Bizzare range session

[glockman19]

The indoor range I frequented increased the price of their reloaded ammo so much I started asking why? I explained that I could buy factory ammo, not 10% powder reduced reloads, for less, midwayusa.com has 9mm blazer brass for $9.99 a box of 50 or $99.90 NO Tax for 500. They were selling range reloads for $125.99 + tax for 500. My questions were based on economics and why I could buy Factory for less than reloads considering they were 10% underloaded and you could pick up your brass but could no take the range reloaded brass at those prices.

Without breaking any range rules My membership was canceled and I was asked to leave. I quietly packed up my bag and as I was leaving asked If I was welcome back and the reply was profanity laced diatribe. As I walked out the door I continued to be cursed with profanity by a female employee, the manager, who followed me out to my car harassing me along the way and intimidating me by standing so close I could smell her breath and barely open my door. the young male empolyee, a former cop, then gets involved acting bravada, throwing out chest and threatening to "kick my ass" as I pulled out of the parking lot. I did not play into their baiting and did not reply in kind. It was beneath me. They were acting like uneducated street thugs, teenage punks. It was unbelieveable. A real twilight zone moment.

Needless to say I came home and called my CC company and asked to reverst the charge, they said they wouldn't when I left asking If I was welcome to return or was 86'd, for my years membership, I just signed up for another year and this was my first visit.

Has anyone ever had such a bizzare range session? There is another indoor range near by I'll start going to. And..they not only have a lower yearly membership fee...They also get the same reloaded ammo and only charge $95.99 for 500 rounds. Considering the frequency that I shoot 100-200 rounds 1-2 times a week it is a substantial savings. I probably shoot 1,000 rounds every 4-6 weeks and spent over $1,700 just on the reloads @ the other less friendly customer orientated range also the $150 membership & targets.

 

[bogie]

1) They don't want you shooting other folks' ammo. If you shoot hot ammo, it makes them have to replace their stuff more often.

2) They want you to buy THEIR ammo. Why? They make money on it.

3) They don't want you to bitch about it. Because other people hear about it, and either don't renew, or don't sign up.

They'll lose money. Eventually.

 

[10-Ring]

Sounds like it's time to find a better place to go shoot...hopefully you have alternatives that are close to you.

 

[sm]

Ammo has gone up, and most likely Liability insurance has too; cost of doing business I can respect and understand.
Rude behavior if not provoked, is not acceptable.

I would not have posted here, instead had attorney contact them.

Me? I burned sanctioned cards and memberships before The Great Equipment Race heated up good.
Don't care what folks think of me, but some crossed the line with 'Nam Vets, ladies and kids.
Screw 'em! Feed 'em fish heads and rice.
Snagged my personal guns (about 30) I had left with these places, like kind pulled theirs too.

Then we got these folks their own range with private donations.
Fine line in Cocky & Confident, still I won shooting against a fella from "one old place".
It was personal, he knocked a Vet out of his wheelchair and I have a hard time forgetting some things.
I made this "loser" apologize to the Vet,and hand him the
$3,000 I had won.

I do private property, as I refuse to shoot , hunt, or be around some firearm owners.
Been this way for decades...
Too damn old and set in my ways to change.

 

[SilentArmy]

Not only would I have posted this experience but I would have clearly stated the name and location of the establishment! I make no bones at any gun store if their prices are obviously inflated and there IS an ammo remanufacturer locally here that charges within mere pennies of the price of New American eagle for their CRAP! Luckily, the employees of the range are honest and they will tell you straight up that it is crap and will not allow its use in rental guns! I would go back and request the cost of your membership be refunded and if not then you may threaten legal action. My hat is off to you for sharing this experience and maybe you can prevent others from having the same!

 

[brentn]

Wow, I can HARDLY believe that this is true... It completley amazes me that a business can act this way in front of its customers, completley un-acceptable.

