That's an interesting story. As I've explained to more than one Walmart who called because someone refused to show their receipt to the "receipt checker" at the exit, they can't 'make' someone stop and do that...unless they have sufficient reason to believe the person has stolen something. And then they'd better be damned sure before they detain someone otherwise they're looking at a civil lawsuit or even criminal charges for false imprisonment especially if the encounter leads to a physical altercation.
-
If you are having trouble changng your password please click here for help.
Unwelcomed Suprise at Adventure Outdoors
- Thread starter norbel718
- Start date
That's an interesting story. As I've explained to more than one Walmart who called because someone refused to show their receipt to the "receipt checker" at the exit, they can't 'make' someone stop and do that...unless they have sufficient reason to believe the person has stolen something. And then they'd better be damned sure before they detain someone otherwise they're looking at a civil lawsuit or even criminal charges for false imprisonment especially if the encounter leads to a physical altercation.
+25 innernet points for using "nonplussed" in a reply to a thread.STANDARD DISCLAIMER No real point of discussion here, just thinking out loud.
I still think AO's sales flyers exhibit a level of sneaky marketing by burying the "Advertised Prices reflect cash prices and there's a 3% upcharge for credit card purchases." in the small print at the bottom. That's the sort of policy I'd put at the top of the page or even next to each item price, i.e. $299.95 *Cash Price*. I guess I'll keep that in mind for my gun store one day.
That said...I did an internet search for gun stores in the Atlanta area (and throughout GA) and found none that differentiate between cash/check vs. card payment. I'm not saying none don't, only that I didn't find any posted policies to that effect. Whether that means the other stores are (1) good guys who absorb the cc fees on behalf of the buyers or (2) bad guys who pass on the cc fees (by not giving a discount) to buyers paying with cash/check (both scenarios suggested in this thread), I don't know.
I've never bought a gun from a store like AO so I'm not really cognizant of what the industry norm is for such merchants. I usually buy from individuals (and pay cash of course) or have a friend with an FFL order for me. I have bought a few from places with professional discounts. Usually, whenever I buy from a store, it's a smaller operation, say, the owner and 1 or 2 employees, often family members. When negotiating the price, the question of "cash vs. card" is always raised by one or the other parties and it almost aklways impacts the price. So cc processing fees are definitely a factor in a business profit.
Of course, in a store like AO the sales people probably have little or no 'authority' to negotiate on prices, anyway; so store policy is the law of the land.
While doing the internet search, I found some scathing Reddit and other reviews of AO. The pricing practices are a frequent source of disgruntlement. Of course, unhappy customers are much more likely to post (bad reviews) than happy or non-plussed buyers.
I usually avoid Atlanta area like the plague but if I ever do go to AO, reckon I'll get me one of them big old, extra long checkbook covers made of fine corinthian leather with gold monograms. I'll whip it out and wave it around to get their attention, and then announce how I'm only going to be there for 15-20 mins so they better start making me feel important if they want my check! And that's if I even have any checks left after all the cars I just bought with that thang.
Just funning so nobody get their knickers in a wad.
I’ve always felt like if you’re going to accept a CC you’ve agreed to give up 3% of your profit. If you don’t want to give part of your profit to the CC company, don’t accept CC’s. I don’t think your business decision with the CC company should impact me as a customer. Just clearly advertise “Cash Only” if you don’t want to accept credit cards and give part of your profit to the CC company. You’re advertised price should be the price the customer pays.
The checking of the receipt at the door is different vs. all other gun stores I've been in, but it's not that big of a deal to me. Given the area the store is in, it is a theft deterrent. **DON'T GET ME WRONG**, clearly the door guy just saw you check out and walk directly to him, so it does reek of being silly and over the top, but again, consider the area the store is in, the merchandise they deal in, I can understand their diligence.
For what it's worth, they check your receipt at Costco and Sam's Club (among other stores), and nobody raises a fuss about that.
**Disclaimer: I'm not a big fan of AO. They are their own worst enemy with some of their policies and shenanigans, especially compared to other stellar gun stores like Cherokee G&P and Georgia Gun Store.
You sign an agreement for this when you join their club membership.
Yeah, and some guns are basically loss leaders. They hope they can get you to buy other merchandise with a higher markup. Some dealers really push their employees to increase their attachment rate with firearms and the overall IPT (items per transaction).
I'm sure we could start another thread on this, if it has not been discussed already.
While I don't like showing my receipt and will avoid it at stores I'm not a member at, I can understand why they do it. Seeing you getting your purchases verified may prevent another person from adding merchandise to their cart/bag. Interacting with customers more is often all it takes to prevent theft in many cases. I know one girl that just tried to help a customer in her Dept and actually prevented several hundred dollars in theft. The woman got spooked and quietly dumped the contents of her bag (including merchandise from another store!) and left.
...and yet it still doesn’t bother me.
All I’m saying is take a moment to consider the other side of the situation and why the practice is in place. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not that big of a deal.
Okay there smart feller....if'n I don't knows about it how kin I git mad about it? It's the signs up all over the place at AO tellin' me I'm fixin to git screwed that makes me mad!
