My Cabela's Experience

[JcMack]

The store you speak of is right down the road about 1.5 miles from me. I've bought more than my share of guns there. A friend in the gun dept. told me that the Hammond store is No. 1 in sales in the chain of I believe 64 stores. Gun deals are long gone. A lot of the reason they're No. 1 is the gun dept sales. The store sits right on the interstate and within a couple miles from Illinois with it's new gun carry realization. My point is for the guns sales volume they do, the dept is grossly understaffed. Unlike other depts. in the store they won't let anyone "fill in" in the gun dept. I'm not surprised at your delays. I hate the place because it's too expensive, and every, and I mean every employee tries to sell you on the Cabelas card.

 

[Drm50]

Cabela's

A few years back a Cabela's open up 50 mi. from us. A buddy of
mine at work ask me if I wanted to go with him to pick up some
boat accessories he had ordered. We left work, in our work cloths. When we got there I went to check out guns while he
went to boat dept. I ended up in the"Gun Library". While mulling
over prices, I was thinking of selling out my collection, leaving
my old lady, buying a tropical island and marrying 2 Dallas
Cowboy Cheerleaders. My thoughts were interrupted by a 20
some year old snot in sport coat. He said buddy I think the guns
you would be looking for are out on floor in the used racks.
That was my first, only, and last visit to Cabela's. Also I know
people who have been "raped" by the buyers at the gun dept.
My buying will stay with the LGs.

 

[Calaveras Slim]

It's very likely that cooler by the check-out is not owned by the the store. It's owned by the soda distributor. It's stocked by a guy that come along in a big panel truck with a hand cart. He is not an employee of the store. He works for the soda distributor, and is paid partially on commission.

Nobody in the store could of put product in that case, even if they wanted too. One, they don't have the proper inventory. Two, it would likely violate their contract with the soda distributor.

The soda business is EXTREMELY competitive. You can't imagine. The guys in those trucks work like dogs. If you called and complained to the distributor you'd be doing him a favor. They want to know if their cases are being emptied, and if they need to increase the frequency of when they are refilled.

So I found out. Thanks for binging it up and it bears repeating. My point of the episode was to illustrate the attitude

 

[Calaveras Slim]

It's very likely that cooler by the check-out is not owned by the the store. It's owned by the soda distributor. It's stocked by a guy that come along in a big panel truck with a hand cart. He is not an employee of the store. He works for the soda distributor, and is paid partially on commission.

Nobody in the store could of put product in that case, even if they wanted too. One, they don't have the proper inventory. Two, it would likely violate their contract with the soda distributor.

The soda business is EXTREMELY competitive. You can't imagine. The guys in those trucks work like dogs. If you called and complained to the distributor you'd be doing him a favor. They want to know if their cases are being emptied, and if they need to increase the frequency of when they are refilled.

So I found out. Thanks for binging it up and it bears repeating. My point of the episode was to illustrate the attitude

 

[Erich]

Very well written post, Curiousnewbie - so sorry that you had that frustrating experience. Glad you like your new gun and that this mess is behind you; thanks for taking the time to write it up to let us know about it.

 

[da gimp]

I've had very good luck with the Gun Library staff of the KC, Kansas store...they had the common sense to pull out some exc research books when they could not answer my questions off the cuff on antique proof marks..I highly recommend this store.

 

[Zipdog]

You probably drove by 10 to 12 FFL guys doing transfer out of their house getting to that big box store for your transfer. I live in a county of 15,000 and we have at least 4 guys doing transfers out of their homes who will accomadate your hours.

 

[model70hunter]

Cabelas. Started selling hand tied flies in the 60's. I still have some somewhere.

When I lived in STL I called the KC store gun library manager for help in finding things. Like sling swivels for a Super Grade pre 64 Model 70 375 H&H. He told me of an old gentleman way out in KS who retired but had lots of stuff and gave me the phone #, I called the old gent had them, I gave him my CC and he shipped them to me. That was customer service.

