So!!! This goes to the employee ( I don't know your name ) but he took care of the problem. I've purchased full kits from here multiple times and every time I call it's like talking to a buddy. They walk you through whatever you're purchasing, and I mean they are sales man, but they do take their time matching what your requesting. Which is a good thing when you're trying to not spend more than you need. Quality product!! I have plates from like late 2013, which still look new even though the terrain I train at has made me go through 2 plate carriers. Legit customer service. it does take a minute to talk to someone, but they've taken care of my questions and issues easily. I'll spend my money here anytime, and based off IG posts, I can sure put my money on a CEO like that. Thanks guys read more

I picked to order 2 armor plates in December as they had a promotion you get a free carrier. I tried the promo code and it declined, when I did the order I tried to reach someone via email and phone call with no response. I ordered, and there was no communication from the business that they had a delay in shipping, and it took 2 extra weeks. On top of that, I had to call them and asked out of good faith that they give me 2 day shipping, which the rep took "note" of it and it went no where. I also sent an email as the rep also said he inquired about the promo code and no response. I would each time receive an automatic reply that they received my message and to type a response about the line, which I did and no response again from them. After I received the plates, I reached out to the company with complaints and yet again I'd only get the automatic reply and I'd reply, but no response of course. I would never use this company every again, as a security company owner, this is the worst customer service I've observed, and communication. If 0 stars were an option, that would be my choice. read more

Very excellent company very thorough on response times with questions. This is my third set of plates I've ordered from them very comfortable and very happy with their product read more

***BEAWARE*** Do not purchase any products from this company, you will wait months after your promised "lead time". I purchased a plate carrier and plates from this place with a promised lead time of 5 week. I have waited over 2 weeks past original lead time and I have yet to receive shipping confirmation. Don't even bother calling, they don't pick up the phone and you will get disconnected. I have filed a dispute with my bank. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! read more

Worst company I have dealt with. Just look at all the negative reviews on their facebook page. I placed an order on November 18 and another order November 30. The first order shows two items in stock ready to ship. One item shows lead time of 5 weeks. 10 weeks later, I haven't received anything..not even the two items that ready to ship. I sent you guys numerous messages. The company charges your card immediately and gives completely bogus lead time estimates. This is a horrible way to run a business. I am at the point to contact my credit card company to ask for a charge back on both orders. Here is my order number if you actually want to do something about it. Order #1000045971 and #1000071189 read more

I received the vest and like the quality. Some from the store reached out after my review, they listened to my frustration on the time line. They were professional and I think they helped nudge my order along. read more

I purchased a full plate carrier outfit with upgraded plates, mag pouches, etc and spent over $500 on the bundle. I purchased the Testudo gen. 2 carrier, which had the best reviews online. When I received it, I noticed the back shoulder buckles dug into my back. I had several people within my law enforcement department try on the carrier, as well as others in the military and everyone came to the same conclusion -- it digs into your back making it very hard to wear! I contacted AR500 and they told me since its been over 30 days there is nothing they would do about it. It was simply my problem now. I was very unimpressed by their customer service, especially when I gave them every opportunity to try to resolve the issues. Im sorry to say I wouldn't recommend buying from a company with such disregard for its customers. read more

Just like other comments, I am not too happy as well. AR500 seems to have this trend going for quoting unrealistic lead times. I ordered a few items from them with an estimated lead time of 12 weeks. Like other customers they, 1. charged my card immediately with no hesitation. 2. underquoted, I ordered this on Dec 7, 2020, tomorrow April 5th, 2021 would make them 17 weeks in and 5 weeks overdue with no updates on my package. 3. I had called them up they said I'm in the priority queue and no time was promised to me. 4. In the meantime I received 48 different promotional emails from a company that can't even deliver what I did purchase. I can barely comprehend this concept. I purchased the whole kit. I'm talking plate carrier, plates, trauma pad, combat belt, medical kit, etc. Why would I care if you have different armor or plate carriers on sale/promotion like I don't need 10 different types of plates and 5 plate carriers. This company seems to just leave people in the dark about their orders which is a huge turn-off for anyone. Transparency is something that this company needs to implement. I am to the point where I want to get my package within the next 2 weeks maximum or I want my money back and I take my business elsewhere. P.S. To make things worst I was going to get all the products I got and then recommend them to my friends who were interested as well. I don't believe I will be recommending them AR500 due to poor performance. read more

