SOG International - Bait & Switch "But I didn't MEAN to.."

[Longhorn789]

Man.....What a dissappointment...

After doing all the research and shopping, I settled on a Bushmaster 20" barrel from SOG.

Here's the website:

Bushmaster M16 with A2 Carrying Handle .223 Cal.
This semi-auto 5.56mm/ .223 Rem. Cal comes with a 30Rd mag, 20” chrome lined heavy bbl, solid buttstock, bayonet lug, and birdcage flash suppressor. 39 1/2” length, and weighs 7.43 lbs. without mag.
RETAIL: $1100.00
#BMAS-BCWA2S20
NO CALIFORNIA $739.95

After complying with their silly rule of having my FFL call their shipping department and verbally giving them authorization to ship on my behalf, I called to make the order...

Well...they said the $739.95 price on we website was an old price......and the new price was $779.95. They said they hadn't had time to update the website from the 2006 prices, and therefore would not honor the $739.95 price.

Oh really..:icon_neutral:

Had a nice conversation with their customer service about the Federal Trade Commission and advertizing law to no avail. Apparently, if you "don't mean" to break the law, then it's "ok" to break the law...

They said they sent out a flyer with the new price, but still didn't have time to update the website?

No feathers ruffled...No big deal. Just no sale and they lost a customer for life..I told them that. It was a very polite conversation on both sides. However, I made it clear that I would never do business with a company that would play that game whether intentionally or unintentionally. I gave them every opportunity to make good on the price as shown, however he said they make less than $12 profit on new guns and couldn't stand by the price..

Oh well....

Keep shopping!

I go far out of my way to pay the taxes I owe, comply with all the laws that apply to me, and conduct my business in a forthright manner. Maybe I am too rigid in my views and expectations, however, I expect nothing but the same in return with the people and business I interact with...I dunno.....Maybe I am just too closed minded in that regard?

[Longhorn789]

WOW!!!! I check out and check back into their website and they found the time to change the price!!!

Now it reads this way:

Bushmaster M16 with A2 Carrying Handle .223 Cal.
This semi-auto 5.56mm/ .223 Rem. Cal comes with a 30Rd mag, 20” chrome lined heavy bbl, solid buttstock, bayonet lug, and birdcage flash suppressor. 39 1/2” length, and weighs 7.43 lbs. without mag.
RETAIL: $1100.00
#BMAS-BCWA2S20
NO CALIFORNIA $779.95


Well......whatever....

Guess changing the website wasn't as difficult as they made it out to be...

[WildBillCody]

Centerfire systems did the same thing to me, except is was the difference between a CAST and Stamped CETME. Thier ad said CAST, I got a Stamped, after asking at least 4 times before I ordered, then I got oh well, we can't examine every box we ship out.

[jonboy20]

Only $12 profit per gun? Now does that make sense? That is only like 1.6% mark up on the gun unless you factor all the overhead in and that is your true profit of $12 a unit.

Do you have to have a bush master?

[Nazgul]

That price is crap! I've seen their "exclusive dealer" catalog, along with other internet dealers. The wholesale price is about 68% of what they sale them for.

[Alaskagrown]

what do you expect they call it an M16

[Longhorn789]

what do you expect they call it an M16

Yeah....I thought that was sort of strange too.....

[NavajoNPaleFace]

Unfortunately, there are very few businesses these days with scrupples. That is why the Latin term "caveat emptor" is so well known.

I am not condoning what SOG did to you....it is unexcusable and the problem could have been easily rectified and they could have kept you as a long term customer.

There is a small 'mom and pop' gun shop that I used to frequent. In fact, I knew most sales people and the owner by first name...all five of them.

One day, as I entered the store, I noticed a sign that read, in near quote, "We will match any advertised special".

However, when I took in a clipped ad for a case of Korean 30.06 M2 ball (which they had) I was told that the match offer only applied to firearms. Not ammo, reloading material, etc.

OK. I will buy that. For that time.

Later, when I was in the market for the Henry Golden Boy .22 LR I took another cut-out clip advertisement from on-line showing a considerably lower price than the shop was asking for the very same model. That time I was told that their claim to match did not include internet offers since they couldn't compete, money-wise, with internet businesses.

I haven't been back since.

Regardless, thanks for the heads-up with SOG since I have bought from them many times in the past. On another day I will tell everyone the story involving three Mosin Nagants I ordered from SOG. :icon_biggrin: