I hope no other female, experienced shooter, has to go through this experience.
“Today, I walked into Cabelas in Kalispell to look at a Sako S20 300 win mag that I’ve been thinking about purchasing. Upon handling it I noticed a few scratches on the bolt so before I invested $1600 I decided continue my shopping at near by stores and call around to Murdoch’s and Sportmans ski haus to see if they had that rifle in stock. No one did.
So about an hour after I first went into Cabelas I went back in to make the purchase. I walked up to the gun counter (mind you I was a top firearms sales woman for Bass Pro) I told the kid I’d like to purchase a rifle.
He asked which one, I said the Sako s20 300 win mag. His tone and demeanor changed. He said this guns for you? Yes. He said you shoot a 300 win mag? Yes ( I’ve shot Coastal black bear in Alaska, mountain lion, many deer and other big game. I come from a law enforcement-hunting guide family) The kid continued to pester me with the same questions asking why I needed a 300 win mag.
Then he went into the back gun room and a couple minutes later him and another gentleman David came out to further question me if this gun was for me (a petite woman), what I was going to shoot with a 300 win mag. Literally the same questions over and over.
At this point as a former Bass Pro Firearms sales associate I told them I did not appreciate being questioned in this manner. David told me he asks everyone all of these questions over and over ever time. I informed him I had never been questioned in this manner before when I purchased my shotgun or handgun from them. The conversation went on in a very demeaning way towards me until David told me to go stand by the ffl computer and took my license to another part of the store.
At this point my infant was screaming on my hip while I was trying to make a final decision which scope I was going to invest in to mount on the Sako.
Minutes later the Manager- Chad Kim came to tell me they could not sell me the rifle. His men thought my knowledge was too “Scripted”. I was absolutely appalled that they made the decision to deny me, a law abiding, never a parking ticket, previous firearm dealer, big game hunting young American female a high powered hunting rifle without even talking to me to understand I had just been in an hour earlier handling the firearm, done my research and am already very knowledgeable about all things guns, ammo and hunting.
They made the assumption I feel because I was a woman, alone, dressed very nicely that I couldn’t possibly know enough about guns to be specific about the rifle I wanted. Infuriating and incredibly disappointing in the lack of personable customer service from the first 2 salesman who treated me like an idiot. Chad and I had a long talk which ended with me sobbing in tears with my baby on my hip screaming being kindly escorted out of Cabelas by Chad.
Appalling, this is America and that was discrimination if I’ve ever seen it. First experience for me and I pray sharing this story will save another innocent woman from being demeaned and mistreated by what used to be a well respected outdoors retailer.”
That’s absolutely disheartening, disgusting, outrageous, demeaning and discriminating!!! Shame on you Cabelas.