I had a similar experience with a large and visible online retailer of many brands of suppressors. I had done my research and decided on TBAC Ultra 7 and Ultra 9. I called in. No Ultra's in stock but they had other brands ready. I said, thanks but no thanks, I'll wait for the TBACS. The dude then started bashing TBAC in all sorts of ways...not just the cans but the company as well. I was shocked. So much so that I bid adieu and contacted TBAC regarding this retailer. TBAC directed me retailers that might have the Ultra's in stock and I found them.
Suppressors Silencer Central Rant.........
- Thread starter FrankinND
- Start date
I've bought suppressors through various retailers and my first experience with Silencer central hasn't been great. I ordered a 5.56 can "not their brand" which they said was in stock on May 29 2020 , I found out On 1-23-2021 that that can I ordered has been discontinued, I never received an email ,phone, or message about it. I just noticed that i was getting updates about the banish 30 that I had ordered a month after this can, and wondered why I haven't received an update on the 5.56 can. So 8 months in , thinking I'm about to get an approval any day for it and it was never submitted. 
Thats fucked upI've bought suppressors through various retailers and my first experience with Silencer central hasn't been great. I ordered a 5.56 can "not their brand" which they said was in stock on May 29 2020 , I found out On 1-23-2021 that that can I ordered has been discontinued, I never received an email ,phone, or message about it. I just noticed that i was getting updates about the banish 30 that I had ordered a month after this can, and wondered why I haven't received an update on the 5.56 can. So 8 months in , thinking I'm about to get an approval any day for it and it was never submitted.
Their communication sucks. I started the process on a not their can that they said they could get. I don't know if the paperwork has even been submitted. But they called and threatened to send me to collections because I didn't make my first payment using their 4 payment plan that they screwed up. The free trust is cool and the fact they can ship it to my door is nice, but I feel left out of the loop
Yes their communication sucks, but their customer service is no better. I ordered an Elite Iron 338 Sierra suppressor from them. It was supposed to be in stock. Called a week later to get a serial number just for the heck of it. "Our order was supposed to be here today, didn't make it, should be here tomorrow or the next day". A week later, "order should be in next week". Next two times sent me to voice mail boxes. Six weeks later a guy finally admitted that " we're in negotiations with Elite Iron right now, so no idea when it will be in". WTF! They were lying to me the whole time. So I asked, since you don't have, and have never had one, how about cancelling the order? Oh, we couldn't do that! Over three months later I finally got a serial number for a can that was supposed to be in stock. I love the Elite Iron suppressor, but I'll never go back to them again.
Called them one time. Asked questions about their cans (Banish) and then some competitors cans. Everything was about how great their can was and how shitty the competitors cans were. I politely told them to fly a kite. Now I have eight of the competitors cans instead. Lol
How can I help?
My experience may be limited, but I’d wager that if you feel that navigating the buying experience at silence shop is too daunting, you probably shouldn’t be buying anything on line...
Lol. @hlee promise me you’ll never be a user researcher. That requires empathy.
If I had feelings, they would be hurt...
Proved my point.
Take a look at the postings in this thread of people’s problems during their suppressor buying journey. Make a map of highs/lows. This is called a journey map.
Try to solve for those low points, the problems. Do not just add features (or think in terms of adding features), but again, solve verified user problems. Otherwise you wind up with MS Word, with a million features that solve for nothing other than to aid MS in convincing you to upgrade to the new version of MS Word.
Pretend you don’t know anything, pretend you’ve never bought a suppressor. Empathize with users.
If you can, conduct user research to what what users do, not just what they say. This is more valuable.
Hypothesize some solutions. Create prototype solutions and user test them. Video record them, ideally (with user consent). Refine your hypotheses based on those user tests.
I want an integrated approach, from sound level research to gun trust management. But I am just one user. One data point.
Rather, let your research be your guide. Don’t just interview, but watch. Pretend you’re a germ scientist. What makes the germs grow? Lol
But never fail to empathize, for then you are lost.
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For a trust I went with Arsenal Attorneys.
Unlike some I don't really have a lot of suppressors. But I do have heinously expensive firearms, scopes and reloading stuff. My trust allows me to write all that stuff in and pass it down when I die.
Unlike some I don't really have a lot of suppressors. But I do have heinously expensive firearms, scopes and reloading stuff. My trust allows me to write all that stuff in and pass it down when I die.
Estate planning? Suppressors transfer on a form 5, tax free upon death. Done...
How is this different than a will? Couldn't I simply say "My silly collection of 8 Tikka rifles will go to my daughter and my son gets the 3 antique shotguns."
