Cabelas...

Guys,

I ordered the rifle below from Cabelas this past Saturday. Before I ordered I explained to the person taking the order I wanted to make sure that they had the rifle in stock and was told they did. I explained to the person that I wanted to make sure they had it in stock before placing the order and I was assured they had the rifle in stock and that I'd receive it within 6-8 days. So I gave them my information and they charged my credit card. Today I went in to monitor the order and as you can see my order is now listed as "backordered". I called and explained what I was told When I placed the order. I told them I was ASSURED they had it in stock and that I'd receive it in 6-8 days. I then asked them what they were going to do to make it right. They placed me on hold for about twenty minutes and then came back and said they were sorry but the next shipment wouldn't be in until the end of Oct but even then they couldn't promise that I'd have my order filled then. So I asked again how they were going to make this right and there was simply silence on the line. I asked them if they had placed an order with a company and was assured they would receive the goods bought and paid for in 6-8 days what they would expect and there was stone could silence. Finally they said there only option would be to cancel my order. They acted as if they thought I wouldnt cancel...I told them to cancel my order and give me my money back. This was the third time in the last couple of weeks Cabelas has basically flat out lied to me. I have done A LOT of business with them and at this point they will not get my business in the future. They made absolutely NO EFFORT whatsoever to do anything to make this right.

So please be aware that when they say they have something in stock you simply can not trust them because they do not know whether they have the product in stock or not but they will sure take your money! Not only that but the way I found out it was backordered was I went in and looked. They didn't even send an email or make any other attempt to let me know that they weren't going to fill my order and that it could be months before I received the rifle I ordered. They simply are not to be trusted!

So what did you want them to do?

Here is one ready to ship and there are more on gunbroker.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/694621823

Unless you were spending 10,000 a Mont with them for the past 5 years, I doubt they miss you. Sucks, but true.

I haven't had anything on backorder status with them in a long time, but the other companies I do business with don't charge your card until they ship the backordered item. If you even choose to keep it on backorder status.

Yeah stinks for sure they told you it was in stock and then it wasn't. Unfortunately this is the problem with current logistics and inventory policies...they see it is in stock via computer but for whatever reason isn't really there.

I am also curious as to what you wanted them to do to "make it right"?

To many better online places with 0 tax and pricing

Well, he spends "A LOT" there, so there is no telling what he wanted.

I hate to break his little heart, but losing him, won't mean a damn thing to Cabelas, and he will keep doing business with them eventually. That's the bad part of big business. We have all been there talking a big game buddy. Hang in there.

x2.

Pretty condescending.
I've sworn off companies & haven't done business w/them in 10+ years & will absolutely not in the future. Some people stick to their principles, evidently you don't.

Pretty condescending yourself.

My point is big business is just that. I'll bet the companies you swore off didn't skip a beat once you swore them off. I agree it sucks for sure, but it is what it is. If i felt screwed by a company I'd raise hell too, but would expect something out of them because they had a $8 an hour employee make a mistake. You should probably retract your last statement. It was no hard feelings meant.

Hum...my heart isn't breaking...you are correct that they will not miss my business...a lot to me is around $7k per year but I'm sure that's not much to you or to them but it is to me. Social media does have an impact today and if you do not realize that then you are way behind the times. I believe it's important to let people know how businesses conduct themselves.

As for what they could have done...hum there are many things, first would have been to ask if there was any other rifle I might have been willing to consider to see about replacing it with an equitable rifle and offer a $25.00 discount. And there are a lot of other things they could have done I just mentioned one. And before you say that's expecting too much they currently offer a $20.00 coupon simply by responding to your visit letting them know how it went so that isn't that big of a deal and at least it would have been an effort. But they chose not to make any effort. As for stocking issues that simply should not be the case in this day and age. Computers believe it or not can keep track of inventories and orders can be set up to remove inventory from being reflected as "In Stock" when orders are placed...the idea that they can't know thus is simply not true.

I'm not arguing against your complaint buddy. I'd be pissed too. As crappy as it is, you are going to have idiots make mistakes. It is part of life. Surely you understand my point.

How many people work for you and make no mistakes?

Did you not read my post? I was very specific with the person I was dealing with and requested she verify the rifle was in stock and she did. I do not believe this was human error. I believe this is simply the way they choose to do business when it comes to ordering rifles at worst and at best they have an antiquated system they use for inventory. And if she wasn't positive that the rifle is in stock it's simple to say as much. But once you tell someone that you have what they want and take your money you've entered into a contract with them. I'm old school...if I give someone my word then I'm going to do whatever I can to get it done and if not I'm going to do everything in my power to make it right. Obviously you and I have a different set of values and expectations which we certainly have a right to.

