[RDS40]

When I got to the gun counter the salesman brought me a two tone non MS contrast sights

The model in their Blasick Friday flyer...sku 2766960 is not in the Basspro or Cabela's website.
https://bestblackfriday.com/ads/cabelas-black-friday/page-12#ad_view

In one recent flyer the item displayed stated:

365, manual safety
Contrast sights
ONE magazine

Not a catalog item but apparently a special run for a sale. Guess they hoped no one read the extremely fine print. It was buried in the ad barely visible.

Basspro has a $449 special.. but the fine print is Contrast sights... not a MS version. The 399 version came with one magazine. So is there any savings?? Not a dime.

Actually I'd rather have the contract sights as I remove the Xrays in any case.

"If it's too good to be true"...…. it seems like a real shady practice.

 

[Sarge1998]

This would not have happened (IMO) when Dick Cabela was alive and running his company, this week I read the new owners (BPS) are closing Sidney facilities, the town will literally dry-up as the majority of the population either worked or depended Cabela's. The politician (I forget) that sits in Washington uttered not a peep, seems he accepted campaign funds from Bass Pro, really!

 

[JStarX7]

Cabela's is not the same as it used to be after Bass purchase. I rarely buy from them anymore.

This. When I heard Bass Pro was buying them I knew they were going to go in the toilet.

 

[Sage46]

I would like to see the small print on the back page??????

 

[CACinAZ]

Since most of us on this forum are NRA members, it would be appropriate to send a note to the editor of NRA Shooting Illustrated magazine about the bait and switch tactics. Not enough to put on Facebook or Twitter (I don't use either one). Email address: shootingillustrated@nrahq.org. If enough of us do it, then it may get publicized. When over 5 million NRA members learn of Cabela's tactics, you can bet some people will lose their jobs over it. Negative press is never a good thing unless your running for President I guess.

 

[yellowlt7]

It was a misprint. There is absolutely no need to call for someone to get fired. These things happen weekly all over the country. Did somebody screw up on the flyer, sure. Was it an elaborate bait and switch scheme, absolutely not. If you don't like the company for one reason or another or was mistreated by local employee over this print then I agree, take your money elsewhere, but to call for someone to get fired who made a mistake on an flyer is a little bit of a over reaction.

 

[PPS1980]

It was a misprint. There is absolutely no need to call for someone to get fired. These things happen weekly all over the country. Did somebody screw up on the flyer, sure. Was it an elaborate bait and switch scheme, absolutely not. If you don't like the company for one reason or another or was mistreated by local employee over this print then I agree, take your money elsewhere, but to call for someone to get fired who made a mistake on an flyer is a little bit of a over reaction.

Really? Then how do you explain SheepdogIHS's experience? Seriously, he called ahead, was assured it was a) correct and b) were in stock but mysteriously (1st in line on the start of the sale remember) they were gone?

Nope, that's not a mistake that meets the definition of bait and switch if all facts are as stated. Next.

 

[chudsoo]

I saw the flyer showing the 9365 for $399. I thought it quite a bargain, but I already have one. Don't need two.

I agree, false advertising.

 

[Chuckbuck]

It was a misprint. There is absolutely no need to call for someone to get fired. These things happen weekly all over the country. Did somebody screw up on the flyer, sure. Was it an elaborate bait and switch scheme, absolutely not. If you don't like the company for one reason or another or was mistreated by local employee over this print then I agree, take your money elsewhere, but to call for someone to get fired who made a mistake on an flyer is a little bit of a over reaction.

YELLOW - you’ve missed the point by miles, has nothing to do with a mistake or misprint (did you read some of the details?) it’s about how Cabelas Managers handled the mistake (or MIShandled). Management always has the ability to “make things right”.... but they didn’t, they don’t care about customer service or repeat business — that ship sailed when they went Public and then SUNK when Bass Pro bought them. They are under pressure to turn a profit, cut costs, report Quartly Earnings to Wall St. If stores aren’t holding themselves accountable for their own advertising mistakes it is one of only TWO things: 1). Deliberate or grossly negligent false advertising. 2). Incompetent Management. If it was number “2” then the Manager should be fired.

 

[yellowlt7]

YELLOW - you’ve missed the point by miles, has nothing to do with a mistake or misprint (did you read some of the details?) it’s about how Cabelas Managers handled the mistake (or MIShandled). Management always has the ability to “make things right”.... but they didn’t, they don’t care about customer service or repeat business — that ship sailed when they went Public and then SUNK when Bass Pro bought them. They are under pressure to turn a profit, cut costs, report Quartly Earnings to Wall St. If stores aren’t holding themselves accountable for their own advertising mistakes it is one of only TWO things: 1). Deliberate or grossly negligent false advertising. 2). Incompetent Management. If it was number “2” then the Manager should be fired.

Trust me, I've worked in retail (much of it outdoor and shooting sports) and I promise you I've missed nothing.

 

[yellowlt7]

Really? Then how do you explain SheepdogIHS's experience? Seriously, he called ahead, was assured it was a) correct and b) were in stock but mysteriously (1st in line on the start of the sale remember) they were gone?

Nope, that's not a mistake that meets the definition of bait and switch if all facts are as stated. Next.

Then sue then and watch how quickly you lose becuase it is a far stretch from the legal definition of bait and switch m

 

[SteveAikens]

When BPS bought Cabelas, that was the last time I've been in a Cabelas.

