Cabela's is more insane than you think

[Sofistocat]

Is there any consequence to straw purchases the "Cabelas" way? Asking for a FFL

 

[J.A.C]

Went with my buddy to pick up his Ruger 10/22 at the Foxboro bass pro a few months ago. The guy doing the sale took 2 HOURS to do the transaction. It was unbelievable. Also needed like every person on staff to check the paperwork. One guy they couldn’t find for like 20 minutes. Truly a cluster.

He went back in a few weeks later and mentioned it to someone at the gun counter and they said must of been (whatever the guys name is) he really drags it out. Nah man give that guy a mop and bucket not the gun counter.

 

[Admin]

Today was the day so many babies were saved...

 

[Sofistocat]

Today was the day so many babies were saved...

 

[Lank]

Shop Local Gun Stores- the risk of sheer retardism is much much lower.

 

[slap shot]

My money says it was a Ruger 10/22, with an extra killy Tasco scope.

From OP. “I have a customer that really likes 22LR handguns and goes on missions to find certain models.”

So, I guess that’s a no. A funny no but a no just the same.

 

[Garys]

It could be, but from what I saw when HIPAA first went into effect was every facility following the same stupid set of rules. Nursing homes would hand EMS crews sealed envelopes with patient records and tell them it was illegal for the EMTs to open the envelope. Since it was common across different facilities, I suspect that it was because management at some level went to the same seminars put on by the same litigation averse law firms.

I see stuff like that to this day. EVERY private ambulance service requires their personnel to write in the report that they applied all five stretcher straps, put the side rails up, secured the stretcher into the ambulance... The wording is almost identical. Note that there is barely any clinical information, but a lot about straps, side rails, putting blankets on. I'm convinced that owners and managers go to risk management seminars put on by the same law firms.

Judging what I've seen of "box store lawyerism" I don't think these people are attorneys at all l, or if they are, they're the worst attorneys on the planet. I honestly thinking most cases these kind of rules are just made up on the fly, by somebody who has a pole inserted entirely too far up their ass.

 

[67ray]

Was visiting Cabela's in DE once and saw an old Smith I wanted. Paid for it, and was told I could pick it up in Hudson. OK cool.

The gun arrives in Hudson and they tell me no they can not transfer it to me. I said I paid for it and it is mine. Back and forth with the manager, it is on the list etc. Won't do it. I suggest they ship it to my FFL from Hudson, and they finally reneg and ship it to him at their expense.

I asked for a store credit since 1) I put up with a lot of bullshit and 2) now I gotta pay a transfer fee. They agree and send me $75 refund check.

Not worth it on any level. I hate them and avoid at all costs.

 

[yogi]

I bought a gun once from Cabelas in Hudson, MA. And that will stay once. It took over an hour and multiple levels of management before I walked out the door with what should have been an ICBM, but was merely a .22.

Exact dame experience with Henry 22….unfortunately at the time I had a ton of points from their store CC that almost paid for the rifle. Canceled CC soon after. Never again.

 

[Garys]

I never bought a gun from a either Bass Pro nor Cabela but I have noticed that at other stores they are meticulous about the documentation now. Since Biden's ATF is now trying to revoke FFLs for trivial clerical errors everything is checked by at least two people. At one store the owner checks every bit of paperwork before the gun is released. Two hours is ridiculous, but the last gun I bought in MA was 45 minutes for what used to be a 20 minute process.

 

[240Geezer]

As most people here know I am a FFL both here in MA and also in NH. I have the NH location solely to take delivery of stuff from places that refuse to ship to MA. Until today, the most restrictive conditions I have run into were places that required not only a NH FFL but also that the CC mailing address showed as NOT MA. OK, fine. I have a CC with its address as my NH FFL.

My customers know I offer the service to take delivery in NH and bring stuff to MA (for a fee of course; rent, gas, time and FFLs cost money).

I have a customer that really likes 22LR handguns and goes on missions to find certain models. The gun he is currently looking for he has only been able to find at a Cabela's in ME. He contacts them to buy and they let him know they will NOT send any used guns to MA. No exceptions. He tries to reason with them and cajole them, all to no avail.

So he asks me to contact them and buy into my NH location for him. No probem. I contact Cabela's. They immediately ask "do you also have a FFL in MA?" well, yes, but why do we care? Oh they know my customer and they don't want us bypassing their policy of f*cking over MA residents. He agrees to escalate to his management for an answer. An hour later he calls back. "We will not transfer the firearm to you". End of discussion.

So this is a new level of insane over the top self inflected compliance maliciousness. If they have any clue that it MIGHT end up in MA, no. I am a NH FFL buying with a NH CC shipping to a NH address that is on my CC and no, they will not ship it.