You must not have had anybody under your payroll. Maybe that's what Cabelas teaches, but I doubt it. They wouldn't have grown into the Empire they are if they did. Don't question my values.

lol...you certainly don't mind throwing stones but you get awfully sensitive when someone points out that their values differ from yours as I did....if you are that sensitive why do you take pot shots at other people? Better to just stay quite font you think?

and I do believe based on talking with them that they run the orders department the way airlines book their flights....they take orders not honestly knowing if they will be able to fill them in the time they state.

worth keeping in mind Bass Pro bought them recently. Trying to integrate computer systems for two large companies is a daunting challenge and you were dealing with the acquired company who is the step child. There are plenty more for sale at the same price or maybe even lower. It is not worth wasting emotional energy over. Go buy one online and enjoy it by next week is an easy solution. Hope you get a good one. Will be interested in seeing a report on how it shoots.

Cabela's had this stocking/inventory problem many years ago. It is nothing new.

Agreed. And the item was likely shown as being in stock when you placed the order. Many companies suffer from horrible inventory monitoring and control. It's common to go online and see an item as being in stock at a specific store, only to find not one once you go there to buy it.

I think you just have a rare case. Ive bought 6 guns online with Cabelas. Last one I was able to apply a $20 coupon + cabelas bucks + gift cards and ended up paying $100ish after all applied. Shipping time said it was gonna be a few days but i got the call and email to pick up the next day.

Im not surpised they didnt have anything to say when you posed the question “what are you gonna do to make it right?”. I probably would have offered some warm nuts for free (all pecans).

I backordered a Savage MSR from them in February. In May they sent me an email saying it was still not in stock, and asked if I wanted to cancel the backorder or not. I held on, then finally bailed and got a Kimber Subalpine instead. Thought they handled it just fine.

I kinda skimmed all this bs

but

if you still want the rifle, I believe Rifle Gear in Plano has these in stock.


One thing I have figured out about Cabelas, they have all their guns marked up at least $100 to cover the reward points that customers use to lower the sell price and think they are getting a deal. This is why EVERYONE in Cabelas now asks "what brings you in today" "do you have a Cabelas card?" Business is business, Cabelas is not owned by cabelas anymore

Are you sure it was in-stock when you ordered? They have a 6.5 and a 308 version of the rifle. Maybe the person you were speaking to thought you were referring to the 308. I don't know that I've ever called up an establishment and had them assure me something was in-stock. Sh!t happens. My guess is that this is a popular rifle and in a popular caliber. Sucks but its also 1st world problem.

So sick of getting asked if I want a credit card when I go there

May not be owned by cabelas anymore, but I haven't seen any real changes. I don't pay a dime for my cabelas points so they are still a good deal to me.

Did you ever consider that maybe they did have it in stock? That they have more than one person ordering the same gun, and that your order got processed last and they were then out? Sure would have been nice to get a heads up about it, but after all its a gun and a large retail store. I wouldn't swear off shopping there. You take it as they out and out lied to you as in we know we don't have it but we are going to tell him we do lol, I'm sure that is not the case.

This is true. The ONLY time I buy guns from Cabelas is when they are on-sale, I can apply a coupon, or there's a rebate. Otherwise its cheaper just to head to GB. However, my last gun at Cabelas I had to buy from them:

Rem 700 ADL Varmint
$424.99 on sale
-$20 coupon applied
-$50 mail in rebate
-$100 gift cards applied
-$151 club points applied

I just cant see it fair comparing the pricing of a brick and mortar store to gun broker.

Sounds like the system was off and the person you spoke to didn't have anyway of knowing they were out of stock.

Not sure what exactly you wanted for having to go like 2 full days without knowing it was backordered, but as long as they allowed you to cancel your order, I don't think you're entitled to anything and I don't think that's even a reason to be mad.

Sorry they didn't "make it right", but just curiously, what do you think they should have given you?

Yep, I just bought my Benelli SBE III this way.

BIL, if you buy allot at cabelas its well worth it. I have their Black card but I pay it all off every month

at least I did when I was working and had a paycheck.

Guys,

I want to let all of you know that Cabela's reached out to me to see about assisting me.

I have already addressed this...

Absolutely! And this is the way I was trying to purchase this rifle.

Yes, you are correct...me saying they lied to me isn't a reflection of the person taking the order it is a critique of the system they use to track inventory. I am sure the person taking the order believed what they were telling me was the truth when in fact it wasn't. Again it was a critique of Cabelas system and I should have done a better job presenting that. Frankly the people have always treated me pretty good there.

But you ordered it KNOWING, if I read your post correctly, that it was backordered so you were prepared to wait...my situation is different.

Just so I understand, you guys think those points/Cabela's bucks are free?

I'm almost to a free rifle or scope... but now my wife is like hey those aren't all your points

Reveals the science of a good marketing program.

