The following is a description of my experience buying a rifle at Bass Pro in Cary, NC. My experience was horrible, and I will never shop at this store again.
Day 1:
I went to the Bass Pro on 801 Bass Pro Lane in Cary, NC to purchase a Ruger American Gen 2 in .308. Before I purchased the gun, I asked the man at the counter, "What if it does not work properly?" and he answered me, "It's going to work." He then proceeded to assure me that in the off-chance that I have a problem, I can bring the gun back and they will send it to the manufacturer (in this case Ruger) for repair, free of charge (that was a lie).
A month or so later, I took the rifle to the range to sight it in. The rifle fired fine. However, the spent casing failed to extract when I cycled the bolt. The casing was lodged so tightly in the barrel that I could not get it out.
Day 2:
A few days later, I returned to Bass pro with my rifle. (Note: The spent casing was still lodged in the barrel. I was unable to get it out.). I went inside, first without my rifle to speak to the employees at the firearm counter. Once inside, I told them what had happened and how a spent casing was stuck in the barrel. They told me to return to my car and bring the rifle into the store. I proceeded to do this. However, once I brought the rifle into the store, I was refused service and told to leave the store due to having a loaded firearm...even though the firearm was not loaded. It was simply jammed with a spent casing. I was told that in order for them to ship my rifle back to Ruger, I would first need to clear the jam. So, I returned home. Note, that at this point I was very angry because I felt humiliated for having followed the directions of the store staff. I DID NOT bring a loaded gun into the store. They knew this. They even examined the gun and confirmed that the casing that was lodged in the barrel had already been fired. However, they still ordered me to leave and refused me service. Either they have no idea how firearms actually work, or they are simply lazy and did not want to deal with me.
The following day, I cleared the jam from my rifle. I tried using a plastic cleaning rod, but the casing was stuck too tightly and my cleaning rod broke. So, I had to go to a different store (not Bass Pro) and purchase a metal cleaning rod. I was able to clear the spent casing with this.
Day 3:
I returned to Bass pro for the third time with my rifle. At this point, I had been able to clear the jam. I brought it to the firearms counter in the back, and after waiting in line, they told me that they would get it shipped to Ruger and that it would be repaired, free of charge. They also collected my email and phone number and assured me that they would be in touch with me throughout the process.
I waited a few weeks, and I heard NOTHING from the employees at Bass Pro. So, after work one evening, I stopped by the store to check the status of my rifle. When I got to the firearm counter, I could tell that no one wanted to talk to me. However, I waited in line for my turn. When my turn came, the employee behind the counter told me that they had forgotten to ship my rifle...even though it had been THREE WEEKS. They apologized and told me that they were sorry and that they would get it shipped tomorrow. I was very angry at this point, but I agreed and said that that was fine...that was a mistake.
He also reiterated once again that he would be in touch with me via email and phone to keep me updated on the status of my rifle. That was another lie. He never reached out
Day 4:
This is the final day of my horrible experience at Bass Pro in Cary, NC. After waiting about FIVE MORE WEEKS and having heard NOTHING BUT CRICKETS from the employees at Bass Pro, I returned to the store to check on the status of my rifle. I walked to the firearms section, and when I made eye contact with the man that I had previously spoken with on my last visit, he said to me "Oh sh*t, I forgot to mail your rifle." I then told him to just give me the rifle and that I would be taking my business elsewhere. He walked to the back of the store and returned about 10 minutes later with my rifle in a box. At this point I left the store, and I have not been back since.
Today I contacted Ruger directly. That is what reminded me of this whole insane ordeal and what prompted me to write this review. Hopefully Ruger will stand behind their product. Bass Pro Shops certainly did not.
Conclusion:
Normally I would not go out of my way to write a review like this. In fact, I have never written a review in my life...much less a negative one. However, I gave this store $650.00 of my hard earned money. In return, they wasted hours of my time, failed to honor their word MULTIPLE TIMES, and treated me like a piece of trash. I will never be shopping here again, and I will also be posting this review on Tripadvisor. I will take it down if I am reimbursed in some way for the way that I was treated.
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