Firing Line's New Transfer Fees-Price Gouging

[sneakerd]

Sending a PM

[Wildboarem]

Where to start, where to start. I'm curious to know how many people that have commented have actually owned a business? No offense sneakerd but you are only an employee, I do however respect your loyalty to your employer, keep it up. As someone who has a business that is partially dependent on goods bought wholesale and sold retail, I think there have been a couple of things over looked.
First, as far as inventory goes, most businesses I know will make a decision to purchase a certain amount of product to then sell in a certain amount of time for a certain margin. It's my job to know my clientele, how quickly I can resupply and what my margin needs to be. The margin needs to factor in contingencies and have a buffer for unknowns. Can one know all unknowns? No. Should a gun shop/ffl have a clue that a re-election of the President would bring with it more gun control? They should have. If the shop makes a decision leading up to this and has to change prices mid-buying frenzy the public perception might not be that good. If a shop changes its price mid-buying panic just to increase profit and take advantage of the situation with none of there actual costs going up, again the buying public might not be happy. I think that is what is going on here and if a company stands behind their price increases then they should keep them there after the panic and see how it works out.
It all comes down to free markets and Capitalism. If a shop wants to take advantage of a situation and charge me more when things are tight, they can. I may choose not to do business with them in the future. I have a choice and they have a choice. The one issue I do have is that selling all of ones inventory in a short amount of time is a bad thing. If selling a seasons (6months for me) worth of goods in a month and have to close my business because I can't get resupplied is asinine. I better make sure my customer service is top notch and have some type of diversity. I definitely don't buy the poor gun shop, poor gun shop.

[Great-Kazoo]

Where to start, where to start. I'm curious to know how many people that have commented have actually owned a business? No offense sneakerd but you are only an employee, I do however respect your loyalty to your employer, keep it up. As someone who has a business that is partially dependent on goods bought wholesale and sold retail, I think there have been a couple of things over looked.
First, as far as inventory goes, most businesses I know will make a decision to purchase a certain amount of product to then sell in a certain amount of time for a certain margin. It's my job to know my clientele, how quickly I can resupply and what my margin needs to be. The margin needs to factor in contingencies and have a buffer for unknowns. Can one know all unknowns? No. Should a gun shop/ffl have a clue that a re-election of the President would bring with it more gun control? They should have. If the shop makes a decision leading up to this and has to change prices mid-buying frenzy the public perception might not be that good. If a shop changes its price mid-buying panic just to increase profit and take advantage of the situation with none of there actual costs going up, again the buying public might not be happy. I think that is what is going on here and if a company stands behind their price increases then they should keep them there after the panic and see how it works out.
It all comes down to free markets and Capitalism. If a shop wants to take advantage of a situation and charge me more when things are tight, they can. I may choose not to do business with them in the future. I have a choice and they have a choice. The one issue I do have is that selling all of ones inventory in a short amount of time is a bad thing. If selling a seasons (6months for me) worth of goods in a month and have to close my business because I can't get resupplied is asinine. I better make sure my customer service is top notch and have some type of diversity. I definitely don't buy the poor gun shop, poor gun shop.

Most if not all LGS' did plan for a what if, However the run on guns did not start until mid week after the CT school shooting. Every LGS had inventory on hand and on the shelves. Bear arms had 2 full containers of Bulgarian AR mags @ 1pm, wed. By 1:30 they were GONE. Not from lack of "preparedness" on the owners side, but from a line of folks out the door buying anything not nailed down. I was there @ 1 and went back @ 1:25 to pick up a pistol as it was a 20min + - BG approval time
So as a business owner you would tell them sorry, If i sell you this gun i will not have one to sell next month. yeah that's going over well. But Mr X i see you have 5 gallon gas cans, i ran out of gas and want to buy one. Sorry kid if i sell you one, i don't have one next time someone ask, as my delivery didn't arrive today.

When a supplier is unable to supply and all your other options are out of inventory you are SOL. No matter how well you "prepared" .