WTF ARES ARMOR???! These guys suck.

[john67elco]

9 months I could probably dremel an 80 out of scrap aluminum in that time. They doing these by hand?

[Glamis]

ORD date 01/16/2013 12:02:42 PM

I'm about ready to call Visa can file a claim and go to 80percentarms.com. Right down the freeway from my place.

[AndrewB]

I ordered in mid-December, and my order shipped in 3 months (February).

Out of all the places I have backordered at, they are the only ones who charged my card immediately and then kept my money for 3 months before I received my order, with no communication whatsoever.

It's nice that they didn't raise prices after the panic started, but they should have stopped taking orders to catch up a long time ago. Lots of other businesses and organization have done this, including the CMP, etc. There are actual FTC rules about backordering customer orders.... http://www.nmoa.org/Library/ftc/ftc-comply.asp

[Eljay]

My story is about the same as Andrew. Ordered mid-December and got it mid-late Feb. I thought they made it pretty clear on the website that they're heavily backlogged but it would be nice if they updated once a week or so with what date they're working on as many organizations do.

[jheggie]

I ordered on 1/31 and have been able to pick up some parts while waiting. I will update when I receive my lower. They did send a email a few weeks back say that they are still on back order so I will keep checking this threed to see when they are coming in with what order dates.

[SteveMartin]

Ordered 1/4. Still waiting.

[fmunk]

Originally Posted by Glamis

ORD date 01/16/2013 12:02:42 PM

I'm about ready to call Visa can file a claim and go to 80percentarms.com. Right down the freeway from my place.

Do it. It's not like Ares offers a superior product. They are pretty much the same. There is also this http://jtactical.com/product.php?product_id=18

[2ndAmendmentMan]

Ordered on January 2nd, still don't have it. I sent a very polite email on January 28th saying I was sorry to pester but asked if they had an ETA. The response email literally said "waiting for stock." Also said to call a number if I had questions. I've called four times in the past three months, all during normal business hours, and they have never answered the phone.
Honestly, they aren't price gouging, so I understand a wait. They could simply give more than a form email response to questions or answer their phone.

[Glamis]

I'm noting all attempts to get an ETA. So when I call my visa card in about a week or so I have a case & info to give them. I have never had to use my visa card protection. My sister had to use it for windows she order.

[pdugan6]

Originally Posted by C.W.M.V.

I've got no beef with Ares armor, but the Facebook contact is crap. Lots of us that will not use it. Telephone still trumps all.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

hey use my facebookpage. not! farrk facebook in the face! its a fail going to facebook for customersevice issues. deal with it or cancel. thats the bottom line.

[Diskrete]

Originally Posted by Glamis

I'm noting all attempts to get an ETA. So when I call my visa card in about a week or so I have a case & info to give them. I have never had to use my visa card protection. My sister had to use it for windows she order.

I can almost guarantee that some magical fairy will have your parts to you to avoid problems. Just seems to be the way they work by putting out fires instead of being proactive and communicating. The whole time small fires are being put out the greater community is a brush fire they need to contain.

Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Tapatalk 2

[Ed_Hazard]

Well for all the Non-FB, they posted this in response to a complaint post on their page on 4/02/13

Ares Armor Apologies, we have so many phone messages that we are no longer returning calls; but hope to remedy this soon. If you really need to get a hold of us, emailing Customer Service is the quickest means. Jimmy James, please contact Lindy at: Lindy@AresArmor.com

[Baboosh]

I also ordered early December before they said it would be months of waiting. I just filed a charge back yesterday since I could never get them to answer me on email. I've ordered far too much online with promises to never receive it or be disappointed at what shows up. Since I was up on my 90 days for protection I would rather be safe then sorry.

[cowboyup]

Sucks to hear all this. I'll stay away though. Thanks for posting.

[Wrangler John]

Originally Posted by Onlyincali

1. First of all, they billed me MONTHS ago for a product I still haven't received.

2. They are hard to reach, and do not reply to emails

3. If they do reply to emails, its a short, generic reply.

4. They do NOT keep customers updated on products already paid for.


Now, I'm sure there's going to be tons of guys on here saying "they are great guys!" "they are ex military" "they are supporting our gun rights!" For those reasons I waited this long to bash them......but I'm done. A poorly run company is a poorly run company, and they are one if I've ever seen it. If a company is SO busy that they are working around the clock for months on end, they are making money hand over fist. When making money hand over fist, you should hire as many phone/email people as it takes to reply to every email promptly. So...end of rant....

So reason for this thread.....
Has anyone received their products ordered late December?

I ordered a custom AR barrel from a very reputable maker last year on October 2, it arrived this March, or six months later. Firearms products take patience. I waited 7 months for other barrel companies to deliver, the same for stocks, and my friend waited several YEARS for a complete custom manufactured rifle. Now that we have the panic, extended wait times are the norm.

