Cabelas strikes again!!!!!!

[John Truitt]

Not my gun or issue but I promised a friend I would pass this along to everyone so they would know what they are dealing with.

Last Saturday a deal was negotiated and agreed to purchase an o frame 16 ga top lever hammergun from Cabelas in Kansas City. My friend gave them his credit card, FFL, ship to/ and bill to address with instructions for 3 day shipping.
On Wednesday Cabelas calls him and states they had lost his info and needed it all again and the gun would be shipped out that day. (he reports he reinstructed them to have his name on it and they said nothing to worry about it was already in the shipping/ packaging area for him)
Today they call him and tell him the gun was sold to someone else yesterday, sorry it is gone.

What a way to treat your paying customers.
Like you guys have said before they just cannot get it right.

[Chris Travinski]

I had a recent bitter sweet experience with Cabela's, there was a nifty DH 12 ga. with a straight stock and 30" damascus barrels on guns international for $2000. It had an easily repairable crack in the stock but was otherwise excellent. I was the lucky first caller, paid for it and they sent it to me. When I got it home, I couldn't believe how nice the gun was for the price, most of the original case color was there, great engraving, gorgeous wood, nice high stock dimensions, and it still had the SSBP. As I started looking it over I found a bulge about 4" from the muzzle on one barrel. Between the stock and the bulge, I would have to guess it was over loaded. On the plus side, they refunded the shipping too, before I had the chance to ask.

[Ed Blake]

That is a damn shame.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I did a negative posting about them on here several years ago and the head of the Gun Library actually got on and commented. That was the only time though, I guess he's got so many complains he can't keep up with them.

D

[Rich Anderson]

Wes Dillon was the head of all the Gun Libraries untill he went to Julia. They used to pride themselves on customer service but have so many inexperienced Gun Library Mgrs it's hard to talk to someone who knows anything.

As much as I hated to i called them on a DH 20ga damascuss gun last year. it was advertised on the web. I was told it was listed by mistake and that it had to be held for 30 days by law. they couldn't or wouldn't put my name on it. After the required time period I called the store in the opening hour and was told the gun had been sold.

[Bill Murphy]

All that "holding the gun for 30 days" is a crock. Every time we bitch about Cabela's, Checkbook Bruce gets on here and tells us how the big cheese at Cabela's is a PGCA supporter. I have been through the business of someone selling me a gun and then "selling it to someone else" because it turned out to be a good gun. What kind of record keeping can exist in a Gun Library that a gun can be sold twice without anyone knowing about it. There are only a couple of people per shift. I would want to see the proof of the other sale. By the way, the big cheese at Cabela's told me to contact him if I needed anything. I wonder what he would do for me if I told him I was sold a gun and refused possession? Dr. Pruitt needs to rock the boat a bit.

[Larry Stauch]

"The Boys of Cabelas", God bless em. Just so you know, in the state of Washington and possibly other states as well, they have a pawn law that requires all guns traded in to go through a 30 day quarantine period before they can be sold to determine if they have been stolen, so here it's real.

About 6 years ago I saw a MINT Parker GHE 20 gauge on their website and they called it a reproduction. Of course, as we all know, there was never a GHE reproduction. So I called them and asked the sales guy what it said on the top of the barrels. He said, just as I had suspected, it had no writing of any sort on the top of the barrels or top of the rib. **** REMINGTON era Parker!!

So I gave him my credit card and the gun arrived a few days later. I bought it on the low end of what a good used reproduction would have gone for in those days. My gunsmith said he had never seen such a crisp and clean Parker in all the years he had been in business.

It's not always a bad thing to be involved with "The Boys of Cabelas".

[Ed Blake]

That bit about losing the contact and mailing info is a bunch of BS. What a lie. Sloppy business practices and indifferent customer service. Makes me want to spend my money somewhere else.

