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Cabelas Horrible

9K views 66 replies 43 participants last post by  VinceC 
#1 ·
I've about had it with Cabelas ammo sales. They continue to advertise ammo deals in bulk, but keep my small ammo order on backorder for over a month.

Cabelas won't tell you up front that the bulk ammo deals are on back order. You have to waste your time adding an item to the cart before they will tell you they don't have it.

When Cabelas does tell you they don't have it, they give you a bogus expected shipment date. Then the emails keep coming with "updated dates" that somehow never seem to get there for months.

Even better, Cabelas sometimes just cancels the order because they can't get the stock in. No options, no asking if they can do anything else for you, just an unpleasant note that the order was canceled, no explanation as to why.

Cabelas practices are deceptive and shameful in my opinion, and I think there are better choices out there.

Midway does a good job of indicating in stock/out of stock, as does Cheaper Than Dirt.

Well guess what Cabelas, I ordered from Ammo To Go. It is my first order experience with this outfit, but you have set the bar pretty low in my eyes.
 
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#2 ·
In my experience, ATG is the best I have used. Natchez, and Palmetto
State Armory are really about as good. It just seems that ATG gets it to the doorstep a little faster. Have had no glitches yet with either of the three.
 
#4 ·
I've about had it with Cabelas ammo sales. They continue to advertise ammo deals in bulk, but keep my small ammo order on backorder for over a month.

Cabelas won't tell you up front that the bulk ammo deals are on back order. You have to waste your time adding an item to the cart before they will tell you they don't have it.
I have never had a problem with a Cabela's order, in dozens of orders over the past ~6yrs or so.

Yes, the web site does operate in the manner you indicate, in which the "in stock" or "backordered" indicator isn't displayed until you actually click on the item to place it into the basket, at which point it notifies of the backorder and asks what you want to do. I don't view it as a waste of time so much as simply how the site works.

By comparison, the CheaperThanDirt web site visually alters the <click> icon for placing an order for an item, if it's backordered. A bit quicker, sure. Though, neither seems a "waste" of time.

What I have not yet experienced is an order for ammo being erroneously advertised as in stock, only to end up with it being backordered for weeks. Not from Cabela's, CheaperThanDirt, ATG or several others.
 
#10 ·
Check Beater Business Bureau

I've about had it with Cabalas ammo sales. They continue to advertise ammo deals in bulk, but keep my small ammo order on backorder for over a month.

Cabelas won't tell you up front that the bulk ammo deals are on back order. You have to waste your time adding an item to the cart before they will tell you they don't have it.

When Cabelas does tell you they don't have it, they give you a bogus expected shipment date. Then the emails keep coming with "updated dates" that somehow never seem to get there for months.

Even better, Cabelas sometimes just cancels the order because they can't get the stock in. No options, no asking if they can do anything else for you, just an unpleasant note that the order was canceled, no explanation as to why.

Cabelas practices are deceptive and shameful in my opinion, and I think there are better choices out there.

Midway does a good job of indicating in stock/out of stock, as does Cheaper Than Dirt.

Well guess what Cabelas, I ordered from Ammo To Go. It is my first order experience with this outfit, but you have set the bar pretty low in my eyes.

You can see how they are doing. Here is an article about the new BBB rating system.

A year later, St. Louis Better Business Bureau calls revised company grading system a hit - STLtoday.com
 
#18 ·
Primers are very hit or miss.

I have had some distributors tell me that they will no longer sell primers.

Primers, I do not back order for customers. I do maintain a list and call if and when I get any in.

You can PM me here or call me but I never know what I am going to get.

888-745-2080
 
#13 ·
midway....... has changed it in stock date too many times to count from Dec 2 2009 ...... monday was suppose to be here march 3rd now its later...... why put a date if you really dont know when your going to get it...... if mfg are saying the date well they should know by now after 3 months that they really dont know.

jmho
 
#29 ·
Midway could provide a nice option by using filter option to just show what is in stock. That would save folks some time.
 
