Would you buy ammo from this store, or go elsewhere?

[Joe Williams]

Let's discuss a hypothetical store, and it's most recent loss prevention idea to prevent ammo theft.

Store knows that just giving ammo to customers to walk to the cashiers will result in two things:

1) lots of the ammo being stolen
2) customers changing their minds, and employees finding ammo mixed in with the toys and other unlikely places.

The solution has been for the employees to simply walk the ammo to the cashiers. If the customers are not done shopping, the ammo will be waiting for them. If the customer is done shopping, the employees can chat with them on the way up.

However, that costs the employees time, and the employer is already deliberately understaffing the store. Work isn't getting done. The solution corporate came up with: sporting goods employees lock the ammo in big tool boxes, hand the tool box to the customer, cashiers unlock the tool box.

So, my question is, would this bother you, or would you choose to buy your ammo elsewhere, bearing in mind Wally World is about two hundred feet away from this hypothetical store.

 

[SSGSAD]

I buy, where it is convienient, and cheap, I do not like to be walked to the front door, at all... Wal Mart, used to do this, (walking you to the door, when you bought a firearm).. I do buy at Wal Mart, because, it is close, and no local gun shop...

 

[hischj]

I guess it depends. If you can't find the ammo anywhere else than what do you do. Probably wouldn't bother me regardless.

Jerry

 

[G_Stines]

If its a local, sole proprietor establishment, I would buy here. I understand wanting to keep your money, and I would rather support the local stuff. If it was Dicks or something like that... I wouldn't buy it.

 

[IndySSD]

Yeah you need to have a separate register for ammo / firearm purchases like Wally world does. There is a reason they don't let you leave the counter without paying (The ones you listed pretty much), even if you're not done shopping.

So I guess my answer is no, if I can't pay for my ammo when I pick it up I would not buy ammo there. But to be honest because I shop at Wallyworld for some groceries anyway I'd need a really good reason to go to a separate store for ammo anyway.

 

[IndyMonkey]

There's better things for me to steal than heavy, bulky ammo.

You cant stop people from stealing if that's what they came to do.

 

[DarkRose]

I didn't vote, because with me it would really depend on a couple of factors.

Price: if they beat Wally World next door, I probably would, at least once...

Hassle: if I get to the checkout the first time I bought ammo, and the cashier couldn't find they key, or couldn't get the box open, or it caused undue wait for whatever reason, they wouldn't get any follow-up ammo sales from me.

It doesn't sound like a bad solution to me, there are worse ideas. At Wally World, I normally just pay for it at the sporting goods counter and then continue the rest of my shopping. I don't even know if WM requires you to pay in sporting goods or not because I just always do.

 

[rimfire_crazed]

I'd go ANYPLACE that was less annoying and pay anywhere from 10-15% more for the privilege.

I hate being treated like a criminal.

 

[Joe Williams]

There's better things for me to steal than heavy, bulky ammo.

snip

One would think. But, going non-hypothetical for a second, real world experience has shown otherwise. My first day at my job, I didn't know we were supposed to walk it up and just handed out the ammo. Lost four boxes of .380 in 8 hours.

People suck, sometimes.

 

[Hawkeye]

I'm not bothered by it much. Stores do similar things with other high-value items.

 

[Expat]

If an employee walks it up to the cash register, I write that off as some insurance rule, or some dumb rule a dweeb made up. It wouldn't really bother me. Plus if I am buying a bunch better you have to carry it than me. You put it in a locked toolbox to carry around. Just spit in my face and call me a thief.

 

[derrickgoins]

Honestly, to support a local establishment it wouldn't bother me. You already have to wait 10 minutes @ Wal Mart for someone to show up with keys to get ammo. IMO, it's not any different than getting walked up with a computer or something @ Best Buy, having your bag checked @ Frye's, or your items counted @ Sam's Club. Seems like it would be more of a hassle on the store's employees than the customers. As long as the policy is displayed and the price is right, I'm good to go.

 

[printcraft]

Annoying.

I have a list of things to get at the store, ammo being only one of them.

If I am 1/2 way done and come across the ammo I want it is a waste of
time and effort to follow the clerk around so he can make sure I don't steal it.

Same thing with video games, put a register at the counter and ring the purchase
up right there instead of making me do the perp walk up to the front of the store.

