Cabelas new "insider" method for selling scarce product (offensive)

[westcliffe01]

I wrote recently that I went to the Cabelas site and they had no smokeless powder listed whatsoever. Finding it hard to believe that such a big retailer really had no stock whatsoever (many others here buy that story), I did a bit of investigation.

What I discovered is that they simply stopped listing the powder. They DO have powder and in stock too.... The trick is that you have to know the catalog item number for the material and search for that, else it will not show up.

So those of you who need powder, go to cabelas website and type in IK-210742 where it says "search by keyword or item number". That will get you a listing of the Hodgdon powder they have. When I checked (6:20pm EST 4/25) they had Clays, H380, Retumbo, H50BMG and H100V in stock (1lb) and you can order up to 2lb at a time.

I do not have a current cabelas catalog, or else I would check for other makes of powder and primers, I am sure the same thing is going on with that too.

I don't like that this is a sneaky way to do things. The people who know this trick and have a catalog have probably been getting material while the rest of us cant.

If you need any of the above, go and get yourself up to 2lb. If anyone has the catalog numbers for Reloader powder or primers, please post them in this thread. If you happen to know the item numbers for the 8lb sizes, list that too. One 8lb jug of Varget would be sorely needed at my place at the moment.

Thanks

 

[MudRunner2005]

You can also type in "smokeless powder" as the keyword and it works, too.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=smokeless+powder&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

I need an 8lb keg of Varget & H1000 too, since my .308 is my most commonly shot caliber.

 

[westcliffe01]

Today I see they list 4 powders in the reloading section again.

However, when I found this out, they were not listing any powder in the reloading section yet under that item number their list of Hodgdon powders was even longer.

I got 2lb of Varget and they still had stock left over. My 2lb was in fact delivered today.

 

[Savage13]

Ok first off there is NO shooting catalog this year YET due to the REDICULOUS demand on everything. Second YES stuff was pulled OFF the site so that there wasnt a HUGE back order list on items. THIS IS NOT A WAY TO LIMIT YOU FROM BUYTING ANYTHING. It is mearly a way for an organazation to not get back logged 20 bazillion jillion trillion units. So you found it GOOD JOB guess what just like ANYTHING that has EVER been on the internet you will always be able to find it. During the entire time of the components shortage the cabelas store i visit regularly has had powder in stock. They have been getting it in ALL the time. Problem is there are ppl in this world that dont even own a gun or reloading devices that are buying also so that they can turn a quick buck. Guess what the OTHER problem you will run in to is the stores the selves CAN NOT ship powder out from the store. There for if quanity does not exist in the DC you will be back ordered.

It REALLY sounds to me like Cabela's has offeneded you in some way in the past and you are doing everything you can to bash the name of a company that is trying to do buisness in the best way they can right now with out getting backlogged on product for the next millenium. I see no other reason for why you would be making multiple posts regaurding Cabela's and thier in your opinion " bad busness practice."

I would be willing to bet EVERY pay check I make for the rest of my life that once the scare is over the powder will be placed back on Cabela's site.

 

[westcliffe01]

How people get powder when it is not scarce hardly matters.

It is precisely how these stores are (or are not) helping "regular" customers in times like these that matters. I have been trying to get some powder to reload 308 cartridges for weeks and then have to find that there is an "insider path" to get stuff if you know about it.

It is an hours drive for me one way to the nearest store. I have made that trip a few times and come back empty handed. Not good in the land of $4 gas. I have called the LGS and they are out, have long waiting lists. For precisely that reason, I am P'ed off that there has apparently been a "secret" method for the select few to get stuff.

I gave them my money, but perhaps I waited a month longer to find out than a bunch of other people.

I don't think this is good policy. We are not talking about allowing back ordering. We are just talking about allowing ANY customer to know what it is that you have in stock instead of reserving it for "special people".

 

[cohunter14]

I searched for "Retumbo" a week and a half ago. It pulled right up and I was able to order 2lbs. I think it doesn't show up when they don't have any in stock. I'm sure it flys off the shelf when they get it in...

 

[westcliffe01]

At the time I ordered my 2lb of varget, you could not find ANY powder on their site. Not by searching for "powder" Hodgdon", "varget", "smokeless" etc etc or following the menu from shooting to reloading to components.