[Larry Stauch]

The world is built on relationships. We've all been the guy that didn't get the deal because they gave it to someone else after committing to us. And if we're lucky we've been the guy who saw the deal and squeezed our buddy behind the counter to sell the gun to us instead of shipping it off to someone they don't even know in another state. Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

I lost a LC Smith 20 gauge Crown grade with 32" VENT rib barrels (how many of those do you think they made) when I was buying a 30" 16 gauge Crown grade at the same time. The gun store owner sold it to the big collector in town, who saw it setting behind the counter with the 16 gauge. I was mad as hell, but it didn't matter, he was in and I was out. I still got some great deals out of that guy over the years, but that one was hard to take.

[Jay Gardner]

The arrogance of the guys who work at the "Library" in Dundee is beyond belief but it sounds like they are par for the course. I had a bad experience with them once and I will never do business with them again. Far too much misrepresentation, intentional or not.

[Dennis V. Nix]

Years ago in Santa Barbara, CA I saw a Winchester 21 on consignment at a sporting goods store. I made the deal to buy it and then put it on layaway for 30 days. Two days later I went to the store to look at it and was told the gun was sold to someone else because that customer offered more money. The sporting goods manager thought he owed it to the consigner to get as much money as he could even though he had taken money from me. I immediately contacted a SB County District Attorney investigator who worked in the fraud unit. He and I had been in the same law enforcement academy together and was a good friend. I explained the circumstances to him and he said if I wanted to do it I could go into the company and tell them to sell me the gun or I would have the D.A.'s office file criminal fraud charges against the store. If they refused and it went to court the store would be liable to me for 3 times the amount of the sale. I went to the store, found the sporting goods manager and explained my intentions. He said he needed to talk to the store manager. I went home expecting someone to call me. Within 30 minutes the sporting goods manager called apologizing and said the gun would be sold to me as agreed. I picked it up 3 days later just to make sure. I can't vouch for other states but once they have the credit card they are legally obligated to sell the gun to that buyer. It wouldn't hurt to contact Cabela's and explain your intentions. Depending on their answer I would sure consider contacting the D.A. in that city/county to ask about your rights. If enough people do that maybe Cabela's will change their mind.

I know Wes Dillon well from buying many firearms from him in the Sidney store. He is a fine gentleman and I have nothing but the highest respect for him. I agree with the writer that once he left the customer service at Cabela's Gun Librarys went downhill. I have gone into many libraries across the country and in many of them I was not even greeted. I could walk the library for 20 minutes with a couple of salesmen talking and neither one of them would say hello. On one occasion I had $5000.00 burning a hole in my pocket for a rifle I had been told was there. It was still there when I left since I had no desire to give $5000.00 to somebody who couldn't give me a common greeting.

[Bill Murphy]

The "no greeting" situation is alive and well at the Cabela's in Hamburg, PA. I have never successfully engaged a Library clerk or manager in any sort of conversation at that store. I wonder if the big cheese at Cabela's will come on this thread to defend his honor and his company?

[John Truitt]

I am sure my friend would appreciate all of your advice.
Again I was not involved in this deal.

The info Mr Nix posted is interesting. Not only did they get my friends credit card once but twice. :shock:
I can say my friend said they have lost his buisness for good.

I just purchased a very nice 10 ga hammer gun from another Cabelas store earlier this week. They were wonderful, knowledgeable, and easy to deal with. I guess it is all about which store and who you deal with. But after my friends experience I have serious reservation about dealing with the Cabelas in Kansas City.

Just so yall know I had great dealings with the Cabelas in Minn. I dealt directly with a man named Brad.

[Jay Gardner]

I guess we need to keep in mind that Cabela's is the basically the Meijer Store of sporting goods. Face it, volume is about the only thing that they have going for them and that's reflected in the quality of their employees and the service they provide.

[Dennis V. Nix]

Setter Man, I apologize but I am missing what you are trying to say. First, I don't understand Meijer store. Is that a common store somewhere but not where I live? Second, how do you mean volume is the only thing they have going for them? And in your opinion is it reflected good or bad. I find many stores that offer the same products as Cabela's. To me what sets them apart is the quality of individual service and their, used to be, quality of return policy and also policy of working with the customer to the customer's benefit. I don't see that anymore.

