My New M&P9 Pro Series C.O.R.E (And my roller coaster experience)

[4Point6Vince]

Hey guys, first time post here. Just picked up a M&P9 Pro Series CORE Friday night. This is my first M&P pistol, I've never cared much for them, but I was at my LGS Friday night and held this one, it felt very comfortable. So I rented it and shot 10 rounds out of it and immediately fell in love with it. This is one of the most accurate pistols I have ever shot. Absolutely perfect.

Then this is where the story goes downhill, told the guy I wanted to buy that one, they had it tagged for $588.99. Well when he went to go grab one he came back with 2 boxes, one with the long slide, and one with the threaded barrel and asked which one I wanted, I told him I wanted it exactly like the floor model, which was the 4.25" barrel and not threaded. But he said it was one or the other, so I decided on the threaded barrel. Well on checkout, it rang up $780.... I'm sorry, but no matter how much I love the M&P, I'm not paying almost $800 for it. Well after about 2 hours of trouble shooting, we found out it had been miss-tagged. They found the exact one I was wanting in the back, but it still range up for $680, but they let me have it for $640 for all the trouble. So it was back to being happy again...... Until, I got home and noticed that it did not have the mounting plates for the red dot, but of course I noticed that after I had already ordered a $300 JPoint.

So today I called Smith and Wesson and got a very unhelpful guy, who told me to contact my LGS to get the plates and that if they could not get them to call him back and he will order them for me. So I call my LGS, he says if they weren't in the box that I would have to call S&W to get a set because he wouldn't have any. That was the answer I expected to begin with, so I call S&W back, and get the exact same guy, told him what happened, and he told me I would have to go through my LGS because it is over $50 and he will not ship them to me for free. He was extremely rude during this process, saying that they weigh all the cases and are 100% sure everything is in there. (Is weighing seriously the most effective way? You have to be kidding me.) So I call my LGS back and talk to the manager, he says he is going to call his distribute and find out what he can do. Meanwhile I call S&W back, hoping to talk to someone different. It was at this point that I got connected with Vicky in technical service. I tell her the issue, without further questioning she tells me she can order them for me without a problem, and even tried to see if she could pull them out of another box to save me time, which she ended up not being able to do, no problem. So she ordered me a set, and says it'll be about 2 weeks, and that's fine with me, no rush. So if anyone has any issues with their M&P, I'd highly recommend contacting Vicky.
Then, my LGS calls me back, and says he is going to pull the kit out of their rental gun and I can go get it tonight!! Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. So it looks like I will have 2 sets now So if anyone is missing some bolts or a plate, just let me know and I'll mail you one free of charge. You'll just have to wait till I get the second plate set in the mail.

Also went out to the range yesterday and out 150 rounds through without an issue, besides 2 rounds that didn't go off, but I definitely blame the ammo on that.

This M&P is by far the best pistol I have ever owned. Absolutely love it. Sorry for the wall of text, just wanted to share my experience, looking forward to learning all there is to know about the M&P line.

*Please note, the purpose of this thread was not to bash S&W nor my LGS. I'm just sharing my hectic weekend that eventually everything worked out.

 

[4Point6Vince]

Just wondering, has anyone else had any experience with Smith and Wesson customer service?

 

[Bkreutz]

So you're going to keep both sets of plates? That speaks volumes to me.

 

[berudd]

I think I'd give one of the sets of plates back to someone. Probably to Vicky at S&W since she seems to have helped you the most so returning the favor would be nice and I'm guess the LGS lost the set that came with your pistol anyway.

As far as weighing the boxes to determine if they had all the right contents, yes that is a very effective way of confirming the box has what it should. Each box of a given model some with very specific set of contents. None, have an extra magazine, or extra documents, or fewer of the same items. The weight of each correctly packaged box will likely weigh within a few grams of each other. If a box is over or under by a certain amount, it is pulled out and checked by a person.

 

[4Point6Vince]

So you're going to keep both sets of plates? That speaks volumes to me.

Well, as stated I said that I would be shipping them (Free of charge) to anyone who needed them, anyone whose gun may not have came with them, or may have gotten lost, whatever the case may be.

Thank you for trying to paint me as a bad person, but you are sadly mistaken.

 

[4Point6Vince]

I think I'd give one of the sets of plates back to someone. Probably to Vicky at S&W since she seems to have helped you the most so returning the favor would be nice and I'm guess the LGS lost the set that came with your pistol anyway.

As far as weighing the boxes to determine if they had all the right contents, yes that is a very effective way of confirming the box has what it should. Each box of a given model some with very specific set of contents. None, have an extra magazine, or extra documents, or fewer of the same items. The weight of each correctly packaged box will likely weigh within a few grams of each other. If a box is over or under by a certain amount, it is pulled out and checked by a person.

I see what you're saying, but for instance, say a box was missing the red dot plates, but had an extra manual, (Very unlikely I know) but the weight would more than likely be very close. I'm just saying in my personal opinion that it doesn't seem very effective. I'm not bashing the brand at all, but distribution is not my forte, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Also, if it seems no one has a use for the plates I will return them to S&W, just trying help fellow CORE owners out. Not sure why that seems like such a negative thing to do.

