I just received an email from Black Aces Tactical. They must have gotten my email address from PSA. What’s strange is they want to bring my shotgun back into their facility just so they can “amend” the serial number. Sounds like maybe the guys in Turkey put a bunch of duplicate serials?
Black Aces was kind of short on the details and didn’t really offer me anything in exchange for going out of my way to fix their problem.
What would happen if I didn’t reply to their email?
WARRANTY RECALL
To Whom It May Concern,
Black Aces Tactical thanks you for being a valued customer and hope you’re enjoying your new purchase. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are issuing a recall on a small batch of our firearms for serial discrepancies. If this email is received this involves your firearm.
Our plan is to retrieve and amend the serial numbers involved. With these amended serial numbers a new transfer will not be needed. We do ask that you reply back to our customer service email with the basic details listed below. This will allow us to issue your return label and get it back to you as soon as possible. Please send the complete firearm in a well cushioned unmarked packaging to keep your firearm safe and negate the possibility of theft. Black Aces Tactical appreciates your cooperation and apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.
Another thought, how are we supposed to ship these guns back when both FedEx and UPS went woke and refuse to ship guns from non-FFLs. I certainly wouldn’t want UPS to seize and destroy my contraband weapon especially because Black Aces gave me the impression this is probably a ghost gun.
I’ve delt with serialized product that’s regulated by the DOT in the past. This has happened to us. We were hush hush as much as possible and very short with the customer as well. No company wants to air out their dirty laundry and sad but true they dont owe you much of an explanation. They owe it to the governing body they deal with such as the ATF, DOJ, customs, etc. I’m no firearms or importations lawyer or expert. So I dont know for sure.
We had to add a suffix to the numbers. So 1234 became 1234A and 1234B. The Test reports and C of C’s needed to be amended and yada yada.
I can’t answer your question as far as what happens if you dont send it back. I will guess that they wont retrieve every single one out there and the governing body that they abide by knows this. As long as they make every possible effort to rectify the situation they might be ok.
I probably haven’t answered much and I’m curious what anyone else might know or be able to add.
Personally, I’d just go with the flow and work with them. FedEx and UPS wont trip, I’ve sent several firearms. As long as it’s in your name and going to the manufacturer, you’re ok.
EDIT: UPS staff that was very rude and anti gun did explain to me that I can’t send a firearm on my own freewill. But if I have a PREPAID label from the manufacturer that they can and will accept my firearm for shipment. Your email states " We do ask that you reply back to our customer service email with the basic details listed below. This will allow us to issue your return label" so thats why you will be ok.
Thanks for your reply. That does make sense regarding the FFL issued shipping label. I’ll have to call my UPS store and see if their “corporate policy” prevents them from accepting guns. I’ve read that we might have to go to the UPS depot which is like 45 minutes away from me.
I shipped a rifle to Black Rain Ordnance for repair. No issues whatsoever. Next week I attempted to ship a magazine back to PSA and the lady refused to accept it. She said I cant even ship firearm parts or accessories. I told her “last week you shipped an AR15 from this store”. She proceeded to explain if its a prepaid shipping label to the manufacturer thats its ok. But if I attempt to pay for the shipment then they wont allow it.
I said to her who cares which person paid for the shipping? You still are shipping a gun. She said thats the way it is. Flat out refused the magazine and I had to go to the Post Office.
I’ve also shipped a gun to PSA from my house using UPS. He dropped off an order and I said, here take this with you. He took it.
Not exactly the same thing, but a similar issue: Back when Remington was recalling Model 700’s for alleged trigger issues, they sent me a nice box and return label. IIRC in the paperwork, it stated some ridiculously long turnaround time like 12-16 weeks. I never sent the rifle in* and never heard from them again. So like @California_Refugee said, the OEM did their part to CYA themselves, but they can’t be expected to achieve 100% resolution on any issue. Now, they may be fined or in some other sort of hot water with the ATF, but that doesn’t always parlay directly to the consumer.