First off, I would do what silentarmy suggested, and get your money back. Second, I would then tell them that you are filing harassment charges and that if you don't get your refund, you will most defenitly see them in court. Contact a laywer and tell them what happens, when this does goto court they will most likely have to show the court their survielence tape to prove their innocence in the harassment charge. This of course, will prove that you are correct.

Curious to know, was it all you did, was ask them why it was so high and that you have found it less expensive elsewhere, or were you less than polite when you mentioned it?

But seriously, do us all a favor and post the address and business name.

 

[Chris B]

Wow! That sucks. It almost seems as though they were hoping you would fly in to a rage or something so they could draw their weapons on you.

Most ranges I have been to will only let you shoot their own (overpriced) ammo in their rental guns, which is understandable since they don't want their guns going kaboom. Most of those will let you take the brass with you though (not something most renters do anyway I guess). I've heard of ranges from members on here that claim "once the brass hits the floor it's ours" even if you didn't buy the ammo there. I think that's a load of crap. One should be informed of such practices upon purchase of range time or ammo otherwise it seems quite unfair to me.

I have encountered several less than helpful, unfriendly gunstore employees but never spent any money with them. I have met many more who were friendly, helpful and courteous firearms enthusiasts. Would it be libelous to post the name of the shop so that others may be spared from wasting their time/ money there?

 

[Thernlund]

I as well would like to know what range this was. If you cannot say, at least tell us what city you're in (or the city the range is in, if different).

This sounds just like a certain gun store in the Old Town part of Scottsdale, AZ that was infamous for their treatment of customers. They're closed now I think. Any shooter who's been around Phoenix/Scottsdale for a long time will know what shop I'm referring to.


-T.

 

[hoji]

Please name them so others can avoid the same experience.

 

[TX1911fan]

Don't go back in person to request your refund. Send a certified letter, return receipt requested, demanding a refund because they terminated your membership for no fault of yours. You will probably not get a response, but you will have a paper trail. You risk another confrontration in person, plus there is no proof of what you said or what they said. Make sure the letter is very professional, keep the emotion out of it. Outline exactly what happened because this will be the basis of your small claims suit. Give them a reasonable amount of time in which to pay, say 30 days, and if they don't, tell them you intend on taking the matter to small claims court. If you have a copy of the range rules and/or the contract you signed (if any) when you signed up for your membership, then check to see what are the reasons your membership can be canceled. Small claims court is simple, you don't really need a lawyer for it.

 

[ShunZu]

Not only would I have posted this experience but I would have clearly stated the name and location of the establishment!

+1

 

[Henry Bowman]

Ditto what TX1911fan said.

 

[skinewmexico]

Wow! Blazer for $9.97? I threw a fit when it went up from $3.86 to $6.97 at Academy. Oh yeah.......I'd let everyone know where this place was. No respectable shooter needs to be a member there.

 

[dhoomonyou]

Where was this? city, state?

In Palm Beach Florida the ranges have CONSPIRED to not allow any outside ammo, just the OVERPRICED crap they sell.

 

[armoredman]

I have never been to a range that required I use thier ammo. If I ever did, I would never return. We have a city owned range just south of us that is free, three 100 yards open bays, and one covered position bay 200 yards long.
Best of luck to you, and I would certainly follow the advice above, and go lawyer if they don't pony up.

 

[strat81]

I can understand some of the "buy our stuff" rules. However, milking your customers with such rules is bad business. The indoor range near me prohibits some rifle calibers and limits rifle rounds to soft point and hollow point only, no FMJ.

Post the name of this place.

Even if you were the biggest jerk around, there's no reason for anyone from a gun range to threaten you with violence, especially while you were leaving. It is reasonable to expect such a person to be armed and, personally, I'm not comfortable having armed people threaten to kick my behind.

Dispute the charges and be sure to let every shooter you are acquainted with know about this experience.

