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Old January 11, 2012, 06:15 PM   #1
passintime
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Buds Gun Shop. Slow Service

I have typically received excellent service from Budsgunshop. During December I placed many firearm orders with them and the gun was shipped same day or next day. On January 2nd, I made two purchases with them.

The first purchase was a Baby Eagle via their website. I received the gun yesterday. That's fine, it's within their 3-7 business days.

The second purchase was a Beretta Bobcat Inox won via their Gunbroker listing. The listing states that payment and FFL are expected within 7 days, and that they will ship within 7 business days. Payment and FFL were supplied immediately. As of today at 6:09PM, it still has not shipped. This is the longest period of time any company has ever taken my money and held it without shipping an in-stock item.

Since December 12, 2011 I have placed 7 orders with this company totaling over $3500 of my hard-earned dollars. In years prior, I have spent some unknown absurd amount with them. I expect better service than this. Contact with their customer service representatives has been cordial, but I always receive the same canned responses that it should ship within 7 business days and nobody can provide me with an updated status. I'm not one to make any rash decisions of "I will never buy here again", but I will think hard about paying an extra few bucks to another company next time to ensure timely delivery of product.
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Old January 11, 2012, 06:22 PM   #2
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My guess would be that they did not have the gun in stock. However, that should have been in the listing or told to you in the intial contact so that you could bow out it you so pleased. MO
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Old January 25, 2012, 01:17 AM   #3
B.N.Real
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Buds is the hottest gun store on the internet right now.

They are swamped and during the month of December i saw a rash of complaints just like yours.

They have some outstanding gun prices but the pace of their sales is brutal and hard to keep up without slowing down the guns going out.

I bought a gun a year ago from them and had no problem and I would buy from them again but i don't have an expectation of getting my gun in any less then a week to a week and a half time at this point if time.

Buds is just under water with the sales volume they are dealing with right now.
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Old January 25, 2012, 07:16 AM   #4
passintime
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B.N.Real View Post
Buds is the hottest gun store on the internet right now.

They are swamped and during the month of December i saw a rash of complaints just like yours.

They have some outstanding gun prices but the pace of their sales is brutal and hard to keep up without slowing down the guns going out.

I bought a gun a year ago from them and had no problem and I would buy from them again but i don't have an expectation of getting my gun in any less then a week to a week and a half time at this point if time.

Buds is just under water with the sales volume they are dealing with right now.
That is no excuse. When you make a commitment to a customer to deliver a product in a given time frame then you must deliver.

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Old January 25, 2012, 07:19 AM   #5
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Then go somewhere else. Why are you whining here about it? Buds has an excellent reputation. If you have an issue purchase from someone else. You won't be missed.

Last edited by zincwarrior; January 25, 2012 at 07:25 AM.
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Old January 25, 2012, 08:39 PM   #6
passintime
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Forgot to add, I do have the gun now and it is very nice.

Mods, I'm done with this feedback. Please close when you deem acceptable.
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Old January 27, 2012, 07:00 AM   #7
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+1 BUDS...............

Bud's is large web and brick and mortar dealer with some of the best prices around with many transactions. I have dealt with them many times since they are just a little over an hour away. They do a heck of a business, but the reward is typically huge savings. I just purchased a Judge Public Defender at the store for $364 + tax. The shops in Louisville wanted $509 for the same gun. When I went to the store they were crowded and I had to wait a while to get waited on, but I saved a ton of money. I am not going to complain that they get to me right away.

If you have to have the gun right away then forget the web and go to your local mom and pop shop. They will probably wait on you hand and foot and may even give you a cup a coffee. You can get your gun right away and be happy, minus paying $50, $100, $150 extra for said purchase.

Many folks complain about not getting sales help at Walmart, but still shop there every week due to the low prices. To me a few extra days isn't a big deal since odds are you saved a ton of dough buying from Buds.
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Old January 27, 2012, 07:22 AM   #8
passintime
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Final word. It wasn't about needing the gun quickly. I have dozens of other guns. It was about a company not delivering on their own promises. I'm not mad, it is what it is. I am very aware they are high volume etc etc etc.

