CAUTION When buying optics from Amazon!

[2A2Dend]

I've the tendency to tear up the internet looking for the best price vs vendor. I've actually got pretty good at it and do fairly well.

Just a thought, maybe I should buy a real LT-104 and put the clone in the box and ship it back for a refund

:evil_grin:

Kidding of course

 

[Alexx1401]

I'm not sure what you mean by that. I've gotten good prices on firearm related items there including parts. I do shop around a lot if I have the time, but often they do have the best price. And they certainly have good service.

I was more than a little lost by that post too. I shop a LOT at Amazon for the ease. I do often compare price though and seldom does anyone beat them. When some do it's often so little that it's not worth it to me. If something is a few bucks less but I have to drive across town to buy it? Well no, I will pay the few bucks. As for the "they don't know their merchandise" I was lost there too. Unless I am missing something there is no one to talk to about advice on some item. Now if someone is not sure and wants to bend some sales persons ear about some item nothing wrong with that. 99.99% of the time when I want something I know what I want. If I'm not sure about something I would go to forums like this to ask LONG before some sales guy.

 

[Flopsweat]

I was more than a little lost by that post too. I shop a LOT at Amazon for the ease. I do often compare price though and seldom does anyone beat them. When some do it's often so little that it's not worth it to me. If something is a few bucks less but I have to drive across town to buy it? Well no, I will pay the few bucks. As for the "they don't know their merchandise" I was lost there too. Unless I am missing something there is no one to talk to about advice on some item. Now if someone is not sure and wants to bend some sales persons ear about some item nothing wrong with that. 99.99% of the time when I want something I know what I want. If I'm not sure about something I would go to forums like this to ask LONG before some sales guy.

LOL, there are a few gun shops out there that are not exactly oracles of firearms knowledge.

 

[Alexx1401]

LOL, there are a few gun shops out there that are not exactly oracles of firearms knowledge.

Exactly. There are threads on forums sharing the stories of the garbage people hear in a shop. Sadly many times an employee will appoint themselves and expert when they take the job selling this stuff. Whats worse is often a newbie takes what they say as fact.

 

[Boboclown]

Honestly, I'd think it would be better to be honest than to pretend to know. Especially if you're selling guns. Some people will believe it and that can be hazardous.

If I think a gun is overpriced but the employees are honest about stuff they don't know, I'll pay extra just for the honesty (depending on the gun). Rather have the honest folk around selling them than the dishonest ones.

 

[best defense]

I have now seen 2 fakes being sold on Amazon they were both Trijicon items. The items usually sell as used from the warehouse. I had to return a RMR due to this now I find a RMO. I have contacted Amazon about this they seem lost to say the least. Ultimately the customer pays, I just do not want someone to pay that kind of money for a fake. If you are unsure what they look like google it. The trijicon box maybe real but the item could be a fake.
Please use caution.

There is also some fake Leupold stuff on the market.

 

[Alexx1401]

There is also some fake Leupold stuff on the market.

There is going to be fakes of ANYTHING that sells and can be easily faked. Chinese factories had gotten real good at this. Far from a "gun stuff thing". If people are willing to pay for an item and that item can be copied cheaply, there are some who are going to try to cash in.

 

[JordanV]

I use amazon smile and make em donate to SAF

If you use the SAF Amazon (available by going to the SAF site and clicking their Amazon link directly) they earn a higher commission. There are some caveats in that it doesn't apply to items already in cart and the window for the commission is 3 days I think after clicking it. I've read it's possible to combine the Smile and referral commissions but I don't bother as the referral percentage is much higher than the Smile one. Smile is 0.5% whereas the referral link can be up to 6%. There's another technique to increase SAF's take even more — PM me if interested.

Some items are just best to buy from a brick and mortar store. You know what you get when you get it.

Almost all the local stores where I am have huge markups and kind of poor selection. Amazon's marketplace is iffy, although not nearly as bad as eBay. Buying new from Amazon itself almost never has authenticity issues. But I've seen it happen and Amazon is very quick to pull an item and sort out its supplier. For firearms accessories, I usually find Optics Planet is better.

 

[twa2471]

I've gotten 2 knock off scopes from Amazon, one a "Nikon" and one a Millett TRS target scope. Both were returned and I had no issues getting a replacement from anouther "Amazon fullfilled" supplier. Ya a bit of a pain but not a earth changing event. Other wise I get pretty good results from Amazon myself. But I did learn to only get items fullfilled by Amazon,,you'll have no issues then normally .

I do get allot of things frm Amazon I must admit, but mostly because half the shops around here are owned by a bunch of greedy smucks, half not having a clue what there talking about BTW. Just " used car salesmen IMHO !! In VT we have a very limited choice of shops with only a very few truly Good shops. Then it's usually going ta cost ya list or more,,,Screw that nonsense !!! I have only 2-3 shops in the whole state I'll do bussnuiss with and 2 are a 3+ hour drive away ,,way over on the other side of the state and on the other side of the Green Montians,,Way to far to go,,,,,,,
You guys consider yourselves lucky that you seem to have acess to a good selection of decent sporting goods stores, around here there few and far between,,,,,,