I was excited to visit WFTC and try out their gun range with a friend. We had purchased a Groupon earlier this year. The offer included range time, PPE, gun rental and 100 rounds of 9mm ammo.
I called a week before our desired date. The rep on the phone said since we weren't members, we had to wait until a day before our desired range date. I called back that Thursday, mentioned the Groupon, and was told I couldn't make an appointment, I would have to just walk in. I asked, "What if you're full the day I walk in?" The guy said, "I guess you'll have to wait." I ended the call, re-read the Groupon, and saw it said a reservation was required.
I called back, mentioned what the Groupon said about reservations, and this time, I was asked what time I'd like to reserve. I said 2 p.m., and the guy said, okay, got it. He added that I would have to pay a fee above and beyond what I paid for the Groupon because ammo had "quadrupled in price" since they made the original offer. I said I own my own handgun, so maybe we could swap that rental fee out to cover the additional ammo fee. He said he could work something out.
Then I asked, "Do you want my name for the reservation?" He said no need, I've got it down. Haha. Okay.
My friend and I showed up and presented the Groupon. The guy at the register wasn't sure how to process it, so he got someone else. That guy seemed a little peeved. At first, he said we're not honoring these. I said, "But I already paid for it." And he told me he remembers telling me over the phone he'd have to charge me an additional fee. I reminded him we'd be willing to trade out the gun rental. He said the rental was nothing, but the cost of ammo would cause them to lose money on the deal. I said that's not exactly fair to us, but asked how much more. He stated we'd have to pay another $60 (the Groupon had cost $62). I said, "WHAT?" He said the cost of 9mm ammo was $1.20 per round. I told him I buy it in much smaller quantities than them, and the same brands he had behind the counter, like Sellier Ballot, cost me 79 cents per round plus shipping. WFTC must be buying much larger quantities (you should see how much ammo they have on display - amazing). He said $1.20 is their retail price.
So, not only are they screwing me over on my Groupon, they're basing the upcharge on their retail pricing. This Groupon is supposed to be a sacrifice on their end as a way to expose more shooters to their range and build their customer base. I said I'd be willing to pay an additional $20 to cover what would be closer to their cost. The guy said, "Listen, I don't have time to deal with this. Either pay the fee or get a refund from Groupon. I have no control over it, this is from management."
I talked to my friend and we decided to stay - as regular paying customers. We paid for the range time and purchased 4 targets and used our own guns and hearing protection.
Bottom line, there are tons of stories of Groupons backfiring (pardon the pun) on merchants. It sucks. I get it. The guy could have accepted my offer of a $20 up-fee. I know ammo has become scarce and more expensive. He could have offered me a more fair upcharge than $60 to cover his retail price. He could have even given me the choice of a $20 upcharge or reduce the amount of rounds in the offer to, say, 75 - which might still hurt their bottom line, but not catastrophically, and I probably wouldn't be taking the time to write this well-deserved 1-star review.
This ended up a waste of time on my end, and a wasted opportunity for WFTC to win two new customers who might have spent a lot more than $60 over the years to come. read more