Reply from HinterlandoutfittersJan 6, 2020
Thank you for your valuable feedback, and we're sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your gun-buying experience.
However, we do follow all local and state laws, and your firearm order was processed in accordance with the laws for your state.
If a customer orders a firearm with non-compliant magazine, we are able ship the firearm without the magazine included in order to comply with your local laws. Firearms come purchased as a package, and we do not substitute lower capacity magazines unless they are purchased separately.
We are very up-front about this policy and all of our order policies, which are linked to on every page of our website, as well as in multiple order confirmation and update emails that you received.
It must also be confirmed by checking a box on the final page of the checkout process that all order policies have been read, understood, and agreed-to. It is in fact not possible to place an order without this confirmation step.
We do see that you have unfortunately left a few things out of your review:
1. Customer knowingly ordered a non-compliant firearm. He was well aware that MD law only allows for 10 round magazines. As our order policies and common sense would dictate, it's ultimately the customer's responsibility to ensure compliance with his current state and local laws.
2. Customer assumed that his local FFL dealer would block the magazines, without confirming at anytime during the order process. As it turns out, his local FFL dealer does not block magazines, a policy which they are very up front and clear about.
3. Instead of addressing any concerns about the magazine, customer accepted the pistol from his dealer as it was delivered without any magazines included, and started the background check and transfer paperwork.
He did not address his concerns with Hinterland or his local FFL until over a week after submitting his paperwork and accepting the pistol.
4. As a show of good faith, Hinterland agreed to take back the pistol and issue a full refund after the customer contacted us a week later.
Upon contacting the customer's FFL dealer, we learned that the customer had already done his background check and concluded his paperwork.
The firearm is now registered in the customer's name, making it non-returnable under both our return policies and his local dealer's policies.
Had the customer followed proper procedure (as noted in our agreed-upon order and return policies) and contacted us at his dealer to return the firearm before doing his background check, we would have accepted a return on the firearm.
5. Customer became combative and would not allow the Hinterland representative to re-explain our policies (which he had previously confirmed his acceptance of) and the customer's local and state laws (which of course he should be aware of and follow).
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While we are certainly sorry that the customer did not have a good experience, the solution to his concerns and issues would be to always follow his local laws, and to purchase a firearm that comes with compliant magazines for his state.
