Ordering a Uberti

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

My son wanted to order an Uberti 66 and got a good price from a local retailer, they have 5 stores in Ohio, he opened an account with them and they offer 12 months same as cash, no interest. The price was so good I told him to order two! I'll take one. They wanted HALF DOWN and couldn't even give a guess as to how long it would take. I realize Uberti is backed up but was this store out of line wanting HALF DOWN with no estimate as to when they would get the rifles? They said it could be 6 months or more but they just didn't know. If he put the down payment on the account he'd be paying on the half down with no idea of when the order is coming! I think it's out of line! Oh yea, NO REFUNDS or Cancellations on special orders. This is not a small Gun store.

 

What say you?

Edited November 13, 2020 by Rye Miles #13621

[Sedalia Dave 11,894]

Run

 

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

Just now, Sedalia Dave said:

Run

 

That's what he did! 

[Utah Bob #35998 15,298]

Worst gun shop ever.

[Alpo 6,199]

Half down on a big ticket item is a fairly normal request.

 

"Excuse me local gun shop. I would like you to order me a H&H Best Grade shotgun. Yes I am aware it costs $150,000."

 

And then when the gun comes in you have changed your mind?

 

When I ordered my Uberti 7th cavalry I paid for it in full, and it took 11 months to make it here from Italy.

[sassnetguy50 291]

I agree with Alpo.  People don’t honor a handshake deal anymore.  The half down covers the shop if they have to sell low to get out from under a special ordered product their clientele doesn’t normally buy.  

 

The twelve months same as cash account may be backed by a third party.  They  may not offer it until you take possession for legal reasons.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619 823]

18 minutes ago, sassnetguy50 said:

People don’t honor a handshake deal anymore.

 

And quite a few used to didn't, either..

 

I well remember before easy credit buying things on time-- layaway of various types; you didn't get the item 'til it was fully paid for. I bought my first 3-speed bike that way at age 14; a used bike for $35. I paid 5 bucks a week from lawn mowing jobs, and got the bike after 7 weeks.

 

I've ordered several guns half-down. 'Course, if the can't get the order filled, you get the money back.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619

[Three Foot Johnson 2,373]

When I worked at Sportsman's Warehouse, anything outside our normal supply chain, i.e. "special orders", were to be paid for 100% in advance before I was allowed to place the order. I got the axe in 2012, so things may have changed since.

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

I can understand a very specific special item but this is an Uberti 66 in .38. This particular outfit has Ubertis in stock handguns and sometimes a 66 or 73. They have Marlins and Henry rifles. This is hardly out of their normal inventory. They lost a sale of two rifles!!
 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Rye Miles #13621

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L 1,955]

If it's a normal selling item, and my distributor has them in stock, I'll just order one.   If you don't take it, I'll sell it to someone else.

 

If it's not in stock, I'll take your name and advise when they are in stock, and get it then.  I've sold six new Pythons this year like that.  

 

If it's something out of the ordinary, like a left hand model, or a odd caliber, I'll only order it if it's in stock and you pay for the whole thing up front.  

[Ozark Shark 356]

11 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

My son wanted to order an Uberti 66 and got a good price from a local retailer, they have 5 stores in Ohio, he opened an account with them and they offer 12 months same as cash, no interest. The price was so good I told him to order two! I'll take one. They wanted HALF DOWN and couldn't even give a guess as to how long it would take. I realize Uberti is backed up but was this store out of line wanting HALF DOWN with no estimate as to when they would get the rifles? They said it could be 6 months or more but they just didn't know. If he put the down payment on the account he'd be paying on the half down with no idea of when the order is coming! I think it's out of line! Oh yea, NO REFUNDS or Cancellations on special orders. This is not a small Gun store.

 

What say you?

The Uberti supply chain is a mess thanks to COVID.  I've been on a waiting list for a color case-hardened '73 carbine since March.  No money down, but he has my credit card number so it can be processed when the gun becomes available.