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Old January 27, 2012, 08:24 AM   #9
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Quote:
Firearms normally ship within 3-7 working days after we receive your payment and a copy of the Federal Firearms License. Non-firearm orders normally ship from 3 to 7 days after we receive your payment.
Not really a promise.


http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/shipping.php

Last edited by Logs; January 27, 2012 at 08:57 AM.
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Old January 30, 2012, 04:43 AM   #10
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+1 for Buds, had my new Marlin X7VH 22-250 in 4 days after they receved payment. Thats from KY to Maryland, the only down fall was it came on the only day my LGS was closed during the week. Buds will be getting more of my money.
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Old February 1, 2012, 11:56 PM   #11
avardcurt
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RE: Bud's slow service

I agree with the others, ordering anything during December is iffy at best to get items shipped within normal parameters. That being said, the gun you bought from the Bud's website was handled quickly and the one you "won" on Gunbroker was shipped more slowly would seem to indicate that the Gunbroker gun was out of stock, or was being held up by some other circumstance. Did you contact Bud's and inquire about the shipment date? I have found them to be very cordial and professional when answering inquiries into orders. I have ordered several guns from them, single orders and multiple guns in one order, and all have been shipped within a reasonable time. I was even notified that one gun was being dropped shipped from the manufacturer to my FFL Dealer, which took a couple of extra days. Bud's has my business locked in, and I am currently debating on two new purchases, both of which state "shipped same day" service on order. I recommend using them first, if at all possible.
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Old February 17, 2012, 10:25 AM   #12
SVNS1XTW0
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It isn't just December. Last Friday I bought a Para GI Expert, paid in full, and selected an FFL that they have the information for. Here it is, Friday, the following week and it still has not shipped. I chatted with someone online on their site and here is the transcript;


Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Below is the complete transcript for your reference:

===
Question: How long after the status of my order says "shipping" will it take to actually ship the order?
===

gary has joined the chat.

gary: The shipping time frame is a set estimate for the full process from the time an order is paid for fully and FFL is added, there is no set time frame for a specific status, orders ship out within 3-7 actual business days or less (Mon-Fri not including holidays) from the time they enter actual processing.

A canned response to be sure. But a solid week of sitting in their warehouse, then another few days sitting in their shipping area? Bad business. I'll try not to order from there again, but if they happen to beat other prices online by a good margin, I guess my hands are tied.

Last edited by Shane Tuttle; February 18, 2012 at 07:18 AM. Reason: Airing out dirty laundry
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Old February 18, 2012, 05:16 PM   #13
kokopelli
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Buds has great feedback because they sell SO MANY guns, the percentages are kept high, and most people don't register a complaint. They are also known to delete complaint posts.
Since they started charging to be a customer via the VIP program, I refuse to buy from them anymore.
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Old February 21, 2012, 01:26 AM   #14
KenLondregan
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Koko,
I love buds, but the VIP thing rubs me the wrong way as well. In my eyes a VIP is a person that comes back over and over again continuing to give you their business, not somebody who pays $20 dollars or so once a year for that privilege. That is almost an insult to the person who has dropped a few thousand dollars or more on their merchandise.
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Old February 21, 2012, 08:51 AM   #15
wild willy
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I don't think anybody whining when a company goes from shipping in 3 or 4 days to 8 or 9 they need to do some changes.Maybe they don't promise to ship in less than 7 but they say they are commited to doing it that is close to a promise.Read #16 in the FAQs 16. Why are the firearms shipped "within 3 to 7 business days" of completing my order ?
Our firearms are located throughout our warehouses by make and model. We normally process and ship handguns more quickly than long guns due to their proximity to our shipping department and ease of handling. We also keep all firearms with highest sales volume closest to the shipping department to expedite processing and shipping. We commit to ship all firearms within 7 business days of completing your order. However, our goal is always to ship ASAP.
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Old February 21, 2012, 03:37 PM   #16
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Quote:
KenLondregan Koko,
I love buds, but the VIP thing rubs me the wrong way as well. In my eyes a VIP is a person that comes back over and over again continuing to give you their business, not somebody who pays $20 dollars or so once a year for that privilege. That is almost an insult to the person who has dropped a few thousand dollars or more on their merchandise.
If they renamed it would you feel different?

