Obligations on special orders ?

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Hammer

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
231
What is one's moral and ethical obligation on special orders ?

For example, say one ordered the Ruger 44 Special from his favorite dealer last November 2008. That dealer has not received one to date (August 2009). You walk into a dealer far from home and there is the wonderful Ruger 44 Special sitting right there under the counter priced at a bargain. You check your watch and realize that your home town dealer has already closed for the day so you can't call him to see if after all these months has yours come in (but it hadn't as of this morning when you checked). There is the gun of your dreams. It's been ten months since you special ordered your 44 and there has been no promising sign.

The store you're in will close in fifteen minutes. There is a crowd of buying customers in the store and one of those non-deserving ones was eyeing that 44. When the store closes, you will then have to hit the road going home, so tomorrow doesn't count.

Do you whip out your concealed carry permit and your cash and buy that jewel right there and plan on calling your local dealer in the morning with the good news ?

Or do you walk away and remain loyal to your local dealer who took your order last November ?

Can't buy two. The missus' and the kids' needs won't permit that extravagance. And the kid you were betting your retirement on just got cut from the junior varsity team so that NFL paycheck don't look so promising after all.

.
 

handloader

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 26, 2008
Messages
7
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
If an order was placed with deposit, the that money could either be applied to something else in the store or it could be forfeited. This, of course, depends on your dealer's policy.

Most dealers that will special order a new 44 Special Lipsey will probably have others waiting on the list. If you know your dealer well, your may have an insight on the matter. If others are likewise waiting at your dealer, and if your deposit money can be transferred or refunded and if you have a good working relationship with the dealer, then getting the one in front of you would seem to me to be the best decision.

So far, our store has received a numer of the 4 5/8" and 5 1/2" 44s, however, we doubt we will get enough to fill the demand. It wouldn't bother me if a customer got theirs at another store. This is understandable.
 

375_H&H_Mag

Bearcat
Joined
Jul 19, 2009
Messages
33
Location
North Louisiana
All is fair in love and war (and business)!

Just joking with you Hammer. Considering it has been nine months and the fact pointed out by the previous poster that there are probably many on the waiting list, I would not hesitate myself. Loyalty to a dealer is very admirable, but I think it is very understandable to buy what is available after so long a wait on an ordered gun ordered nine months ago. I would not consider it betrayal by no means. Some might, but not me. Now if it had only been a month, that would be different.

I say go with what you feel is right. You obviously have convictions about it or you would not have asked. Best to you and happy shooting.
 

ab4ka

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
255
Location
Lakeland, Florida
A gun in the hand is better than one on order. I'm buying the one in front of me and will apologize for the one on order later. Someone will buy it (or if it's like a dealer here that I've dealt with, it will never come in).
 

AzRebel

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
216
Location
Next to the creek, under a pine
I know my local dealer pretty well, and I consider him and his wife to be friends as far as that goes.

But, I've ordered reloading supplies from then that never came in. I remember ordering some .454 bullets about 3-4 years ago, and they never got them in.

So with that in mind, I'd buy the gun and call them the next day. If for some reason it HAD came in, I'm pretty sure they could find another buyer.

Heck, a note here on Ruger Forum would probably get it sold for them.

Daryl
 

461

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 16, 2004
Messages
227
Location
Omaha, Ne. USA
I'd have had to buy it. I'd also make sure I made my dealer happy as well though, by guaranteeing his sale on the one I ordered. If it didn't immediately sell when (if) it ever came in I'd promise to buy it and then sell it myself.

AzRebel has a good point, a quick note on here and it'd be gone quickly.
 

buckeyeshooter

Blackhawk
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
856
Location
Ohio
I would buy it. Then call my dealer the next day and cancell the order. If I had made a deposit, we could work that part out. If magically, the ordered gun came in that day, I would pay for it, look at both guns, keep the nicer and sell the other. This is not a hard question!!
 

bisleyfan41

Blackhawk
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
660
Location
People's Republic of Maryland
buckeyeshooter":3pv2yqzo said:
I would buy it. Then call my dealer the next day and cancell the order. If I had made a deposit, we could work that part out. If magically, the ordered gun came in that day, I would pay for it, look at both guns, keep the nicer and sell the other. This is not a hard question!!

+1 Exactly!!!

I don't know your dealer and am hesitant to say this, but I'd be suprised if they even ordered yours to start with. It seems that every other dealer on the planet has had and sold several of them to the point that some shops (like the one you're standing in) has filled their lists and can put them out for sale. Unless your dealer has somehow ticked Lipsey's off to the point they aren't a priority and only get theirs after everyone else has been taken care of, I doubt they ordered it. There's no way your dealer should not have been sent at least a few by now.

