Avoid Bay Area Gun Vault

[JamesY]

I used to be a customer of Reeds but stopped since they have the new PPT policy. Looks like BAGV is on my "do not shop" list.

[echopapa]

Called BAGV and they confirmed they are refusing all PPT's at the moment out of protest. Their belief is that other shops in their area, including US Firearms, Imbert and Smithers, and Reeds, are either already refusing PPT's, charging ridiculous storage fees to drive away PPT'ers, or are specifically directing their PPT's over to BAGV. The rep I spoke with stated that they want the DOJ to step in and level the playing field before they resume PPT's.

I have mixed feelings on this, but can understand why this is an issue and what they are trying to do even if I don't like how they are doing it.

I'm surprised they dragged US Firearms into this. Never had a problem with multiple PPTs there. They've always been pleasant and nice people to deal with - because of it, I decided to have them do some gunsmithing work for me

[six seven tango]

Please don't bring the government into this forum. Nothing good can come out of that.

Too late...they've been monitoring this forum and other forums like it for years. If you doubt that, take a look at how some recent anti-gun bills were changed, coincidently, after some talk on this forum about how to circumvent it if it became law.

[Area 52]

How would other stores referring PPTs to them possibly be an issue? They make a profit on PPTs, do they not? If I owned a business I would love my competitors to send me customers. If you can't make a profit at $35 a PPT then pull a Turners and add a "service charge" until you are making money. I own more guns than I can count off the top of my head but I can count all the NEW guns I purchased on one hand and not need all the fingers. Seems like turning away PPTs would alienate a huge percentage of customers.

[Wildhawk66]

I'm surprised they dragged US Firearms into this. Never had a problem with multiple PPTs there. They've always been pleasant and nice people to deal with - because of it, I decided to have them do some gunsmithing work for me

Yeah, and in the other thread on this topic someone mentioned that they had no issue doing a PPT at Imbert and Smithers recently. Makes me wonder if BAGV is misperceiving their PPT traffic. Maybe less of it is due to the actions of other stores than they think.

On a side note, our gunsmith options in the south bay are currently pretty limited. That said, I just had a muzzle device pinned at US Firearms and it took a month and cost me twice as much as it would have cost to ship it elsewhere even with the price of shipping included (I should have confirmed price on the front end, so my bad). Something to keep in mind.

[Wildhawk66]

How would other stores referring PPTs to them possibly be an issue? They make a profit on PPTs, do they not? If I owned a business I would love my competitors to send me customers. If you can't make a profit at $35 a PPT then pull a Turners and add a "service charge" until you are making money. I own more guns than I can count off the top of my head but I can count all the NEW guns I purchased on one hand and not need all the fingers. Seems like turning away PPTs would alienate a huge percentage of customers.

Shops only make $10 of that $35 so on the face of things they likely do lose money doing them. That said, PPT's physically force customers into the store, often first time customers who were not previously aware of the store, something other industries would kill for. If gun stores can't convert a good percentage of those customers into sales (ammo, accessories, other guns, etc) on in-store items, then they aren't taking advantage of the situation and that's on them. This is especially true when you consider that one half of all of those PPT's are going to be standing in the store with a decent amount of cash in hand at the end of the PPT transaction...

[dozer wright]

Theres two problems one they do coinsignment so yes they do ppt.They just want their mark huge mark up . Heres my suggestion if you want to do a ppt .Go in early fondle a nice firearm ask some questions that you normally ask when purchasing said firearm . When ppt walks in Say oh good my ppt is here .
He will respond with we don't ppt and you can respond well I'm not paying two dros fees .
So I guess I'll take my ppt and purchase somewhere else .

[SFCRangerDoc]

Yeah, and in the other thread on this topic someone mentioned that they had no issue doing a PPT at Imbert and Smithers recently. Makes me wonder if BAGV is misperceiving their PPT traffic. Maybe less of it is due to the actions of other stores than they think.

On a side note, our gunsmith options in the south bay are currently pretty limited. That said, I just had a muzzle device pinned at US Firearms and it took a month and cost me twice as much as it would have cost to ship it elsewhere even with the price of shipping included (I should have confirmed price on the front end, so my bad). Something to keep in mind.

Shoulda sent it to Randall :P

[bountyhunter]

THat was not the case here. The owner told me "im tired of other shops sending PPT's to me because i don't charge fees...so therefore I'm not doing PPT's at all for anybody period"

That's illegal. Most shops screw people by only doing PPT's a couple of hours on only a few days a week, but refusing outright is illegal.

[bountyhunter]

DOJ will be glad to take your complaint, be glad to take any opportunity to brake the chops on any local gun shop, be glad to put more names including yours in their Database, and be glad to throw another spike strip in the way of anyone else thinking about buying guns the legitimate way. Appreciate the effort.

So we should grab our ankles for bozos who ignore the law and refuse to facilitate the gun sales? Exactly how does that help since the shop is obstructing sales by refusing PPT's. I get sick of shops making up their own laws like targetmasters in Milpitas demanding an 11 day wait period just because their employees are too stupid to do simple math on the hours. The bottom line is we should push back.

[bountyhunter]

How would other stores referring PPTs to them possibly be an issue?

Because the PPT fee is capped by the state and shops HATE that because they believe they are losing money "wasting" the time. At Targetmasters, they would have one brain dead moron doing the PPT but if anybody walked in to rent guns or buy ammo, the PPT was put on hold as the guy wandered off. Bottom line, they don't want to have their valuable minimum wage employees spending their time on PPTs.

[Wordupmybrotha]

I thought doing PPTs would be beneficial for the stores, because it brings in foot traffic. A guy who normally wouldn't have come in now is forced to come in the second time to pick up his firearm.

I did a PPT at a pawn shop that I wouldn't have gone to had not the seller set up the transaction there. I ended up buying another pistol from the store that day and then ordered another one shortly afterward.

Imagine that, people might actually buy something while they're in the store!

[six seven tango]

I thought doing PPTs would be beneficial for the stores, because it brings in foot traffic.
<SNIP>
Imagine that, people might actually buy something while they're in the store!

^^THIS^^ I always try to find something to buy when I'm doing a PPT. Even if it's just a box of ammo. By refusing to do a PPT, the store is effectively chasing a paying customer out the door.

[Litespeeds]

Metal Dog Tactical is the place to go. Very nice small shop with awesome guys working there. Fastest PPTs in the West. Only bad thing is they are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

I would never do a PPT at Reeds because of their extortion storage fees.

I would not recommend Bay Area Gun Vault either as they lost me as a potential customer when I first called for pricing on some new guns and they would not disclose it over the phone.

[SkyHawk]

Go rip them a new one in their Facebook reviews. If even a few of us do it they will be down to three stars or less by night's end.

https://www.facebook.com/Bay-Area-Gun-Vault-114784571880387/?fref=ts

And are they related at all to Nor Cal Gun Vault?