My National Bullet Nightmare

nonquixote · February 25, 2007, 09:20 AM

I was an occasional but longtime satisfied customer of National Bullet even recommending them on the net and to friends. In the past few years I had several successful ammo and bullet orders with them but that ended with my latest order, made in June(!) of last year.

At that time they had a really good sale on ammo so I ordered 1 case each of 9mm, .40s&w, and .45acp. For almost 2 months I heard nothing until I threatened to cancel payment, then the order was sent to me in a week or so. The order was short 3 boxes of the .45 ammo with a note on the shipping invoice that the rest would be shipped in a day or two. Everything else seemed fine with the order. For the next couple weeks nothing came, and in the meantime I found a problem with the .40 ammo. In 2 of the first 3 boxes from the case, every round was underpowered to where it wouldn't cycle the slide. I called them to complain about this and to ask where the rest of my .45 was. They apologized and offered to send me a replacement case of .40 with the rest of my .45 ammo. I said that'd be fine, and proceeded to start disassembling the .40 ammo that I had already received since I obviously couldn't trust it now. (With an inertial hammer it takes about a half hour to reduce one 50 round box to its components.)

Several weeks passed and nothing came. This was the start of the true descent into the nightmare realm. I would call every couple of weeks to check on the order, and everytime would be told a variation of "We're waiting on a delivery of bullets before we can make your ammo. We'll get it out as soon as we can." This went on until January of this year, and included possibly a dozen telephone calls on my part. I had let it slide so long because honestly, the last thing I wanted to do is what I'm doing right now, and everytime I called them I honestly hoped that this would be the end of it and I could put this all behind me.

By January I was becoming angry, and by then it was too late to contest the charge with my card company. They again tried the "We're waiting for a bullet delivery." tactic, but admitted they had received some deliveries in the 6 months since this episode first started. They then couldn't or wouldn't explain to me why my order wasn't considered a priority because of being so late. Once again I got a very sincere sounding "I'm gonna look into it and check what the problem is." and once again, nothing happened. A few more weeks going by, a couple more calls, and here we are now.

My last call to them was on Friday the 16th of February. I told them that I'd finally had enough, and that this would be my last call to them. If I didn't get my order completed asap, I was going to post my story on every shooting forum I had a membership on, call the BBB, and possibly initiate legal action against them. The phone rep promised me either my ammo or a refund for the case of .40 and the 3 boxes of .45 by this past Friday February 23rd at the latest. Well, 3 guesses what happened. Again nothing. After 8 months and well over a dozen calls, and over a dozen broken promises, here is my story.

Please don't ever buy anything from this company.

Shooter451 · June 22, 2007, 05:41 AM

If you have not already, file a complaint with the BBB of Cleveland and the AG of Ohio Consumer Complaints Division. It's important to do that.

The BBB will be totally ignored by NBC [but keeps stats that they post on their site], but the AG's office is committed to fighting for you. Both are on the web and you can follow up with Faxed or mailed copies of your correspondence with NBC. My story began just as yours in May 2006 and it still not settled. Refunds were promised on May 22, June 6, and June 14 and they even told the AG's office they mailed a check on the 14th of June. [The AG investigator called me .]

The check is not here yet. Obviously as the AG pressures them to make good, they make good at someone else's expense. They've taken a 30 year old business and turned it into an unreliable and untruthful business.

AVOID THE HASSLE and don't deal with them.

OuTcAsT · June 22, 2007, 01:20 PM

you might also try filing a report on www.ripoffreport.com

and just so you know the BBB does absolutely nothing, they are a scam, having been a past "member" I can tell you that, if you are a business, and pay them a membership fee, they keep you looking spiffy, as far as complailts go, you might as well tell it to a rock.

billdeserthills · June 23, 2007, 12:03 AM

That the BBB does nothing is largely true, as both a pre&post member I have been contacted by the BBB for complaints about my business,shoddy work,failure to perform work... I have always answered the letter send me. I have been informed by the BBB that as long as their inquiry is responded to a poor rating will never result.
Funny thing happened a year after I became a member, BBB wanted more money(imagine that) and I told them that as they hadn't made any money for me that year they wouldn't be seeing any more of mine. They wanted their magical BBB Plaque returned. I told the guy if they wanyted to return the $68.50 I had paid for it they could certainly have it back-Plaque is still hanging up in my store!

OuTcAsT · June 25, 2007, 09:42 PM

ya, I pretty much told them to go pound sand

Edward429451 · June 25, 2007, 10:53 PM

Not necessarily true that the BBB is useless. I had a realty company try to stiff me on a payment for working on a property, so I made a complaint to the BBB. They told me that they could do nothing and was not a collection agency (I knew that but was really PO'd at the realty co and wanted to cause them grief anyway I could) But they documented it and sent the realty co a copy...They was on the phone apologizing their butts off and told me I could come pick up a check right away!!!

Lots of people hold the BBB in some sort of mysterious scary way and contact from them opens their eyes. They could lose business because more n more people check your rep with the BBB.

I got my single highest paying job to date for no other reason than I was a member. My bid was higher than the other guys, but I got the job because I was a member in good standing and they were not.

Give that ol BBB wheel a spin. It doesn't cost anything to complain.