*I ordered and replaced the stock trigger with a Timney.
So I casually ignored the first email, and they sent a second notice! This time they offered a carrot and a stick.
Send it in and they will give me a box of buckshot, or the local police will come and seize my weapon. That doesn’t sound legal but just fear mongering.
To Whom It May Concern,
This email is a follow up to the warranty recall notice sent on Thursday, October 13th, 2022. Receiving this email implies that your firearm is included in this recall. Due to unforeseen circumstances in manufacturing, a recall has been issued for serial number discrepancies requiring urgent attention as this is a legal matter.
Our goal is to retrieve these firearms, amend the serial number, and return them to their owner. This process will take less than two weeks taking into account the days in transport. Transfer cost with your local shop will be covered by Black Aces Tactical.
Shipping cost will be covered and a return label will be provided. Labels will be sent electronically and will require printing for shipment. Boxes and raw materials will not be provided. We highly advise using an unmarked and well-cushioned box to protect your firearm during transport. Please send the complete firearm. Magazines and other add-ons can be removed and kept safe at home.
We would again like to stress this is a legal matter with your firearm. If we are able to retrieve your firearm for service by November 30th, 2022. We are offering a complimentary box (25rnds) of Black Aces Tactical 00 Buckshot to be sent with your firearm for the inconvenience.
Black Aces Tactical aims to have this resolved in a timely manner. Non-compliance in this matter may lead to local law enforcement interference. Potentially resulting in the seizure of your firearm.
It’s odd Black Aces Tactical makes no mention of this “Recall” whatsoever on their website. A search there comes up with nada and a quick Googling of same yields nothing current except this thread. It’s possible they don’t want this information getting out for reasons of publicity, but that doesn’t jive with how Warranty Recalls are typically administered (e.g. widest dissemination of information as possible).
I mean, if the entirety of their due diligence in resolving whatever kerfuffle they’ve created is limited to email, they’re not going to be very successful in appeasing their overlords.
The new email says that they require an FFL transfer and will pay for the fee. Not sure how that’s going to work out. I’m going to call PSA today and talk to them.
@Rufus I do like it! This is probably the best designed of the Turkish made bullpups. I have previously used the ATI bulldog and didn’t like the controls on that one. The Black Aces Tactical gives you a side charging handle, ambidextrous mag release and ambidextrous safety. Initial I had a few stove pipes but better quality ammo seems to have fixed that problem.
Makes sense. My understanding is a new transfer is required if the return item from the OEM has a different SN from the one you send in. PSA should not be involved in this process*. That’s why they’re asking for your preferred FFL info.
personally, i would not do a damn thing until i called Black Aces Corporate, and got someoene at that company to confirm that 1, the recall is legit, and 2 the emails to you are legit, and 3 that they are actually the ones behind this recall program. it sounds fishy to me, especially if they are getting more and more irritable in the emails. Something about them and what you have described is just rubbing me way the wrong way. seems like a scam to me… but that could just be the IT security idiot in me coming out…
I thought the same thing. What an epic scam this would be if someone could manage to get hundreds of people to send them their shotguns with no intention of returning them.
I tried looking at the Black Aces website and there wasn’t a phone number to call. I hate these fly by night companies that just market products they don’t manufacture.
I called PSA and spoke with a rep. He wasn’t very helpful and basically said he’s not aware of any recall. He suggested I contact Black Aces. I asked the PSA rep if their company privacy policy would give my email address to a manufacturing if they requested it for recall purposes. He couldn’t answer my question.
At this point I’m kind of disappointed with both company’s response. My question is why would Black Aces not already have my name and address if they actually got my contact from PSA.
I spoke with my local FFL dealer and he said that normally the ATF would ask the dealer to provide the end customer’s info. So far he hasn’t heard anything yet. I think it’s weird that Black Aces says local police would intervene when this is clearly an ATF concern.
