Palmetto State Armory saga

[Python73]

So I ordered an AR15 off of these guys on Nov 1. Card was charged on Nov 2. A week goes by, kind of thought I'd have my gun but didn't. Turns out they have a disclaimer saying "allow 10 days for build out and shipping" pointed out to me by a PAFOA guy in a thread I posted in. Well fine, makes me a tard for not seeing it, no biggie. Another half a week goes by and still nothing. I email PSA and ask them what the deal is. They tell me that they are building it.

Skip ahead another week. Getting close to Turkey day, and it'd be nice to shoot some of the ammo I bought off a fellow PAFOAer. I email them again. They say they have been swamped with orders, but they'd be shipping mine out soon. SIGH. Not sure why it should take > 3 weeks to get an AR made, but whatever. Not like I'm anticipating zombie invasion over thanksgiving, I can wait.

Wednesday the 23rd I get a UPS notice that the gun shipped. WOO! It says anticipated delivery the 29th. BOO! The fuck is UPS doing that it takes 6 days to go from SC to PA? Sloth express. But whatever, the EBR is in the mail. Good times.

Couple days later I look at the UPS email again, and notice that instead of PGH PA they are shipping it to Dilliner, PA. Which is in BFE. Goddamnit why can't I just have my gun? So I email PSA and tell them, they said that they contacted UPS and took care of it. Which... they may have contacted UPS, but it was NOT taken care of. Because yesterday I got an update from UPS saying they couldn't find my FFLs street in Dilliner, probably because he doesn't live in fucking Dilliner, and so they are shipping it back to SC.

M****r f*****s.

So I email PSA again, and tell them it looks like my rifle is headed back to SC for some bullshit reason, and that I'm not happy to wait another two weeks to get the gun I paid for 30 days ago. They replied:

UPS autocorrects zip codes based on what is entered into our automated order system. I do not know why this happened other than a possible glitch in the system, but as soon as it comes back to us we will turn it around to you at the correct zip code. Somehow the 3 and the 2 were switched, but we will turn it around as soon as we have it back to turn around. I am sorry, but that is the best I can do.

Please let us know if there is anything else you need, and thank you for your inquiry.

Palmetto State Armory Customer Service


It is tempting to just wash my hands of a bad situation. I'm sure PSA ships a lot of guns and one order getting dicked up isn't much of a big deal to them. For my part $800 isn't enough money that I can't pay the rent and all, but it is enough of a chunk of my gun budget that I'd like to see an actual gun come out of it the same year I spent it. Flip side I still want the damn gun, and it was still a pretty solid deal, and if I just suck it up a bit more I should have it.

So what would you do? Grin and bear? Full out tantrum? Charge back and go shopping?

[Chip W]

I think you're justified in being irritated, I would be too.
If they have a time frame on their site then it should IMHO accurately reflect the actual lead time on the item. I'm sure things are busy there especially with Christmas orders etc coming in, so maybe a little leeway should be given, but for it to take as long as it did to ship better communication from them might have been nice.
The fact it went to the wrong place, that's a real bitch. Your rifle's ready to rock but is instead going on a road trip.
It'll all be good when it's in your hands though.

I was looking at getting an upper from them but I see people almost every other day on their Facebook page asking where their bought and paid for uppers are.
Business is apparently very brisk and they need to modify their lead time warnings.

[chivvalry]

I would grin and bear it... The agony of the wait will make the day you finally open it up that much sweeter. But I completely get your frustration... Hate it when that kind of stuff happens.

[arjohnson]

Same thing happened to me but with another company. My gun ended up at a police station in NC, manufacturer shipped it to the wrong address. It took about 10 days extra to get it because it was returned to sender then reshipped. I still do business with them and it only happened one time so no big deal.

Shit happens, even the best company's make mistakes. Bottom line is you will get your gun and be happy in the end.

[DucatiRon]

The first Lefty Stag I ordered from JBA here in Rochester that I waited 2 weeks for ended up being a RH in a LH box. I was pissed but Tim got me another and ended only waiting 3 weeks. Ya it sucks, but I still think it's all worth the wait. After dealing with waiting for a NFA stamp one month is nothing anymore. I'm at 4 months and 2 weeks and figure I have atleast another month to go. Good luck though. I would contact PSA an try for expedited shipping on them for all the trouble.

[Tomcat088]

I'd be frustrated, but I'd just suck it up and bear it. It's a headache and a pain, but you said yourself that it's a solid deal. I don't have a lot of experience with Palmetto State Armory, but I have bought 3 lower from them on 2 different occasions. The lowers were in perfection condition, and great quality. So if you got a deal on it, I'd just chalk it up to a flub up, and a little lead time for getting a deal. When they sent my lowers, it was just exactly as they stated, 10 days after getting charged that it shipped, and they did. They were packaged well, and got there right when I expected them to. It sucks, but if you got a deal, I wouldn't cancel the order. Honestly, if you cancelled the order and bought something from someone else, it would still probably take longer to get to you than your build taking a road trip almost to you, back to the manufacturer and then back to you. It sucks, but I'd just be patient and hold out. If you think that's a bad wait, try waiting 6-8 months or more on a barrel only, LOL. I know it doesn't help, but just hang in there.

[Python73]

Thanks guys. I figured everyone would probably weigh in on the suck it up choice. It's nice to vent though. I'm not sure how "little guy" PSA is... hell it could be a half dozen guys working in a pole building. And that's the guys we want to support with our money.

DR - that's what you get for being a lefty. Southpaws can't be trusted. Now I have to deal with 500 rounds of left handed ammo. UGH!

[autotech6506]

When something is offered at such a good price expect to wait a looong time. I built my rifle using all their parts and I couldn't be happier. After I got mine built they started branching out more and offering more and more stuff. This in turn has made wait times longer and longer. When you ship out thousands of items a day as palmetto does mistakes are bound to happen. Palmetto is doing a pretty good job for how slammed they are. I can definitely understand how you could have a bad taste in your mouth but just consider how much you payed. You yourself said that you weren't really in a rush sooo.....

anyway, I always recommend palmetto due to their prices but I always say be prepared to wait for it. I can't think of many places that have fast shipping anymore. only place that comes to mind is jabtac.com

[DucatiRon]

DR - that's what you get for being a lefty. Southpaws can't be trusted. Now I have to deal with 500 rounds of left handed ammo. UGH!

Nah. My Dad is the Lefty. His Xmas gift a few years back.

[Guns4Fun]

I'd cry to my mommy and tell everyone on the internet .

Sorry just screwin with you. It really sucks when something you paid for and want badly does not show up as expected.

I've bought a bunch of ammo from them and was always very happy. So, i'm sure everything is as they stated. I know that doesn’t help you any but sometime stuff really does get messed up.

Make sure to post pics when you do get it.