TFL Group Purchase

OnTheFly · March 23, 2008, 11:57 PM

Has anyone ever tried to get a discount by getting a large group of TFL members together to make a purchase? This is what I was thinking...

Lets say I want to purchase a stripped AR-15 lower. I start a thread requesting that serious interested TFL members express their desire to purchase. In the example of a lower, we vote on a lower brand (DPMS, Double Star, etc.). I contact the manufacturer with the most votes and discuss how many we would need to purchase to get a discount. Then I post on the original thread the price, minimum number of buyers required, and a cut-off date. All interested buyers would be responsible for contacting the manufacturer/distributor with their order. The buyer would provide a form of payment and advise the retailer that they are a part of the TFL group. If, by the cut-off date, enough TFL members have contacted the manufacturer, our payments are processed and the lowers are shipped.

Has anyone tried this or am I just dreaming? Here are the hurdles as I see them...

To get a good discount, we would have to get a LOT of serious buyers together. 20...50...100?
We would have to agree on a manufacturer. In my example there are several quality lowers, but getting a majority to agree on one brand may be difficult.
People would have to follow through.

OnTheFly · March 24, 2008, 11:48 PM

Test...test...is this thing on?

Big Don · March 26, 2008, 12:58 AM

Yup, it's on. Good idea and one I have tossed around a bit myself but was thinking more along the lines of bulk ammo purchases. Getting the shipping straightened out might be a little confusing but the savings could be worth the hassle. Don't despair, someone else should stumble onto this. Either that or post in the general discussion area.
Don

DIXIEDOG · March 27, 2008, 12:21 AM

Seems ilike it would be an amazing amount of work. There have been several at http://ar15.com but most people only do it one time

Fly320s · March 30, 2008, 04:29 PM

OnTheFly,

Take a look at www.thehighroad.org and www.ar15.com

Group buys are fairly common on those two forums. Some go well, some don't go anywhere.

March 23, 2008, 11:57 PM	#1
OnTheFly Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Location: SE Nebraska Posts: 859	TFL Group Purchase Has anyone ever tried to get a discount by getting a large group of TFL members together to make a purchase? This is what I was thinking... Lets say I want to purchase a stripped AR-15 lower. I start a thread requesting that serious interested TFL members express their desire to purchase. In the example of a lower, we vote on a lower brand (DPMS, Double Star, etc.). I contact the manufacturer with the most votes and discuss how many we would need to purchase to get a discount. Then I post on the original thread the price, minimum number of buyers required, and a cut-off date. All interested buyers would be responsible for contacting the manufacturer/distributor with their order. The buyer would provide a form of payment and advise the retailer that they are a part of the TFL group. If, by the cut-off date, enough TFL members have contacted the manufacturer, our payments are processed and the lowers are shipped. Has anyone tried this or am I just dreaming? Here are the hurdles as I see them... To get a good discount, we would have to get a LOT of serious buyers together. 20...50...100? We would have to agree on a manufacturer. In my example there are several quality lowers, but getting a majority to agree on one brand may be difficult. People would have to follow through. __________________ I told my wife I was scheduling a mid-life crisis. It was either a Harley or guns. Secretly, I've already decided on guns. :-) Bang... Bang... Bang...

March 24, 2008, 11:48 PM	#2
OnTheFly Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2007 Location: SE Nebraska Posts: 859	Test...test...is this thing on? __________________ I told my wife I was scheduling a mid-life crisis. It was either a Harley or guns. Secretly, I've already decided on guns. :-) Bang... Bang... Bang...

March 26, 2008, 12:58 AM	#3
Big Don Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2006 Location: Hayden, ID Posts: 375	Yup, it's on. Good idea and one I have tossed around a bit myself but was thinking more along the lines of bulk ammo purchases. Getting the shipping straightened out might be a little confusing but the savings could be worth the hassle. Don't despair, someone else should stumble onto this. Either that or post in the general discussion area. Don __________________ [SIZE="3"][SIZE="2"]Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he's too old to fight, he'll just kill you. "If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it?"- Benjamin Franklin

March 30, 2008, 04:29 PM	#5
Fly320s Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2001 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 281	OnTheFly, Take a look at www.thehighroad.org and www.ar15.com Group buys are fairly common on those two forums. Some go well, some don't go anywhere. __________________ Cognito, ergo shoot.

March 27, 2008, 12:21 AM	#4
DIXIEDOG Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2007 Location: Maine Posts: 265	Seems ilike it would be an amazing amount of work. There have been several at http://ar15.com but most people only do it one time