Northshore Firearms Middleton, MA

[WeedWhacker]

Just so I'm clear on the bad experience

• NSF twisted your arm into buying something.
• you found what you really wanted later on,
• you now want to "return" gun they twisted your arm to buy?
• You feel that since have spent some $ at NSF and you deserve non standard customer service?

I couldn't find the Browning used I had been trying to locate for 6 months (they talked me into it, said I wouldn't find it).

Two weeks later I ran across the Browning by accident.

They said all they could do was the standard 60%.

 

[dixidawg]

Just so I'm clear on the bad experience

• NSF twisted your arm into buying something.
• you found what you really wanted later on,
• you now want to "return" gun they twisted your arm to buy?
• You feel that since have spent some $ at NSF and you deserve non standard customer service?

I agree. I really don't see the problem.

 

[Martlet]

Tag to post my last saga later.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Just so I'm clear on the bad experience

• NSF twisted your arm into buying something.
• you found what you really wanted later on,
• you now want to "return" gun they twisted your arm to buy?
• You feel that since have spent some $ at NSF and you deserve non standard customer service?

I feel after all the business I've given them, they could have been more reasonable. I wasn't looking for a full refund. However, I've sold new guns back to the dealers I've bought them from before and done a lot better than 60% (even with them having a few hundred rounds through them)....and these weren't even dealers where I spent so much money. A $2600 gun, at 60% that would be $1560, and you know since it's still new they're going to sell it for at least $2400. They could have offered me like $2100, still made $300, and I would have been okay with that. I've worked in customer service my whole life and would NEVER treat one of my loyal customers like that.

 

[dixidawg]

Maybe they replenished their inventory when you bought it?

Maybe they could sell it for $2400, but would be sitting on it for a long time before they did?

And if they did, it would mean they didn't sell that identical new one in their inventory that they bought to replace the one you bought?

GUns like these don't generally move like some of the more popular ones. They are really more of a specialty item.

What guns did you sell back to dealers for better than 60% ?

Less expensive and with a higher market demand that a new Beretta O/U?

 

[WeedWhacker]

Sounds like a perfect situation for you to put this up on NES classified, your bad experiance could turn into a great deal for someone else? It seems you already named your "firesale" selling price.

Don't know what they are going to sell it for, one would also assume that sitting on the $2100 "refund" gun to make "$300" could take quite some time. IMO (and I could be 100% wrong) higher end priced guns typically do not fly off the shelves.

I work in the PCB industry and customer service is always a hot subject. Recently we acquired quite a few sales people from companies that are no longer in existence. One of the things these guys keep talking about is "servicing the customer, making the sale, getting the long term relationship etc etc".

But they still somehow fail to realize that yes you serviced the HELL outta the customer, oh and BTW where is company XYZ oh that's right they are out of business. Sometimes there are just limitations to everything..

A $2600 gun, at 60% that would be $1560, and you know since it's still new they're going to sell it for at least $2400.

They could have offered me like $2100, still made $300, and I would have been okay with that.

I've worked in customer service my whole life and would NEVER treat one of my loyal customers like that.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Maybe they replenished their inventory when you bought it?

Maybe they could sell it for $2400, but would be sitting on it for a long time before they did?

And if they did, it would mean they didn't sell that identical new one in their inventory that they bought to replace the one you bought?

GUns like these don't generally move like some of the more popular ones. They are really more of a specialty item.

What guns did you sell back to dealers for better than 60% ?

Less expensive and with a higher market demand that a new Beretta O/U?

Actually, they move them very fast there....this was the last 12ga. 28" O/U in the "nicer variety" they had. The person informed me they can't keep them in stock because of the weather getting nicer and guys heading out for skeet, etc. One of the ones I sold back to another dealer wasn't that cheap. It was a SS Colt 1911 I bought for $1300 and the guy gave me $1150 because I had done business with him before, not a lot, but some.

 

[lord1234]

Sounds like a case of sour grapes. Buyers remorse. Call the Waaaaaaaahhhhhhmbulance

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Sounds like a case of sour grapes. Buyers remorse. Call the Waaaaaaaahhhhhhmbulance

Buyer's remorse is part of it, I won't deny that. I just feel like they could have worked with me more. They could have still made money (not as much as they usually do), but kept a good customer. The guys there have always been friendly, this is more of a policy issue.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I work in the PCB industry and customer service

Do you sell polychlorinated biphenyls or printed circuit boards?

It seems to me a consignment sale would be a solution to the 60% issue that would get the owner the kind of $$ he was looking for, and not subject the dealer to the inventory risk of having an expensive gun in his shop.

 

[dixidawg]

Agree. I could be all wet, but my take was that he wanted the $ to go buy the Browning.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Agree. I could be all wet, but my take was that he wanted the $ to go buy the Browning.