Ordered my plates in early August, expected to ship 11/15. Nope. Two weeks later I received the carrier and all the accessories - not a single plate. Meanwhile, I see reviews from people who placed orders in November and already have their plates. They do not answer the phone, nor do they respond to email requests for updates. It is very frustrating to not have any clue when, or if, my order will actually ship. Meanwhile, they are pimping their product to me constantly. I wanted to love this local company, but I will never consider purchasing from them again, NEVER!!! read more

Ordered on November 13th, it's now March 1st and I still have not received my $860 order. You are awarded 1 star for not having your company together whatsoever. read more

I ordered my body armor 10+ weeks ago and was told it the order conformation the lead-time would be 6 weeks. I have tried repeatedly to contact ANYONE at this company with no success until today. I am now being told my order will not ship for another 2 weeks, to put my delivery at 12+ weeks, which is more than twice what I was told when submitting payment. It is obvious this company has zero interest in customer service as they continue to advertise and take orders, but cant deliver on other orders that are in the pipeline. I suggest AR stop taking orders, quit advertising and focus on existing orders for all the customers who have already given their money for orders. They are quick to take your money and provide NOTHING in return. read more

Avoid!!!! I'm over 2 full months past my 16 week delivery window, with absolutely no indication from customer support they are going to fulfill my $1600+ order. Update: I have filed a complaint with the BBB Update 2: after filing a complaint with the BBB, AR500 promptly responded, and shipped my order. [Changed to 2 stars] read more

Do not buy online, I waited double the estimated ship time for the simplest carrier package to ship, I called them to check up on it and they said they had lost it, but would send it out within 2 days. waited a week, no emails. called again, same story. End of the next 2 days i just called to get a refund. Waste of time. read more

The isn't my first time buying products from here and I haven't been let down. I realized that I didn't order the the sale product but the original price selection so when I contacted customer service Micheal Moon quickly fixed the price for me no questions asked. They have great customer service. read more

I just purchased a Testudo plate carrier with the max bundle which upgraded the plates to level 3+ and had the coating. This package also included the trauma pads and a pistol holster and 2 mag carriers. I worked with Corwin who was great. He offered expert advice and provided a level of customer experience 2nd to none. He was patient in explaining the various options and gave me a great price. I highly recommend getting your armor from AR500. read more

Yep don't waist your time or money. A month over lead time. No vest. No response. No refund Called customer service and they said everything I order was in stock and that they don't know why my order hasn't been shipped but that i should receive it in 1-2 weeks. I explained that I either wanted a firm date on delivery or a refund and was told everything should arrive within 4 weeks. Started with 1-2 and in less that 30sec bumped up to 4wks! That's when I canceled. The one good thing is this time there were no issues at least getting my money back but don't be distracted by their fancy website graphics. This is obviously not a large established company so I would just wait until a gun show comes through you area and buy one in person to avoid waiting 4 months for nothing read more

I've been waiting since November 3,2020 for my order. They don't answer their phones or emails, they just have a automatic response. I've already sent a complaint to BBB but I think this company needs to pull their advertising until they get their house in order. They sure don't have a problem taking our money. I would not recommend this company to anyone and I still think they are a scam. P.S. I can't rate it a zero read more

Missed shipping deadlines, empty promises, no answer when put on the spot for expected shipping. "It's Covid, it's the run on guns, it's a hurricane....blah, blah, blah....." Good Lord just shut up and give me my money back. Nauseating. read more