While every customer of mine is valued, I do have a couple that think they are VIP's and deserve a steeper discount because they have done five transfers in the last three years.

The look on their face was priceless when I told them I have customers that transfer in 6-8 guns every month.

I don't think Bud's is mistreating anyone with their "VIP" program, but I do think they could have a better name for what it does.
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Old February 21, 2012, 11:16 PM   #17
KenLondregan
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Dogtown,

For me it's not about the name. I personally would be happy if buds gave two options to access their VIP (or whatever you want to call it) service. If they said you get a free VIP membership for the year after you spend let’s say $1000 or so, or you can buy a VIP membership for $25 bucks, I would be fine with that. It makes the person who has dropped a few grand over the past year feel like they got a little something for their loyalty, while giving somebody that doesn’t buy that often who is trying to pick up a hard to get gun an option to gain a slight advantage. I know $20 or $25 bucks isn’t much money (my .40 ammo costs around that for a box that I will shoot off in 10 minutes). To me it’s the principle of the matter. Will I stop using buds, no. Their service and track record has always been very impressive. But do I think they could be doing a better job with the VIP program, absolutely. I know it probably sounds ridiculous, but that’s just my two cents.
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Old January 8, 2016, 09:12 PM   #18
edteach
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Its been hit and miss with buds. I have an order in that is two weeks and when I called they said that they were running behind with all the hooplaphobia about Obummer.
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Old January 9, 2016, 11:04 AM   #19
aarondhgraham
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I placed an order with Buds on the 24th,,,

I placed an order with Buds on the 24th,,,
It would have been shipped on the 7th of Jan,,,
But there was a problem with the on-file FFL of my LGS.

So I checked this morning (9th) and it had been shipped.

BUT,,,
While it is the slowest I've ever seen from Buds,,,
It fell well within their policy of seven business days.

I've ordered more than a dozen guns from Buds over the past six years,,,
Each and every gun was delivered within a week of the mouse click.

To rag on them because they were a bit slow over the Christmas season,,,
In my book, that's just whining over a non-issue IMnsHO.

Oh, BTW, they upgraded the shipping to 2nd day air at no cost to me.

Aarond

.
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Old January 10, 2016, 12:13 AM   #20
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It sounds like a lack of communication and/or iffy customer service. FYI, I've worked many Decembers in the retail world.

Example: 100 guns that sell for an average of 375 dollars = $37,500 (total) that will ship on the sixth business day.

How difficult a process would it be for the company to track the guns that will almost be late by the normal standard, and send blast emails with the same "Your gun will ship soon" message to buyers from six days ago? Most people simply want to know that their order is being handled.

That would be reasonable customer service, right?

Makes you wonder if any of their guns leave the county by the second, or third day toward the FFL.
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Last edited by hikingman; January 10, 2016 at 12:20 AM.
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Old January 10, 2016, 12:50 AM   #21
shootniron
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Despite the negative posters...Bud's is about as good as they come, overall. In my experience, the guns that I bought from them, off gunbroker, invariably took longer to ship. Not sure why, but that is the way it has been for me.
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Old January 10, 2016, 12:59 AM   #22
Radny97
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I like buds. I've bought lots of guns from them and every experience has been good and they have the best or almost the best price every time.
However lately I have really liked grabagun.com. Last three guns from them have been great and their prices are usually the same or a little cheaper than buds.
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Old January 12, 2016, 09:04 PM   #23
johnwilliamson062
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I do business with Bud's. I don't worry if it takes 3 or 14 days. If I was worried about that I would go somewhere with personal service and expect to pay more for that service.

Like going to Walmart, asking for 357 mag and being offended the guy behind the counter grabbed a box of 357 sig, then assured you it was the same.
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