[flwing]

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.

Well said - the store where I worked had a great management team, with both the general mgr. and senior asst. mgr. well-experienced in retail sales. If a sales circular gave a price and didn't include a disclaimer 'in-stock only, limited quantity - no rainchecks - while supplies last', they sold the item at that price. I bought a shotgun that was incorrectly marked and was even allowed to use my employee discount, getting the item below-cost.

 

[Hammer]

Cabelas sometimes has really good online deals on ammo, with free shipping. Other than that, I don't bother with them anymore, which is kind of sad. They used to be a decent chain, leave it to Bass Pro to downgrade everything they get their hands on.

 

[Angry Hippo]

I personally walked into Cabela's and only took advantage of their 'door buster' deals. I purchased several sets of the 10 dollar jeans and 5 dollar pajamas and went over to Sportsman's to drop the big bux.

 

[Shadow Knows]

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

ditto

 

[1MadMoose]

They tried the same thing on me. We called the day before to make sure they had what we wanted and they said “we have lots of them”. After a hour drive, that’s when they tried to do the old switch a rue on me. I made a little stink and a manager came out and after a little back and forth he said he would honor the price if I ordered one to the store. I did make him put it in writing just in case he wasn’t there when I went to pick up the gun. In the end, they made good on the deal but I shouldn’t have had to put up a fight to do it. Just my 2 cents.

Norm

 

[ca survivor]

CA––Nope, there is NO Law for a “mistake” and that is what Cabala’s claimed and that can completely cover them from any liability. What they could’ve done was “honor” the mistaken advertising and sold the gun for $399 and taken a minor loss on the few sales involved. The Store Manager or even Dept. Manager had the authority to do that but chose Not to. Cabela’s is Not the same company since they went “Public” years ago and especially since they were bought by that “Toy Store” aka - Bass Pro..... Now they must make a year over year comp sale increase - at any cost (decreased quality & customer service included)....

Komemiefornia and its laws never stops amassing me.

 

[Ranger514]

Since BPS took over, I've had two similar frustrating experiences with my local Cabela's Outpost. The first involved a flyer that had a good deal on ammo. I got to the local store shortly after it opened on the day the sale started...none of the flyer advertised ammo in sight. When I asked the gun counter clerks about the ammo, they feigned total ignoance. When I showed them the flyer, they said it was a mistake.

Second time, I was responding to a flyer that listed a deal on a red dot optic that interesed me. Same deal, only this time a clerk told me the last of that model was sold the day before the sale, and quickly turned and walked away with not so much as a "sorry." That was the final straw. I texted the corporate office, advising them of what had happened, expressing my disgust with what I considered false advertising. I got no response. I followed up with a call cancelling my Cabela's Club VISA card.
Their flyers still show up in my mail. I briefly scan them before tossing them in the trash.

 

[bolo4tom]

misprint? my local BPS sold them for $399.. I know three people that got them at that price?

 

[Hogfan68]

Cabela's Bait & Switch On Black Friday Sale!

Remember Cabela's is now Bass Pro Corp! Splains lots!

 

[Dcu100]

Try www.wikiarms.com

 

[Sig Texas]

I won’t shop Cabelas or BPS.
I tried to buy a shotgun from their Gun Vault and trade in another.
By the time they came up with an insulting trade in value, the gun I wanted was sold.
Bravo Sierra!

 

[WiseguyDS]

I used to love going to Cabela's. It was like a trip to Disneyland (assuming I liked Disneyland) and my wife would laugh and go along with me. We'd get steps in. I still love going to the exhibit halls and look at the various displays of mountain lions, goats, bear, etc. Then we head over to Cracker Barrel or TX Roadhouse for dinner. Makes for a nice evening out.

Now days, we continue to use our Cabela's Capitol One card for all our purchases. I just let the Cabela's bucks accumulate and usually can accumulate $500-$1000 in due time and then trade that in on an over-priced purchase from the Gun Library or whatever I might want at the moment. Don't really care as I'm not spending anything. The charges I made over time are for things we normally would buy so.. don't care.

Amusing story: I wanted to buy a handgun from the GL but I wanted to check out the gun's action. They had a stupid trigger lock on the firearm and didn't want to remove it. I told them it would be silly for me to purchase the gun if I wasn't able to check it out first and they finally relented. Mind you, the local Cabela's lost all their knowledgable staff when BPS took them over and what they replaced everyone with was basically young kids who needed a minimum-wage job probably for school or something.