In the US, and unless the heinously expensive firearms are NFA items, it is not...
My day job is “field support.” The most common cause of user complaints is ‘user error...’
I used my the nearest SS Kiosk dealer for purchasing my cans. The guy who does the suppressor stuff is kind of a "know-it-all so you think I'm knowledgeable" kind of guy. Basically a "try hard". He seems like a good guy, just doesn't know when you STFU. He was trying to sell me on a suppressor, but didn't really know much about them...And to an unknowledgeable person, he might seem legit. But it took me about 30 seconds to see through the charade. Every question was a gung-ho answer, followed by, "....I think..." or "I can't remember..."
So, I used their kiosk and did the fingerprints and then went home and bought my 3rd can on SS, where I had just bought the other 2 the day before. Poor guy... He was trying so hard to tell me all about LR shooting, and I just let him ramble on as if I didn't know anything. I found it easier to just let him impress himself, while he was doing my paperwork, then to say, "yeah I know all about it...And no, that's not correct..."
Now that my FP are on file with SS, I can choose my nearest dealer, instead of the one that is 85 miles away. I might still use them, because I know one of the guy's there (not the salesman guy), but since most of the paperwork is handled through SS, I might just start using a much closer dealer.
Really no different. It just allowed me to consolidate everything into one. My basic will from the Army legal people handles all the dumb stuff. The stuff I care about is all wrapped up in my trust.
I've bought a few from Silence Central, and I've been pretty happy with them overall. I got the run around when I tried to buy A TBAC from them and decided to just buy it elsewhere. I thought it was odd because I bought a couple YHM suppressors from them and they sold them to me at the same price as other retailers and had no problem doing it. I also bought a 9mm can and spacer for a CZ Scorpion. When I got it they didn't sell me the spacer so I couldn't use it right away. The guy that helped me, Drew, remembered our conversation from 8 months earlier and sent me the spacer right away free of charge. I'll add that these things are expensive so I did a ton of my own research and bought what I wanted, not what the salesman tried to sell me. I'd have a completely different collection if I let those guys steer me. On a last note, I read some of the posts from that banish guy and I feel bad for the bad rap he gave the suppressor. I've been to Mack Bros and they are a bunch of stand up guys who would never bash anyone or any other companies. I'm super happy with my Banish 30 and it's too bad that some people are against them because some guy not associated with the company came across as an ass on the internet.
This post was too long, don't read this nonsense, just go shoot, it's time better spent...
This post was too long, don't read this nonsense, just go shoot, it's time better spent...
We always are looking for efficiencies and we operate under a continuous improvement process. We try to make everything as simple as possible, from taking prints and photos in-store and handling all the paperwork; the customer just has to sign the form 4. We also updated our website to provide a dealer selector at check-out and just recently added immediate serial number assignment and included on the emailed invoice. For trusts, we highly recommend guntrustguru.com. Our phone service is our weakness right now due to high demand and not enough staff.
How and where can we improve?
If your question is directed to me, you have to watch and ask your users. I haven’t bought a suppressor through you, so I can’t answer, specifically, how you could improve.
If you want to talk, PM.
Long ago, I worked in phone support. Some techs liked to joke about ID-10T errors (ie “idiot errors”). Perhaps this happens because of burnout or maybe some people aren’t really suited for the job. Occasionally, however, I would run across a user that was a jerk, and they earned a different kind of “idiot” badge.
But for the vast majority of users that do not use a system correctly, often it is the system, not the user, that is the problem.
Three examples:
- The blinking 12:00 that was ubiquitous on everyone’s VCR due to the fact it was near impossible to program the time (and thus near impossible to set an unattended recording in the future). System = idiot.
- Office phones: transfering calls is always rife with errors and dropped calls. System = idiot.
- No manual is included with iPhones, one of the most complex consumer devices. Yet people like them, use them well, and think of them as “easy to use”. iPhones are obviously massively successful. System = genius.
"In the archer there is a resemblance to the mature person. When he misses the bull's-eye, he turns and seeks the reason for his failure in himself."
Silencer Central is posting YouTube videos about ATF wait times that are complete bullshit. I have two Banish 30's on order, the first by paper file, I'm at 406 days on that, the second by eFile and I'm at 163 days on that. When I purchased the first they said expect 9 months max, I'm at nearly 15 months now. When I purchased the second by eFile they said 90-120 days, and I'm 40+ days past that. I know that ultimately they don't have control, but shit man, be a little honest .