I apologize in advance if the above is not the case, but it looks that way from here and would be the way I would interpret it. Buy the one that's available.
 

nn

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
427
Location
NC
Hammer:
Not clear on this, what did you do?
 

tbear99

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 25, 2008
Messages
18
Location
UPSTATE NY
hamme what did you do????

i would buy the one infront of me and call dealer in morning.Not sure your relationship with dealer.But i have supicious feeling he never ordered also.I'm a tiny dealer and lipseys has no problem getting them out when available
 

cwegga

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
87
Location
Helena, MT
I would buy the one you can put your hands on.

I have had too many times having small businesses of different types order things in for me and then never get them, or wait forever. I almost totally refuse to pay money for something that isn't in stock, that I can physically touch. There could be a situation where the widget I want is so rare or hard to get that I have to have someone order it in sight unseen, but if there's a way not to I won't hand over money for empty promises.
 

wixedmords

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
903
Location
Wixed - Lakes Region of NH
I'd buy the gun I could get my hands on then immediately leave a message at the shop I ordered from. Once that business opened again, the one I ordered from, I would call the business and talk the transaction over.

But, if it has been 10 months I would likely have canceled the order by that time anyway. Most times I can find what I am looking for long before 10 months goes by.
 

308longdistance

Blackhawk
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
879
Location
Stoneham
If your dealer was getting one, he would have it by now.

After the specified time you mentioned, I'd be going home with a new 44spl.

Work out the minor details later.
 

pisgah

Buckeye
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
1,633
Location
Upstate SC
I might buy the bargain, but I'd still feel obligated to my usual dealer until he agreed to cancel the order. The darned thing could come in tomorrow AM, and he's already tied up capital to get it in.

Now, if he says no problem, then no problem. But if he's already out money he would not otherwise have been out, I owe him.
 

Hammer

Single-Sixer
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
231
I now have a Ruger 44 Special.

And I have not canceled the order with my local dealer. If it comes in, will figure something out then.

.
 

wetidlerjr

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
299
Location
TIPTON IN/USA
Hammer":2anhhrqn said:
I now have a Ruger 44 Special.

And I have not canceled the order with my local dealer. If it comes in, will figure something out then.

.

My situation was similar as to the wait but there was not another one available anywhere close. It came to the point where I accepted a 5.5" instead of the 4.62" I wanted or look to wait even longer than the six months I had already endured. My dealer was willing to work with me as to putting the money on something else or a refund. Also, he said he would give me first choice when and if the .44 Spec. did come in.
The 5.5" is a great shooter but I still want a short one so I guess it is off to the local gunsmith for a barrel cut-down.
Sounds to me like you made the right decision. :mrgreen:
 

BlkHawk73

Hunter
Joined
Dec 30, 1999
Messages
4,459
Location
Maine
IMO, you stick with your original order. Would you want a buyer backing out on you? Intregity goes a long ways. You take care of your dealer and it pays off in time. Toss them asude and it'll backfire later on.
 

wetidlerjr

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
299
Location
TIPTON IN/USA
BlkHawk73":sjyhxy4n said:
IMO, you stick with your original order. Would you want a buyer backing out on you? Intregity goes a long ways. You take care of your dealer and it pays off in time. Toss them asude and it'll backfire later on.

He didn't say he backed out or that he tossed anyone aside. He said:

Hammer wrote:
I now have a Ruger 44 Special.

And I have not canceled the order with my local dealer. If it comes in, will figure something out then.

confused-smiley-013.gif
 

Yosemite Sam

Hunter
Joined
Mar 18, 2002
Messages
2,113
Location
Cape Cod, MA, USA
What's the big deal on canceling a special order? It's not like the dealer has any investment in it. He's got his name on a list somewhere at a distributor. When that distributor gets a gun and the dealer's name comes up, the dealer will get a call asking if he still wants it. He can then say, "No."
This is the way it works with every dealer that I use.

Now if he's already received it or even if it's enroute via shipping, you are obligated to buy it, to my way of thinking.

-- Sam
 

MagnumM56

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
87
Location
Republic of the Rio Grande-TX
This is what happened with me-but the dealer let me know that he had placed an order for another customer-so I went with the one I saw on this forum and e-mailed my dealer to let him know that I found them and told him he had something else that I wanted which there is.
 
Top