If anyone needed another reason to avoid big box stores...

Bass Pro in Hooksett should be avoided like the plague for internet transfers. An hour for them to complete. Couldn't find it right away multiple forms other than a 4473. Every counter guy had to look those over.
THEN they had to get a manager to approve it.
All the while some yutz picking up an OU Shotgun that was out for repair felt the need to assemble and disassemble it several times. Then shoulder it in multiple directions. All the while his 3 yo kid is roaming the ailes unattended.
I was there so long my feet hurt.
Told a buddy that wanted a S&W 15/22 not to go there but he did and had a similar experience.
Never again.

 

[drgrant]

It could be, but from what I saw when HIPAA first went into effect was every facility following the same stupid set of rules. Nursing homes would hand EMS crews sealed envelopes with patient records and tell them it was illegal for the EMTs to open the envelope. Since it was common across different facilities, I suspect that it was because management at some level went to the same seminars put on by the same litigation averse law firms.

I see stuff like that to this day. EVERY private ambulance service requires their personnel to write in the report that they applied all five stretcher straps, put the side rails up, secured the stretcher into the ambulance... The wording is almost identical. Note that there is barely any clinical information, but a lot about straps, side rails, putting blankets on. I'm convinced that owners and managers go to risk management seminars put on by the same law firms.

I get it, but that doesn't mean those firms aren't also run by idiots. Remember that a lot of "legal compliance" is an industry built around lots of mental masturbation and "checklists" etc so on. I see the same shit in IT security all the time. There is no money to be made in "just do this this and this, not a big deal the end". The people providing those seminars or whatever don't make money by keeping things simple.

 

[VTski4x4]

And this is exactly why I only buy guns at the Mill.

 

[GM-GUY]

As long as they don’t F-up drop shipping ammo & magazines to Bass-Pro Hooksett

 

[drgrant]

As long as they don’t F-up drop shipping ammo & magazines to Bass-Pro Hooksett

Oh I'm sure they will, eventually.

 

[Garys]

I could tell you a couple of stories about the IT guys where I worked. I was the project manager for an IT project. I won't because it has nothing to do with this thread, but they were weird dudes.

I get it, but that doesn't mean those firms aren't also run by idiots. Remember that a lot of "legal compliance" is an industry built around lots of mental masturbation and "checklists" etc so on. I see the same shit in IT security all the time. There is no money to be made in "just do this this and this, not a big deal the end". The people providing those seminars or whatever don't make money by keeping things simple.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

It could be, but from what I saw when HIPAA first went into effect was every facility following the same stupid set of rules. Nursing homes would hand EMS crews sealed envelopes with patient records and tell them it was illegal for the EMTs to open the envelope. Since it was common across different facilities, I suspect that it was because management at some level went to the same seminars put on by the same litigation averse law firms.

I see stuff like that to this day. EVERY private ambulance service requires their personnel to write in the report that they applied all five stretcher straps, put the side rails up, secured the stretcher into the ambulance... The wording is almost identical. Note that there is barely any clinical information, but a lot about straps, side rails, putting blankets on. I'm convinced that owners and managers go to risk management seminars put on by the same law firms.

Sometimes ambulance companies itemize services they didn't do to boost the fee.

A routine (no siren, just a portable cardiac monitor) transfer from Framingham Union to Tufts was boosted from the basic $5000 to $5900 by bogus charges for things that never happened like starting an IV.

 

[Garys]

The federal government has a pretty vigorous program for this sort of thing, as do some states. MA is one of them.

Their can be both civil and criminal penalties. Not around here, but some ambulance company owners and managers have gone to federal prison for Medicare fraud. States usually, but not always, are responsible for prosecuting Medicaid fraud.

Individuals can sue in federal court and get part of the judgement as a reward. Qi Tam suits are usually filed by disgruntled ex employees who know where the skeletons are buried. There's a private service in central Ma that lost a case and the former book keeper for the company who filed the suit got $1.2 Million as her share of the judgement.

Just remember that the government punishes stealing severely because it doesn't like competition.

I could cure insomnia by describing some of the process for generating ambulance bills.

Sometimes ambulance companies itemize services they didn't do to boost the fee.

A routine (no siren, just a portable cardiac monitor) transfer from Framingham Union to Tufts was boosted from the basic $5000 to $5900 by bogus charges for things that never happened like starting an IV.

 

[PatMcD]

Lawsuits from whom though? They have zero exposure here.

