DO you have any idea how many guns Epps sells!? They in a position that they don't HAVE to worry about their reputation. People will still buy from there in droves. If they were local, heck, *I* would probably buy from there, because they have a huge selection. But I'm not about to drive 1.5hrs (EACH way) to get a gun, that if I have any problems with, I'll have to do that journey again (and possibly again, and again, and again) to solve the problem.
Nope - someone on here stamped all over me for supporting chain stores, but I know for a fact that Canadian Tire has an -awesome- customer service policy when it comes to returns. Cabelas is the same. They even ship all their products with return label stickers so you can return it if need be. I don't know about Bass Pro as I haven't bought a firearm from them yet. But I'd rather drive 10mins across town to talk to someone in person, than 2x1.5 hrs.
I purchased my first ever handgun from Epps. I thank gawd it works.
But Epps has so many customers that they can afford to loose some if they dont' want to stand behind their sales, and it won't put a dent in their business.
It would be nice if retailers put some sort of lock on the muzzle, so you had to call them to get the combination to remove it. That way customers could inspect the gun thoroughly and if not satisfied, send it back with proof it had not been fired by the customer.
But people need to have faith in the store they buy from, that the store is selling a quality product. They shouldn't HAVE to break it apart and inspect it piece by piece if they trust the store. Only customers of untrustworthy stores should be doing that.