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Sportsman's Guide

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Nextech84

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This was my first time ordering from these shmucks, and I really wish I had searched the forums prior to doing so. But I am constantly getting their catalogs and saw some deals that were too good to pass up. Now, I know there have been some posts here about them in the past, but I haven't seen one in quite some time and I feel the need to rant a bit.

So I ordered a few items, and decided to throw in a few other things to make it worthwhile since their shipping is outrageous. I was shocked to find that several of the items weren't shipped because they were restricted (I didn't see shipping restrictions on any of them by the way). The "restricted" items included a cleaning kit, gun wipes, and chamber brushes. When I received the notification, I was bullsh*t. I called to make sure there wasnt a mistake, and after being bounced around a bit, their "legal" guy told me they struck some kind of deal with the AG. Ok, that's the last time they get my money! Then, when I was invited to complete a survey on my order experience, I took the opportunity to give them a little (ok, a big) piece of my mind. Below is the response I received, just thought I would share.

Dear Mr. So and So,

Thank you for your email. I apologize the items you ordered are restricted to your location.

Thank you for your question on items that have mailing restrictions.

We have placed restrictions on specific items listed in our catalog and our web site.

Due to the various state, county and municipal laws that exist, we are not always able to comply with each individual guideline.

Not all of the restrictions are based on laws on the books, but could be a company decision based on other particular concerns. These may include whether the state has law suits pending involving gun owners and recent court decisions that may affect businesses like ours.

Also, it may be that the states' laws are so vague that they could be interpreted unfavorably in the event a court action was ever involved.

We do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Thanks for shopping Sportsman's Guide!
Click to expand...

At least they got one thing right... "states' laws are so vague...."
 
I know other people have had problems with them but I never have. I have ordered (at least twice) the same items you listed; cleaning kit, bore brushes, and wipes and never had a problem. I know I can’t order ammo from them but never had a problem with accessories. Just lucky I guess.


Probably just jinxed myself.
 
I gave up dealing with them back in the 90's.
At one time they were great, back when they'd actually ship cases of ammo to Mass.

[sad2]
 
They signed a consent decree, so they are contractually (legally) obligated NOT to ship anything with a gun mfr's name in the product name/brand/description (that's what they have told other people who tried to order stuff).

Screw them. They finally stopped sending me catalogs and I think that I blocked their Email address, so I don't hear from them any more.
 
LenS said:
They signed a consent decree, so they are contractually (legally) obligated NOT to ship anything with a gun mfr's name in the product name/brand/description (that's what they have told other people who tried to order stuff).

Screw them. They finally stopped sending me catalogs and I think that I blocked their Email address, so I don't hear from them any more.
Click to expand...

Which is exactly what I am going to do!

Mr Weebles said:
I've never had a problem with them shipping anything to me.

[rofl]
Click to expand...

Unless of course Mr Weebles wants to let me use his shipping address... ;-)

But realistically, as hard as it is to pass up good deals when times are so tough, I wouldn't do business with them to save a few bucks even if I did live in a free state.
 
They're good for mil surplus clothes bags packs and pouches only. Anything gun related no way!! I talked to the guy via email and he would not get into why he would not ship to Ma but we all know the deal. His agreement with the AG is I'll not ship if you don't file frivolous charges against me.
 
Nextech84 said:
This was my first time ordering from these shmucks, and I really wish I had searched the forums prior to doing so. But I am constantly getting their catalogs and saw some deals that were too good to pass up. Now, I know there have been some posts here about them in the past, but I haven't seen one in quite some time and I feel the need to rant a bit.

So I ordered a few items, and decided to throw in a few other things to make it worthwhile since their shipping is outrageous. I was shocked to find that several of the items weren't shipped because they were restricted (I didn't see shipping restrictions on any of them by the way). The "restricted" items included a cleaning kit, gun wipes, and chamber brushes. When I received the notification, I was bullsh*t. I called to make sure there wasnt a mistake, and after being bounced around a bit, their "legal" guy told me they struck some kind of deal with the AG. Ok, that's the last time they get my money! Then, when I was invited to complete a survey on my order experience, I took the opportunity to give them a little (ok, a big) piece of my mind. Below is the response I received, just thought I would share.



