Shopping at Sail... Weird

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Originally Posted by welsh

I don't see the SAILs and Bass Pros and Cabela's driving the little places out of business, except for a few mom & pop shops that are located close to the big box stores.

The fact is that the outdoor market is mostly a market for bits & pieces and consumables. Once in a while you make a big purchase like a gun; the rest of the time you're buying ammo and bootlaces and oil and so on. And I'm not driving to Niagara or Vaughan or Burlington to get those things.

Even for the big things, like a new gun, there's no reason to drive half-way across the province if the local shop has it.

I tend to hit places like Bass Pro and Cabela's when I pass through for work. And more often than not, they have nothing I want.

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I am jealous of you sir. There's not a lot of offerings and selection up my way. Trips to Bass Pro are a kind of fun day excursion for my son and I. Sure, did we need the 5lbs of jerky? Probably not, but the powder, wads, and shot for my habit are decently priced, and my little guy always gets to pick a fishing lure, or something small to take home.

My only gripe with Sail was having to produce my PAL twice in order to buy a box of .22 shells, once when I got them at the ammunition counter and again when paying for them.

Was in Sail today, 3 flats of 12g target loads. Give VIP#, paid and left the store. No questions, security checks or such. The guy's from the hunting section remembered me from the last time I was in and we had a coupla good chats. Once again an enjoyable shopping experience.

outback

Hey outback. How much we're they per flat?

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Originally Posted by Bluebulldog

Hey outback. How much we're they per flat?

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Good-day Bluebulldog

Winchester Xpert and Challenger, 2 3/4- 7 & 7.5 @ $59.99 per case. 10 boxes.

outback

SAIL has earned my respect. Very good price on my favourite hiking shoe (Merrell), and a great price on my portable ice hut (20% off, with no tax). Competivitly priced ammo and miscellaneous fishing gear too. Do the sales staff sometimes lack knowledge? Of course, but at the very least theya re polite and courteous. The same cannot be said for some "ma and pa" stores around the province. In fact ive been treated no better then dirt at some of the most highly touted gun shops in ON, over nothing I did wrong. Im a firm believer that how you treat someone at a store is reflected in how they treat you, well in those cases it certainly was not.

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Originally Posted by krypplephite

Just a thought for the management at Sail - It might be a good idea to put your customer service at the exit instead of conducting a protracted investigation of your paying customers on the way out.

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Exactly.

Withdrawing one's patronage from a certain store hurts nobody except oneself,especially if you miss some great sales. It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face. BUT,if you decide to do just that,then send a very strongly worded letter of complaint to not only local management,but,to upper management or store executive at the same time. Believe me,these things get noticed and policy is changed,quickly,if even a few letters are received. The threat of a liability lawsuit for false arrest and/or unlawful confinement strikes terror into their hearts because they see their liability insurance coverage costs skyrocket or being cancelled outright,forcing them out of business. Besides the obvious shortcomings of the skillset of store security guards,most haven't a clue about surveillance techniques and the rules of evidence governing in-store shoplifting abatement programs. Deviate one iota from any one of those rules could most certainly result in severe legal reprecussions. Police Constables called to shoplifting incidents are acutely aware of these shortcomings and usually exercise great care in complaint investigation and follow-up because the know that once they continue an investigation resulting in an arrest,their arses on now on the line,also. Believe it or not,many shoplifting subjects are released for that reason than for any other. I'm not sure why Sail stores require a separate checkout for ammo purchases. It doesn't seem to make much sense to simply drive up administration costs like that. All Canadian Tire stores always require sales staff to escort customers with expensive,easily concealed merchandise to checkouts that are kept in locked cabinets to prevent theft. That is the sole discretion of the store. Being subjected to illegal searches AFTER the purchase is certainly grounds for complaint. It's absolutely illegal where no grounds of illegal activity exists.

Just for the record, they have ZERO right to search your bag on the way out of the store. It is YOUR RIGHT to refuse such search, and any search that is insisted would be considered unlawful and a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Many stores have been sued for this because someone sets off the detector at the door, and the employee thinks that its their duty to search through peoples stuff.

In order for them to have the right to search you, they must have seen you select an item, conceal the item (if applicable), then exit without paying...100% continuity is necessary. Whenever I am in Walmart and an item of mine sets off the detector, I let them find what item is setting it off, but I refuse to provide receipt. I shouldn't have to prove that I am not stealing...that's not how our legal system works.

Sometimes I wonder if each store doesn't have a different management that has the 'rule of the day' and no consistency. I visit the Sail in Ottawa on a regular basis and I know all the guys in the Hunting department by name. Never had an issue. I can tell you that I bought a Browning X-Bolt at Sail in November. After searching all of Canada and US there is no place you can buy an Browning and/or many other weapons cheaper than Sail. Lebaron, Bass Pro, Cabela's and Ellwood Epps are all on average $50 more.