Communication is be-all end-all in any purchasing experience. Even delays or unforeseen production/supply/personnel issues can be mitigated by letting the customer know what's up. Understandably these are precarious times with the pandemic ongoing; but after several attempts to get in touch with this company for a status update and no response--this was a simple choice for me as the consumer. Zero communication = order cancelled and dispute filed with my credit card to recoup the money. Every single negative review on here regarding lack of comms and expired lead times are 100% spot on. read more

Price was fair, from the shopping I've done. I was able to snag a pair of plates on sale. Shipping took a few weeks which was consistent with supply constraints everywhere. One thing I really appreciated was the ema communication from the company with updates on the shipping. The plates are heavy, but that was expected. They fit perfectly in my Warrior Assault Systems plate carrier. Hopefully I'll never need new plates. If I do, I'd come back. read more

Poor customer service and return policies. Customer service will not work with you on a return if you do not like your item. Hard to stomach when you are spending $1,000+ on body armour. read more

I recently placed an order and needed to make changes to that order after I submitted it. I sent an email to customer support to address the issue and normally, with other companies, it would take a few days for someone to get back to you. I have to say, I was very pleased that Alyse Galor from AR500 Armor not only got back to me within the hour, but made all the changes I requested without a hitch. Honestly, I've never received such a quick response from any customer service in the past. Thank you Alyse! You guys are awesome there at AR500 Armor! Cliff Herrera Cliff Herrera read more

They are a joke, ordered 3 things in digital camo with a 12 week lead time. Still haven't received my order and it's 18 days over the lead time. I got one email 8 days later stating that they were over the lead time, huh really, I didn't know that. Nothing as to when the order would be shipped out, nothing. Stop selling stuff you can't keep your word too. Covid or not they are a joke. read more

Only recently did I gain an interest in body armor. After doing some checking around on line I decided to stop by AR500 and take a look, ask some questions etcetera. Matt and Dylan were manning the sales floor, both friendly and easy going, between them I gained a lot of knowledge in regards to types and differences of armor as well as multitude of accessories. They made me feel comfortable about the questions I was asking. Between them both I got the help I needed and was able to select a kit I am very satisfied with and feel sure that I got very fair price on quality product. As spending money will allow, I will look forward to continue shopping at AR500. read more

Armored Republic - My son trying out my new gear. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

If it were possible to go lower I would. I ordered over 800 dollars worth of gear december 29th 2019 with a 7-8w lead time. Still hasn't shipped and and have no idea when it will as of 2020/04/15. They also do not answer phone calls for over an hour and do not respond to email. At this point I have had to file with the better business bureau and am still being ignored. I have essentially had money stolen from me and the company says " we understand your frustrated and we are doing our best" with no substance or promise. Stay away everyone read more

Received defective item that I wanted replaced. Calling customer service number goes to voice mail dead end after 20 minutes. Voice mail says to send email. First email sent 7/31/20 with photo of defect attached, and no reply. I have sent another email in Aug, with no reply. I have purchased 3 rigs from them pre-Covid, but they lost a good customer. From the other reviews that I have read, it looks like this company has become shady AF post Covid. read more

I placed an order on Dec 2 with a 7-8 week lead time. Its been over 12 weeks and the order still hasn't shipped. I emailed them and of course no response. I called and was on hold for 30 minutes only to never talk to anyone. I understand production can be slowed by massive increases in orders but at least have honest lead times and let your customers know when you aren't going to hold up your end of the deal. I highly recommend buying from a different company that communicates and cares about customer service. EDIT: After searching my inbox I found the response. I must have missed it due to the 12 day delay from inquiry to response. I do find it pretty telling that an email to customer service took 12 days to get a response but a public review was answered in 2. read more