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

16 minutes ago, Ozark Shark said:

The Uberti supply chain is a mess thanks to COVID.  I've been on a waiting list for a color case-hardened '73 carbine since March.  No money down, but he has my credit card number so it can be processed when the gun becomes available.

If they handled it that way my son would have ordered two rifles, they lost out on a $2400.00 sale!

[J-BAR #18287 5,723]

Rye, have you checked our usual suppliers,  Cimarron and Taylor’s, and folks like Joe Brisco at Cowboy Shooter’s Supply, and Joe Alves at Pioneer Gun Works?  Are they all sold out?

[Ozark Shark 356]

20 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Rye, have you checked our usual suppliers,  Cimarron and Taylor’s, and folks like Joe Brisco at Cowboy Shooter’s Supply, and Joe Alves at Pioneer Gun Works?  Are they all sold out?

I can't speak regarding the rest, but it's Joe Alves that has my carbine order.  He's been getting a few rifles from his supplier, but has yet to see what I want.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935 6,844]

12 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

My son wanted to order an Uberti 66 and got a good price from a local retailer, they have 5 stores in Ohio, he opened an account with them and they offer 12 months same as cash, no interest. The price was so good I told him to order two! I'll take one. They wanted HALF DOWN and couldn't even give a guess as to how long it would take. I realize Uberti is backed up but was this store out of line wanting HALF DOWN with no estimate as to when they would get the rifles? They said it could be 6 months or more but they just didn't know. If he put the down payment on the account he'd be paying on the half down with no idea of when the order is coming! I think it's out of line! Oh yea, NO REFUNDS or Cancellations on special orders. This is not a small Gun store.

 

What say you?

I'm still waiting for a Uberti revolver that I ordered at Winter Range.  A very few have trickled in...less that two hundred...in all that time.

 

As for the dealer, I'd sure as hell find another one.  These people are not looking our for their customers.

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

54 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Rye, have you checked our usual suppliers,  Cimarron and Taylor’s, and folks like Joe Brisco at Cowboy Shooter’s Supply, and Joe Alves at Pioneer Gun Works?  Are they all sold out?

Already checked with them. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[Smuteye John SASS#24774 2,600]

The logistics system coming from Europe is still screwed up.  Uberti's manufacturing system is screwy to begin with- and then you add in how hard hit Italy was by the pandemic.  There's no telling when you'll have one in your hands.

 

I'm not paying in full for a rifle that may take years to get from Uberti.  I've got no problem with a deposit ( even up to half down, half on delivery) as an act of good faith. 

 

With the fluctuation in the dollar versus the euro, that price is gonna change at least some by the time it finally shows up.  If you prepay and the dollar drops the price will go up.  Do wanna bet on whether or not they'd want you to make up the difference?

[Equanimous Phil 211]

23 minutes ago, Smuteye John SASS#24774 said:

and then you add in how hard hit Italy was by the pandemic. 

...is currently being hit again...

 

As you see by the daily new (registered) covid cases. There are sad pictures in the news from our southern neighbors...

[Pat Riot, SASS #13748 20,695]

Here, any order is paid in full up front. No partial payment deals. Same when I lived in Oregon. 

[Sixgun Sheridan 4,133]

5 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

If they handled it that way my son would have ordered two rifles, they lost out on a $2400.00 sale!

 

Remember that a $2400 sale likely costs them $2200 to fulfill. The margin on firearms is usually razor-thin.

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

1 hour ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

 

Remember that a $2400 sale likely costs them $2200 to fulfill. The margin on firearms is usually razor-thin.

Yea well that's their problem not mine! 

