Wayne's Blog: CABELA'S SCREWED ME

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