adam f Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 With the exception of Sportsman, I've been amazed at the refusal of gunshops to offer any discount? In the past 2 years I've bought 4 guns and each time I've tried to buy from my local shop, but when they mark up some 20% more than private sellers and the best I've had offered was £20 off a £1500 gun it gas always baffled me!? I was stood there with the cash today and £20 was all they would budge... Crazy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshLamb Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 I had a cracking deal on my 12 bore from my local shop, was marked up at about £450, and I paid ALOT less than that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cant hit rabbits 123 Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 When I bought my first gun they knocked close to £100 off, threw in a gun bag, some snap caps and a few boxes of shells. I bought another gun from them (the mossberg) and they gave me £20 off, but It was only originally £145, and another few boxes of shells 'to go and make sure it worked' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Pond Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Mate. If the owner is in, not an employee, walk in as close to closing time as you dare, and Saturdays seem to work for me, make an offer in a SH gun you previously looked at, and you should get it. ESPECIALLY cash at a weekend. Bought me last two guns this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam f Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Both shops and each time I've tried it's been with the owner, still no joy. Doesn't bother me I'll take my business elsewhere, but it does baffle me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 but when they mark up some 20% more than private sellers and the best I've had offered was £20 off a £1500 gun it gas always baffled me!? The business has to pay VAT! If you buy a gun for £1200 the first £200 go to the tax man so the gun shop only banks £1000. Makes me so mad when people sell things second hand for more than the ex VAT price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 It always amazes me at what people want off. Its as simple as pay the advertised price or go somewhere else. You wouldn't go to tesco and try and get money off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 It always amazes me at what people want off. Its as simple as pay the advertised price or go somewhere else. You wouldn't go to tesco and try and get money off. i dont know, you should see me in the frozen section at Asda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I'm all for having a few hundred off a new gun advertised for £10k or whatever or maybe a 2nd hand one at £6k, but expecting to have anything tangible off something selling for less than a grand . I don't know, if you're into your shooting you get to know what's a fair price, even for 2nd hand so you just have to accept the shop needs to make a margin to keep open so you can go in there once a month to buy a tin of pellets or every three months to buy 500 cartridges or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam f Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 You can't compare a £1000 shotgun to shopping on tesco. I'm all for supporting my local shop. However I also fish and would never pay the mark up price on a fishing rod or reel, why should shooting be anything different? Tackle shops routinely discount. I also sell building materials for a living....and discounts are how we work! I was in my local gun shop recently and they bought a cz452 in .22 off a young lad for just £80 ... I saw it in there for £350 the next visit... People need to make a living granted, but all I'm saying is why are they so short sighted? The gun I was looking at was £1500, had they taken say £50-£100 off I'd have bought it.. Even a slab of carts thrown in.... But nothing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I agree we can't use Tesco as an example as they sell fresh perishables etc but I'm afraid I don't quite get why some people EXPECT discounts on cars or guns etc. You can't go into a department store and ask for money off a £150 jacket can you? In the same sort of place you'd be mad to ask for money off a £2k wrist watch , and I assure you the margins are huge on such items. The lad needed to sell his .22, they didn't have to buy it. That gun could well tie up their money for months and months before someone even looks at it. Even then they may either knock money off or have to take in a px with it, not even going to get into the fact that they'll be wearing the risk of a warranty with it. The point is we all moan but open a shop of your own and see how easy it is to be looking at the thick end of £500 a day operating costs , then see if you'll be so willing to throw money at discounts. In principal I agree that the manner you get treated and a friendly chip off the price is a nice gesture that should have them coming back but I still disagree that we should expect to pay less just because it's a gun shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicykillgaz Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 i know what you mean its just nice to hear the words 'thats £..... but i can do it for £.....' i think my local has the right idea i think he slightly marks his up and no matter what he always knocks some off and throws in a box of cartridges. its not alwayys much £30-50 but i leave feeling like i got a fair price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 i know what you mean its just nice to hear the words 'thats £..... but i can do it for £.....' i think my local has the right idea i think he slightly marks his up and no matter what he always knocks some off and throws in a box of cartridges. its not alwayys much £30-50 but i leave feeling like i got a fair price. Spot on, I was in my local club (as always) and looking at a Le Chameu shirt with a Harrods price tag when one of the good lads in the shop called out I could have it for X , didn't even need it but ended up buying it to treat myself :lol: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon123 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Our local RFD always gives me a discount if i take my dad with me , even on single boxes of cartridges (he does them for the price of 1000's) and he nocked £2 off of a box of 25 carts, but i have no idea how much he'd be willing to discount when buying a new gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I recently got hold of a list of dealership prices for new firearms accidently. It got my blood boiling when I looked at some of the prices. Yes buisnesses need to keep their heads above water, but RFD's seem to have forgotton about the recession. It's times like these that they should be offering the best deals to try to drive footfall, but it just doesn't happen. I had to laugh when I was quoted over £400 more than cost price on a new rifle I was considering buying, saying it was the best