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Ordering during a crisis-
As survivalists and "preppers" our very goal is to prepare ahead of time for a multitude of possible bad things happening.
One of the very reasons we prepare ahead of time is to ensure the availability of items we need and to avoid having to try to gather things we need at the proverbial "last minute." When hundreds or thousands of people wait till a disaster is here or is imminent to order, backups occur and necessary items get scarce. We have all seen this numerous times since the early 90's in regards to firearms and accessories every time there is a "ban" or even talk of a "ban."
Hence the very reasoning for us to prepare ahead of time is to avoid these things by purchasing ahead of time. That's our goal as preparedness minded individuals.
If you are searching for items AFTER a crisis is going on or AFTER a "rush" begins on a certain type of product, you need to remember some key points-
1. Inventory of hard to find items changes RAPIDLY.
2. There may not be time to update the website as quickly as things change. Therefore all orders are confirmed when they are charged.
3. CALL TO ORDER if at all possible- 912.379.9441 or 912.375.1480 Please understand that the phone lines are busy, so if we seem "rushed"- we are. We apologize up front for sounding "rushed"- we are trying to service as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
4. Be sure to check the email you used regularly for "updates" on your order, problems that may come up, etc. The phones lines are extremely busy, avoid calling to "check on" orders- check your email or email for this information.
5. Understand that yelling at us, trying to BS us, being demanding, etc. will accomplish NOTHING. It is YOU who waited this long. We want to help you, but you have to be reasonable. As always, we can and often will cancel orders for those that cannot act like rational adults. In other words, being rude, yelling at the staff, etc. will just get your order cancelled. No reason to act like that. And yes, it really does happen which is why I'm writing this.
6. Be flexible. Yes, all the phone lines may be tied up- keep calling, put the order in online if you have to or email us with a number you will answer and we will call you to get the order once the phone lines slow down. Again, you waited this long, therefore your best option is to be flexible.
7. If your a repeat customer, let us know. If your a Site Supporter on the forums, let us know. This is to your advantage.
8. DON'T USE PAYPAL!!! If at all possible we will turn off paypal payments during a crisis. Using paypal means you get charged right then and there, without being able to confirm stock of items. Again, why we stress CALL TO ORDER during crisis ordering times or during "rushes."
If at all possible don't use the Postal service to mail in orders- i.e, money orders and checks. This simply just takes too long. Customers forget about the time the post office takes to get the mail to us and get impatient. We reserve the right to stop accepting mailed in orders if the situation is dire- i.e, a biological problem like Ebola going airborne or high number of people infected.
9. Make sure your contact information is correct. If their is a problem we will try to contact you- however it is extremely busy and time is always short. So make sure you use an email address and phone number you WILL check.
10. Understand we don't have a lot of time to "chat." Questions pertinent to the product and order are fine. Chit chatting about politics, the current situation, etc. we do not have time for at this particular junction. We are trying to serve as many people as humanly possible. You may think we are being rude when we sounded "rushed", we aren't being rude, but we ARE rushed.
11. We are working around the clock. Last major crisis period with high order volume (the month after 9/11) we answered the phone from 8am till 10pm then we went and helped pack orders with the others. Understand that everyone in this industry is stressed during this time. We have no time for games, rude customers, etc.
"Why do prices increase?"
Inventory price is based on two things during a crisis-
1. Price paid and
2. Replacement cost.
#1 we can kinda control, #2 we cannot control.
Example- you might have paid $7. an ounce for a silver coin you have had for a while, but could you REPLACE that coin for $7. now? Of course not. Your REPLACEMENT COST on that coin has gone up drastically. Would you be able to sell the coin for $7. now? No of course not, because you could not REPLACE it for that price.
Gas masks, filters and related gear often goes through a large distribution chain often including importers, jobbers, wholesalers, dealers and retail. ANY of these links in the chain can and often do raise prices and it gets passed along from there. Say an importer realizes there is a crisis and demand is higher for a certain item. He will raise the price that the wholesaler has to pay. The wholesaler in turn will raise his price to the dealer. The dealer then has to pay much more for the item than he did previously, EVEN JUST A FEW DAYS PREVIOUSLY. Can the dealer then sell the coin at $7. when "spot price" is now over $20? No he can't- cause he can't replace the coin for $7. Make sense? Simple supply and demand as we all learned in school.
So how do you defeat that? Simple, order before a crisis. But if that's not possible, then you just have to deal with it. Yelling at the retailer won't help, he's doing his best to just FIND the hard to find items. Also, he's taking a huge RISK just buying the items at the (now) higher price. The crisis could end tomorrow, leaving him with (now) overpriced inventory he can't sell. Been there done that.
So as always the idea is to get your necessary preps AHEAD OF TIME. If you missed that boat- stay calm, be reasonable, understand that some things might not be available or you may have to pay more for them. That's the downside of waiting around and not actually getting it done while it's cheaper and more widely available.
