Local Dealer or Online? There a few important considerations when buying a Gun Safe and one of them is to decide if you want to buy from a Local Gun Safe Dealer or you want to buy it Online. Apart from the well known advantages of buying online, mainly buying in your pajamas, these are some important aspects you need to consider when buying a Gun Safe:
Variety of Models
It is not easy for a dealer to stock all the models from a particular brand all the time. In fact I would venture to say that no dealer ever has all catalog availability. For many people a gun safe is a lifetime investment and if you are keen on a particular color or model you can shop online and visit different dealer websites until you find the exact gun safe you were after, in stock and ready to be shipped. On the other hand if you visit your Local Gun Safe Dealer, you might not have all the models available, but you can see and touch what you are going to buy and you will get a personalized presentation of the options, and anyway will probably end up with one that you like.
Tip: Online Gun Safe Dealers are willing to do a lot to not let a sale go away, if you want a model that the dealer doesn't have in stock he will offer an amazing deal for you to take one of the models in stock, so if ultimately the color option is not that important and you are willing to compromise you might end up with a bargain in your hands.
Price
No doubt about it anybody that does research and shops the right way will end up paying a good price, weather at a local dealership or at an online store. But it is also true that in general terms you will find better prices online because of the intense and transparent competition, which obviously levels the prices. Local Stores don't have that kind of immediate pressure to low prices.
Important: Whenever you buy a gun safe to an online dealer which is not in your own state you will not be paying state taxes.
A Gun Safe you buy online will need to be shipped, whereas one bought locally will be delivered by the same dealer. Be aware of the costs involved with these two options and make sure that you ask your dealer, online or local, all about it to make sure things are clear from the get go.
Deliverability
With both local dealers and online stores there are three ways in which a safe can be delivered: To your curb side or garage, In-house in the floor level, and upstairs or downstairs, each one those with a price increase. With a Local Dealer you can either pick up the Gun Safe yourself at the Dealership, if you have the means to do it, or they will deliver it to you, usually if you live within a 50 miles radius. If you are receiving a gun safe you bought online a freight company will deliver it to your house. You shouldn't worry because they specialize in deliveries of heavy items.
Important: If you are not sure you can handle the weight of a Gun Safe during a delivery, don't get involved and let the dealer or freight company do the work. When a gun safe reaches certain weight you need two or three persons to move the safe. If you have to pay a little more for doing it do it gladly because you might be saving yourself some headaches.
Service
In general terms safes do not require much service. The most common problem that can arise is regarding the locks. A key issue when buying a safe is making sure the company also offers locksmith services. This will guarantee that they'll possess the knowledge needed to fix issues arising with the Lock. When you buy a safe online, you will find many safe stores who are actually not Locksmiths, and since it is recommendable to buy from a locksmith consider passing them by and choosing a full Lock-Safe provider which they will surely disclaim in the home page through the certified locksmith seals from ALOA (Associated Locskmiths of America). If you buy online to a long distance gun safe delaer, any service issue with a Lock is usually referred to a networked locksmith in your area.
To conclude, it's about what is more convenient for you. In my opinion online research is almost unavoidable these days just because of the convenience and vast resources available, then choose if you want to go local or online, but start addressing your dealer having done your research first, you will reap the benefits in quality and price.
