BMosh
Member
- Messages
- 94
This is information for those of you who do, or intend to patronize Bass Pro Shops. I recently purchased a firearm online through BPS and had it shipped to the store in Rocklin. I should've known better, being that several years prior I had purchased a boat through the same store and it turned out to be the biggest nightmare/mistake of my life. Took a couple weeks for the firearm to arrive, no big deal. Firearm arrives and it's missing the mid bead on the rib. Not a huge deal, maybe Beretta's fault, they worked with me on that.
Now, there are several exemptions to the 10-day waiting period, one being the purchaser is a sworn law enforcement officer and has written authorization from the head of the agency. This is in accordance with Penal Code 27650(a)(1)(2), for reference. I know not everyone is fond of this exemption and believe law enforcement officials should be treated no differently than the general public. I don't disagree and think the 10-day waiting period is BS altogether. But nonetheless, this is a valid exemption to these restrictive laws and myself and many others have been fortunate to take advantage of it. People are entitled to their opinions on this, I get it.
I provided shop personnel with a 10-day waiver signed by the head of my agency. I was initially told they don't accept the waiver. I was then told they would only accept the waiver if the firearm was used for "on-duty" use, but since they don't sell firearms that would be used as "on-duty" firearms, they still won't accept the waiver. The person advising me this also told me that the penal code had recently changed, and has verbiage saying the firearm must be for duty use. This is factually inaccurate as the penal code does not specify how the firearm will be used. Additionally, it is not up to BPS to determine how the firearm is to be used. Either this person is ignorant in this area or thinks the customers he is serving are. After politely educating this individual, I was then told that it is store policy not to accept the waiver. This was frustration #1.
As we continue to complete the paperwork, I'm told to sign a waiver that I will pick up the firearm after an 11 day waiting period. Perplexed, I asked why it was 11 days and not 10 days, per California's already ridiculous law. I was told it was to prevent people from picking up their firearm too early. I asked if I showed up on day 10 if they would release the firearm and they told me no. Reason being... store policy.
During completion of the paperwork, I'm charged an additional fee for a cable lock. This is a small fee, but again, there are exceptions to this. If you already have a compliant lock box or safe, you sign a simple affidavit with the information of your safe. This wasn't an option. Again... store policy.
As previously mentioned, I have personally used this exemption through other dealers as have many others that I know. There have been ZERO issues. I wrote an email to BPS' customer service asking why their "store policy" is more restrictive than California's already ridiculously strict gun laws. I was promptly forwarded to the store manager who provided a very short, uninformative email only confirming the waiver wouldn't be accepted. In the meantime, I had contacted other FFL's and asked if they would accept the 10-day waiver. No issues. I replied to the store manager asking them to ship the firearm to an FFL that would comply with the exception. Answer... store policy is we can only ship to BPS and Cabela's stores.
My complaint here isn't because I have to wait 10 days, well 11 per BPS. But we already live in such a restricted state and whether it's the business as a whole, or just this store's policy, but BPS makes it even harder and more restrictive to obtain legally purchased firearms. This is NOT in the best interest of sportsmen, law enforcement or the every day average Joe gun owner. I would never tell anyone how to spend their money, but I won't be spending anymore of mine at BPS or Cabela's.
Rant over.
Now, there are several exemptions to the 10-day waiting period, one being the purchaser is a sworn law enforcement officer and has written authorization from the head of the agency. This is in accordance with Penal Code 27650(a)(1)(2), for reference. I know not everyone is fond of this exemption and believe law enforcement officials should be treated no differently than the general public. I don't disagree and think the 10-day waiting period is BS altogether. But nonetheless, this is a valid exemption to these restrictive laws and myself and many others have been fortunate to take advantage of it. People are entitled to their opinions on this, I get it.
I provided shop personnel with a 10-day waiver signed by the head of my agency. I was initially told they don't accept the waiver. I was then told they would only accept the waiver if the firearm was used for "on-duty" use, but since they don't sell firearms that would be used as "on-duty" firearms, they still won't accept the waiver. The person advising me this also told me that the penal code had recently changed, and has verbiage saying the firearm must be for duty use. This is factually inaccurate as the penal code does not specify how the firearm will be used. Additionally, it is not up to BPS to determine how the firearm is to be used. Either this person is ignorant in this area or thinks the customers he is serving are. After politely educating this individual, I was then told that it is store policy not to accept the waiver. This was frustration #1.
As we continue to complete the paperwork, I'm told to sign a waiver that I will pick up the firearm after an 11 day waiting period. Perplexed, I asked why it was 11 days and not 10 days, per California's already ridiculous law. I was told it was to prevent people from picking up their firearm too early. I asked if I showed up on day 10 if they would release the firearm and they told me no. Reason being... store policy.
During completion of the paperwork, I'm charged an additional fee for a cable lock. This is a small fee, but again, there are exceptions to this. If you already have a compliant lock box or safe, you sign a simple affidavit with the information of your safe. This wasn't an option. Again... store policy.
As previously mentioned, I have personally used this exemption through other dealers as have many others that I know. There have been ZERO issues. I wrote an email to BPS' customer service asking why their "store policy" is more restrictive than California's already ridiculously strict gun laws. I was promptly forwarded to the store manager who provided a very short, uninformative email only confirming the waiver wouldn't be accepted. In the meantime, I had contacted other FFL's and asked if they would accept the 10-day waiver. No issues. I replied to the store manager asking them to ship the firearm to an FFL that would comply with the exception. Answer... store policy is we can only ship to BPS and Cabela's stores.
My complaint here isn't because I have to wait 10 days, well 11 per BPS. But we already live in such a restricted state and whether it's the business as a whole, or just this store's policy, but BPS makes it even harder and more restrictive to obtain legally purchased firearms. This is NOT in the best interest of sportsmen, law enforcement or the every day average Joe gun owner. I would never tell anyone how to spend their money, but I won't be spending anymore of mine at BPS or Cabela's.
Rant over.