No, I already bought it. I just don't have the need for both. With it being completely new I just wanted them to work with me, not lose money. Consignment would have been something they could do, but didn't offer it. So now I am trying to sell it privately. I was hoping they would help because they move many of these high end guns. Trying to find a buying pool on your own without access to those customers is difficult.

 

[WeedWhacker]

Do you sell polychlorinated biphenyls or printed circuit boards?

printed circuit boards. need some

 

[Rob Boudrie]

printed circuit boards. need some

Nope, had my fill when I spent a few years designing PCB layout software.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

Well, in a year I've dropped over $6k at Northshore. Two months ago I bought a Beretta shotgun from them because I couldn't find the Browning used I had been trying to locate for 6 months (they talked me into it, said I wouldn't find it). Two weeks later I ran across the Browning by accident. Never fired the Beretta, has everything that came with it, including the damn tags. They said all they could do was the standard 60%. To me, you don't treat your good customers like that. Carl at Four Seasons treats me much better and will now get ALL of my business.

they didnt force you to buy anything....

 

[drgrant]

Well, in a year I've dropped over $6k at Northshore. Two months ago I bought a Beretta shotgun from them because I couldn't find the Browning used I had been trying to locate for 6 months (they talked me into it, said I wouldn't find it). Two weeks later I ran across the Browning by accident. Never fired the Beretta, has everything that came with it, including the damn tags. They said all they could do was the standard 60%. To me, you don't treat your good customers like that. Carl at Four Seasons treats me much better and will now get ALL of my business.

Uhh, you are aware, that you will always get raped on trade-ins, I don't care where it's at.... FS is better than average about this (and places like Kittery are also above average, hoping you will recycle that money on other overpriced guns in their store ) but even Carl @ FS would probably have to take a big cut out of the value of a bird gun, if that's what it is. Think of this from the store's POV.... If this is some kind of fancy bird gun (Which most Berettas are) the likelihood of them moving that thing out in the next few months is probably slim, there isn't exactly a huge demand for those things, and most of that demand is fulfilled by cheaper shotguns. In other words, be grateful that they offered you anytrhing for it at all, as there are entire classes of guns that are "cash albatrosses" for any gun store. The ROI on guns like that is not very high. They ultimately might have to dump it on gunbroker to move it, which is a
pain in the ass compared to just selling it outright.

IMO "bad trade in values" is a dumb reason to dislike a gun store. They're all in business to make money, and you have the right to not sell them the gun, it's not like they did anything underhanded to you.

BTW, in the future, please use the appropriate existing thread in Gun Shop Reviews. I had to merge your thread with the existing one there. Most of the major gun shops are all covered in this subforum. The major ones like NSF, FS, etc, usually appear on the first 3 pages, so "the search function didn't work" isn't really a good excuse.

-Mike

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Uhh, you are aware, that you will always get raped on trade-ins, I don't care where it's at.... FS is better than average about this (and places like Kittery are also above average, hoping you will recycle that money on other overpriced guns in their store ) but even Carl @ FS would probably have to take a big cut out of the value of a bird gun, if that's what it is. Think of this from the store's POV.... If this is some kind of fancy bird gun (Which most Berettas are) the likelihood of them moving that thing out in the next few months is probably slim, there isn't exactly a huge demand for those things, and most of that demand is fulfilled by cheaper shotguns. In other words, be grateful that they offered you anytrhing for it at all, as there are entire classes of guns that are "cash albatrosses" for any gun store. The ROI on guns like that is not very high. They ultimately might have to dump it on gunbroker to move it, which is a
pain in the ass compared to just selling it outright.

IMO "bad trade in values" is a dumb reason to dislike a gun store. They're all in business to make money, and you have the right to not sell them the gun, it's not like they did anything underhanded to you.

BTW, in the future, please use the appropriate existing thread in Gun Shop Reviews. I had to merge your thread with the existing one there. Most of the major gun shops are all covered in this subforum. The major ones like NSF, FS, etc, usually appear on the first 3 pages, so "the search function didn't work" isn't really a good excuse.

-Mike

Sorry Mike, I haven't ever gone to that subthread. I'll make sure such posts are correctly placed in the future.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

In raw ballpark figures -

Assume the shop makes 20% on a gun.

Assume the shop has to discount the gun 20% because it's pre-owned (an honest shop will not represent a gun that has been papered over to a buyer as "new", but as "pre-owned, unfired condition"). This is completely different from many other businesses where a returned item may be sold as new without any indication it was a customer return.

Assume the shop knows that if they take this gun back and sells it as cost, it will cost them the margin on the gun from their regular stock they don't sell to that buyer, so they offer an amount that gives them a similar margin to selling the gun new.

The conclusion is offer 60%, or accept a loss for the purpose of customer goodwill. Some shops work to optimize the long term relationship with each customer and will do things like this, but others will consider the profit margin on each individual sale sacred even if it costs a future customer.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

In raw ballpark figures -

Assume the shop makes 20% on a gun.