The carrier I ordered was black cammo, I received woodland cammo after waiting 4 months for delivery! Capt. Partish read more

i ordered 2 armored backpacks for my children during the summer of unrest 2020. they were afraid of getting "shot". they felt better when i placed order in august 2020. as covid ravaged this country the order kept falling behind like all ammo, guns etc. in early march 2021 my kids kept asing about the order. i checked ar 500 armor and they reported it delivered around december. i never got it so travis helped me fill out police report and now i am expecting delivery soon. we must all realize the challenge of covid, social unrest and violence this past year and ar 500 came through. this is much faster than my supresors, short barreled rifle, gun parts and ammo. they are the best. great customer service and coming from small business owner i know how hard it is to find people passionate about their job and customers. bart read more

After having delivery / in stock issues with Optics Planet and Tactical Gear (my original order was in June with OP, cancelled in August after 3 delays and went with TG because it showed "in stock" only get get an email with a delivery estimate of 2021? I went online to AR500 and chatted with someone to see if they were truly in stock. I placed the order on Tuesday and guess what just arrived 2 days later! Wish I would have ordered from AR500 back in June ESPECIALLY since I live here in Phoenix. I went with the Testudo Lite and I'm very happy with what I've see so far. Fully loaded it's a couple ounces over 20lbs which will feel like 80 after humping it a few miles. Might switch out to soft armor and see how much of a difference it makes. My only issue is that I wish the shoulder straps were a few inches longer for us long torso guys but other than that it I'm very satisfied. Quality Material, good craftsmanship, fair price, locally made and two day delivery! Keep up the good work! read more

Ordered two level 3+ triple curve build up coat plates with 5-6 week lead time. Didnt recieve them until 8 weeks later. Going to be real honest. The product is good. The customer service is not. They say they're working on lead times, yet they're running a new sale every week. It seems incredibly dishonest and disingenuous to the customer. I will not be doing business with these guys again. read more

Quality. Honest about the time it takes. Since my orders, they've added people, new database software, new phone system, new chat system. As a software engineer of 356+ years, I anm impressed with their processes to improve. They are direct, assist in splitting off long-term items from an order, and are very pleasant to work with. The full package works perfectly together. I recommend them highly. read more

I ordered my product awhile ago.. going on 8 weeks. Which after reading AR500 recent reviews, I didn't wait long at all before canceling my order. I finally called customer service for information and they blamed it on "raw materials" and then told me expect delivery end of October to mid November, which probably really means sometime in winter 2023. Well after hearing that I requested my order be canceled and requested a refund. Hopefully this doesn't transition into the "refund game". To the AR500 bosses you should really be upfront to your customers about lead times. People are buying your products for personal use, gifts, etc. You are knowingly accepting peoples hard earned money for a product you don't even have the materials to make! Lots of money coming in, no product going out. Pretty unethical business model. The Bernie Madoff of body armor lol. Don't ruin someone's Christmas when their gift isn't under the tree do to "raw materials". I actually own several AR500 plates I wear and carry everyday at work. To be totally honest I bought 2 of each. One to test myself and the other to wear. All plates preformed better then advertise. Delivered in a week or so when I ordered 3 years ago. However already gave great reviews on those, this one star is strictly for this one and unfortunately last order I will place with AR500. Don't worry world is going to hell, people will pay for your product, and cash flow should be nice. Good luck!! read more

Awful! Can I give it zero stars? One of the few stores in USA that does not allow returns. You cannot get your money back. I bought a very expensive vest with steel plates. They would not allow me to try it on. I had to purchase it first. Once on, I realized the weight was insane 35 lbs. Piece of junk. This shady owner will not allow any customers to get their money back. He is greedy evil scum. AR500 is the worst store, do not order anything online, you will regret it. read more

They have really bad business practice, the product is fine however. Final straw was driving 45 minutes to buy stuff in store because their shipping costs 50% of the cart every-time, just to find out they have closed their store until further notice. They have nothing online stating that. In fact all their website and social media clearly states they are open. Not happy to have spent all that on gas for nothing. read more

