Just called Gander Mtn.

[Joshua M.]

About G.M... I bought a pink Crickett .22 for my 5 year old daughter last month while shopping there. After we left there we happened to go into Dick's sporting goods and I found the exact gun for $40 less. So I calles G.M and asked if they price matched, like any other big store, and the Firearms Manager said sure, just if I had a camera phone to snap a couple pics so as to prove it was the same thing. I did that (not to the likings of Dick's staff), and drove back accross town, stood in line for 20+ minutes at the gun counter, and showed the gun guy the pic he said yup looks like the same thing, but he didn't know how to credit me back, so he sent me up front, went up front waited 20+ min again, the clerk said I have to show my manager the pic, so she did, and that maneger said well they don't offer a $25 trade in cert, gun sock, and 1 year gunsmithing, so it isn't comparable, so I said what ever, and left. 2 days later my buddy wanted to get one for his wife so we went to Dicks, he got his for $60 less, and it came with a soft case, (alot nicer than the sock from G.M.), a pair of shooting glasses,(not the nicest, but better than the $10 ones I bought at G.M.), and a pair of ear plugs....Soo, I will NEVER buy another gun at G.M EVER...sorry for the rant but that pi$$ed me off...

 

[TexasBill]

Maybe I am lucky but most of the people in the gun department of my local GM are fairly knowledgeable. Academy is the place I have problems. If it wasn't for the occasional bargain (like a NIB Beretta PX4 Storm for $519), I wouldn't shop there.

 

[Joshua M.]

Well the guys at the Ft.Wayne G.M are knowledgeable, but the gm of the G.M. pi$$ed me off...I shouldn't need gunsmithting on that crickett, and I can clean my own gun, and the sock is just kinda a joke...

 

[earlthegoat2]

I suppose if Gander Mountain payed their employees better they would get more applicants with more gun knowledge. You cannot expect a minimum wage college student to be able to help you with everything.

Gander mountain is a gun store joke.

 

[Dookie]

It could be that the manager was put in that position and had no previous firearms experience, could have been new, heck, his computer might have been giving him all the information he had available. He might have gotten the job and had no knowledge of firearms, if so, who's at fault, GM or the manager? Not only that, maybe he was trying to learn.

He also might have been a total idiot who did not give a crap one way or the other. But he did look up the information and gave you what he had.

A manager at a box store who is probably working a section he never had any experience with previously cannot be expected to know everything about everything. If he does not learn then it is a problem.

 

[ultradoc]

The Gander Mtn. I frequent is a little better than yours. I have never had a problem.

 

[earlthegoat2]

This brings up the point that you should know more about what you are buying then the gun store workers. I am amazed at how many people do not do their own research and put all their buying dollars into what the sales staff tells them. There are unknowledgeable folks out there and they are easy to spot.

There are also unknowledgeable folks that are good as bull shi%ting. If you didnt do your own research then you might think they know what they are talking about.

Quit blaming the store workers and start blaming yourself.

 

[Pyzon]

I'm always amazed with price match policies that are used to make customers mad instead of happy.........Why not just say "Nope, we don't do that" and send folks away just a little bit peeved ? I especially like the stores that refuse to match their own online pricing !

 

[shootr]

Funny in that the GM near me has a Dicks's about a 1/2 mile and around a corner from it and prices are consistently lower at Dicks to the point of absurdity. Ammo and guns both are significantly less expensive at Dicks.

I browse GM for potential used deals - and they're few and far between - then buy ammo, odds and ends from Dicks.

 

[mgkdrgn]

And THIS is why you should be supporting that little local gun shop that charges more for their guns than the "Big Box" guys. Yes, they charge a few dollars more ... they have to as they -pay- more buying 5 guns rather than 100 at a time, but they -do- know what they are selling.

When they are gone ... all you'll have left are the "Big Box" stores, and the minimum wage clerks and clueless management that goes with them.

 

[Uncle Mike]

And THIS is why you should be supporting that little local gun shop that charges more for their guns than the "Big Box" guys. Yes, they charge a few dollars more ... they have to as they -pay- more buying 5 guns rather than 100 at a time, but they -do- know what they are selling.

When they are gone ... all you'll have left are the "Big Box" stores, and the minimum wage clerks and clueless management that goes with them

Exactly....!
But people only think as far as their noses sometimes! What can I save right here, right now mentality.

When these same people get into a bind, need info or have a problem that absolutely, positively has to be solved at 4:30PM night before opening day of hunting season, they don't go to the goofy Big Box guys, they come breaking down your door at the small shop, hauling in the junk they bought at the goofy Big Box store, wanting to know if you can preform some kind of miracle.

And when you do, there's often not a thank you, kiss my butt or anything, off they go, big ol' smile.....then, back to the Big Box store tomorrow!

When all the small shops are gone, then who's going to preform your miracles? The Big Box guys? Right!

 

[gym]

At the gun show I asked if the lady behind the counter who was selling laser sights, had one for my Kel-tek. That took 20 minutes, as she never heard of a Kel-tek, then I asked if she had one for a Seacamp, and the same process began. I finally lost my temper and told her that both guns were available at the next table, and were pretty well known brands. She just shrugged, and I walked away. Stupid is stupid, the boss is even dumber for having his wife or girlfriend lose 2 possible sales.

 

[JohnMc]

Ignorance of your market: It's not just GM and it's not just local. Pretty much every year at Dick's, I see the ~4"x5" plastic tag holders for hunting licenses that are really nice to have in a state where the regs say you have to display your tag on your back.
They're exactly the size I remember hunters wearing in NY.
Dick's is (or at least was) based in NY.
Trouble is, I'm talking about NC stores. North Carolina requires you to have your license on you somewhere, not on your back. And, it's about the perfect size to fit in a wallet, not a 4x5 plastic pin on. Yet, every year, I see new ones show up in August/Sept and all of the ones in my local Dicks marked down in January. I guess you could pin a small sandwich to your back while hunting, for convenience!