#14 ·
Sportsman Guide has done me the same way. Order several items, including ammo. When I get the package,,, no ammo, & an estimated shipment date. Once, I just left the ammo on backorder & after 6 months, I cancelled. TIP= NOW, I call them & make them see for sure it IS in stock & promise the shipment without back-ordering.
 
#15 ·
I like Cabela's but have never ordred ammo from there.

I've been using Midway and especially their email notification you can sign up for when product comes in so I can log on right away and order it.

I've also ordered from ATG with no issues and recently from Ammoman.com and all his prices include shipping. Got here in 3 business days.
 
#16 ·
Retailers really have no way of knowing when backordered stock will arrive. I have had just as many instances of Cabelas giving me a backorder date only to have it show up weeks ahead of that date because they recieved inventory ahead of schedule. It's really out of their control. I still buy ammo from Cabelas. I just don't let my stock get so low I run out.

I believe Cabelas gives you the option of NOT ordering if you don't want to.
 
#17 ·
Why is it, whenever I think of Cabela's, the song "The Stroke" by Billy Squire starts playing in my head?:confused:
 
#20 ·
Sorry, but I find nothing deceptive or shameful about Cabela's. It takes two clicks to place it in your cart or not:
This item is on backorder. Cabela's estimates it will take 1-2 weeks to ship this product.
You are then presented with two buttons to either "Add To Cart" or "Cancel Items".
See that word "estimates"? That means they cannot guarantee when it will arrive. At least on most items, they give you the choice of placing the item on backorder and get your order in line to be filled. As much business as I do with Midway and like the company, a large amount of their ammo and reloading components say "Out of Stock -- No Backorder". That means if I want to get that product, I have to look every day, sometimes several times a day, to see if it's in stock.

When I was trying to find CCI small rifle primers, I had put in to receive a notification email from Midway when they came in stock as no backorder was allowed. Three times, within 45 minutes of receiving an email that they were in stock I went to their site to order only to find them already sold out. Powder Valley wasn't taking any backorders because they already had over 50,000,000 primers on backorder. Since I was going to need these primers for a prairie dog hunt in June of 2010, I decided the best way to get them was to place a backorder with Cabela's. I placed the order on October 28th, 2009, fully expecting that I may not receive them until Spring. I received my 10,000 primers on December 7, 2009, just a bit over a month from order.

I've bought ammunition from ATG, AmmoMan, Cheaper Than Dirt, Mid-South Shooter's supply, Midway, Natchez and probably others that I can't remember right now. Virtually all of them were cheaper than Cabela's. But if nobody has what you're looking for, at least Cabela's will let you place a backorder. In the mean time, you can keep looking for your product everywhere else. If you find it, cancel your Cabela's order. But at least for now, your name is in line.

Hoss
 
#21 ·
Sorry, but I find nothing deceptive or shameful about Cabela's. It takes two clicks to place it in your cart or not:

You are then presented with two buttons to either "Add To Cart" or "Cancel Items".
See that word "estimates"? That means they cannot guarantee when it will arrive. At least on most items, they give you the choice of placing the item on backorder and get your order in line to be filled. As much business as I do with Midway and like the company, a large amount of their ammo and reloading components say "Out of Stock -- No Backorder". That means if I want to get that product, I have to look every day, sometimes several times a day, to see if it's in stock.

When I was trying to find CCI small rifle primers, I had put in to receive a notification email from Midway when they came in stock as no backorder was allowed. Three times, within 45 minutes of receiving an email that they were in stock I went to their site to order only to find them already sold out. Powder Valley wasn't taking any backorders because they already had over 50,000,000 primers on backorder. Since I was going to need these primers for a prairie dog hunt in June of 2010, I decided the best way to get them was to place a backorder with Cabela's. I placed the order on October 28th, 2009, fully expecting that I may not receive them until Spring. I received my 10,000 primers on December 7, 2009, just a bit over a month from order.

I've bought ammunition from ATG, AmmoMan, Cheaper Than Dirt, Mid-South Shooter's supply, Midway, Natchez and probably others that I can't remember right now. Virtually all of them were cheaper than Cabela's. But if nobody has what you're looking for, at least Cabela's will let you place a backorder. In the mean time, you can keep looking for your product everywhere else. If you find it, cancel your Cabela's order. But at least for now, your name is in line.