Assume the shop has to discount the gun 20% because it's pre-owned (an honest shop will not represent a gun that has been papered over to a buyer as "new", but as "pre-owned, unfired condition"). This is completely different from many other businesses where a returned item may be sold as new without any indication it was a customer return.

Assume the shop knows that if they take this gun back and sells it as cost, it will cost them the margin on the gun from their regular stock they don't sell to that buyer, so they offer an amount that gives them a similar margin to selling the gun new.

The conclusion is offer 60%, or accept a loss for the purpose of customer goodwill. Some shops work to optimize the long term relationship with each customer and will do things like this, but others will consider the profit margin on each individual sale sacred even if it costs a future customer.

Well, an example is what Carl did at FS. A customer was moving and couldn't take the brand new Sig556 with him. Carl indicated it was technically used, but brand new condition and never fired. I bought it for $150 less than the officially new one. It was basically new and I saved some bucks. I would imagine Northshore would do something similar?

 

[North Shore Firearms]

First of all, you had the gun in your possession for over 6 months. We made $150.00 profit on that shotgun. My Dad told you that! Now it's a "used" firearm and would be sold around $2000.00. Are we supposed to take a $400-$500 loss because you changed your mind 6 months later? And of course you know you could sell the gun on consignment, we don't need to tell you that! Mike

 

[Dench]

We stopped by yesterday with the kids.. Very nice guys, and awesome shop..

I do not like them. I have been there once, and that was enough for me..

Umm...

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

First of all, you had the gun in your possession for over 6 months. We made $150.00 profit on that shotgun. My Dad told you that! Now it's a "used" firearm and would be sold around $2000.00. Are we supposed to take a $400-$500 loss because you changed your mind 6 months later? And of course you know you could sell the gun on consignment, we don't need to tell you that! Mike

Mike, it was two months and one day ago (I just checked the date). Like I said on here and in my email, I don't expect you to take a loss. No, I didn't know you did consignment. You really think it would only fetch $2000 brand new? I see slightly used ones on GunsAmerica for about $2500 and up. Plus the person I worked with (I think your brother) said you guys were having a hard time keeping them in stock during the season.

 

[Fixxah]

I like the shop and people that work there, except Dench (J/K). I would gladly spend extra money there if I had some and if I had a gun for 61 days and tried to return it I think a good hard look in the mirror is warranted when playing the blame game. You screwed up by impulse buying so don't blame the shop. I bet that if you signed the paperwork and never took the gun from any shop they could not sell it as new from that point on.

 

[Martlet]

Plus the person I worked with (I think your brother) said you guys were having a hard time keeping them in stock during the season.

Silly consumer. That's what is said when you're SELLING something. When you're buying it, the line is "I can't move these. Nobody is looking for them."

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Silly consumer. That's what is said when you're SELLING something. When you're buying it, the line is "I can't move these. Nobody is looking for them."

Well, they said that to me because there was only this one gun to pick from (in the mid to higher end 12ga.).

 

[gene]

Living on the Northshore myself and others I shoot with go there frequently myself and with freinds and none of us has had a bad experience from guns new and used to reloading supplies. Just the opposite in fact because they are all very helpful and while I might save a buck or two going somewhere in NH for stuff, the gas would eat any savings. I have shopped a lot of shops and still do but their service, selection and help and attention to me and my buds always makes the shop number one in my book.

Sorry you had what you consider a bad experience but I can tell you horror stories about waiting 30 to 40minutes myself at some of these more helpful places referred to here to purchase a couple of boxes of ammo and at Northshore I am in and out and they always let me know what's new.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Prior to this experience I liked the shop quite a bit. That is why I spent so much money there.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

You really think it would only fetch $2000 brand new?

Once a gun has been transferred to an individual from a shop, it is no longer "brand new", but a gun which is in "pre-owned, unfired, as new" condition. How much of a discount buyers expect because of that varies depending on the market, markup on the gun in question, and scarcity of the gun.

 

[jenlynn724]

Umm...

umm, is right.. My husband just pointed out the fact that Northshore Firearms was not the name of the shop that I didn't like.. Sorry, it's been a while, and my meds are in the process of being adjusted..ll

 

[terraformer]

I like the shop and people that work there, except Dench (J/K). I would gladly spend extra money there if I had some and if I had a gun for 61 days and tried to return it I think a good hard look in the mirror is warranted when playing the blame game. You screwed up by impulse buying so don't blame the shop. I bet that if you signed the paperwork and never took the gun from any shop they could not sell it as new from that point on.

Yeah, that Dench character is a PITA. I can't wait until they can his ass....

To the other guy, so, let me get this straight, they refuse to take on return a gun they offered as an alternative to a hard to find gun he wanted and he bought, had for 2 months (but he still has the tags -- This isn't Nordstroms 300% margins...) but no longer wants because he found the one he wanted. Not a shop failure. Sooooo not a shop failure here... There's a classifieds. Use it.