Big Box Boating Store Rant

I get my sales flyer in the mail from the local boat store. Lots of great deals! I see an anchor rode with 200' x 1/2" of New England rope plus 20' of 1/4" high test spliced in. Great price! <br /><br />I call the local store and the guy says "I'm out of stock but I can get it in three days if you order it." So I hop in the truck and make the 20 mile round trip. I go to the counter and tell the guy (a different one)what I want. He checks the 'puter, frowns and says "hmmmm.... we were supposed to get those April 3rd.... we didn't get them and the next delivery is May 7th....." Then he offers to sell me some other non-sale combo for $80 more! No thanks.<br /><br />I call the 800 number to complain and the moron there says that they have plenty in his warehouse but the shipping is like $40 because of the weight of the chain. I ask him why can't I just order it to the store and he says because they're a separate entity from the store.<br />

Re: Big Box Boating Store Rant

Curses foiled again.

Re: Big Box Boating Store Rant

I would have held a sit-in right there. Some things are just worth fighting for. Anchor rode is one of 'em . . .<br /><br />I'm actually kinda serious, I would have had a discussion with a manager and explained what my time was worth and that you were told one thing and then offered something else for more money. Ya know . . . bait and switch. No codboy, not anchovies for sardines. Even if it was not their intention, it is still their responsibility if you ask me.

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Dunno what it's like there but it sounds kinda rude to me. Up here in the great white frozen north our stores, well most of them, will honour a "rain check" for sale items out of stock. Even our most notorious Chandlery (only one within 50 miles) honours that long standing tradition. You should take the flyer into the store and get the manager to authorize a rain check. I'm sure one inuendo about bashing their store name across multiple boating bulletin boards on the Internet will convince him otherwise. FWIW

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A call to the local Better Business Bureau describing bait and switch might get someones attention.<br /><br />I use the ole I am talking to the wrong person theory on these. Keep asking til you find the person who can say yes to filling the order expecially if they advertised something that never was in stock. False Advertising is illegal in most jurisdictions.

Re: Big Box Boating Store Rant

In all fairness to the store, they did say they would honor the price for the May delivery- as long as I paid for it now. <br />What cheesed me off is:<br />1) They never had it in stock to begin with.<br />2) It's in their dated sales flyer for this week.<br />3) I called ahead and they said they could get it in 3 days.<br /><br />I'm going boating on Sunday and that's when I need it.

Re: Big Box Boating Store Rant

Originally posted by RubberFrog:<br /> 1) They never had it in stock to begin with.<br />2) It's in their dated sales flyer for this week.<br />3) I called ahead and they said they could get it in 3 days.<br /><br />I'm going boating on Sunday and that's when I need it.

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All of those reasons are why I would have thrown a tantrum. I don't begrudge anyone the right to a profit, but their add and false info got you into their store . . .

Re: Big Box Boating Store Rant

Into every life a little rain must fall.