trouble with "gunsmith"

[Nodrama43]

If this isn't the right location for this forum mods please delete.

I sent a Remington Mountain Rifle to a "Certified" cerakote vendor to have the rifle coated and returned. He quoted 2 to 3 weeks turn around. I sent it in, he cashed my check, and now 8 weeks later still no rifle. He has given me three dates for shipping, and a week later still a no show. Now he has created an "electronic" shipping label (3 days ago), and emailed that my order had been shipped, but has yet to actually drop off the rifle to USPS for shipment. Will not answer the phone, will not return phone messages, very very slow at returning emails, and just gives another ship date promise that never happens.

What are my options to try and reclaim my rifle? thanks in advance.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Put his info in here so others will know.

 

[Nodrama43]

I plan on doing that very soon if he does not communicate with me in the next couple of days, or I do not see the rifle has been shipped. My first act is going to be to contact the company that certified him as a Cerakote applier, then I will contact the AG in his state and the BATF to see if he really has an FFL.

 

[old bear]

Try the state A.G., BATF, as this was sent USPS, try the postal inspectors.

Best of luck.

 

[Andy Griffith]

One thing that is possible, call the local authorities where he is and have them do a "welfare check" on him, or order to make certain he's still alive.

 

[m1gunner]

If he is in-state (your home state) there is a lot you can do. If he is out of state, your options are very limited.

There is an on-line BATF check you can do to see if he is licensed.
It is on their web site.

Check with the county where he is located and get his business license info, including his home phone number. Follow up with call to local Sheriff's office if it looks like he has vanished.

8 weeks sounds like a lot of time, but having to custom order materials for your job may have caused some delays.

 

[Marksman]

Years ago I sent a shotgun to a gunsmith who advertized nationally and had a good reputation. He was to install a rifled slug barrel and reblue the gun. After several missed delivery date promises, phone calls etc. I turned the matter over to his State Attorney General's Office for action, turns out that there was a large list of customers with the same complaint prompting a class action suit to be filed against him. Long story short, after all sorts of phone calls, progress reports and nothing to show for it. Sometime after the class action suit had been filed, my shotgun shows up on my doorstep. It had never been taken out of the box that I had shipped it in, muchless had any work been done to it. I never did recover the money I had paid the lying creep, just happy to have my shotgun back. Sounds as though you'll have to sic the law on your "gunsmith" to get any satisfaction. Good Luck.

 

[Nodrama43]

got a very apologetic email from him today and some pictures of my rifle completed. He state he took it to the post office today personally himself and it should show up to be tracked tomorrow at the latest. he also offered me some more work "on the house". So I will wait some more and see if it shows up. He seems sincere and I hope he is. Life is to short to get all worked up over simple stuff right?

 

[WR Moore]

If you're dealing with a small shop, sometimes life things can get in the way. I had an issue many years ago with an internationally known barrel maker (come to think of it, two of them). I finally tracked the guy first guy down and discovered they'd relocated the business several states and had had issues with machine setup, business licenses and other problems. I did get a refund from him. I became real selective over who I bought barrels from directly. Sometimes going through a third party is worth it for superior service when things go wrong.

 

[TAROMAN]

I have shipped guns back to S&W several times.
Don't believe I would ever send one anywhere else.
Having heard horror stories on other forms (which I'm not allowed to quote here) has hardened that resolve even more.
If it can't get done locally, it won't get done.

 

[Tyrod]

The fact that a gunsmith may get boged down or backed up or any other reason that your work may be delayed is no excuse for lying.

 

[Nodrama43]

I received my remington mountain rifle today. The cerakote job is excellent. All is well that ends well.