St. Louis got a big Cabelas. Nice, guns were reasonable. Got to know the Gun Library folks and manager personally. Folks moved on. Prices went thru the roof, and Cabelas have nice tall roofs. Win-win trades died. Junky old rifles that my LGS bus had for round number example $200 was $275 or $300 at Cabelas. No one knows anything, take a number and wait.

Before pricing went crazy I had the Reno Cabelas ship a Colt 3-5-7 to ?STL. I called the store to see if it was logged in and went by to pick it up.

Abbot and Costello's who's on first has to be taken from their trip to Cabelas.

Hi, I'm here to pick up a 3-5-7 Colt from Reno.

10-15 minutes later the guy comes back and and says it not here. I said i was called and told it was.

Come back and says all we have are some 45 Colts.

I said OK been 30 minutes, go in the back, look at all Colts one is a Model 3-5-7.

5-10 minutes he comes back and says I found a 38 special.

OK young man nice is over, get the manager. He's gone home. Get the store manager. Don't know who that is.

Either you get a manager here or we will find your pink slip.

A lady shows up from some other dept. I told her I had a 3-5-7 Colt shipped in from the Reno store. It is Model 3-5-7.

She was back in minutes with the Colt. I said where was it hiding, no where I just looked for 3-5-7 in the pile that was logged in today.

I later had Reno send 2 Pythons over. I went in when the store manager was in, we yakked while an employee hustled back and got them. Don't want to tick off someone who the manager knows.

I bought a 22 Masterpiece and a 629 no dash from them before prices spiraled out of sight. I don't go there much anymore. Left STL. Went to the KC store last week and bought 4 boxes of 16 gauge shot shells.

I guess folks must pay 2500 for guns that don't bring 1200-1550 on Gbroker. They have enough old Winchester rifles marked that way.

Used to like the joint, they too have lassoed the greed bug and it will do them in the same as it has smaller LGS's who went full bore greed.

 

[rwsmith]

It sounds to me....

A lot of people here have had good or acceptable service from Cabela's. I'd expect that. People buy tons of stuff from them and they have a good name.

But I think in this case the OP got very lousy service. Whatever excuses about liability and overhead, t if they want to do business, they should. If they don't. Then don't.

I called customer service to a computer company a ways back about a warranty repair and tried to coordinate with the service center that is in California, which I was directed to use and had used before. I was told that they had no communication or way to cross reference anything at the service center. I thought this was just a little unusual. If somebody wants to tell me I tried to take advantage of them or expected too much. Please do.

 

[Jack Flash]

A Tale of Two Cabela's:
Cabela's opened a huge store in Dundee, Michigan years ago. I have bought several guns there and service was slow but not unacceptably so. Sometimes they have deals and sometimes they don't. Service is good enough, I guess.

More recently, they opened a smaller store in the Grand Rapids, MI area. I bought a new rifle there a couple of months ago. I could not believe how long I had to wait to complete the paperwork! Without going through it chapter and verse, let me just say it was "unacceptably slow". The clerks seemed to be more interested in standing around B.S.-ing with each other than giving good customer service. Never again!

On a somewhat related note:
I have been buying Carhardtt jeans from Cabela's via mail order for more than ten years. Recently, I needed a new pair but they were out of stock of every style in my size. Dang, I needed them now! So on a whim, I tried Amazon dot com. Not only did they list exactly what I wanted, but at a better price with free shipping!

 

[O2Guy]

I think that a lot of you that are suggesting that OP use a LGS missed the point that he works late. Most LGS don't stay open late and it's sometimes hard for working folks to get there during their business hours.
The part of his story that stands out to me is when they told him that he would be contacted and no one contacted him. There is no excuse for that.