[Baboosh]

Originally Posted by Wrangler John

I ordered a custom AR barrel from a very reputable maker last year on October 2, it arrived this March, or six months later. Firearms products take patience. I waited 7 months for other barrel companies to deliver, the same for stocks, and my friend waited several YEARS for a complete custom manufactured rifle. Now that we have the panic, extended wait times are the norm.

That's because we allow it. If we no longer let that happen you'd be surprised how fast it stopped.

[Lifeon2whls]

Originally Posted by Wrangler John

I ordered a custom AR barrel from a very reputable maker last year on October 2, it arrived this March, or six months later. Firearms products take patience. I waited 7 months for other barrel companies to deliver, the same for stocks, and my friend waited several YEARS for a complete custom manufactured rifle. Now that we have the panic, extended wait times are the norm.

There are some differences here though...you are ordering CUSTOM products. These are one offs for you and they must charge you in advance to ensure you purchase the product(s). If you don't then they are left with something no one else may want, or that they have to sell at a discount because its no longer "custom".

With the lowers or generic parts, if a buyer backs out, they can be sold to the next person in line. There is little to no risk here to the retailer. The problem here is that ARES is taking everyone's money upfront and (I'd assume) using it to buy product to send to people who are ahead of them. This has been problematic for many companies on this forum (ammo in particular) who couldn't keep up with the demand and were so far backordered and had spent everyone's money on previous orders that they had no capitol to catch up. The concern here is that not only is ARES holding onto everyone's money without providing a product in a timely manner (yes, they warned us before hand) but if they are indeed "robbing Peter to pay Paul" if something happens to the state's laws (no more home built guns) their supplier or them, they will not have the funds to refund everyone in line. That said, they have been cranking things out, sending out product ahead of schedule and people have received what they had ordered. They are one of the only companies not gouging so you have to look at the circumstances and figure out if you're ok with sending a company your money and waiting to receive product.

I myself purchased one paperweight. From what I stated above, I understand the risks, hence the reason I only purchased one. I read the warnings and have gotten the generic emails from them with a follow up telling me when I may get my lower. If you don't like it, cancel your order and purchase one for almost double the price on the forum of one of the other vendors.

I know ARES does tend to follow threads about them so I do want to extend a Thank you to them for keeping prices down and doing what they can to pump out products, etc. I know communication has been sparse but things are crazy and I appreciate the situation and I know others on here do as well.

[Glamis]

The F with the BBB is the deal breaker for me

[121ahc]

Everybody is having trouble keeping up with all the emails and phone calls. It's not just ARES.

Check out this new jig that a Calguner has started making. I just ordered one. He is also making and shipping some really nice 80 percent lowers.

http://www.cnc80.com/AR-15-Lower-Rec...15-Jig-Set.htm

www.cnc80.com

[Fishslayer]

Originally Posted by xjdesertfox

You could always cancel, theyre good people and are easily reached through facebook.

LOL... because ALL professional companies rely more on Facebook than answering emails & telephone calls...

[Wakemedic]

Recently got my 80% that I ordered Back in Dec. I live in Oceanside so fortunately I was able to walk in and check things out. They were VERY upfront about the wait time. The guys are all young, patriotic ,Ex Military who are very knowledgable and extremely helpful.( Although sounds like a little overwhelmed ) In a time when many folks were cashing in and price gouging with Stripped lowers for a few hundred dollars, they never raised their prices at all. The gear they sell is also top of the line. Sorry you had a bad experience. I realize this does not reflect the views of all, but I have nothing but good things to say about them and several of my buddies had the same experience as me.

[BrassCase]

Wow! I was about to ordor 4 anodized 80% lowers from Ares. Glad I waited.

[skysurfer]

Well I was thinking about putting in an order thru Ares but after .looking around and seeing some live posted of Area employees and all the negatirve think being said I went to rohg arms I ordered an 80% lower last Thursday 4/04/2013 and I received it the following Monday. If ares is so busy too busy to acomidate customers why would anyone order from them makes no sense st all you got to be a chump to order from a company like that if psperweight were made illegal tomorrow none of ares customer would get one its like wimpy from popeye " I'll gladly pay you tuesday for a hamburger today" you got to be sucker to deal any company that pulls that crap I getting tired of ex vets tast bs people saying hey I served buy from me on but you have you wait half a year.
I served for 17 yrs I don't use my years in the marine corps to get me customers and I have my own bussines.

Anyways those my $0.2

[Glamis]

My visa card/credit union is working on get me my money back. Ares has so many days to call my credit card back. Seeing how there getting back to no one Ill probably get my money back soon.

[pitbull30]

I don't get some of the comments here from people who are ABOUT or looking to order. The 80% page clearly says "For new orders it could take up to 9 months to re-stock or as early as 4 weeks. Check back for updates."