 

[Bkreutz]

Well, as stated I said that I would be shipping them (Free of charge) to anyone who needed them, anyone whose gun may not have came with them, or may have gotten lost, whatever the case may be.

Thank you for trying to paint me as a bad person, but you are sadly mistaken.

First impressions are important. You join this forum and in your first post you blast S&W and your LGS about not helping you with your missing parts. Then in the same post you say that both of them stepped up and helped you out, and then after both of them solved the problem you (in my opinion) gloated about getting 2 sets (smiley after saying you're going to have 2 sets). I'm not trying to paint you any way in anyone elses mind. I just said it said it speaks volumes to me and it still does, especially after your response. Hope you enjoy your pistol.

 

[4Point6Vince]

First impressions are important. You join this forum and in your first post you blast S&W and your LGS about not helping you with your missing parts. Then in the same post you say that both of them stepped up and helped you out, and then after both of them solved the problem you (in my opinion) gloated about getting 2 sets (smiley after saying you're going to have 2 sets). I'm not trying to paint you any way in anyone elses mind. I just said it said it speaks volumes to me and it still does, especially after your response. Hope you enjoy your pistol.

The reason behind this post was not to blast S&W nor my LGS, they both went out of their way to help me. I shared my experience mainly because I thought it was funny that it was just a back and forth situation. I suppose I should have mentioned that. I have already left a loooong 5 star review for my LGS, and told Vicky at S&W how grateful I was for her helping me.

I guess you and I just do not see eye to eye, and that's fine. You have your opinion and I have mine. The way i see it, I will be helping others out by providing them with the adapter plates a lot faster than S&W will. It's not like i have anything to gain by keeping the extra set.

But, to each their own. Thank you for your service.

 

[Joezilla]

I think what everyone is trying to say Vince, is that the right thing to do is to either give the extra set of plates back to the LGS or pack them back up and send them back to Vicky with a note of explanation.

Joe

 

[4Point6Vince]

The more I think about it, I do see where you guys are coming from. I will give Vicky at S&W a call tomorrow and cancel the order. I wrote this post while I was still frustrated about the situation when I wrote this post. I never mean to bash S&W nor my LGS, but I can see how my post can reflect that. I apologize to you guys for the poor first impression. Hopefully this will not make you think badly of me, as I do like this forum so far and I definitely love my CORE.

 

[berudd]

I see what you're saying, but for instance, say a box was missing the red dot plates, but had an extra manual, (Very unlikely I know) but the weight would more than likely be very close. I'm just saying in my personal opinion that it doesn't seem very effective. I'm not bashing the brand at all, but distribution is not my forte, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Also, if it seems no one has a use for the plates I will return them to S&W, just trying help fellow CORE owners out. Not sure why that seems like such a negative thing to do.

Sure, it is possible that if one component was missing enough of some other component was added such that it came out to the same weight. That's possible but it's not probable.

 

[4Point6Vince]

Sure, it is possible that if one component was missing enough of some other component was added such that it came out to the same weight. That's possible but it's not probable.

Completely agree. But in the end, I'm sure a company as big as Smith and Wesson would not be utilizing a method if it wasn't the most effective. I guess I've just never realized that's how it's actually done, so it came as a bit of a surprise.

 

[Mulebuk Sam]

if it seems no one has a use for the plates I will return them to S&W, just trying help fellow CORE owners out. Not sure why that seems like such a negative thing to do.

The way I read your thread is first of all very confusing title than a gurgitation of mislead follows.
You go from feeling cheated on price, to feeling cheated to exuberance that you where the one in the end to score the big scam as it where.

I suspect you may be of the new 'self-entitlement generation'.

However interesting you do like the gun. So then are we to assume you have nothing bad then to say about S&W ? Or is it just this new generation thing where you get on the internet and run your mouth over some stupid you know what, perhaps learn from dealing with other nameless gun manufacturers. (hint hint)

Anyway, all's well that ends well right.
Enjoy yourself.

 

[4Point6Vince]

I don't even know where to begin with this. I never said I felt cheated on the price, I just took it as a shock that what they had on display and tagged as a certain price, turned out to be $200 higher, I think anyone in their right mind would feel the same way. I'm not sure where you're getting a "scam" from? I've already stated that I'm canceling the order for the second set of plates, it's not like I ordered two sets thinking "Oh yes, I'm taking advantage of the system by getting two sets of red dot mounting plates because they're worth so much on the black market". I'm not sure what your deal is, or why you seem to have targeted me, whatever the case may be, get off your high horse and please move on to another thread because we've already gotten the negativity out of this one.

 

[4Point6Vince]

And to touch base about the "Nothing bad to say about S&W" sure they have their pros and cons, they make great firearms, but in my personal experaince, it's a 50/50 shot on customer service. I had an issue last year with my M&P 15-22, the first person I talked to lied to me, the second person solved the issue. And this time around the first person was a little less than helpful, but the second was extremely helpful. There's not much more to say negative about the company. I'm not sure why you're blowing this way out of proportion.