If nothing came up either way, I would say they are just out of stock. I don't know why they should just not list it anyway and show "out of stock, no backorder" like Midway, Grafs, Sinclair, PVI or any other reputable retailer...

Primers are not listed and have not been for weeks, yet on the Michigan gun owners forum, it is being reported that one of the local stores has primers of all descriptions in stock.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

They are doing what they think best to get by in a very trying time just like all the other businesses. If you don't like what they are doing, which is explained and an apology offered right out on the website, I would suggest you take your frustration out somewhere else since we are all in the same boat right now. I've always found the company to be great to deal with and am going to up to a store they just opened in Grand Rapids that's within 30 minutes to return a pair of Irish Setter boots I bought last year for my Wyoming hunt and a little bit of hunting here when I got back. I got them out to start scouting for turkey season last week and the leather is splitting open and the soles are pulling away from the uppers on the inside of both of them. I'd bet I'll either get another pair for free or add on some money and buy a higher priced boot up there with no problem. If I don't I'll be very surprised because that's why I do most of my business with them. I'll be back on the thread to tell you about it if they don't do what I stated.

 

[varmintH8R]

It is precisely how these stores are (or are not) helping "regular" customers in times like these that matters. I have been trying to get some powder to reload 308 cartridges for weeks and then have to find that there is an "insider path" to get stuff if you know about it.

We are not talking about allowing back ordering. We are just talking about allowing ANY customer to know what it is that you have in stock instead of reserving it for "special people".

I cut your quote above down to only the references of special treatment. Where it falls apart for me is that there is no motivation for them to do this. The implication is basically that they would rather "hide" their inventory from the general public, thus tying up cash in inventory longer, in order to sell it at the same price to someone "special" later on. I'm not buying.

Then again, I am a member of the special skull and bones society for smokeless powder, so I am never in need like you ordinary folk.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Let's all try something... keep a bit of inventory on the shelf at home so if the market hiccups you don't have to scramble to keep your rifles shooting. I have been caught a bit short on a few things lately but I've got at least a couple of YEARS worth of supply on hand for most of my pipes. Even if I get a bit low or run out of something I'm still shooting.
If you keep supply on hand some companie's supposed slight won't mean jack squat; you'll be able to ride it out and buy from whomever you want when the smoke clears.

 

[westcliffe01]

Lefty, I agree but this does not help those who have recently added a caliber they previously didn't have. For me, within the last year that has been 243 Win, 6.5x284 and 308. Prior to that I was a 223, 222 and 8x57 reloader. Taken note of all those gun sales recently ? None of the weapons I got was an AR-15 or a pistol, but that does not make stocking up on components any less painful.

 

[bkondeff]

I give Cabela's kudos for not gouging like others. We have a local store here, "Cliff's". Guy has always been rude and when he thinks he has an edge over clients, especially when he has something in limited supply that is in demand, he quickly raises prices as much as 50%-100%. When the first scare hit when Obama was elected, he charged $7/100 for Fed primers of any kind.

Cabelas get's so little inventory right now, they can't possibly make enough to be bogged down from selling their other 1,000,000 products to be hassled by guys like Westcliffe01 all day. You are probably the reason they made this policy.

 

[MudRunner2005]

My local store has always charged $5.00 for 100 Federal primers of any kind. I'm not complaining for $0.05 each...

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Lefty, I agree but this does not help those who have recently added a caliber they previously didn't have. For me, within the last year that has been 243 Win, 6.5x284 and 308. Prior to that I was a 223, 222 and 8x57 reloader. Taken note of all those gun sales recently ? None of the weapons I got was an AR-15 or a pistol, but that does not make stocking up on components any less painful.

I haven't bought a rifle since this stuff all started. The first time the dork in the oval office got elected I bought an AR and had enough ammo to feed it for a year before the idiot fest even started.
I haven't had that tough of a time finding the little I've needed-- like rl33 or 225 hdy hpbt match for my 30rum-- that I've needed either. I just watch for it and pull the trigger when it shows up. Powder and primers are easier to get a decent deal on locally anyway since they can amortize the haz-mat over full boxes of product every time. I only get bullets (occasionally) and mil-surp powder online.