price that could be done. Needless to say I never purchased the rifle. Margin is something that every buisness has a bit of levy with, but in my experience RFD's seem to think they are exempt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 With the exception of Sportsman, I've been amazed at the refusal of gunshops to offer any discount? In the past 2 years I've bought 4 guns and each time I've tried to buy from my local shop, but when they mark up some 20% more than private sellers and the best I've had offered was £20 off a £1500 gun it gas always baffled me!? I was stood there with the cash today and £20 was all they would budge... Crazy!! was it a new gun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeds chimp Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I agree we can't use Tesco as an example as they sell fresh perishables etc but I'm afraid I don't quite get why some people EXPECT discounts on cars or guns etc. You can't go into a department store and ask for money off a £150 jacket can you? In the same sort of place you'd be mad to ask for money off a £2k wrist watch , and I assure you the margins are huge on such items. The lad needed to sell his .22, they didn't have to buy it. That gun could well tie up their money for months and months before someone even looks at it. Even then they may either knock money off or have to take in a px with it, not even going to get into the fact that they'll be wearing the risk of a warranty with it. The point is we all moan but open a shop of your own and see how easy it is to be looking at the thick end of £500 a day operating costs , then see if you'll be so willing to throw money at discounts. In principal I agree that the manner you get treated and a friendly chip off the price is a nice gesture that should have them coming back but I still disagree that we should expect to pay less just because it's a gun shop. can tell you never lived in Yorkshire then.... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam f Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 No 2nd hand. They wanted the same price as the same gun is advertised in the gun mags for. IE I can buy the same gun brand new for the same price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bicykillgaz Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Spot on, I was in my local club (as always) and looking at a Le Chameu shirt with a Harrods price tag when one of the good lads in the shop called out I could have it for X , didn't even need it but ended up buying it to treat myself :lol: . it'd be rude not to buy it when they've just discounted it especially for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem223 Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I have worked in a couple of gunshops. One in the UK, one on Canada. The UK marked up their product a lot more than in Canada. However margins are quite slim on guns. Margins on accessories are lot bigger. Shops have overheads and have to pay out a lot and to be honest people sometimes expect too much. My suspicion is that in the UK there are too many middlemen taking a piece of the action. For example, a pound of Varget in Canada is $36 and is at least £40 here. Now that is taking the p. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 I recently got hold of a list of dealership prices for new firearms accidently. I had to laugh when I was quoted over £400 more than cost price on a new rifle I was considering buying, saying it was the best price that could be done. Needless to say I never purchased the rifle. How much are we talking for the gun? Also did you allow for VAT? IE if they bought a rifle for £800 and make it up to £1000 then there's £200 VAT, so you pay £1200, but the dealer only makes £200. Now lets say he gives you a 10% discount - £120 off. So the price is now £900 + VAT. There is less VAT (£180 rather than £200) but the gunshop has lost 50% of his margin by giving you a very modest discount (now only making £100 not £200). The only way you can give a good discount is by big mark-ups to start with. I'd rather go somewhere that was fair priced and maybe get a slip or a few cartridges/bullets thrown in than haggle for a non-sustainable discount. It will cost hundreds of pounds a day just to keep the gunshop open! can tell you never lived in Yorkshire then.... :lol: I haggle in electrical shops, buy a TV, get a DVD player thrown in. If they tell you they only have the display one left haggle very hard, they will often throw in extended warranty FOC if you express concerns about it being messed about with by kids and a discount. Shops like B&Q if something has a battered box find an assistant (a skill in itself!) call them over and ask if they can do anything - they have NEVER not knocked something off. All the big retailers have better buying power and better mark-up than you little RFD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaxiDriver Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Thing is, With something like the Tesco comparison, All the products you can buy in tesco can be bought in a whole load of other supermarkets, convenience stores, corner shops, garage forecourt shops, over t'internet etc etc. Many of the things shooting related have a much more limited appeal/market, consequently not so widely sold, ie, You cant go anywhere else and buy a gun, or shotshells or ammunition, only another RFD, hence no real incentive for RFD's to have to be competetive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Well look at it this way. My nearest gun shop is 4 miles down the road but I drive 25 miles to the gun shop I use. Why. Because the close one wanted £27 for a box of bullets. My regular only charges £20. Never asked for a discount. Altho the one down the road reckoned they was discount. I haven't been to the gun shop in say 3 months. If he discounted me £10 on the 100 bullets I bought he would probably be shut. And If I buy something from him and its a few quid dearer I don't complain. Because he would just shut. Like the one down the road. No one ever gose In their. And as for building products. Its super competitive. You have to discount to win business an RFD dosent. If I want 30 packs of blocks from you. You have to be competitive otherwise I just get a direct load. Same with kitchens. I get 60-70% off at b&q. Their is many other places to buy them from. Same as builders merchants their is 9 within 20 miles of me so you have to be competitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshLamb Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Well look at it this way. My nearest gun shop is 4 miles down the road but I drive 25 miles to the gun shop I use. Why. Because the close one wanted £27 for a box of bullets. My regular only charges £20. It probably costs you over £7, for the 50 mile round trip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 Most gunshops make 10% on new guns. Not a lot really is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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