The way I see it is Ares is offering these at a good price. My guess is their 9 month time is padded so people don't get pissed. Its true some other places have 80% in stock, but you are paying almost double. If you can wait its a good deal. If not then Id say go to one of the other guys and pay more.

The only place I have seen with a comparable price is Quentin Defense Lowers made of 6061 billet, but even their page says "back ordered 12 weeks" If you know of any others post them. I'm sure many here would like to know.

Now for those of you who put in your order before it said this, I agree that sucks.

[Diskrete]

The difference is Quentin says 12 weeks and has control of manufacturing to make it happen sooner most times. Ares and Rohg both have questionable reputations...

if were mentioning QD let's also mention, fast turnaround times, good pricing, and amazing customer service...you don't have to compromise when you're ordering from Quentin.


Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Tapatalk 2

[skysurfer]

Screw ARES their creaking amatures

[Eljay]

Rohg doesn't have a backlog for a reason. Many people have had trouble with the product actually working.

Quentin has a nice product. They're maybe a little optimistic about the timing - when they were saying 10 weeks it was more like 12. Now they're saying 12 weeks... maybe it's accurate now, maybe that means it's more like 16. Who knows.

BRS http://billet80.com has a three week backlog, constantly updates the order # they're on and how many days ago it was, and has a great product. The catch? They're more expensive.

[Bete Noire]

Facebook may well become a decentralized registry for US Gov. Every toy you buy and picture you post will be freely available to IRS and DOJ scrutiny.

[Dhena81]

Why are most of those 80% lowers made with 6061 instead of 7075 aluminum. 7075 is a much stronger aluminum I wonder if 6061 is cheaper.

[Eljay]

Originally Posted by Dhena81

Why are most of those 80% lowers made with 6061 instead of 7075 aluminum. 7075 is a much stronger aluminum I wonder if 6061 is cheaper.

Perhaps they can machine it quicker which means they can sell more of them.

[chillincody]

Originally Posted by Dhena81

Why are most of those 80% lowers made with 6061 instead of 7075 aluminum. 7075 is a much stronger aluminum I wonder if 6061 is cheaper.

thats because people are not making quilty 80% now they want to do it for the cheapest cost so they make more when they charge $175

that would be my guess

[Sofatactical]

Originally Posted by -hanko

Their customer service sucks.

Ex-Military has ZERO to do with customer service.

As another thread suggested, cash flow may indeed be the issue.

Try calling 760-685-6321 to get a refund, or ask your cc company for a charge back if possible.

-hanko

This.

I have been down there and I can say I didn't have the impression they are running like a well oiled machine.

[scfrogmansc]

All I have to say is this as a gun owner you should always be prepare for shortages due to gun control scares. Stock up on ammo, reloading supplies, and gun related parts. I am sure Ares is trying their best to answer all their phone calls and reply as much emails as they could with people asking the same questions.... " do you have lowers or do you have LPKs". I mean just be prepared so you don't have to worry about things like this. 80% lowers are not that expensive before the panic ($85-120) Don't complain about buying from Ares when we all know that there is a "panic" and a supply shortage then whine about not answering phone calls or bad customer service, Ares did not raise their price unlike Ammo Brothers ( never go there) or some other gun shops. What I am trying to say is be prepared stock up... Demand is high right now they are trying their best!

[mikeinrancho]

Ordered 2 80% lowers on 12-21-12, Still nothing, not even a response to ANY emails.

[sdSHOTTA]

ordered on 12/20 and still nothing, im getting ready to call American express and get my money back.......

[82Landy]

Living in San Diego has its advantages I guess, I have all 5 that I ordered in Dec. Ares has been nothing but upfront about the wait and build time. Guys, just stop and think about how every gun shop is right now, slammed and out of stock, people are going crazy trying to "get theres" before the ban..... ARES will get it to you, they are all pretty cool guys, give it some time, I am still waiting on my AR10 lower.

[throwinrox]

Ordered and paid for 3 anodized lowers on December 19th, called before I ordered and was told I would get them in Feb. emailed in Feb and was told March, emailed in March and was again told March. March has passed and we are mid way through April and they will not return emails, or answer phone calls or inquires on their facebook page. I have used the contact form on their site and emailed every listed employee on the contact list, no response.

I don't understand how some people who say they ordered after me said they already received theirs.

[ChrisBrooklyn]

cnc80.com is getting really nice stuff out to people with quick turnarounds, guys name is jimi and he is in SD.. check it out

[ChrisBrooklyn]

also, the "PANIC" is over as far as lowers and lpk's go, everyone has them in stock for reasonable prices, right now the only log jam seems to be BCGs, and april is supposed to see the market get flooded with those as well. any shop that is still reeling from the panic, over extended themselves trying to make a quick buck and are now paying the price of losing orders, goodwill and alot of future business..