Hiss
Hoss,

I find nothing wrong either.

I admire the company. They have a great business model.
They even advertise on TV.

I can compete with their prices and stock, most of the time though and I'm just a small company.
 
#24 ·
Everything is an estimate. They are told by their suppliers when their order will arrive and the retailer passes this onto their customers with an estimate. It's not the gospel, it's an estimate. Cabela's has no control over when their orders arrive nor any other retailer. It shows up when it shows up and lead times mean nothing. If the lead time is too long and you don't want to wait, don't back order. Shop from a place in stock.
 
#26 ·
I have to agree. I'm a big fan of "in store" shopping there, but my on line ammo order was at 4 months before I called and cancelled it. Nice gal on the phone, she simply said sorry and ammo is hard to get. Bad for Cabela's, good for the other ammo buyers/suppliers.
 
#31 ·
Gotta (mostly) agree with this, although I love Cabelas, and have never had a problem with ordering anything online with them EXCEPT ammo. Tried a while back to order some garden variety .40 cal, and after it was backordered 3-4 times over 4 months or so (each time with "expected ship" dates 3 weeks or so later), I finally just cancelled the order. Don't fault them for not having it, but it would be nice to get an e-mail that says, "we don't have it, and have no idea when we will!" At least that would be honest.
 
#33 ·
I placed my first ammo order at Cabela's a couple weeks ago during their free shipping over $50 with NRA coupon. I received part of my order a few days ago and received email that the rest is still on backorder. Can't really complain, but if you need ammo quickly then it is not best choice.
 
#35 ·
The only time I ever ordered ammo from Cabelas was last year when everyone had supply problems. I just took the backorder delay for what it was. I haven't ordered from them recently. I've purchased from Midway before and it was a good experience. I just placed a large bulk order for 7.62x39, 40sw, 38spl, 12ga, and 30-30 this afternoon from Ammo To Go for the first time. Apart from seeing sales tax pop up at checkout (I didn't realize they were in Texas--my fault for not checking), no surprises. Even with tax and shipping, it was still cheaper than others out there. We'll see how the order turns out.
 
#54 ·
As a follow-up, I received my order from Ammuntion to Go today. :congrats: Ordered at 6pm on Wednesday, shipped yesterday, delivered today (granted it was in-state). Prices were very good, shipping reasonable, and everything I needed was in stock. I'll just look at the in-state sales tax in Texas as the cost for "overnight delivery"!

Cheers!
 
#37 ·
Not really a good analogy, but I understand the dynamics of the situation. I deal with the same customers so I see things from both sides. I have back orders for new 10mm and .380 brass I ordered back in October that was supposed to be a 4 week delivery. It's now March and the lead time is still "a few weeks or so". So I've been forwarding that to my customers. They get fed up, cancel, sale lost, customer lost. Put an order in for 150,000 CCI primers in June 2009. 12 week lead time. December says they are just shipping orders placed in May, so it will be January. That was two months ago. Now its ETA is April. I could go on and on.

One thing I've noticed in the last year or two is a lot more shooters are joining the ranks and a lot of them are young with no or limited life experiences and have a sense of urgency and entitlement. They have no sense of the real world and how it works. They have no clue how supply and demand economies work and no clue how the supply chain for a manufactured product works.

If a company takes back orders, people whine about the lead times and constant delays. If a company doesn't take back orders, people whine about them not taking back orders or a waiting list and constantly inquire about expected in stock dates. Just can't win these days. No matter what you do you will piss off a customer and lose them.
 
#42 ·
No matter what you do you will piss off a customer and lose them.
I agree 100% with that.

Look, I've been a long long VERY long time Cabela's customer. I liked shopping at Cabelas, and have been pleased with them up until the past year. I've had other negative experiences with orders in the past 6 months that have led to my recent opinion/rating of their performance. However, those orders are not ammo related, and not relevant to this discussion.

But like we always used to say, you can do 99 things right, but the one order that goes bad...
 
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