As survivalists and "preppers" our very goal is to prepare ahead of time for a multitude of possible bad things happening.
One of the very reasons we prepare ahead of time is to ensure the availability of items we need and to avoid having to try to gather things we need at the proverbial "last minute." When hundreds or thousands of people wait till a disaster is here or is imminent to order, backups occur and necessary items get scarce. We have all seen this numerous times since the early 90's in regards to firearms and accessories every time there is a "ban" or even talk of a "ban."
Hence the very reasoning for us to prepare ahead of time is to avoid these things by purchasing ahead of time. That's our goal as preparedness minded individuals.
If you are searching for items AFTER a crisis is going on or AFTER a "rush" begins on a certain type of product, you need to remember some key points-
1. Inventory of hard to find items changes RAPIDLY.
2. There may not be time to update the website as quickly as things change. Therefore all orders are confirmed when they are charged.
3. CALL TO ORDER if at all possible- 912.379.9441 or 912.375.1480 Please understand that the phone lines are busy, so if we seem "rushed"- we are. We apologize up front for sounding "rushed"- we are trying to service as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
4. Be sure to check the email you used regularly for "updates" on your order, problems that may come up, etc. The phones lines are extremely busy, avoid calling to "check on" orders- check your email or email for this information.
5. Understand that yelling at us, trying to BS us, being demanding, etc. will accomplish NOTHING. It is YOU who waited this long. We want to help you, but you have to be reasonable. As always, we can and often will cancel orders for those that cannot act like rational adults. In other words, being rude, yelling at the staff, etc. will just get your order cancelled. No reason to act like that. And yes, it really does happen which is why I'm writing this.
6. Be flexible. Yes, all the phone lines may be tied up- keep calling, put the order in online if you have to or email us with a number you will answer and we will call you to get the order once the phone lines slow down. Again, you waited this long, therefore your best option is to be flexible.
7. If your a repeat customer, let us know. If your a Site Supporter on the forums, let us know. This is to your advantage.
8. DON'T USE PAYPAL!!! If at all possible we will turn off paypal payments during a crisis. Using paypal means you get charged right then and there, without being able to confirm stock of items. Again, why we stress CALL TO ORDER during crisis ordering times or during "rushes."
If at all possible don't use the Postal service to mail in orders- i.e, money orders and checks. This simply just takes too long. Customers forget about the time the post office takes to get the mail to us and get impatient. We reserve the right to stop accepting mailed in orders if the situation is dire- i.e, a biological problem like Ebola going airborne or high number of people infected.
9. Make sure your contact information is correct. If their is a problem we will try to contact you- however it is extremely busy and time is always short. So make sure you use an email address and phone number you WILL check.
10. Understand we don't have a lot of time to "chat." Questions pertinent to the product and order are fine. Chit chatting about politics, the current situation, etc. we do not have time for at this particular junction. We are trying to serve as many people as humanly possible. You may think we are being rude when we sounded "rushed", we aren't being rude, but we ARE rushed.
11. We are working around the clock. Last major crisis period with high order volume (the month after 9/11) we answered the phone from 8am till 10pm then we went and helped pack orders with the others. Understand that everyone in this industry is stressed during this time. We have no time for games, rude customers, etc.
"Why do prices increase?"
Inventory price is based on two things during a crisis-
1. Price paid and
2. Replacement cost.
#1 we can kinda control, #2 we cannot control.
Example- you might have paid $7. an ounce for a silver coin you have had for a while, but could you REPLACE that coin for $7. now? Of course not. Your REPLACEMENT COST on that coin has gone up drastically. Would you be able to sell the coin for $7. now? No of course not, because you could not REPLACE it for that price.
Gas masks, filters and related gear often goes through a large distribution chain often including importers, jobbers, wholesalers, dealers and retail. ANY of these links in the chain can and often do raise prices and it gets passed along from there. Say an importer realizes there is a crisis and demand is higher for a certain item. He will raise the price that the wholesaler has to pay. The wholesaler in turn will raise his price to the dealer. The dealer then has to pay much more for the item than he did previously, EVEN JUST A FEW DAYS PREVIOUSLY. Can the dealer then sell the coin at $7. when "spot price" is now over $20? No he can't- cause he can't replace the coin for $7. Make sense? Simple supply and demand as we all learned in school.
So how do you defeat that? Simple, order before a crisis. But if that's not possible, then you just have to deal with it. Yelling at the retailer won't help, he's doing his best to just FIND the hard to find items. Also, he's taking a huge RISK just buying the items at the (now) higher price. The crisis could end tomorrow, leaving him with (now) overpriced inventory he can't sell. Been there done that.
So as always the idea is to get your necessary preps AHEAD OF TIME. If you missed that boat- stay calm, be reasonable, understand that some things might not be available or you may have to pay more for them. That's the downside of waiting around and not actually getting it done while it's cheaper and more widely available.
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