At least they got one thing right... "states' laws are so vague...."
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight, you are whining because the state you live in sucks and they would not ship some things to you? Not sure what part of that makes the company look bad. I have used them a TON and have never had a problem.

You need to either move out of the shitty state or stop bitching and get used to jumping through some hoops to buy firearm related gear.
 
Jay6 said:
Let me get this straight, you are whining because the state you live in sucks and they would not ship some things to you? Not sure what part of that makes the company look bad. I have used them a TON and have never had a problem.

You need to either move out of the shitty state or stop bitching and get used to jumping through some hoops to buy firearm related gear.
Click to expand...

Or he could simply not give the company his business and find a company with more sensible business practices. There are plenty of companies out there that sell what SG does and at better prices that ship to Mass. I've browsed their site and magazines a few times and was never impressed.
 
Jay6 said:
Let me get this straight, you are whining because the state you live in sucks and they would not ship some things to you? Not sure what part of that makes the company look bad. I have used them a TON and have never had a problem.

You need to either move out of the shitty state or stop bitching and get used to jumping through some hoops to buy firearm related gear.
Click to expand...

Their policy has nothing to do with the state sucking, it has to do with them being more interested in pleasing the libtards than providing products to law abiding outdoor enthusiasts. All of the items I ordered are 100% legal in this state. In fact, I could walk over to the gun store around the corner from my office and purchase all of them WITHOUT showing any identification. They are cleaning items, which are to be used to clean my LEGAL guns. How is this any different from buying sponges and Lysol? You can continue giving your money to a company like this, but you can count this "whiner" out.
 
Nextech84 said:
Their policy has nothing to do with the state sucking, it has to do with them being more interested in pleasing the libtards than providing products to law abiding outdoor enthusiasts. All of the items I ordered are 100% legal in this state. In fact, I could walk over to the gun store around the corner from my office and purchase all of them WITHOUT showing any identification. They are cleaning items, which are to be used to clean my LEGAL guns. How is this any different from buying sponges and Lysol? You can continue giving your money to a company like this, but you can count this "whiner" out.
Click to expand...

It has EVERYTHING to do with your state sucking. You live in a state with a lot of confusing laws and regulations when it comes to firearms and gear. It is not that odd that a company makes a conservative business decision in order to ensure they comply 100%. This has nothing to do with pleasing libtards, it is merely a company unwilling to even take the chance of an infraction.

Just saying you should focus your anger in the right direction which would be your State.
 
Jay6 said:
It has EVERYTHING to do with your state sucking. You live in a state with a lot of confusing laws and regulations when it comes to firearms and gear. It is not that odd that a company makes a conservative business decision in order to ensure they comply 100%. This has nothing to do with pleasing libtards, it is merely a company unwilling to even take the chance of an infraction.

Just saying you should focus your anger in the right direction which would be your State.
Click to expand...

Indirectly, yes. But if I were a business owner I would hire an attorney and do a bit more research before I began telling customers I couldn't ship them a piece of cloth. And I focus plenty of my anger on the state, but there is enough to go around...
 
Ya they change thier minds all the time. I ordered something from them once and they said they couldn't ship it to me, I pointed out that the item I was ordering was from a company in MASS so it was made in MASS and they said sorry can't ship it.

I order from Cheaper Than Dirt .cheaperthandirt.com/ now when I order something.
 
DavidC77 said:
Ya they change thier minds all the time. I ordered something from them once and they said they couldn't ship it to me, I pointed out that the item I was ordering was from a company in MASS so it was made in MASS and they said sorry can't ship it.

I order from Cheaper Than Dirt .cheaperthandirt.com/ now when I order something.
Click to expand...

I believe those two companies are somehow associated with each other if I'm not mistaken. I have experienced mixed results when ordering similar items from CTD.
 
Nextech84 said:
Indirectly, yes. But if I were a business owner I would hire an attorney and do a bit more research before I began telling customers I couldn't ship them a piece of cloth. And I focus plenty of my anger on the state, but there is enough to go around...
Click to expand...

As a business owner...
You'd have to look at how much that initial investment in the lawyer would be to research all of the relevant mass statutes.

Then you would need to look at how much profit you'd expect to realize on the products in question.