The company used to have a policy of used guns where if you purchased a used gun and didn't like it you could trade it up on another firearm even if it was in a different Cabela's. Though my brother and I seldom used that option it was wonderful on occasion. A year ago my brother who has literally spent thousands of dollars in various Cabela's stores bought 3 firearms. He didn't like one of them and tried to trade up at the store where he bought it. He was told they never did that and when he requested to talk to the store manager they ended up allowing him to return the gun for another but the store manager refused to even talk to him. On another occasion when I felt I had a bad experience at a Cabela's I wrote a letter to the store manager. Two years later now I still have not received a reply. I am not a happy camper over these incidents. I still shop there but only with old time people I can trust when buying high price items.

Again please forgive me. I am not saying you are right or wrong but wondering what it is you are saying.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I had a problem with them on a gift card and an ammunition purchase. I got mad enough to write letters to the Dundee customer service manager, the Dundee store manager, and the corporate customer service manager. Never heard a word from the local people but after a time the corporate folks did get back with me and make it right to my complete satisfaction. I think going up the ladder is really the key, the locals hope you'll just forget about it.


Destry

[Jay Gardner]

Setter Man, I apologize but I am missing what you are trying to say. First, I don't understand Meijer store. Is that a common store somewhere but not where I live? Second, how do you mean volume is the only thing they have going for them?

Meijer is a step up from a Super Walmart. Perhaps that's not the best comparison - Gander Mountain is probably more accurate. The volume of inventory and sales generally means (at least to me) lower prices - and that's about all they have going for them. For the most part (especially at it relates to gun sales, old and new) the employees are dismissive and have treated me like it was almost too much to ask them to answer a question and I have NEVER been approached proactively by an employee of the Gun Library in Dundee.

I get the fact that they get a lot of people who are just window shopping but that goes with the territory and they should have known that when they ask for a job. If you don't like the heat then perhaps a kitchen isn't where you want to work.

[calvin humburg]

Well I'll tell ya I been doing business with Buda Texas And the lady I was talking to was a sweetheart very helpful... I guess if there was no cabelas you would not have anything to bitch about. And a lot less guns to look at. ch

[greg conomos]

"The world is built on relationships. We've all been the guy that didn't get the deal because they gave it to someone else after committing to us. And if we're lucky we've been the guy who saw the deal and squeezed our buddy behind the counter to sell the gun to us instead of shipping it off to someone they don't even know in another state. Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug."

What a terrible commentary. Whether it's true or not, we at least try to hold forth some semblance of honor in our dealings, no? The world is not built on relationships -it is built on laws and plain old doing-the-right-thing.

The idea that it's all about buddies and trying to come out on top when the screwing stops is just wrong....I'm glad I don't think that way. And sorry you do.

In the words of Gomer Pyle, 'Shame, shame, shame!'

[Rich Anderson]

The Gun Library Mgr from Dundee was Phil Reynolds, very knowledgeable, fair and an honest guy needless to say he isn't there anymore.

I don't think the big cheese of the Gun Libraries is the big cheese anymore. I can't remember his name but the idea of the Library was his. Wes once told me he was set to run all of the Cabelas when the brothers retired however someone from Remington Arms is now at the helm.

The ONLY store I'd deal with is Owatonna, Mn Jim Flarty there is knowledgeable and honest...but I'm hard pressed to give them any of my hard earned dollars. One of their stores has a Ruger #1 in 38-55 I'd like to have but I just won't give them my money.

I know more than one dealer who shops them on a regular basis looking and finding deals like the GHE that was sold as a reproduction. either they are way overpriced or it's the other way around.

[Kevin McCormack]

Remember if you have purchased a gun from whomever with a credit card and have been given a confirmation of transaction number (they call in your card and it is good to go) or receipt number by the vendor, from that moment forward if the gun does not come to you (e.g., sold 'earlier' or "to someone else who offered the consignor more money", etc.) you can declare the gun as stolen and have it entered on the NCIS firearms listing. Informing the sporting goods store manager or 'library" morons with this information has some VERY interesting results! BATF, possibly the FBI, and State and local law enforcement authorities all come out to play.