Keeping it truthfully civil but very disappointed in customer service and lead times! Placed about a $700 order 8 weeks ago and just now was able to get in contact with someone in customer service. I attempted two phone call tries on different days at different times with no success of an answer, stayed on hold for 20 minutes both times. I even submitted two emails with no replies! It wasn't until a comment review I left on Facebook that a company representative answered me, asked me for my order number & an email and I was then left unread after that. No further contact. I was finally able to speak with someone on my third call attempt to inquire about my order status all for them to just tell me one of my items is on backorder. For the company to be as reputable as they are with the products they sell, customer service lacks immensely. I have been extremely patient but a courtesy notice of my order status or backorder would be nice to know especially when it been 2 months past. read more

Spoke with Josh today and he helped me out with my order. Took time to make adjustments to my order (I had no idea my order was short some parts, no fault to them) and get a good deal and my order should be sent out this week. I understand the demand due to recent events, and appreciate them to make it right. Just going to wait and see if I recieve the e-mail for delivery this week. Will change to 5 stars when that happens. Changed to 5 stars. Just got an e-mail notification and order will be out soon. Thank you Josh. 14DEC19 order was sent out on 04DEC19. Was shipped FEDEX, then transferred to USPS. Had a delivery date of 11DEC19. Well. Nothing. Checked USPS tracker and......it's on the way...somewhere. Not only did the lead time suck, so does the delivery. Needless to say, I will not recommend the company. Rating change to 2 stars. 2 only because Josh did something about my order. The manager didn't. Edit: 24DEC19 Just recieved my package. Finally. read more

Had such a pleasant experience placing my AR500 order thanks to Edward, the customer service manager. My boyfriend was able to receive his [surprise] gift in time for Christmas (two days earlier actually) and he was super stoked. Edward responded promptly + followed up and went above & beyond providing outstanding service and experience. I had reached out to AR500 on 12/11 regarding the Valkyrie package in multicam (which was out of stock), was able to place an expedited order on 12/12, received my order on 12/20 while the plate carrier came on 12/21 (using overnight shipping) since AR500 shipped it from their Florida facility. Can't thank the AR500 team enough for making this possible! Amazing gear, quality, aesthetics. Really doesn't get any better than this. Wishing you all another year of success. With the kind of service I received, ya'll truly deserve it. Sincerely, A very happy customer. read more

Nothing short of 100% satisfaction from AR500. Being retired Army and a combat veteran, I can only wish they'd had a contract with the military before the latest Iraq conflict broke out in 2003. Every order placed is immediately followed up by an e mailed order response and then tracking info. If you have never worn body armor before, yes it can be heavy (depending on the user). Very high quality plate carriers and these steel level 3 level 3+ plates took me 52 rounds of "Green Tip" 62 Gr 5.56mm M4 (AR-15) to finally have on pass through. Of course if this were a real-life situation I don't think you'd be standing there taking hits. The "Banshee" carrier seems to be my favorite thus far. Completely modifiable to user's needs. I wore an "I.B.A." n the Army, (Integrated Body Armor" and ceramic plates while over seas. Those are only good for 1 strike from any rifle, then must be changed out. With the steel plates from AR500, I have no doubt that "Operating" on my next trip will be much less anxious. Also recommended are their IFAK kits! (Individual First Aid Kit). Everything needed to render first aid be it in the field or out on the block. These days, who knows. Best to have it and NOT need it, than NEED it and not have it. Way to go AR500! 5/5 read more

10/5 Star, this company knocked it out of the park. I placed an order for a plate carrier and the same day it shipped out. I sent them an email asking if i can get the color changed. they replied with it has already been shipped out and they could file for a return but i agreed to keep the color i ordered no problem. Well about an hour later they gave me a call and said they were able to stop the order and send out the color i wanted instead the same day... I was blown away with the customer service. Like typically if a company can do that they will just do it and not "waste time" contacting the customer but no. These lovely folks care about their customers... I will 10/10 be ordering from them again! read more