG-20]

Just speculation, but maybe he just didn't want pictures taken in his store? I wonder if he has been robbed before and maybe he thought you were casing the place? Obviously you were not, but it's hard to tell where someone's mind is at. He might have been thinking that you asking to take pictures was a way to document his inventory. Not that that justified his behavior, but may have something to with it.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I could see that happening.

 

[Surplus Guy]

Something set him off from the time you made the call to the time you arrived and he took it out on you. Better off just walking away like you did.

 

[majormadmax]

Just speculation, but maybe he just didn't want pictures taken in his store? I wonder if he has been robbed before and maybe he thought you were casing the place? Obviously you were not, but it's hard to tell where someone's mind is at. He might have been thinking that you asking to take pictures was a way to document his inventory. Not that that justified his behavior, but may have something to with it.

I can see where you are going with this, and understand such concerns; but I don't think that was the case here...

First, taking a zoomed in picture of the serial number off a weapon isn't going to provide a lot of "intel" on his store; and if he was still so concerned about it, all he had to do is ask to see the pic afterward. A polite request to do so would most likely result in a similar response, and the situation would have been avoided.

Secondly, the weapon was being shipped, so even though it is being logged in, it's not going to be part of his "inventory." Plus, one firearm doesn't really equate to much, especially when it wasn't even going to be sold at his store.

But you are spot on with your "it's hard to tell where someone's mind is at" comment. The owner's actions were not reasonable at all, and regardless fort he reasons behind it, it was extremely stupid on his part to attack a customer in his shop. Even if a customer is doing something wrong, there is a more tactful way of resolving the problem without being aggressive towards them. It's been a while since I worked in retail, but the basic rules are still the same...you only make a profit when you sell a lot of stuff, and to sell a lot of stuff you need happy customers. Secondly, word of mouth is extremely good advertising; but it can also hurt badly if it's negative. You want to avoid the latter.

People can say "his store, his rules" all he wants, just remember that every time you see a 30.06 or 30.07 sign; but not taking care of all of your customers is not good business!

 

[ml1209]

Just speculation, but maybe he just didn't want pictures taken in his store? I wonder if he has been robbed before and maybe he thought you were casing the place? Obviously you were not, but it's hard to tell where someone's mind is at. He might have been thinking that you asking to take pictures was a way to document his inventory. Not that that justified his behavior, but may have something to with it.

If that was the case, he would've mentioned it at least once whether to me or on his online response. If he indicated to me he didn't like pics taken in his store, I would've complied.

And secondly, does one need to take a pic to case a place? Did he think I had a team of crack burglars who were going to study the pics and form a plan like in the movies?

 

[ml1209]

Something set him off from the time you made the call to the time you arrived and he took it out on you. Better off just walking away like you did.

When I entered the store, it was still cordial.

I still have no idea what set him off, but if I did do something, it was not intentional or even on the radar. But that's the thing. It was a total ambush. 0-10 instantly. That sort of thing scares me because I couldn't figure out the reason.

 

[TreyG-20]

And secondly, does one need to take a pic to case a place? Did he think I had a team of crack burglars who were going to study the pics and form a plan like in the movies?

No to the first question.
Possibly to the second. It's really not a totally unreasonable scenario here in 2018 unfortunately.

 

[ml1209]

No to the first question.
Possibly to the second. It's really not a totally unreasonable scenario here in 2018 unfortunately.

Yeah but I was judged and had sentence passed. Imagine if he did that to you.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Unfortunately this happens every day...

 

[ml1209]

BTW if I was sketchy in any way, whether in looks or dealings, I wouldn't have gone to Scott of Lone Star Tactical Supply, who deals a lot with LE. He sells much of his inventory to LE.

 

[ml1209]

Unfortunately this happens every day...

I don't doubt that. I just happened to draw the card that day.

But like I said, feel free to go to his store, I'm not asking anyone to take sides. I just posted my experience, and if it benefits someone, fine, if not, that's okay too.

I posted this here to refute his dishonest and inaccurate statements about me which he posted as a response to my review. Statements implying I was getting him to do something against federal regulations. That, more than his emotional outburst, tells me a lot. So he refused service to me because I was "rude, cold, and unprofessional" but also "If refusing business to you earned us a one-star because we were following federal regulations to protect others, then we gladly and proudly accept your one-star rating." He also stated, "I even counted to ten, like how an adult would countdown towards an unruly child." He's kind of all over the place with his reasoning, none of which is based on fact.

If Google had let me post a rebuttal I would've there. But I want to document it somewhere.

 

[Inspector43]

My blonde wife went into a prominent gun store in Houston to browse. Plus, she had some particular gun in mind. Now, she has been a CHL holder for many years. She went through the 12 week Harris County Citizens Police Academy. She is a very good shot and quite often out shoots me (not hard to do). Loves guns and is quite knowledgeable of them. But, she was treated like a 'dumb blonde' and actually insulted by clerks since she didn't just accept their opinions. She left the store and later told me of her experience. I was instructed to never do business with that store or any of its branches again. I obey this command.