[Grantham Forester]

Right after the 12 VHE came to me from my wife's side of the family, a friend and I took it and his 12 gauge LC Smith to the local Cabela's-just for the fun of it- to see what they would offer us for our doubles. We were greeted at the door, and we uncased the shotguns and tagged them, and they then called the Gun Library for an "escort" back to that area of the store. Long story short-- they offered me $600 for the VHE- it has 30" barrels and is unaltered, about 70% metal finish and blue, 80% wood varnish-when they looked over my friend's LC Smith 12, they told him that someone had shot steel shot loads through it, as the muzzles and barrel bores were "bulged" and it was worth maybe $200 "as is".

My friend is not a duck hunter, has never bought steel shot, and usually hunts with a 20 gauge Browning Clitori over and under. The Smith belonged to his late father-in-law, and had been stored taken down in the fitted case it came in from V,L&A many years ago. Like the VHE, it has double triggers and auto ejectors, more engraving than the VHE however.

We both work for Beecher Tool & Die Co. and although we are not gunsmiths by any sense of the word, we know how to use a straight edge. When we returned home, we laid one on both barrels of the LC Smith from "stem to gudgeon" and never saw a gap or daylight- straight as a carpenter's chalk line before the snap--

I don't know about the other Gun Libraries in the Cabela's line-up, but the one we visited seems to be staffed with the uninformed, if not outright crooked folks. A darn shame too!!:cuss::cuss:

[Rich Anderson]

The few very knowledgeable people that were in the Libraries are gone. They want a min of 30% margin and all the sales people do is look in the computer and see what they have paid for a certain gun on average and thats the number you get unless they think they can get it for less.

[Phil Yearout]

I had a gun shipped to the KC store from another store (this was back when they would do that for free); getting it there was fiasco in itself with conflicting stories and multiple phone calls. Finally I was notified it was there and made the 250 mile trip. When I got there they couldn't find the gun and no one knew anything about it. Finally someone found it in the back without a tag, note, etc. The first thing I noted was that someone had installed a butt plate that was too small for the stock and it looked like they had trimmed the stock down with a hatchet to fit the plate (not visible in the photos)! No one had bothered to mention that to me. As soon as the guy handed me the gun he sat down at the desk and made a phone call; never made any effort to talk with me about the gun, etc. I waited patiently until he hung up, then asked if they'd take less because I'd have to have the stock cut and a pad installed. "Nope," he said. "That's the price." I handed him back the gun, he leaned it behind the desk and made another phone call. That was the extent of the sales effort. On the way home my wife told me to go ahead and buy the gun I really wanted (considerably more expensive) so I guess they did me a favor.

My other major Cabela's go-round was over a broken fly rod. I had bought it on sale and it had since been discontinued, and rather than replace it with a comparable rod (which is what their guarantee says they'll do) they wanted to refund what I'd paid for it 10 years ago. After arguing with several layers of management I wrote a letter to Dick and Jim saying, among other things, how much I had enjoyed their products and service in the past, and that I knew if they still owned the company I wouldn't be writing this letter. Also, how much I hated that I wouldn't be buying anything from Cabela's anymore. Now, I don't know whether either of them actually saw the letter, but shortly thereafter I got a call from a customer service person who said that they had "misunderstood" my situation, and that certainly they would be replacing the rod, which they did.

We just got a new store here in the area; glad I didn't have to make good on my promise never to shop there again!

[Grantham Forester]

Would like opinions from all who have contributed to this thread so far, and of course from others as well. A friend who lives in neighboring Iowa found on their Internet Gun Library an older LC Smith 12 Damascus- at Cabela's Hoffmann Estates retail store. He has it confirmed by serial number as being made in Syracuse in 1888 (aprox) or, eight years before the "Antique" BATF provisional date of 1896 mfg. But the GL policy is that Illinois Law prevails over BATF ruling, even with interstate shipment and sale, so it must go to a FFL or C&R holder, with no exceptions.

