Advice please.

[Lever357]

Have you visited his premises?? I hope you have a receipt for the firearm.

[Dark Skies]

Ahh! Good old British customer service, you just can't beat it.
I've had this. I waited the best part of a year waiting to have the timing sorted on a BP revolver. At first, you feel a bit guilty for having the temerity to ask after it following a month in their hands. Before long, though, you feel like they're deliberately taking the p***.
Unfortunately, there are so few smiths out there that you have to either put up with it or give up on it. I chose the latter and had the gun scrapped for the slot, collecting all the non-controlled parts for spares / sale. Since then, I don't bother with them, having found that most jobs can be done DIY with a bit of research and care. Of course, my shooting irons aren't very exotic nor refined.

Personally, I'd pop over to his place of business for a face to face chat. That way, you can decide whether his excuses merit cutting him some slack or going elsewhere and starting over.
Secondly, I'd drop him a registered letter voicing concern that he's lost it and considering contacting the police to cover your own arse. You might try that first if he's a sizeable distance away.
If no response, I'd be minded to contact the police and voice concerns as to the whereabouts of your firearm.

As suggested, you could go via the small claims court route - you'll be expected to be able to demonstrate that you've exhausted the usual approaches in order to regain your property, so mention phone calls / emails and so on when filling in the online form. The issue fees increase by increments depending on the value of the claim - starting at £35 for claims of £300 or less and reaching £455 for claims at the upper end of the £10K cut-off. So that could be a sizeable lump depending on your firearm's worth. There's a final hearing fee akin to the issue fee to consider too, also in increments according to the value of the claim, You get the court fees back if you win your case. But it's time-consuming if the chap doesn't fold upon receiving the initial paperwork for his response. For a firearm worth, say, £1500 you'd be looking at an issue fee of £115 plus a final court hearing fee of £181

Of course, the bloke could be pegged out in his living room, being eaten by his cats and surrounded by their excrement.

[bobbob]

We think we have his address so that might be the ext step.

How did he get your firearm? Did you not check his details when you handed it over?

Yes we did. He is a legitimate dealer and gunsmith.
It's difficult to say too much without giving his details. Forum rules prevent us from doing this.

[bobbob]

Have you visited his premises?? I hope you have a receipt for the firearm.

We don't know exactly where his premises are, the details are not on his website.
We do know his GTA number so we have obtained his home address but at the moment we are trying all avenues before actually going down that route.
There is a record of him receiving the firearm but again, can't say too much as it could identify him. Also, we don't want to jeopordise our "realationship" with him.

[bobbob]

Thanks for the comments so far. If and when we get somewhere I'll let you know.
We have made allowance for Christmas, possible illness and just being slow.
He has never once contacted us. Never replied to an email. I've checked online that his email is live.
It is just so frustrating and disappointing that some dealers behave like this.

[walesdave]

It is just so frustrating and disappointing that some dealers behave like this.

100% agree. Some (NOT all) RFDs forget they are in the retail trade and the same customer rights obligations apply to them just as much as to Tesco, B&Q, Amazon and every other retailer.

[CDM5]

I had a similar experience a while back.

Dropped off a rifle for warranty repair around January 2020... numerous lockdowns, Brexit and such, but then in early 2022 things were getting back to normal/ranges reopened and I wasn't getting any response back from the gunsmith.

At one point I did speak to my FLD as I hadn't heard back from the gunsmith for a few months, even after multiple emails/FB contact, who said it was a civil dispute and to perhaps contact the GTA. I didn't.

Eventually spoke to the gunsmith who got it all sorted, won't go into detail but their family member was very ill. Would use them again. Family comes first

[The Gun Pimp]

I wouldn't hesitate to visit him in person. If you're not happy with his explanation, at least you can take the gun back and go to another 'smith. Getting involved in litigation is daft.
Problem is not many RFDs are gunsmiths but they are often the 'link' to a 'smith. Go and get your gun then ask on here for the name of a reliable 'smith closer to you.

[Mattnall]

We think we have his address so that might be the ext step.

How did he get your firearm? Did you not check his details when you handed it over?

Yes we did. He is a legitimate dealer and gunsmith.
It's difficult to say too much without giving his details. Forum rules prevent us from doing this.

So you do have his address. It sounded all a bit vague.

I understand you can't divulge too many details but I did wonder why you were unsure of his address.

[Pete]

I've heard a couple of stories like this.
I think some RFD's graduated from shooting as a hobby, to helping out mates, then finally trying to make a living out of it.
Then when things get busy, maybe they favour the mates, and the punters have to wait.
But whatever, there's absolutely no excuse for poor comms.....

Pete