It's almost as bad as you buying porn and having the woman ringing up your
"debbie does everybody" and getting on the store intercom an asking for a price check
when grandma and the grandkids are in the next isle casting looks of disgust at you.

 

[Gunaria]

I don't see it being a big deal. If the ammo is the same price as WM or it's something that WM doesn't carry but the price is right, then buy it.

 

[Aszerigan]

Normally, I wouldn't buy from a store like this unless the ammo was significantly cheaper. Dick's used to do this, but I could justify it because they had good prices on ammo. They also used to check DL's when you bought handgun ammunition.

 

[DarkRose]

I'd go ANYPLACE that was less annoying and pay anywhere from 10-15% more for the privilege.

I hate being treated like a criminal.

This is one of the reasons that as much as I LOVE the store, I don't always like shopping at Frye's electronics, great prices, fantastic selection, but they search EVERY bag going out of the store, whether there is suspicion or not.
There have been many arguements and code postings elsewhere over whether they have the legal right to do so, detain you if you refuse, etc. etc. But the bottom line is that if I've done nothing suspicious and have 2 or 3 bags of computer parts, electronics, etc., I don't want to wait 10-15 minutes for some jackmonkey teenager to go through every item in my bag comparing it to the receipt.

If the ammo toolbox solution is workable without extra hassle and time spent, I'm ok with it. When it costs me time and hassle and inconvenience, forget it. It just seems to me very similar to the electronic tags on clothing and liquor and electronics, which all are removed very quickly with minimal fuss.

 

[MinuteMan47]

...bearing in mind Wally World is about two hundred feet away from this hypothetical store.

I thought you were talking about Wally-World...

 

[indyjoe]

This is one of the reasons that as much as I LOVE the store, I don't always like shopping at Frye's electronics, great prices, fantastic selection, but they search EVERY bag going out of the store, whether there is suspicion or not.
There have been many arguements and code postings elsewhere over whether they have the legal right to do so, detain you if you refuse, etc. etc. But the bottom line is that if I've done nothing suspicious and have 2 or 3 bags of computer parts, electronics, etc., I don't want to wait 10-15 minutes for some jackmonkey teenager to go through every item in my bag comparing it to the receipt.

If the ammo toolbox solution is workable without extra hassle and time spent, I'm ok with it. When it costs me time and hassle and inconvenience, forget it. It just seems to me very similar to the electronic tags on clothing and liquor and electronics, which all are removed very quickly with minimal fuss.

They never search mine. They ask to search mine.

I start with "No thank you."

That works 50% of the time.

When it is followed up with "We must search your bag, it is policy."

I reply, "My legal transaction was completed back at the register. You can stop me for shoplifting or otherwise illegally detain me. Either way, the outcome will not wind up to be good financially for your store."

That works the other 50% of the time.

It may be being a hard ass, but I am not a criminal and I do not consent to illegal detainment to help your store do loss prevention. I worked loss prevention. We couldn't do CRAP unless we had hard proof.

I do not have a membership with Fryes. However, I do have a membership with Sams. Part of the membership is allowing the review of your purchases. Therefore, because of that agreement I made to become a member, I have no problem with it.

 

[WebSnyper]

I'd either want to pay for it at the counter, or have it waiting on me at the store front. I would only endure what you are talking about if the price was better than other places I purchase ammo.

 

[DarkRose]

They never search mine. They ask to search mine.

I start with "No thank you."

That works 50% of the time.

When it is followed up with "We must search your bag, it is policy."

I reply, "My legal transaction was completed back at the register. You can stop me for shoplifting or otherwise illegally detain me. Either way, the outcome will not wind up to be good financially for your store."

That works the other 50% of the time.

It may be being a hard ass, but I am not a criminal and I do not consent to illegal detainment to help your store do loss prevention. I worked loss prevention. We couldn't do CRAP unless we had hard proof.

I do not have a membership with Fryes. However, I do have a membership with Sams. Part of the membership is allowing the review of your purchases. Therefore, because of that agreement I made to become a member, I have no problem with it.

The one I've been to isn't a members only store, unless that has changed in the last couple years (It's over an hour away from me, so don't go often). I've heard about just being able to tell them "no thanks" to the search but have also read that since they have it posted at the entrance when you walk in, and you voluntarily make a purchase, they can call the police if you refuse and give you even more hassle...
Since it is out of my way, and I don't buy nearly as much computer stuff as I used to, I rarely go there unless there's something I want to really see/handle in person.