 

[Arik]

OP, I think you protest too much. Cabela's is offering you a service which you chose to use. I got the sense from your post that you felt entitled to have your transfer handled ahead of their retail inventory, because "it was only 1 gun"

Myself, I have always had excellent customer service in all departments at the Owatonna, MN store and before at the original in Sidney, NE

I don't quite get that. If me and you are both paying customers what's the difference? The clerk doesn't know what you want to buy until he talks to you and he can't just say oh that's not enough money, you'll have to wait till the line of customers clears. What if I came up and only wanted a $5 box of ammo?

They offer the service for which he pays. So what's the difference? They offer you a service of buying guns and you chose to take them up on it at a cost to you.

Yes I would want my gun the same day. There is no waiting period in my state. My LGS, while not the size of Cabela's does a good amount of selling both online and in store. On a good day they'll sell 150+ guns. On a slow day just under a 100. In all those sales and talking to customers and showing holsters and ringing up ammo the 6 employees somehow manage to get your transfer the same day as it came in

 

[Leonard]

*Last time I checked, they will price match most competitors prices on printed (not web) sales within a 100mile radius (when I don't want to make that trip to Midwest Gun Exchange...). .

Keep giving big box stores your business due to a price match eventually they will have no competition to price match.

My policy in business and my personal purchases is to deal with who ever treats me right the first time.

I think Cabella's will eventually go the way of Dicks and some of the other big box stores fewer or no guns and more clothing where they have bigger margins. Support your local LGS

 

[roarindan]

This is the reason I buy my firearms at Vanns Guns. I only have to ask Marvin or Mary.

I buy my socks and underwear at box stores,,and my guns at a gun store.

 

[M3Stuart]

You went to Cabela's and it took ONLY 4 days for them to figure it out?!?

It normally takes me a couple weeks when I have stuff shipped there.

WOW! Count your lucky stars!

 

[Zipdog]

I think that a lot of you that are suggesting that OP use a LGS missed the point that he works late. Most LGS don't stay open late and it's sometimes hard for working folks to get there during their business hours.
The part of his story that stands out to me is when they told him that he would be contacted and no one contacted him. There is no excuse for that.

You must have missed post #27.

 

[Curiousnewbie]

You went to Cabela's and it took ONLY 4 days for them to figure it out?!?

It normally takes me a couple weeks when I have stuff shipped there.

WOW! Count your lucky stars!

Ha! That gave me a good chuckle.

 

[the ringo kid]

Its for reasons like the Op and some others stated--why I buy all my guns at Gun shows or a store im familiar and comfortable with.Never had any problems even back in the days when you had to wait a day or so to pick up a handgun if bought at a gun show?

That said,ive never had a chance to walk into a Cabelas--but tried about a year or so ago--to place an order for ammo--over the phone.The guy said they dont send ammo through the mail with I know is BS--because of all you here who have posted about buying and getting ammo through them and in the same way I was attemtpting to.Well,ive never tried again.

 

[hoc9sw]

Technically, they don't send ammo through the mail. They use UPS or Fedex. But using either can be problematic, as it gets left on your doorstep, and people steal things off doorsteps. Can't have it delivered to the office, No Guns / No Ammo rule there.

I have things shipped to a friend's small business address if there is something at risk involved.

 

[the ringo kid]

Technically, they don't send ammo through the mail. They use UPS or Fedex. But using either can be problematic, as it gets left on your doorstep, and people steal things off doorsteps. Can't have it delivered to the office, No Guns / No Ammo rule there.

I have things shipped to a friend's small business address if there is something at risk involved.

Actually,what I meant but forgot to say was--that he said they dont take order over the phone--or Credit card payment.

Its all worked out anyway.I have my sources and their prices are better. Most likely--ill be getting a few hundred more rounds at the next show in less than two weeks.

During the so far--brief five fifty six ammo scare here locally,I managed to pickup six hundred rounds of CCI mini-mags for less than twenty bucks total. Thats more than ive been able to get in two years from WalMart and other stores here.