 

[PaulWVa]

An 80 mile round trip to stand in line to save a hundred bucks on a 365 with a safety it doesn't really need????

Nope ... nope.... not even if they were free. No *******' way ......

 

[CACinAZ]

It was a misprint. There is absolutely no need to call for someone to get fired. These things happen weekly all over the country. Did somebody screw up on the flyer, sure. Was it an elaborate bait and switch scheme, absolutely not. If you don't like the company for one reason or another or was mistreated by local employee over this print then I agree, take your money elsewhere, but to call for someone to get fired who made a mistake on an flyer is a little bit of a over reaction.

I used to work in store management for one of the largest big box retailers. The ad was national. These things come from the home office and go through several levels of approval usually, with a lot of eyes (i.e., proofreaders). Executive management can be under intense pressure to increase traffic that hopefully results in increased sales. No one can prove their intentions but the odds are against a "casual" misprint. Many retailers will honor "misprints" because it increases good will and repeat traffic. But some will claim it was a "misprint" and can't be honored, and still hope that shoppers will buy something - anything - while in their stores. Frankly, top management should lose their jobs based on poor revenue and earnings performance, but a lot of boards are just backslappers. Unfortunately, if they need to blame someone it will be some poor staffer down the line. But, no, I don't want anyone to lose their jobs except perhaps for executive managers that can't properly manage the business.

 

[d2randall]

I have not had good experiences with local Cabela stores. I find better gun pricing at LGS. Most of their other goods are overpriced, and I usually can find a better deal from Amazon or SportmansGuide.
There gun sales personnel are not knowledgeable about their items.

IMHO, there seems to be a poor customer awareness trend developing with large store chains like Dick's, Bass Pro, Cabela, etc.

 

[Chuckbuck]

I used to work in store management for one of the largest big box retailers. The ad was national. These things come from the home office and go through several levels of approval usually, with a lot of eyes (i.e., proofreaders). Executive management can be under intense pressure to increase traffic that hopefully results in increased sales. No one can prove their intentions but the odds are against a "casual" misprint. Many retailers will honor "misprints" because it increases good will and repeat traffic. But some will claim it was a "misprint" and can't be honored, and still hope that shoppers will buy something - anything - while in their stores. Frankly, top management should lose their jobs based on poor revenue and earnings performance, but a lot of boards are just backslappers. Unfortunately, if they need to blame someone it will be some poor staffer down the line. But, no, I don't want anyone to lose their jobs except perhaps for executive managers that can't properly manage the business.

CACinAZ - I agree in part with your assessment and worked my career in Retail with the last 30 years as an executive of a publicly traded company. We had several serious advertising mistakes over the years and whenever one hit ‘print media’ we made the decision to “honor it” - often resulting in a $$ loss on that item. Even without provable “intent” a retailer can be determined negligent and “should’ve known”...but it never gets to that because the damage is already done to Brand reputation and Customer loyalty. There is a pattern with Cabela’s as these incidents happen too often - they know (or should know) the item advertised is in “short supply” that is NOT an oversite, it is intentional - and also “defensible” as likely their attorneys have advised Upper Management. The AD drives traffic into the stores - as intended - It is a move that some company’s decide to make and that is why I “disagree” with you that some employees (Executives-Store Manager) should not be Terminated. Executives made the “decision” and should be held accountable AND Store Managers failed to “make it right” with the Customer - also need to be held Accountable.

 

[Jerrysea]

Don't these ads have a disclaimer? "While supply last'" Some have only so many available or something to that effect.

 

[181810]

Never bought anything from Cabela's as it was ALWAYS over priced.
Bass Pro...meh.

Sportsmans, a different story. I spent some bucks there. Nice to hear about their customer service.

 

[flwing]

Having worked at a Sports Authority store about 20 years ago, I know for a fact that sales circulars - especially nationwide holiday ads - are planned, reviewed and finalized weeks, if not months in advance. (We would be briefed on what was going to be on-sale beforehand.) Although minor changes/additions may be made, essentially the items and prices on merchandise they know will bring in shoppers are set.

Profit margins are slim and major chains constantly watch one another, generally pricing close to each other the majority of the time. Right now nobody is advertising that model P365 for less than $499.99, but that doesn't mean we won't see a drop, since the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas makes up 20%-30% of their yearly sales.

However, for a retailer to fall back on the old "it was a mistake in the flyer" excuse doesn't hold water with me. It's hard enough to get people into stores with more and more people doing on-line shopping (it avoids the sales tax in most states), especially when free or flat-rate shipping is offered. Unfortunately we have very little power except to walk away and take our future business elsewhere. I've walked into some great deals at individually-owned sporting goods/gun stores, especially during their last sales opportunity of the year since their volume of business can't compete with the 'big players'.

 

[sig226legion]

I had this same experience with the ad but was able to order the model shown for the sale price over the phone with customer support with no issue at all. I actually just picked it up yesterday and love it. Manufacture date November 2019.

The day before Thanksgiving I called the store and asked if they had the 365 w/ safety from the ad in stock. Guy on the phone said yup we have it. Since Cabela’s is only a slight detour on my commute home from work I stopped in that night to check it out. In the store two guys at the gun counter told me that not only was the ad a misprint but they also did not have the model shown in the ad in stock. Guy tried to sell me hard on the two tone but I was not having it.

As soon as I got home I called customer support, explained what happened, walked through the ad with them, and ordered the nitron finish, X-ray3 sights, manual safety model for $399. The whole thing worked out pretty well.