Anyway, the kids got on the phone and called management who gave them permission to allow me to try the gun out. The proceeded to bring out a can that might be normally used by a gunsmith for test-firing a gun. They took the lock off the gun and placed the barrel pointing in to the can. The employee said they could not let go of the gun and proceeded to keep a firm grip on it while they allowed me to pull the trigger. LOL.. oh man. Whatever.

I'll continue to use my Cabela's MC mainly because it's managed by Capitol One who actually has arguably the best set-up for managing their card, watching out for false purchases, staying out of the way while I use the card and some of the best customer service I've experienced. Oh, and also I get a free firearm everyone now and then.

Cabela's as a retail destination? Nah, I won't buy anything from them. Too expensive, bad customer service. Nice store to walk around in and pass the time getting steps in while you work up an appetite to take the missus out to dinner.

 

[BBeefarm]

Black Friday 365 Success

I picked up my new 365 MS from Cabelas yesterday. It came with Xray NS and 2 mags. After reading on this forum about long lines and no 365s, I called Cabelas toll free number to order one into my closest Cabelas in Northern Virginia. I had some back and forth dialogue with the person answering the phone. She clearly did not want to sell me a 365 MS for $400. I offered to send her pictures of both online and hard copy ads and asked to speak to a manager. After a long hold and a mumbled response, she agreed to order one for me as advertised.
Long story short, I'm pleased with the new 365 for $400 and no shipping fee. It was worth the wait. I'm not even going to complain about the 2 mags with surface rust, even though the born on date was 11/6/19. I think I'm going to like this little guy. What a great hand conforming grip and dry fire trigger pull.

 

[Backpacker33]

It is possible this was a misprint. I've seen such in other businesses, even a performance theater in Milwaukee. The box office said they couldn't possibly "honor" the misprint price because they'd lose a lot of money. They gave me a voucher for a discount on a future program. Good enough for me.

I've had a couple experiences at Cabelas that echo what others experienced.
First one was the purchase of a S&W revolver, used. There was a price on the tag that was suitable and I bought it. At checkout a higher price was listed. I pointed out the tag and was told I was reading it incorrectly. Poor penmanship, and they wouldn't wiggle on it. Haven't considered a gun there since.
Second time was to buy ammo listed at a good price in the flyer. Seemed they had a lot of it. Cabelas is 60 miles from my house, so I planned a visit with one to a friend out that way. I entered the store on the day after receiving the flyer and none of that ammo was on the shelves, "no, we can't order it." I asked if they had a tidal wave of customers that morning, a week day, carrying it all away, and the clerk just shrugged.

I'm not boycotting them but I haven't seen a price on anything worth the trip. Two thumbs up to Sportsman's Warehouse.

 

[sig4metoo]

My experience was quite different (and I rarely buy from Cabela's due to pricing). When I received the flyer in the mail and saw the price, I thought "too good to be true". The first morning of the sale I called their main national number (not my local store) to place an order for store pickup. They told me that it was an error in the flyer (an in fact the online flyer had been corrected to show the Two-Tone model at that price.) I was disappointed, and griped a bit, but really didn't expect them to budge. The next morning I received a call from a customer service supervisor, apologizing for the error, and offering to order me a P365MS at the advertised sale price of $399. I agreed and she took my order. They also voluntarily sent me a $30.00 gift card for the inconvenience. Just picked up my P365 at the store on Wednesday. All in all a fairly positive experience.

 

[Flash LB]

I'm not boycotting them but I haven't seen a price on anything worth the trip. Two thumbs up to Sportsman's Warehouse.

I've found guns there at unbelievably good prices a couple of times. One was when Mrs. Flash wanted a Henry Golden Boy for her birthday. I checked prices everywhere local and also the internet, then realized I had a ton of Cabela's Bucks and said who cares, it's not money, it's Cabela's Bucks. Got the Golden boy for the same price as the lowest I found on the Internet.

Got a similar deal on a P220 SA/DA and later on a P220 Compact I found on the net in their Gun Library.

The full size was as good a deal as I've ever gotten on a used P220 but the Compact was a steal. Advertised as very good condition, it was closer to NIB and came with 3 magazines instead of 2. Also free shipping from Washington State to my FFL and no sales tax. What's not to like?

Just checked and I've now got $471.09 in Cabela's bucks and so around January I'll take a run up there and see what I can't live without for free.

 

[kwb377]

Amusing story: I wanted to buy a handgun from the GL but I wanted to check out the gun's action. They had a stupid trigger lock on the firearm and didn't want to remove it. I told them it would be silly for me to purchase the gun if I wasn't able to check it out first and they finally relented. Mind you, the local Cabela's lost all their knowledgable staff when BPS took them over and what they replaced everyone with was basically young kids who needed a minimum-wage job probably for school or something.

