PSA: Avoid sportsmansguide.com like the plague right now

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  • ajeandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    43   0   0
    Oct 25, 2013
    2,005
    63
    S. Indianapolis
    TLDR: They are listing items as in stock then, once you order, displaying backorder for several months. They will try to charge you a cancellation / restocking fee despite having nothing to restock. They are even posting ads on gun.deals saying items are in stock, showing as in stock on their site when they really aren't.

    They are also not answering their phones. They are shut off with a canned message of we are not accepting calls right now, please try again later. I have also heard people ordering product that was on backorder and waiting for weeks and months just to have the order cancelled on them.

    Bottom line, avoid the headache and shady tactics.
     

    MCgrease08

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
    14,373
    149
    Earth
    This is disappointing to hear. I have had good experiences with them in the past, but it seems like they have really started using some shady tactics in the past couple of years.
     

    Route 45

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    92   0   0
    Dec 5, 2015
    14,884
    113
    Indy
    Thanks for posting this. I have ordered from them on and off in the past, but will not now.

    Sounds like a good reason for a credit card dispute. Company is involved in fraudulent sales tactics and refuses to communicate with customers.
     

    Beowulf

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    66   0   0
    Mar 21, 2012
    2,880
    83
    Brownsburg
    Yup, had this happen to me. I ordered a bunch of 9mm Wolf before everything went nuts. It was placed on backorder, with the date constantly slipping... then magically my order was cancelled despite me telling them I wanted to keep it. I guess they decided that an existing order at $160 per 1k wasn't as good as selling it for $500 per 1k or whatever they are charging.

    I will never do business with them again, and really no one else should either. I have no problem with a company changing pricing as demand spikes, but if you aren't going to honor existing orders (especially when you charge for your club membership for the privilege of doing so for free shipping), then you are nothing better than an internet scam site.
     

    ajeandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    43   0   0
    Oct 25, 2013
    2,005
    63
    S. Indianapolis
    This is disappointing to hear. I have had good experiences with them in the past, but it seems like they have really started using some shady tactics in the past couple of years.

    Same...I had bought a KSG from them a few years back and everything was as expected...now it seems that they are either just overwhelmed and are not keeping their website updated and have enough staff to field calls or they don't care. Likely the first scenario but I do not know.
     

    ajeandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    43   0   0
    Oct 25, 2013
    2,005
    63
    S. Indianapolis
    Yup, had this happen to me. I ordered a bunch of 9mm Wolf before everything went nuts. It was placed on backorder, with the date constantly slipping... then magically my order was cancelled despite me telling them I wanted to keep it. I guess they decided that an existing order at $160 per 1k wasn't as good as selling it for $500 per 1k or whatever they are charging.

    I will never do business with them again, and really no one else should either. I have no problem with a company changing pricing as demand spikes, but if you aren't going to honor existing orders (especially when you charge for your club membership for the privilege of doing so for free shipping), then you are nothing better than an internet scam site.

    100% this. They are getting greedy. Wouldn't be surprised if once all the 223 ammo comes back in stock they cancel all the existing orders at 24 cents a round and mark it up to 50-75 cents per round.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    This is nothing new with these jack legs. Dropped them years ago for this practice. They are not a stocking distributor per-say. They are a 3rd party middle man.
    Or so it would seem.

    But they hit your card immediately just like those jack wagons at PSA do.
     

    IUKalash429

    Bullet Hose
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    35   0   0
    Apr 6, 2019
    1,080
    113
    Rum Ham
    I did buy a bunch of Makarov ammo from them two weeks ago that showed up on my doorstep four days after clicking "order." So, some of the stuff listed as stock is actually in stock. But agreed overall that Sportsman's Guide has fallen quite a bit in recent years regarding transparency, trust, and customer service.
     

    snorko

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    361   0   0
    Apr 3, 2008
    8,293
    113
    Evansville, IN
    Agreed with most of the above. I remember ordering lots of stuff from them in the 1990s, over the phone from a printed catalogue then! Even remember getting a couple cases of .22LR for $0.02/round. Turned my back on them for good in 2012 after Sandy Hook.
     

    UnknownOne

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 1, 2020
    44
    18
    West Indy
    This is good to know I was just considering ordering something from them yesterday.

    I don't know that this is the proper place but I had a similar situation recently when I ordered some Wolf from ammunitionstore.com. Product was in stock right up until I paid for it. They did pull through after a month though.
     

    shibumiseeker

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    49   0   0
    Nov 11, 2009
    10,706
    113
    near Bedford on a whole lot of land.
    I stopped buying from them 10 years ago when they sold my information and I started getting junk mail from all sorts of different places like knife companies and the like that were all pretty shady. I use a different middle initial with every company so I can track these things.
     

    cosermann

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    14   0   0
    Aug 15, 2008
    8,372
    113
    I put Sportsmansguide in the same "do not buy from" bucket as I put Cheaperthandirt some years ago. (Might have been after Sandy Hook. I don't recall.)

    Sorry to see.
     

    DMTJAGER

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 15, 2020
    232
    28
    WHITING
    Sorry to hear that. Seen them on ammo search apps as listed as having ammo in stock only once there you have to buy ammo that is actually on back order for 3 or more months.
    Also for a long time they advertised"FREE S&H ON ALL ORDERS OVER $99" and once you put a tree stand in your cart then you get hot with additional S&H costs.
    For those interested watch Menards they usually have the best prices on cheap ladder tree stands and although you pay tax, you can pick up your stands at the store with no S&H costs.

    I guess SG will join my list of DNBF along with CTD and Dick's.
     

    ajeandy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    43   0   0
    Oct 25, 2013
    2,005
    63
    S. Indianapolis
    Sorry to hear that. Seen them on ammo search apps as listed as having ammo in stock only once there you have to buy ammo that is actually on back order for 3 or more months.
    Also for a long time they advertised"FREE S&H ON ALL ORDERS OVER $99" and once you put a tree stand in your cart then you get hot with additional S&H costs.
    For those interested watch Menards they usually have the best prices on cheap ladder tree stands and although you pay tax, you can pick up your stands at the store with no S&H costs.

    I guess SG will join my list of DNBF along with CTD and Dick's.

    Oh yes. I went to checkout and I had "free shipping" but then there was a firearms "fee" of $10 not sure what this "fee" is for if it isn't shipping..."shipping tax" of .70 (70 cents) and "package protection" for $.99 (99 cents)

    Outside of tax and my "free shipping" I had $11.69 in fees that don't really seem right, but hey, I saved $10.50 on my order from my free trial buyer's membership club....
     

    rjsone

    Plinker
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jul 26, 2009
    64
    8
    Indianapolis, IN
    Yeah, I’m not a fan of an extra $10 “firearms fee” either. I found their prices to be less than impressive even if you buy the membership. I will say, however, they did NOT charge my credit card when I ordered a back ordered item. They claim to only charge at the point of shipment and that’s what I experienced personally.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    These guys are in the same boat as Botach, Optics Planet and Cheaper Than Dirt. Always a roll of the dice.

    Never know when you might catch them on the up side? Their accountability and CS ebbs and flows.

    Every online biz out there is riding the "but...covid" to cover sloppy slow service. It ain't just the gun related.
     
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