therifleshoppe?

[BrownBear]

Fair report. Thanks.

Perhaps a new leaf is being turned over?

Gonna have to be a whole tree of new leaves before I'll order again, but hopefully this is a sign that they've rediscovered their act.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Brownbear,
I also have received parts from TRS within 2 weeks, which was wonderful. I've also waited more than a year. The problem is the inconsistency of the service and lack of communication with customers. I think most people get upset with TRS because they don't seem willing to provide reliable timelines for goods and do not respond to questions in a timely and reliable fashion.

dave

 

[BrownBear]

The problem is the inconsistency of the service and lack of communication with customers. I think most people get upset with TRS because they don't seem willing to provide reliable timelines for goods and do not respond to questions in a timely and reliable fashion.

Those are the biggest leaves on the tree.

I'm speaking as a businessman. If we'd conducted our business that way, we never could have sold out for a fat sum and begun enjoying a comfortable retirement. We'd have been out of business long before then.

I keep asking myself what The Rifle Shop folks do for a living. Surely they're not building a business and eventual retirement on profits from actual sales, defined by regular delivery of products to satisfied customers. :bull:

 

[Claude Mathis]

I'm speaking as a businessman. If we'd conducted our business that way, we never could have sold out for a fat sum and begun enjoying a comfortable retirement. We'd have been out of business long before then.

It's a sad commentary when the big news is, someone received their order. :wink:

 

[Rick Boylan]

:hatsoff: op: :rotf:

 

[BrownBear]

It's a sad commentary when the big news is, someone received their order. :wink:

Yeah. We were embarrassed if our orders were even a day late, usually compensating the customer with a discount.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I keep coming back to the question, where is their income if they're not filling orders? Must be getting their money somewhere.... :idunno:

 

[jamesthomas]

They are getting they're money from NOT filling orders and making people wait 2 to 4 years for a product, and from holding orders (while cashing your check) till they have enough orders of a certain lock or triggerguard etc. to make it worth while to crank up the kiln. Its like Kb466 said, he is into his 3rd. Year waiting on a prepaid Brown Bess parts set. Repeat PREPAID!. That's where they are getting their money from. 3 YEARS?.

 

[Claude Mathis]

They are getting they're money from NOT filling orders and making people wait 2 to 4 years for a product, and from holding orders (while cashing your check) till they have enough orders of a certain lock or triggerguard etc. to make it worth while to crank up the kiln. Its like Kb466 said, he is into his 3rd. Year waiting on a prepaid Brown Bess parts set. Repeat PREPAID!. That's where they are getting their money from. 3 YEARS?.

And they will continue to do so, as long as they are empowered by their customers. They have no reason to change.

 

[rickystl]

"Gonna have to be a whole tree of new leaves before I'll order again"

:rotf: :haha:

 

[jamesthomas]

What gets me is that the people who order from them are getting just PARTS for a rifle or smoothbore, remember Kb466 is waiting on the PARTS for his Brown Bess, not even a completed rifle. It must be for bragging rights is all I can figure :idunno: .

 

[Alden]

Bragging rights? Yeah! They do make authentic reproduction parts. No-one else comes close to them in breadth and depth. Definitely not perfect especially when it comes to service. But this whole hobby is that especially as you get more specialized -- the biggest whiners are typically the least advanced and/or serious in the hobby itself who are used to instant gratification. And then there are the ones who know better but are a little "off" and harass the builders after they order anyway, reflecting on the rest of us...

Not defending TRS, it is what it is so live with it, but who's worse, the folks who are making scores of custom parts for each of hundreds and hundreds of guns every time or the good ol' boy assembler (few of these guys are gunsmiths and are mostly garage carpenters) that just outright lies to you about what you're gonna get and when? Sorry, but I'd trust Jesse's integrity any day of the week over, let's say, a Matt Avance at TVM or a John Buck kneeling at church on a Sunday!

 

[kb466]

Yes, I have ordered just "parts" for my Brown Bess. In fact, what I ordered was a parts set with an assembled lock and English walnut stock. I don't know what you mean by "bragging rights"-- I like to build these things for myself. I don't want an assembled musket. I have continued to buy from TRS in spite of the long waits, because they offer a product I can't get elsewhere-- quality parts for certain prototypes that are accurate in dimension, etc. Maybe I'm a fool or maybe that is "enabling" the Rifle Shoppe folks-- well so be it. I have been happy with what I've received, in spite of the waits. I may be ordering another parts set soon to fit into my build schedule. I am hoping they will have the parts in stock this time. As for my 1756 Brown Bess parts set, I have suggested to TRS that they can send the lock parts unassembled if that would speed things up. I have also located an English walnut stock elsewhere that will work and have told them they can cancel the stock part of my order if that will speed up delivery of the other parts. Still waiting on their response.
Bill M.

 

[Alden]

...I have suggested to TRS that they can send the lock parts unassembled if that would speed things up. Bill M.

Bill, you're an above-average buyer but, again, I'd caution you against this path. At some point, maybe not too far off, TRS will become a non-going-concern and you will not get any follow-up support and any missing or bad part will TRULY have to be custom made and/or retrofitted with frustrating, expensive, shifted burden to you. As I've said, buying an assembled lock from TRS is simply a form of money-well-spent insurance!

 

[BrownBear]

Still waiting on their response.

How long have you been waiting for a response? Seems like the kind of proposal that would get a quick reply.

 

[kb466]

How long?-- I emailed them Thursday, so it's been a couple of days. Hopefully I'll hear something Monday or Tuesday. If I need to, I can assemble the lock. But the best response would be that my parts set is all there and ready to ship-- assembled lock, stock and all! I can dream, can't I?
Bill M.

 

[kb466]

Well, very happy news concerning my 1756 Brown Bess parts set from the The Rifle Shoppe. I just received a very courteous and pleasant email from Mike Melot of TRS. He said that they had all the parts together for my Brown Bess and had the lock already assembled. He said the holdup was due to the English walnut stock I had ordered. But he said they had just received some English walnut stocks from their carver finally, including my Brown Bess stock. So he said they would pack up my complete parts set and have it shipped out to me next week. All is well with the world!
Bill M.

 

[Alden]

You don't have it, yet, kb466.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

You don't have it, yet, kb466.

Oh ye of little faith......

Don't worry Bill, you will get it as promised. patience is a virtue. Congrats.

 

[kb466]

Yes, I figure I will get it as promised. In my experience, when TRS says they are ready to ship and will ship on a certain date, they have always shipped on time.
Bill M.

 

[Tinker2]

I have only good luck with them, they have met my needs.
I order what I might need in advance of the need.
They only ship out on Fridays but in my experience not every Friday

Alexander