Anyway, the kids got on the phone and called management who gave them permission to allow me to try the gun out. The proceeded to bring out a can that might be normally used by a gunsmith for test-firing a gun. They took the lock off the gun and placed the barrel pointing in to the can. The employee said they could not let go of the gun and proceeded to keep a firm grip on it while they allowed me to pull the trigger. LOL.. oh man. Whatever.

I had a similar experience at BPS this summer. They were the only place in town that had a Tikka T1X in stock (and unexpectedly at a normal price).

I finger-banged the display model with the trigger lock installed and decided to buy one. They brought my gun out in the box and we began the paperwork. I opened the box, noticed the trigger lock and proceeded to remove it to see how the trigger felt.

I dry-fired and worked the bolt numerous times while he was standing directly across from me doing his thing. Once I finished, I began to rebox the rifle without installing the lock and he suddenly "noticed" that I had removed it.

He began to speak in a loud tone (not ugly, just louder than a conversational tone...as if to allow others to hear) "Oh no, sir...you're not allowed to take that off in the store." He reinstalled the lock and we continued the transaction. In a hushed voice, he said "I wouldn't buy a gun without dry-firing it either...". I'm sure he wasn't paying attention on purpose.

He explained the purpose of the policy was so that someone couldn't grab ammo off the shelf and load it while in the store.

 

[vetman03]

Somewhere in each flyer there usually is a tiny note about misprints. They should have had something posted at each counter showing the ad and saying it was a misprint. That might have helped their cause. I agree, not the same place it used to be. I have a BassPro and a Cabelas within 40 miles in different directions. Occasionally I find something at the BassPro which is closer, but half the time their inventory is very lacking. I am spending less and less time at either one. I prefer to see in person what I buy before I pay the money.

Also had a Gander Mountain even closer. It closed when they all did, and was re-opened as a Gander Outdoors as one of the few a new owner took over. They inventory was great. Excellent prices all around, especially on ammo. Then that company that re-opened some of them closed the ones that did not any RV gear. RV was their main business model and they decided to only keep anything with the RV's also.

And they wonder why we buy more and more online? Seems like even the Home Depots and Lowes have little stock. You can buy online and have it delivered or shipped to the store, but little stocked anymore. Business has changed.

 

[johnfrommd]

I just saw this post and figured I would add my .02.

In my state, the sale was for 5 days and had the P365 with Xray sights, 2 mags and no safety for $399. The salesman I was dealing with turned out to be an retired military and it turned out we were both in the Vietnam War at the same time although he was TDY and I was PCS.

The bigger seller was a S&W 9mm shield that was going for $199. The sold out of them pretty fast.

When he rang me up, he gave me a coupon for $100 off! A great day all around.

 

[440Magnum]

My first post! Anyway, chiming in on my experience with this sale. I was quick to get there the first day of the sale as I had been holding out and did want the P365 with the MS. I ran into the same thing of the substituted 2 tone, no MS, no X-ray sights, 1 magazine for $399. They had updated their in-store flyer when I thumbed through it and was shown it when I asked for the one on sale. I told them I wasn't interested in that one and asked where the one that "wasn't on sale" was. He pointed at the other counter. I went and looked. None to be found. I talked to a dude at customer service and grumbled about the ad change. I was taken to the gun counter manager and discussed. He showed me the ad that I had seen initially seen and told me they weren't allowed to sell the others at that price nor take any rain checks on it. He did give me the number for corporate customer service and said I should call them and see what they'll do.

I made the call and was told they'd look into it. They called back (conference call with corporate and the store I was at) and told me they had a Massachusetts version at the store I was just at if I wanted that one for that price, otherwise that's all they were willing to offer. I told them I'd like to see it first, but would be in. The gun counter manager saw me and brought me over and continued to tell me about it only being capable of taking a 10 round magazine. I had called Sig prior to confirm that a MA would indeed take any magazine. I saw the better sights, the 2 magazines and didn't even touch it and told him I'd take it. He handed me off to someone else to ring me up. He again passed by as I was waiting and I thanked him for the help. He said no problem, and then re-iterated that it wouldn't take the 12 round magazine I was also purchasing and that it might take some time to get used to the 10 pound trigger that version had. Long and short of it - it is NOT a MA gun by the product code (why would it be. I'm in MN!) and am thankful I took the effort and they made it right, BUT - it did tick me off that they tried to snow me and discourage me on purchasing it by lying about what it really was.

Great little gun by the way!