Dick's Sporting Goods Clearview Mall, Butler *Edit: Manager called me.

[ranger_5_0]

I went in to buy a Stoeger Stf3000 O/U 20 gauge. I was less than impressed. Now mind you, I didnt expect the same service I get at a real gun shop. The only reason I went there was because they had this shotgun on sale plus a $50 mail in rebate which brought it to $350 final price.

Anyhow, I went in and asked the guy behind the counter to see it off the rack, then looked at the other one they had on the rack. Decided on the one I wanted.
Me: I'll take this one.
Him: ok I'll get one from the back.
Me: can't i get the one i looked at? (it had a smoother action and was noticeably lighter than the other gun of same model I looked at).
Him: well only if there arent any others in the back.

It turned out there were no others in the back, so he went to look for the box for the gun I wanted. Couldnt find it. Ok hes gonna start the paperwork until the manager gets there to find the box. Hes in the middle of the PICS phone call when he realized the store policy is that you have to go up front to a register to pay the $2 pics fee before they make the call. (at this point I'm getting annoyed) I come back and hes waiting for me

Him: I forgot to write down your hair and eye color.
then he looks at me and says hair brown, eyes brown into the phone.
Me: BLUE!
He looks at me and goes back to talking on the phone. luckily that small item didnt fail me.

Now the manager is there and is going to look for the box and I said if its not there you can just knock the price of the gun down. and he says I cant do that, I'll find a box to put it in. So at that point I decided no box, no sale, and i was going to wait til I was up front ready to pay before I told him I didnt want it. Well he found the box. Then the guy working the counter was trying to figure out how to take the gun apart to put it in the box, after the manager already tried and gave it to him to do. After he pointed it directly at a customer (customer did this and then moved to another area of the counter all with the guy not even noticing) I said just give it to me and I'll take it apart, which he did. finally got out of there and went home very irritated.

Almost told the sales guy I better not buy any ammo for fear of shooting him and his manager, when he asked if i needed any ammo. Probably a good thing I didnt.

Lengthy, but this is how it went and I may have even missed a couple annoying things in there. Oh and this was Sunday the 29th of August.

Oh and NEVER AGAIN. The stress wasn't worth the money I saved.

*EDIT* Today i listened to my messages on the machine from a couple of days ago and turns out the store manager, Lou, must have read this thread or caught wind of it, because he called me this week to personally apologize for the bad experience I had. He said the sales associate was new, but that was no excuse for this to happen, and that this would be used as a training example to help him and others in the future. Lou also said that he hadnt had the chance yet to talk with the manager I mentioned before, (hes helping in the Boardman, OH store this week.) but as soon as he was back in Butler, Lou would talk to him. I am impressed with the professionalism of Lou, to take the time to call and apologize personally about this matter.

[thebearpack]

Doesn't surprise me. I think they sell a few long guns because the think they have to, but certainly not because they want to. At the store near me there is usually one of two guys behind the gun counter. One is decent enough but the other gives you the feeling you're bothering him any time you walk into that area... stink eye, big sigh and a grumble. I'd rather spend my money elsewhere since they don't seem to want the business.

[Steve_NEPhila]

I do not mean to be a big penis, but you are supporting their sales and service attitude. Buy local, support your community. When you pay your dollar at Dicks, it goes to Dicks HQ, out of state I am sure and then gets redistributed from there. When you buy from a local business owner it goes to the business owner, who lives, eats, and buys in that community.

In short, you get what you pay for. Saving 50 bucks is what caused the loss of the mom and pop shop by the growth of Wal-Mart. Buy local, expect more. I support my local gun shops, do you?

[thebearpack]

Buy local, support your community. When you pay your dollar at Dicks, it goes to Dicks HQ, out of state I am sure and then gets redistributed from there.

Small point... Dick's is based in Pittsburgh and has built 3 HQ buildings in the last 10 years. Not to mention the executives' houses and so on. Don't get me wrong, I agree with your sentiment. But Dick's is most certainly a good thing for southwestern PA.

[Steve_NEPhila]

Small point... Dick's is based in Pittsburgh and has built 3 HQ buildings in the last 10 years. Not to mention the executives' houses and so on. Don't get me wrong, I agree with your sentiment. But Dick's is most certainly a good thing for southwestern PA.

Well done, Dicks is a Pennsylvania company. I would rep you again, but I have to spread it around. Would someone else do it for me...

[XD45]

They have stupid policies when it comes to selling guns, but if they have the gun you want fair chance you're gonna get a good price on it so I've dealt with them and I'm sure I will again in the future.

[Connal]

I don't like buying at stores like this for more reasons than I would care to list. But the big one is that they don't display firearms on their website. I understand that if I am in a state that doesn't allow a specific type, that my local store will not have that in stock.

But, for all I know, something I want is at a lower price than somewhere else. But, I'm not going to drive clear out that way, to see if I "might" be able to save some money. That is just one of the many reasons why I shop local.

[NickC.]

i didn't fare much better in the Dicks in DE. the staff in (one man) in the Lodge really seem detached. There was one older guy who was very helpful, but the new guys, just don't want to be bothered.

I called asking what mossberg they carry, and his response to me was:

"That's like asking a car dealer, what cars do you sell?"

I was just in the store, they only had a handful of mossbergs that I could see while i was there.

I rephrased my question to which ones they CURRENTLY have and the guy had the nerve to drop the car dealer line on me again!

Then I asked specifically about the 500 persuader, and he went in the back.

He comes back and tells me that's the only model they have at the moment, but they "carry" almost all of them.

you can't make this stuff up.

[thebearpack]

Well done, Dicks is a Pennsylvania company. I would rep you again, but I have to spread it around. Would someone else do it for me...

You're too kind!

Now everyone go support Dick's for the stuff they actually know/give a crap about like NFL and NHL junk.

[DeadHead]

The only reason I went there was because they had this shotgun on sale plus a $50 mail in rebate which brought it to $350 final price.


Now the manager is there and is going to look for the box and I said if its not there you can just knock the price of the gun down. and he says I cant do that, I'll find a box to put it in. So at that point I decided no box, no sale, and i was going to wait til I was up front ready to pay before I told him I didnt want it. Well he found the box. .

A friend of mine bought a gun from Dick's last year with the $50 rebate intention. It was the last one in stock. (I think it was some kind of Rossi shotgun combo??). They had the box for it, but it was smashed up and looked like someone had no clue how to open it up. Either way he bought it. When he got home and started filling out the rebate form, he saw they required the UPC code from the box. As the box was damaged, it was not there. He went back to complain the next day as was basically told to pound sand- it wasn't their problem. Needless to say - no $50 rebate.

I'm not sure how your specific rebate works, but be glad you got the box just in case.