[Dirty Dan Dawkins 889]

18 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

My son wanted to order an Uberti 66 and got a good price from a local retailer, they have 5 stores in Ohio, he opened an account with them and they offer 12 months same as cash, no interest. The price was so good I told him to order two! I'll take one. They wanted HALF DOWN and couldn't even give a guess as to how long it would take. I realize Uberti is backed up but was this store out of line wanting HALF DOWN with no estimate as to when they would get the rifles? They said it could be 6 months or more but they just didn't know. If he put the down payment on the account he'd be paying on the half down with no idea of when the order is coming! I think it's out of line! Oh yea, NO REFUNDS or Cancellations on special orders. This is not a small Gun store.

 

What say you?

No. I see accusations of fraud and cheating and bad business all the time. Contractor A charges this, Contractor B charges that. I can by widget z for $15 here or $20 there. I finally figured out my business model is not someone else’s business model. 
I deal with multiple vendors. Some based on price, some on service. Some on timeliness of delivery. Sometimes I get a price and question it, more often than not lately it’s supply and demand issues or they have to place a $1000 or whatever minimum order from the distributor  to get my $100 or $200 worth of whatever.

At least in my line of work, I learned to really only grumble about poor service, not the pricing or payment terms, as most business people are contending with working out their own cash flow requirements.

 

I wonder how much money the gun store has to put up to Uberti or Ruger or Glock or whoever at their time of order. Personally I wouldn’t extend finance or payment terms to anyone for free. Makes no sense for me to be out parts and labor up front. My terms are Net 30.  I have some really good customers, I might do several hundred thousands year with, that tend to pay 45-60 or more days. I still take their work but inflate their bill to compensate for their expected tardiness. I have been thrown into credit and cash flow issues because of their nonsense.

[Smuteye John SASS#24774 2,600]

3 hours ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

 

Remember that a $2400 sale likely costs them $2200 to fulfill. The margin on firearms is usually razor-thin.

What happened to cost+15%+actual shipping on special orders?

 

That's the way we did it when I was behind the counter.

 

If he's eating the shipping and adding less than a 10% profit, then he gets what he deserves.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Smuteye John SASS#24774

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

Just now, Smuteye John SASS#24774 said:

What happened to cost+15%+actual shipping on special orders?

 

That's the way we did it when I was behind the counter.

The price quoted to my son was $1099.00 plus tax. 12 months same as cash with the stores credit. Great price for. Uberti 66 carbine! Too bad they have absolutely no idea when it will be available. No one does.

[Smuteye John SASS#24774 2,600]

Wholesale gun prices are based on volume.  If you order a lot from the same place regularly, you get better prices than the 1st time, single item customer.  That's why Bud's can sell things at less than some LGS can buy them from a distributor (aside from what I suspect are loss leaders- items sold at a loss intentionally just to generate traffic so you will buy more from them later).

 

 

Somebody contacting Uberti or a wholesaler other than their normal sources are going to get the highest price because they have no history or relationship with the company.

[Smuteye John SASS#24774 2,600]

8 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

The price quoted to my son was $1099.00 plus tax. 12 months same as cash with the stores credit. Great price for. Uberti 66 carbine! Too bad they have absolutely no idea when it will be available. No one does.

My comment was more pointed towards the idea that they are only making $100 a gun on $1100 guns and eating any additional shipping costs if it isn't part of their normal store order.

 

We did cost+15%+shipping if it was a rush order or ordered outside our normal suppliers.  If we could get it and you were willing to wait for us to work up a store order, we waived the shipping and charged cost +15%.

[watab kid 969]

with current demand and lack of supply , ill wait for anything that is not an on the shelf item till all this settles down , 

[Rye Miles #13621 6,169]

3 hours ago, Smuteye John SASS#24774 said:

Wholesale gun prices are based on volume.  If you order a lot from the same place regularly, you get better prices than the 1st time, single item customer.  That's why Bud's can sell things at less than some LGS can buy them from a distributor (aside from what I suspect are loss leaders- items sold at a loss intentionally just to generate traffic so you will buy more from them later).

 

 

Somebody contacting Uberti or a wholesaler other than their normal sources are going to get the highest price because they have no history or relationship with the company.

This store has 5 locations and deals with Uberti all the time.