And if the potential prospect for selling gear offsets the upfront lawyer fees..

What is the potential that the Mass AG will file suit? If better the unlikely..

How much is that going to cost in lawyer fees to defend against?
Now does it still look profitable?

No? Then why bother.

So back to the above, YES. It IS our sucky state.
 
Last edited:
seanc said:
As a business owner...
You'd have to look at how much that initial investment in the lawyer would be to research all of the relevant mass statutes.

Then you would need to look at how much profit you'd expect to realize on the products in question.

And if the potential prospect for selling gear offsets the upfront lawyer fees..

What is the potential that the Mass AG will file suit? If better the unlikely..

How much is that going to cost in lawyer fees to defend against?
Now does it still look profitable?

No? Then why bother.

So back to the above, YES. It IS our sucky state.
Click to expand...

Please, tell me what kind of a suit could possibly arise from shipping a silicone cloth, a wire brush, and some solvents?
 
DavidC77 said:
As far as I know they are not connected in anyway.
Click to expand...

I could be wrong, but I thought I recalled them being sister companies of sorts. As a matter of fact, I think it was on here that someone said that. But like I said, either myself or the person providing the info could be wrong.
 
Nextech84 said:
Please, tell me what kind of a suit could possibly arise from shipping a silicone cloth, a wire brush, and some solvents?
Click to expand...

You're using common sense when it doesn't apply. The MA Legislature and the MA AG came up with the laws and the lawyers working for the AG's office are paid for with tax dollars. It costs MA virtually nothing to file a lawsuit, however frivolous. How much is it going to cost Sportsman Guide (or any other company) to defend itself in court? Look at how many frivolous lawsuits were filed against gun companies, which have deeper pockets, in an attempt to force them out of business.
 
Nextech84 said:
Please, tell me what kind of a suit could possibly arise from shipping a silicone cloth, a wire brush, and some solvents?
Click to expand...

SG signed a "consent decree enema" from the MA's AG office, so they'd probably be violating it if they sell anything to MA against the terms of that paperwork. Basically, they took the easy and cheap way out.

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
SG signed a "consent decree enema" from the MA's AG office, so they'd probably be violating it if they sell anything to MA against the terms of that paperwork. Basically, they took the easy and cheap way out.

-Mike
Click to expand...

You can say that again [laugh2]
 
I'll admit that SG is not always the best on prices and some surplus mags I bought were barely functional but sales issues are largely the result of MASS laws and extortion and legal intimidation by Mass political Hacks.
I have friends & family in several states that have zero problems buying from them.
Since I escaped Mass and moved to a Free State I've bought ammo and supplies from them - zero issues.
Why did they sign a paper with the folks who showed Hugo Chavez how to be a dick?
Because Mass has unlimited resources and can cost them tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs. If you are a business and are faced with an attack like that, what are you going to do?
Sorry, but politically and socially Massachusetts is the planet Earths gaping rectal orifice.
I do not miss it in the least. (Well, I miss McCoy Stadium and the Paw Sox but that’s RI!)
Do yourselves a favor and move.
Get a taste of Freedom before it's gone. (To a Mass trained Socialist – Obama)
 
Nextech84 said:
Please, tell me what kind of a suit could possibly arise from shipping a silicone cloth, a wire brush, and some solvents?
Click to expand...

the kind where they file a suit.. file motions, require information, file more motions, require more info.. Essentially, bleed the company dry in lawyer fees. Best case (for AG) is that the case never actually gets in front of a judge years later and the Co has been bankrupted in legal fees..
 
Knob Creek said:
The Lawyers are running the place. When you can't even get a 10/22 barrel or a rear sight for a Thompson they are out of control.
Click to expand...

I am sorry but this quote seems to come from someone with ZERO knowledge of how businesses actually work in the world today. If you have a company as large as Sportsmans Guide, let alone the fact you deal in a somewhat controversial product line, you had BETTER have attorney's making some of the decisions or at least overseeing all of the decisions you make.


One of the unfortunate reasons this is now needed can be partially traced back to wonderful states like the peoples republic of Massachusetts, NY, CA. Just saying before throwing a company under the bus, you may want to step back and take a look at the whole picture. The blame may belong somewhere else.
 

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