He wants to make an issue with this? Is it worth contacting the BATF office in Chicago with the details? Would this action make Cabela's in IL change it's policy re: pre-1896 mfg. long guns and shipment after sale to neighboring States?:nono::nono:

[Mark Ouellette]

I believe that a state or city may be more restrictive than the Federal Government concerning what is a considered a firearm.

[Dennis V. Nix]

I think the cut off year is 1898 not 1896. Having said that I do think it is worthwhile to contact BATF and ask them precisely what the law is. I have contacted them over the years regarding FFL questions when I had one and have found the people to be fairly knowledgeable and friendly. If you receive a positive answer though you may still be unsuccessful at getting Cabela's to sell the gun without going through an FFL dealer to record the transfer. My thinking is the company would rather err on the side of doing everything to the letter of the law rather than the intent of the law.

[Larry Stauch]

Guys jerking Cabelas around over everything they do is not to our benefit in the long run. They have a reputation of a size and scope that none of us will ever achieve. Use your knowledge and skill to help them through the problem; don't create more problems for them. There are people, who are not gun people that own a lot of inherited great stuff walking into to their stores on a daily basis handing over these great collector guns and getting paid a fraction of their value. It's unfortunate, but it's a fact of life. And we know that they then apply a 1.3 multiplier to them and give all of us a chance at them. It's a great business model for them and a great benefit to all of us. Yes I'm sure we can all do whatever we can to trip them up and drive them out of the gun market, but think about it, is that what you really want to do. Enjoy the fact that you know more than they do and use it to your benefit, don't throw up so many road blocks that they decide to throw in the towel on the collector gun business. This week I bought two outstanding collector guns at reasonable prices that would have never seen the light of day if it were not for their reputation as the "The Worlds for Most Outfitter".
Pick which ant hill you want to die on. I suggest it's not this one.

[Dennis V. Nix]

Not to be argumentative but I have not heard one person on this topic say they were going to do anything at all to trip up Cabela's. People have simply commented that in the past Cabela's was more customer service oriented with respect to the Gun Library. I don't remember anyone even saying they would not shop there anymore. Most store managers want to be informed if customer service is lacking. I will definitely shop there and at many of their stores. I have a number of friends that work at Cabela's and would never do them any harm nor talk badly about them. I have told them exactly what I feel is happening to their stores with regard to customer service. Some of those employees shake their heads and say they agree with the loss of customer service in the Gun Library. I am sure that many of the posters on this topic feel exactly as I do. Where you came up with the idea that any of us would do something to, "jerk around Cabela's," is unknown to me. I suspect we have all gotten a good deal on guns at Cabela's. If you have shopped there for years and have had absolutely no issues whatsoever then you are a lucky shopper indeed.

[Grantham Forester]

Maybe I am missing something from all the postings to this very interesting thread. Where are the comments about possible similar experiences in gun dealings; good, bad, indifferent- about Cabela's competition? Specifically Gander Mountain and Scheels as "Big Box" dealers.

I can understand Cabela's caution about the question of a possible "antigue" long gun being sold inter-state and the need for a FFL "paper trail" to give them and their "Top Dawgs" a CYA position. But when it comes to inter-state anything, does that not them become Federal in nature and scope? If that is so, would not the Federal laws and statutes subrogate those of any one, or in some cases, several States laws and statutes?

I advised my friend NOT to contact the BATF, anymore than I would advise him NOT to contact the: IRS, FBI, INS, DEA or any other agency- recalling to mind one of the three biggest lies extant, to wit: "I'm from the Federal Government and I am really here to help!"" Case closed!!!:banghead:

[Rich Anderson]

I will not buy anything from Cabela's. Like I stated befor they have a nice Ruger #1 in 38-55 which would make for a fine short range deer rifle but it's at Cabelas so I'll just find another single shot rifle somewhere else or have one built for me. They get none of my hard earned dollars.:nono:

[greg conomos]

Every year I get a $300 Cabela's gift card through a work related event. Every year I sell it on Ebay...Cabela's simply does not have anything I want. I'd rather have $280. Don't ask me why someone would pay $280+ for a $300 gift card but they do.

I really get tired of strolling through Cabela's and every single item has a 'China' sticker on it somewhere.