Dear Cabela’s Customer Service Department:
I’m 72 years old and have been your customer
as long as there’s been a Cabela’s. (And a credit card holder as long as that’s
been around.) Until yesterday, I’ve always been impressed with your customer
service. Monday, however, Cabela’s did me wrong at your Springfield, OR store (#0434),
and I’m not a happy camper.
During your sale last winter, I bought a new
fly reel, line (Cabela’s Prestige Premium WF8F), etc. (total $366), in
anticipation of a summer trout fishing trip to Idaho. Your staff installed the
backing and line, and even swapped it out when I decided to exchange the reel
for a smaller version. All good. When I tried out the new setup, however, I
found that the fly line was twisted and would not lay straight on the water.
Obviously, hooking a trout when the line is full of ess’s is difficult. I tried
to untwist the line by trolling it behind my boat, but that didn’t help.
Returning to the store, I was told to try stretching the line. It was a pain,
but that’s what I did.
Last week, in anticipation of my Idaho trip
next month, I went out again for a dry run with my new setup. Yes, the line did
cast and lay straight on the water. But the line wasn’t smooth, with rough spots
throughout. I can only presume that my stretching the line cracked its coating
in places. I concluded I had to replace it. I didn’t want a crappy line ruining my upcoming, once-in-a-lifetime trip to the South Snake and Henry’s Fork rivers.
Yesterday, I went back to the store and asked to
speak with your customer service manager. She finally appeared, an impatient
scowl plastered on her face, and pretended to listen to my story. I told her
all I wanted to do was swap out my bad line for a new, more expensive line, and
would be happy with a store credit. Despite my explanation that the problem
with the line was due to a bad installation by the store’s staff, she insisted
that Cabela’s 90-day return policy was inflexible. (I’m about three weeks past
that magical number.) I detected no hint of empathy for my dilemma, nor
apology.
At one point, she said there was no way to
tell if the line I showed her was the same one as on my receipt from February.
In other words, I could be lying and trying to scam Cabela’s out of $45. Can
you understand how insulting that is?
I suggested that she ask the fishing
department staff to verify that it was, indeed, the same line.
“We’d still have the 90-day problem,” she
replied.
So I’ll just have to eat the $45 on the bad
line. I went back to the fishing department and there was only one guy on duty –
at noon on a Monday, no less – and he confessed he knew little about fly lines
and was really too busy installing lines on spinning reels to help. I picked
out a new Scientific Anglers WF8F line ($100), paid, and left in a foul mood.
There is a good chance that may be my last purchase I ever make at Cabela’s.
That’s how pissed this has made me.
(And as an aside, the store was completely out
of all brands of 5X tippet material. In June!)
It’s not just the wasted money. Fussing with
that Cabela’s-branded fly line, returning to the store to deal with it several
times – it’s been a pain. But I didn’t complain; I just wanted Cabela’s to
treat me fairly and respectfully and make right what wasn’t my fault in the
first place. Not hide behind an inflexible, arbitrary store policy. You see why
I feel like Cabela’s screwed me?
I know I’m just one customer among millions,
but it’s the principle. (My wife and I had a bad experience with a bogus $25 fee
from Target five years ago, and we returned their card and haven’t set foot in
their stores since. See https://wayneaschmidt.blogspot.com/2014/03/why-well-never-again-shop-at-target.html.)
I haven't decided yet whether I'll cut up my Cabela's card. Next month when I’m in Idaho Falls, I had planned on
buying my license and a week’s worth of flies (and tippet) at your store there.
Unlike your inflexible policy, however, my shopping choices are quite flexible. I’m
pretty sure Idaho Falls has other fly fishing shops.
So there you have it. That’s my story. And in
case it needs saying, all true.
Sincerely,
Wayne Schmidt
[Snail-mailed to Sidney, NE, headquarters, June 4, 2019]
_______________________________
UPDATE: Cabela’s responded to
this story of my bad experience immediately. Please see:
Cabela’s
Un-Screwed Me
