Reputable and Disreputable Online Retailers

[badkarma6]

Like many of you over the past 2 years, I have used numerous online retail outlets to find items that I need or want. I've found some really great ones likes Reeds Family Outdoors Outfitters in Minnesota. I've order a rifle from them and a few other items and if they say it is in stock, it is in stock and they ship it out quick. They're a great folks and if I'm ever in Minnesota, I'm going to stop in and tell them they're great. Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo in Tennessee is another good one. Fast, affordable and if they say they have it, they have it. However, there are always some turds. I've completely stopped using Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops. Ordered too many items only to get an email 12 hours later saying they don't actually have it. However, the worst might be Optics Planet. You cannot trust a thing they say. I ordered a .300 BLK upper receiver and after 6 months of being told it will ship next week, I finally canceled my order and went elsewhere. Well, I needed a couple magazines and a holster for a cool old S&W Model 39 that I picked up and I found exactly what I wanted on Optics Planet. I decided to give them another chance. The mags and the holster were listed as being in stock. I ordered it on January 2nd and guess what? Yep, gonna ship next week. It was going to ship last week too. If you look on BBB, they have horrible reviews. 1.14/5 stars.

So, help a brother out. What are the good places you have found that we should support? Who are the turds?

 

[rideold]

I've had good luck with Midway and Midsouth Shooters.

 

[jt13]

I must be one of the lucky ones with Optics Planet. I've placed a dozen orders from them and everything showed up when it was supposed to.

MidwayUSA, Sportsmans Warehouse, AimSurplus, Natchez, and EuroOptics have all been good to me.

 

[MNElkNut]

A high school buddy of mine is a manager at Reeds. They do a good job.

Scheels does an awesome job. Push the "Order" button run to the door to see if you can beat them delivering it.

Midway and Sierra are also good. Camofire most of the time.

 

[Sam Colt]

Kittery Trading Post, Cove Creek Outfitters, Roger’s Sporting Goods, and ALPS have all been berry berry good to me.

 

[bmt99]

I have also used Reeds. They are great. Sierra Trading, REI and Scheels are others. Cabelas is just kind of frustrating trying to figure out what is actually in stock.

 

[Beignet]

I took a chance on Miwall Corp after finding them through ammobuy.com. They delivered a few boxes of reasonably priced 30-06 ammo within a week or so.

Selway Armory has been good to me in person and I know they do sell a bit online. I’d put them in the “trusted vendor” category.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Shari's Berries is phenomenal
Skoal always delivers in a pinch
Russian-woman-meet.com was excellent but there's been some bait n' switch complaints lately - they blame covid
Sportsmans whorehouse never has anything in stock so I went back to searching Russia with love

 

[TheGrayRider]

Midway USA has been good in the past. I think Larry is a straight shooter and he donates quite a bit to conservation.

 

[Brandon270]

Sportsman's, midway usa and Scheels have been my go to. Not too many local small shops around that offer hunting gear, everything is more for the tactical crowd.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Midway, Natchez, Midsouth, SPS (when they have stock, but that’s the nature of the beast), Powdervalley, scheels, brassmanbrass (see comments about SPS above), Hodgdon, and occasionally Academy Outdoors (believe it or not, but a terrible website) for ammo, components, etc.

Rogers and Duluth (been a couple years since I’ve ordered from them, heard that they’ve changed) for clothing.

 

[Dsnow9]

I finally received my ammo I ordered from optics planet in nov of 2020, it was delivered to my mailbox today.

 

[midwesthunter]

I have never had an issue with any retailer, except when it comes to ammo, but I expect to run into that issue now a days with as fast as people are buying.

I have always gotten great service from optics planet, euro optics, SWFA, Sheels, sportsman warehouse

 

[Rainer]

For gear I've found that 1 Shot Gear and Blackovis/Camofire are good. Mountain Archery seems to have issues with their website but they aren't that bad. As someone who has to order gear too Canada, I haven't had an issue with shipping.

 

[BigMonk96]

Another vote for Reeds and Midway --- and the few times I used Brownells,things went smooth**

 

[WNC2500]

I would agree with Camofire, Mountain-Archery, Mid-South, and Sportsman's
I have been impressed with Midway during the ammo shortage. They have seemed to keep Nosler, and Hornady more in stock than others (at times).

 

[Ohiowhitetail]

I've had good luck with Midway and Midsouth Shooters.

I love MW USA

 

[hank4elk]

Midway can't seem to find my address to make a delivery. So I have not bothered in 13 years. I think Larry thinks New Mexico is a latin country.
There is a whole bunch of modern retailers who have idiots running logistics. Because goggle says so...that address cannot be found, but I got a UPS delivery here the week before. The Ma & Pa spice company had no trouble finding Pie Town,NM.

 

[Greggkp]

Midway can't seem to find my address to make a delivery. So I have not bothered in 13 years. I think Larry thinks New Mexico is a latin country.
There is a whole bunch of modern retailers who have idiots running logistics. Because goggle says so...that address cannot be found, but I got a UPS delivery here the week before. The Ma & Pa spice company had no trouble finding Pie Town,NM.

i hear you hank4elk…living in NM does have its challenges!! Maybe even more so in a place named Pie Town than here in Farmington . Just kidding…in my 50+ years in NM, I’ve driven all around Pie Town, but never through it. Beautiful area and great elk country!

Back to the subject, it seems to me that the larger any organization becomes, the less capable they are to provide customer service. I think that generally holds true in business as well as government. i guess maybe because the customers they service are each very unique individuals, not a “customer base“ for which “One size fits all”.

You can obviously see the difference in dealing with East Main Trade here vs. Sportsman’s Warehouse. And as previously posted, there are good online outlets as well. An example that jumps to mind is Hammer Bullets.

 

[noharleyyet]

Facebook has some unreal deals...yessir, unreal. I'm amazed at the sheer volume of larceny their word po po allows.