I found Wilde Built Tactical by extending my search area for gun stores. Without boring everyone with the gory details, I have been trying to purchase several handguns and a shotgun since just before the lockdown in CA. Everything shut down in March, slowly reopened in April/May, kinda closed, kinda reopened (everyone's lived through it, enough said...). Anyway, I've tried calling, making appointments, just showing up and I've had absolutely no luck in purchasing the firearms I wanted. I've tried out of state websites but they are out of stock (and I totally get it...) or they don't do CA compliant (thanks a lot CA legislature...). Again, we've all lived through it, won't go on.
Long story short, after almost 8 months I was about to give up. I found Wilde Built Tactical, they had the items I wanted in stock, and I proceeded to check out. However, I was having difficulty with the check out procedure (having to do with a local FFL, another story...) and finally just gave up in frustration. I thought that was the end of my experience with Wilde Built Tactical and perhaps my end of searching for CA compliant firearms.
However, a short while later I received an email from Dustin at Wilde Built asking for feedback as to why I didn't complete my purchase. The inquiry was inquisitive, not accusatory. The email asked if I'd be willing to give feedback as to whether Wilde Built Tactical did something wrong or if their website was unsatisfactory or the like. I don't know why I responded (usually I'd just go about my day) but I decided to send a quick email. The email essentially laid out what I said above. I was sick of the hassle of firearms purchases in CA. I told them it wasn't their fault, their website was fine, I was just over the entire nonsense that CA puts people who want to purchase a firearms through.
I thought that would be the end of it and I felt a little better both because I got to vent my frustration and I thought I'd done something nice by letting the Wilde Built guys know it wasn't anything they had done. To my surprise I got another email from one of their team members, Dustin, consoling me for the difficulty I'd been having. I was floored. He went on to say that they still had the items I wanted in stock and if I'd like, he'd call and walk me through the entire process, even setting me up with an FFL in my area that they do frequent business with. I responded immediately and set the phone call for the next afternoon.
Dustin called, we kibitzed a bit about the difficulties of firearms purchases in CA, and he set me right up. He answered a few other questions I had about ammunition availability and the new (ish) rules for identifying yourself when picking up the purchased items (my driver's license got renewed a few weeks ago, but I didn't bother getting the real ID thing. I'm not standing in line at the DMV until I absolutely have to...).
I can honestly say that this was not only the best purchasing experience I've had during the endless kinda quarantine here in CA, it was one of the best purchasing experiences I've ever had.
Obviously price is typically the determining factor for most people when making a purchase. I think Wilde Built Tactical's prices were not only competitive, they flat out beat about every price I'd seen locally or out of state online. And they not only had better prices, they actually had inventory (and I know with all the buying going on it is difficult to keep inventories accurate. Not criticizing everyone else, simply giving an extra complement to the guys at Wilde Built). But what has made me a customer for life is the incredible level of service. I know the cynics will say, "They were reaching out because they wanted your money and you didn't complete the purchase!" Ok, fair enough. They're in business to make a living. Nothing wrong with pursuing a "hot lead" that just needed to finish a few steps. But the extra time they spent with me, the patient answering of questions (especially considering how busy firearms stores are currently), just the "extra mile" attention is not something we see everyday.
I wish I was more articulate and could write a better review because reading over what I've put down doesn't seem to quite do the guys at Wilde Built Tactical justice. The best I can do is simply say that I will be a customer for life and I plan on making another purchase (I want to purchase my first AR) in the very near future. And one last thank you, in particular, to Dustin for making the process as smooth and easy as is possible. read more