Let's look at it this way, firearms are not exactly cheap. There are more than quite a few people who don't have to worry about money or let the credit card take care of the rest. There are also many people have to at least do some budgeting or ask for permission of the significant other. Personally, I would like to know ahead of what it is coming, so at least I got a rough idea to think ahead of what I will be buying in the next 12 months (!) If there is no money in the budget, there is nothing I can do with a 1 week notice even if it is an item I really want.
The problem is that people are trying to hold these "ETA" as a guarantee. The firearms industry as a whole NEVER EVER meets any deadline line! In the last 13 years, I have never ever seen any projected ETA to be accurate, even if the ETA is like 2 weeks away. Something always happens. Things are always late. It is just a matter of how long the delay is.
What it means, people should used the information and ETA released by dealers as a rough reference to budget accordingly. It is a win-win situation. Consumers know the products are coming and can budget for it. Dealers know that the consumers have budgeted to buy, the risk is lower as they are more assured products could move fast and that they can free up their cash without money stuck in inventory.
If you suddenly drop a product on the lap of consumers, that is of relatively high value they have to wait to replenish their budget or have to overcome more resistance to use more line of credit. That means inventory has to sit at retailers for a longer time, and the distributors will in term have a lower inventory turnover. You, as a consumer, are watching the product helplessly because you simply don't have the credit to buy it.
Despite all the background noises and moaning about missing ETA, it is still better to let people know ahead what it is going to happen. People just need to understand ETA will always be inaccurate, and the real date is always late.