 

[lance22]

Part of why I go to a range is to practice with my ammo. Practice with what you carry, everyone says and this seems to make sense. My ammo, not yours, theirs, or anyone else's.

My brothers and I stopped going to one very well known gun range near Lino Lakes, MN after repeated incidents of bizzare, negative behavior from a range employee. The owner was arrested for drugs about a year later and lost the range which has since been re-bought. I used to be the president of an IPSC club there and the following year I was diagnosed with a high blood-lead levels. Later, I heard rumors that the range had not been running their air filters 'to save money'. I respect the new owners but won't be back just the same.

I've been falsely accused of shooting the ceiling / scaffolding a few times at another range in Burnsville, MN. With my rifle, a "miss" means I'm an inch off of center, so how the hell I'm shooting the ceiling is anyone's guess. With my handguns I seldom miss the paper but again I guess when they think they hear a weird noise they head out to the firing line and who gets yelled it is like flipping a coin. I do like this place so I keep going back ... not a bad place at all - just saying gun ranges are curious businesses.

 

[RoadkingLarry]

Just goes to show you...A happy customer tells all his friends, an unhappy customer tells everybody.

 

[1911Tuner]

he knocked a Vet out of his wheelchair and I have a hard time forgetting some things. I made this "loser" apologize to the Vet,

Your self-control is admirable, sir. I'd likely have been in jail...

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I do private property, as I refuse to shoot , hunt, or be around some firearm owners.

Are you saying guns would be a lot more fun more of the time if we didn't have to deal with the idiots that own them?

 

[tnieto2004]

Ha! I hate to say this but almost every range visit (To my local range) there is at least something like this happening.. The range I go to is ran by a man who doesn't play well with others .. He and I get along well so I don't have any problems with going there .. But I have heard MANY people say they refuse to go to the range I go to because of this man.. He is a lil "short-fused" to say the least..

The range is maybe 2 miles from my house and I have been going there for about 15 years ..

 

[Deanimator]

I have never been to a range that required I use thier ammo. If I ever did, I would never return. We have a city owned range just south of us that is free, three 100 yards open bays, and one covered position bay 200 yards long.
Best of luck to you, and I would certainly follow the advice above, and go lawyer if they don't pony up.

A while ago, I went to an indoor range with a 25 yard range so that I could zero some guns for 25 yards for Camp Perry (my regular range is 50' only). As I was unpacking, the guy at the counter asked me what kind of ammunition I was going to use. Thinking he was worried about hot magnums, I told him, "Bullseye lead bullet target loads." He told me I could only shoot jacketed bullets on the range. He offered to sell me some expensive JHP +P .38 Specials... for my .38 Special Giles M1911. Of course the only thing that will even fit in the magazine is 148gr. wadcutter loads. I politely thanked him, loaded my two boxes of guns back up and drove to another [hair raisingly unsupervised] range across town.

 

[Im283]

these kind of stories are a constant reminder to not sell where I live. I am glad I read them here regularly.

 

[PPGMD]

I've heard of ranges from members on here that claim "once the brass hits the floor it's ours" even if you didn't buy the ammo there.

I'm not that hardcore about collecting all my brass but their are some that are and one had a novel solution to that problem. He used a small weight similar to the ones used to hold the umbrellas up at street side cafes, and he put a fishing net in it. He would then position it on the table in the booth so his brass naturally ejected into it. It seemed to work well there was not a single piece of brass on the floor that looked like it came from his booth.

Anyways that range doesn't have that rule, but his method made clean up easier for him. I wouldn't shoot at a range where I couldn't bring my own ammo, nor collect my own brass. Of course I go through thousands of rounds, and buy it in bulk from others.

 

[Black Knight]

As far as a letter asking for the refund I would have an attorney send it that way he knows you mean business. If you do file suit have the attorney or court issue an order to preserve and produce the security video tape. They will not produce it without a fight. Also file a formal complaint with whoever issues their business license. Maybe if they know their license is in jeopardy they will treat customers better.