You don't think it's possible that some overzealous MA AG would go after a large corporation that sold a pistol (prohibited in MA?) to a NH FFL, who they knew also had a MA FFL.
I'm not saying that should be something that an AG could go after, but to think it's NOT something they might need to worry about is foolish.
It just ain't with the headache.

 

[bobmet]

Berlin demands an LTC before they'll sell you a 25lb bag of lead shot. That should tell you All you need to know.

 

[drgrant]

I could tell you a couple of stories about the IT guys where I worked. I was the project manager for an IT project. I won't because it has nothing to do with this thread, but they were weird dudes.

I dunno my staff is pretty normal. But compliance is f***ed up. Hours of red tape to the point where it negatively affects your ability to operate. I waste hours almost every week dealing with the crap. It's like being under an audit that never ends.

 

[Varmint]

Cabela’s still sells guns?

 

[QTHNH]

A buddy of mine bought many of his firearms from Cabelas. Could never figure it out since the buying process was so onerous (at least at one location I am familiar with.)

 

[Tartakovsky]

I made the mistake of buying a sig macro from cabelas. I‘d had a gift card for cabelas from my team for $500 so bought the sig online and went to the store to pick it up. They made me wait almost two hours just to do the 4473. Then, they don’t submit them at the same time. I’d have to come back again. They notify me that it’s been processed and I can come pick up the gun. I get there and have to wait another 1.5 hours just to pick it up. Deli ticket emporium on steroids. Never buying a gun from them again.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Cabelas has gone way down hill since BassPro bought it. Red Head crap at the same price the Cabelas used to sell for. At least they stopped quizzing me on whether I had a concealed firearm or not on the way in. I always told them no - my kids were little and asked me as we walked away, my response was 'Concealed means concealed and it's none of their business.'

Reply with "Do you have undercover loss prevention specialists on the floor?". If they ask why, "As long as you were asking about my security procedures, I figured we could start by discussing yours".

 

[T-Unit]

I avoid big box stores for guns, there's little benefit to them, but then again every gun I've bought the last 9 years has been online.

Cabela's has been shit since Ass Bro bought them, last purchase I made was primers in 2020. No issues. Use to buy black powder revolvers when they had great sales on them every Spring, since Brass Blow bought them only the shitty brass framed ones get a slight discount.

Been thinking about the .36 caliber Pietta Pepperbox lately, could load it with 3 round balls. $350 at the Cabela's an hour away or $270 and shipped to my door from some other online retailer (one that don't charge tax).

Why do I need Cabela's anymore?

 

[rogersmithiii]

I signed up for a trap shooting class, and needed to buy 250 rounds of #8 target loads. I checked with the usual online ammo suppliers, and found they had no stock.

Discovered Cabelas had stock online, so I tried to place an order. The web site would not consummate the sale, so I called the toll-free number.

"We will not ship ammo to Massachusetts".

"Wait. You sell ammo in Mass at your stores."

"We don't ship ammo to Mass."

"Then how do your stores obtain inventory?"

We don't ship ammo to Mass."

I expected them to also tell me that this one goes to eleven.

So I call the Hudson MA store, and ask them to order the ammo from their warehouse, and I would pick it up at the store. Obviously, if the online store had stock, it was likely the warehouse did too.

"Ammo is in such demand, we don't order anything as it never comes in. Whatever shows up on the truck is what we sell. We're not ordering ammo."

I ended up having to have Cabelas online ship the ammo to the Hooksett NH store, and pick it up there.

Employees following inane, corporate dictates.

 

[MachineHead]

It's a fear of lawsuits. They have a hell of a lot more to lose than you do.

There’s not really anything to lose if the gun stays within the FFL bubble. The only FFL responsible for legality of transfer outside the FFL bubble is the end FFL.

 

[dezignguy]

You guys are doing it all wrong. Dicks is the only way to go.
Also, I’m still waiting to hear about this .22 cal pistol that OP’s client just had to have.

 

[EJFudd]

Cabela’s still sells guns?

LOL!!! Actually, handgun-wise, more then ever before. Remember Cabela's in Berlin before Bass Pro bought them but after the infamous Kahr debacle? They were down to fewer handguns for sale than I could count on one hand.

A buddy of mine bought many of his firearms from Cabela's. Could never figure it out since the buying process was so onerous (at least at one location I am familiar with.)

It was all about the discounted gift cards. My good wife used to buy them for me for Christmas and my birthday... right up until I told her to stop or else.
Took years to get rid of them all. Basically, you had to wait for a decent sale on a gun you could use and then use the discounted gift cards to buy it. It was the only way you could possibly justify the amazing silliness & hassle and time lost waiting for the 14 managers to sign off on your purchase (and then escort you out the front door, of course).