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My horrible PPT experience
Had a bad experience at Valley Jewelry & Loan Pawn Shop, 24525 Alessandro Blvd, Moreno Valley, CA 92553
Specifically with an employee "Lalo"
Seller and I agreed to meet here, as this was his preferred FFL. I got bad juju from the get go when Lalo says that the seller has to come back when I come pick up the gun. What? We all know the seller does not have to return. I brush it off, knowing what the paperwork would need. He then forces me to buy a gunlock, since I did not have one with me. What? Why do I need a gunlock when we are dropping off the gun? I know I need one at pickup, they have a sign stating that, and I know the transport laws. He says how can we lock it up without a lock? Again, what? Do you not have a safe? The lock was only 7 bucks so again I brush it off as I just wanted to gtfo and spend time with my son.
10 days go by, and I go to pick up my gun. Well I get there and they say that there is nobody there that can release it and I'll have to come back tomorrow as there is nothing they can do. So I waste an hour and a half of drive time, plus multiple gallons of gas, just to go home empty handed.
When I went to pick it up the next day, Lalo is there and says, where is the seller? I say how the hell should I know, the seller is not required to be here. Lalo would not go do the paperwork! I basically had to say that if I was not denied, and he does not release my property to me, I will be forced to call the police, as they stole my gun! He grumbles something like go ahead and call the police. I calmly said, print out the paperwork and if it says the seller signature is needed, then we will deal with it. So he begrudgingly does, and guess what? The seller didn't need to be there.
I brought my own lock when I picked it up. I asked Lalo why their sign clearly states a lock is needed upon pickup and why was I forced to buy one at the drop off. He then changed his story and said that a gunlock is needed to start the paperwork(when before he said how can we lock it up without a lock). When I called him out on it, he threatened me with not continuing with the paperwork. I just shut my mouth at that point because I really did not want to have to come back, again.
Here is where it gets really shady. He never checked my ID nor did he ask me to perform the safe handling demo. Anybody could have picked this gun up! True, they would have had a thumb print and a signature, but not much else.
And then here is where they break the law! Even after I asked, he did not give me my DROS paperwork, or a receipt for the ppt fee or for the gun lock.
After that, when I had the gun in my possession, I asked to speak with his manager. He says I'm the manager. I'm like great, this will go over well. I said I feel I did not need to buy the gunlock, and that he needed to get more training, because he obviously does not know what he is doing. He blew me off of course, as I was complaining about him, to him! It was almost funny, but left me pretty furious.
I called and spoke to the manager Eddie this morning, apparently this guy Lalo was covering for them from a different store. I went down my list of complaints, starting with the minor and ending with the major. Eddie was very professional, unlike Lalo, and apologized for Lalo's behavior. Said that he would call Lalo right after he got off the phone with me. He offered to fax me the DROS paperwork, but I want the original copy, so I told him to mail it to me. He agrees. After I told him I was pondering buying one of the XD's they had for sale, but would not return because of the way I was treated, he offered to waive a future DROS fee for me. I thanked him for the offer and told him that that might be enough to get me to return, but probably not.
All in all, I do have the gun, and it does not appear to have been messed with. But damn what a horrible experience.
If you do choose to use this place, be sure to not deal with Lalo and deal with Eddie or Cesar.
Specifically with an employee "Lalo"
Seller and I agreed to meet here, as this was his preferred FFL. I got bad juju from the get go when Lalo says that the seller has to come back when I come pick up the gun. What? We all know the seller does not have to return. I brush it off, knowing what the paperwork would need. He then forces me to buy a gunlock, since I did not have one with me. What? Why do I need a gunlock when we are dropping off the gun? I know I need one at pickup, they have a sign stating that, and I know the transport laws. He says how can we lock it up without a lock? Again, what? Do you not have a safe? The lock was only 7 bucks so again I brush it off as I just wanted to gtfo and spend time with my son.
10 days go by, and I go to pick up my gun. Well I get there and they say that there is nobody there that can release it and I'll have to come back tomorrow as there is nothing they can do. So I waste an hour and a half of drive time, plus multiple gallons of gas, just to go home empty handed.
When I went to pick it up the next day, Lalo is there and says, where is the seller? I say how the hell should I know, the seller is not required to be here. Lalo would not go do the paperwork! I basically had to say that if I was not denied, and he does not release my property to me, I will be forced to call the police, as they stole my gun! He grumbles something like go ahead and call the police. I calmly said, print out the paperwork and if it says the seller signature is needed, then we will deal with it. So he begrudgingly does, and guess what? The seller didn't need to be there.
I brought my own lock when I picked it up. I asked Lalo why their sign clearly states a lock is needed upon pickup and why was I forced to buy one at the drop off. He then changed his story and said that a gunlock is needed to start the paperwork(when before he said how can we lock it up without a lock). When I called him out on it, he threatened me with not continuing with the paperwork. I just shut my mouth at that point because I really did not want to have to come back, again.
Here is where it gets really shady. He never checked my ID nor did he ask me to perform the safe handling demo. Anybody could have picked this gun up! True, they would have had a thumb print and a signature, but not much else.
And then here is where they break the law! Even after I asked, he did not give me my DROS paperwork, or a receipt for the ppt fee or for the gun lock.
After that, when I had the gun in my possession, I asked to speak with his manager. He says I'm the manager. I'm like great, this will go over well. I said I feel I did not need to buy the gunlock, and that he needed to get more training, because he obviously does not know what he is doing. He blew me off of course, as I was complaining about him, to him! It was almost funny, but left me pretty furious.
I called and spoke to the manager Eddie this morning, apparently this guy Lalo was covering for them from a different store. I went down my list of complaints, starting with the minor and ending with the major. Eddie was very professional, unlike Lalo, and apologized for Lalo's behavior. Said that he would call Lalo right after he got off the phone with me. He offered to fax me the DROS paperwork, but I want the original copy, so I told him to mail it to me. He agrees. After I told him I was pondering buying one of the XD's they had for sale, but would not return because of the way I was treated, he offered to waive a future DROS fee for me. I thanked him for the offer and told him that that might be enough to get me to return, but probably not.
All in all, I do have the gun, and it does not appear to have been messed with. But damn what a horrible experience.
If you do choose to use this place, be sure to not deal with Lalo and deal with Eddie or Cesar.
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