Cabelas strikes again!!!!!!

[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!!

[C.O.B.]

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?

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

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

[Dennis]

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 the Gun Guy]

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]

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!!!