I was one of their "VIP" customers. I placed an order for a Ruger Mark III on 3-18-12 using their "e-check" method, to avoid the 3% surcharge they place on credit card purchases (which, incidentally, is a practice MasterCard prohibits its merchants from doing). They confirmed the funds from my account on 3-19-12; the money was posted on 3-20-12. Their site says this transfer takes "6 business days" to clear on their end (my bank told me 3 days was more than enough for a transaction like this).
After 8 business days I emailed their "VIP" customer support to ask about the status of my order. My message was never answered - instead I got an automated reply repeating the same explanation about needing to wait 6 business days for the e-check to clear on their end, then another 6-7 days for "processing."
Since they list no phone number for support (quite a perk for a "VIP" customer), I found their number online through a third party. After going through their phone menu - which kept pushing me back to email support - I finally reached a real person. I explained my situation (I was now on business day 9). The rep looked up my order and told me, honestly, "your gun has been sold - there's nothing else available." He said his manager was "too busy" to talk to me, then agreed to refund both my payment and my VIP membership fee.
Afterward I got several emails (nearly all their emails are "no reply") saying I might not get my VIP membership fee back, even though in my own Buds account it showed as cancelled as of the day I'd signed up, 1-14-12.
Bottom line: 1. The rep I spoke with was a decent kid, new enough at the job to actually tell me the truth. The likely reason my gun was sold to someone else was that another buyer paid with a credit card, which Buds processes instantly. The Mark III (stainless, 6.88" barrel) is a hot-selling item that moves quickly off the shelf, especially at that price. 2. Later that evening (3-30-12) I got an email apologizing for the "mix-up" and offering me a $15.00 discount on my next purchase. Yes, right.
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