I do not think anyone on here thinks they are free...but when they are there to use it simply reduces the cost of the purchase you are making if you have them available and use them. No one is under the illusion that anything in life is free but it is a program that IF you shop there enough it benefits you to be on it and use it to your advantage.

If I buy from Cabela's because they are the cheapest and I can easily pick up my product on my way home from work, yes, they are free. Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware of the marketing behind it. I think it is as much to have repeat sales with the slight illusion the points are free. In fact, I don't even collect the points because I don't have the card. I buy where it's cheap and convenient.

Bottom line: I agree that it's a crappy situation and I don't blame you at all for being upset. People make mistakes and if you want to take your business elsewhere, I don't blame you a bit. I have had good luck with Cabelas on the few rare occasions I've shopped there, but nothing about your story is too surprising to me honestly.

I will say that my first thought when I read the original post was, "what do you want them to do to make it right?" But since you answered that, I will suggest that maybe you could have offered that to them as a potential solution as well? I think if you had gotten to talk to a supervisor on their call center, you probably could have got what you wanted. But no business is going to give their $7/hour customer service call center employee the authority to hand out unusual discounts without manager-level authorization.

Both sides are true. They price the points into their products so they're not free. But when they put a gun on a good sale, it's as cheap as anywhere and much more convenient.

I don't buy anything from cabelas that I wouldn't normally buy from them, they are the best/most convenient place for me to buy loading components.

I do believe them to be free. I use my credit card as I would any other, I don't carry a balance and I get points, the only thing I can think of that they cost me is forgoing other credit card rewards programs and I don't travel and I refuse to use my debit card everywhere that earns cash back, so yes I really believe they are free because they don't cost me anything.

Can you explain how I pay for them?

talk to your cc and get them involved that usually will do the trick, have had really good results.

They are "free" if you pay the CC balance off every month (in a sense they are "free" anyway even if you don't since you are going to be charged interest if you don't pay the balance on any CC).

Of course, you can shop around for different/better rewards if you don't shop a lot at Cabelas or find yourself looking for ways to just use your points. I used a Cabela's CC for years until getting an airline miles card became a better deal for me personally.

They could've been wrong, but not lying. That said, I recently had a great experience with Grab A Gun. Really good price. If you can pick it up, definitely worth checking out. They were pretty quick, actually came in under the quoted lead time.

Cabelas' guns are overpriced anyway and standing in line with a numbered ticket for 2 hours is not something I have patience for. Buds is so pain free and cheap I get them all there

Bought many things with cabelas points that didn't cost me a thing, gun safes bow, guns, scopes etc. When I can get a $1000 dollar scope or rifle with nothing but points I call it pretty good

Yep, if you use the card allot and pay it off monthly and like guns stuff, they are great

If not don't get a cabelas card.

I cant find a better CC benefit. I don't travel, so air mile mean nothing, there is not a "cash back" card worth a chit and I'm not paying $15.00 a month to get Southwest Airlines rewards.

I use a Chase Ink Business and get statement credit. A lot better than being limited to use in one place.

How do cabelas points add up?

If you get their CC you get a point for every dollar spent. 2x or maybe more for Cabela's purchases. 100 points = $1.

When GM was operating their Sherman store the gun dept matched any any advertised gun in a Cabela's flyer, making it much more convenient to buy in Sherman rather than an hour plus drive and all the metro traffic.

Do all of Cabela's clerks make low wages?

You're right, not convenient for all. For me, I pass Bass Pro, Academy, and Cabela's on my way home from the mines. Whoever's cheapest and/or in stock gets my salt. I don't give a shoot about points. Mind you, like said earlier, Academy has delivered to my door for cheapest if they have in stock. That's convenient. Time is money. Seems I have neither.

Yes, not a bad deal if you spend your money at Cabela's anyway. I bought an AR there a couple years ago and didn't pay anything but points. Now I have enough built up to buy the wife a nice carry pistol.

I've got two points cards I use and pay off every month, but nice to get something back every once in a while.

Was in cabelas in buda Friday, pretty sure they had one on the shelf.

We get 5% back on all purchases made at Cabela's. 1% everywhere else. Pay it off in full each month. It works for us.

I honestly remember one of the very first posts I ever read was one where you were madder than a wet hen because you had gone to Cabela's to look at firearms and the clerk was asking your husband questions and talking right past you. If I remember correctly you said that a sorry store, sorry help, and it would be a sorry day before you went back.

The reason they ask if you have a Cabela's card is because employees there are judged by how many credit card apps they get.

I am sure their system lags committed orders. Meaning they may have 10 do-dads in stock, but across the nation, people have placed orders for 15. If everything is not updated real time, situations just like yours happen. Still unfortunate.