February 25, 2007, 09:20 AM	#1
nonquixote Member Join Date: October 10, 2004 Posts: 35	My National Bullet Nightmare I was an occasional but longtime satisfied customer of National Bullet even recommending them on the net and to friends. In the past few years I had several successful ammo and bullet orders with them but that ended with my latest order, made in June(!) of last year. At that time they had a really good sale on ammo so I ordered 1 case each of 9mm, .40s&w, and .45acp. For almost 2 months I heard nothing until I threatened to cancel payment, then the order was sent to me in a week or so. The order was short 3 boxes of the .45 ammo with a note on the shipping invoice that the rest would be shipped in a day or two. Everything else seemed fine with the order. For the next couple weeks nothing came, and in the meantime I found a problem with the .40 ammo. In 2 of the first 3 boxes from the case, every round was underpowered to where it wouldn't cycle the slide. I called them to complain about this and to ask where the rest of my .45 was. They apologized and offered to send me a replacement case of .40 with the rest of my .45 ammo. I said that'd be fine, and proceeded to start disassembling the .40 ammo that I had already received since I obviously couldn't trust it now. (With an inertial hammer it takes about a half hour to reduce one 50 round box to its components.) Several weeks passed and nothing came. This was the start of the true descent into the nightmare realm. I would call every couple of weeks to check on the order, and everytime would be told a variation of "We're waiting on a delivery of bullets before we can make your ammo. We'll get it out as soon as we can." This went on until January of this year, and included possibly a dozen telephone calls on my part. I had let it slide so long because honestly, the last thing I wanted to do is what I'm doing right now, and everytime I called them I honestly hoped that this would be the end of it and I could put this all behind me. By January I was becoming angry, and by then it was too late to contest the charge with my card company. They again tried the "We're waiting for a bullet delivery." tactic, but admitted they had received some deliveries in the 6 months since this episode first started. They then couldn't or wouldn't explain to me why my order wasn't considered a priority because of being so late. Once again I got a very sincere sounding "I'm gonna look into it and check what the problem is." and once again, nothing happened. A few more weeks going by, a couple more calls, and here we are now. My last call to them was on Friday the 16th of February. I told them that I'd finally had enough, and that this would be my last call to them. If I didn't get my order completed asap, I was going to post my story on every shooting forum I had a membership on, call the BBB, and possibly initiate legal action against them. The phone rep promised me either my ammo or a refund for the case of .40 and the 3 boxes of .45 by this past Friday February 23rd at the latest. Well, 3 guesses what happened. Again nothing. After 8 months and well over a dozen calls, and over a dozen broken promises, here is my story. Please don't ever buy anything from this company. __________________ The bold type giveth, the fine print taketh away.

June 22, 2007, 05:41 AM	#2
Shooter451 Junior Member Join Date: June 13, 2007 Location: VA Posts: 6	Complain RE: National Bullet to the BBB and the Ohio AG If you have not already, file a complaint with the BBB of Cleveland and the AG of Ohio Consumer Complaints Division. It's important to do that. The BBB will be totally ignored by NBC [but keeps stats that they post on their site], but the AG's office is committed to fighting for you. Both are on the web and you can follow up with Faxed or mailed copies of your correspondence with NBC. My story began just as yours in May 2006 and it still not settled. Refunds were promised on May 22, June 6, and June 14 and they even told the AG's office they mailed a check on the 14th of June. [The AG investigator called me .] The check is not here yet. Obviously as the AG pressures them to make good, they make good at someone else's expense. They've taken a 30 year old business and turned it into an unreliable and untruthful business. AVOID THE HASSLE and don't deal with them.

June 22, 2007, 01:20 PM	#3
OuTcAsT Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2006 Location: Eastern, TN Posts: 1,236	you might also try filing a report on www.ripoffreport.com and just so you know the BBB does absolutely nothing, they are a scam, having been a past "member" I can tell you that, if you are a business, and pay them a membership fee, they keep you looking spiffy, as far as complailts go, you might as well tell it to a rock. __________________ WITHOUT Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of Speech. Silence Dogood *Does not morality imply the last clear chance?* - WildAlaska -

June 23, 2007, 12:03 AM	#4
billdeserthills Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 110	BBB Scam That the BBB does nothing is largely true, as both a pre&post member I have been contacted by the BBB for complaints about my business,shoddy work,failure to perform work... I have always answered the letter send me. I have been informed by the BBB that as long as their inquiry is responded to a poor rating will never result. Funny thing happened a year after I became a member, BBB wanted more money(imagine that) and I told them that as they hadn't made any money for me that year they wouldn't be seeing any more of mine. They wanted their magical BBB Plaque returned. I told the guy if they wanyted to return the $68.50 I had paid for it they could certainly have it back-Plaque is still hanging up in my store!

June 25, 2007, 09:42 PM	#5
OuTcAsT Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2006 Location: Eastern, TN Posts: 1,236	ya, I pretty much told them to go pound sand __________________ WITHOUT Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of Speech. Silence Dogood *Does not morality imply the last clear chance?* - WildAlaska -

June 25, 2007, 10:53 PM	#6
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Re: Bbb Not necessarily true that the BBB is useless. I had a realty company try to stiff me on a payment for working on a property, so I made a complaint to the BBB. They told me that they could do nothing and was not a collection agency (I knew that but was really PO'd at the realty co and wanted to cause them grief anyway I could) But they documented it and sent the realty co a copy...They was on the phone apologizing their butts off and told me I could come pick up a check right away!!! Lots of people hold the BBB in some sort of mysterious scary way and contact from them opens their eyes. They could lose business because more n more people check your rep with the BBB. I got my single highest paying job to date for no other reason than I was a member. My bid was higher than the other guys, but I got the job because I was a member in good standing and they were not. Give that ol BBB wheel a spin. It doesn't cost anything to complain.