What is going on with Ellwood Epps?

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Place seems ripe for someone to come along, buy them out and build a proper store with a layout that caters to gun owners. A nice big indoor range with 10 lanes would round it out nicely. Keep the name and make it a cool place to stop like it was in the 70's. Someone please make Epp's great again!:wave:
 
Forest1488 said:
Place seems ripe for someone to come along, buy them out and build a proper store with a layout that caters to gun owners. A nice big indoor range with 10 lanes would round it out nicely. Keep the name and make it a cool place to stop like it was in the 70's. Someone please make Epp's great again!:wave:
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May want to look into bylaws and explosives laws. There is a reason the owner doesnt expand or move.
 
Boomer686 said:
I was in here once during a vacation looking for parts: stood in the line up at the gun counter for close on 35 minutes with a bunch of others waiting to be served (was there to buy a rifle and some parts I had confirmed on-line as being in stock) all the while watching the guys behind the counter walk around totally ignoring all of us while fielding phone call after phone call after phone call. I chatted up the guy in front of me who advised me this is the normal level of service after learning it was my first time there. I left the line, replaced all the items in my basket (~$300 worth) back on the appropriate shelves upstairs and left.

It's great to have lots of phone traffic but you need to manage resources to look after your walk-ins too.
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Retail in person and online should be different depts. Trying to do both results in poor service in both instances...
 
Problems with Ellwood Epps ???

To be fair, I had to respond to this thread, not in defense of Ellwood Epps , but fairness to Ellwood Epps. I recently had dealings with Ellwood Epps regarding a Browning Buckmark .22 Field Target. Without airing my dirty laundry, suffice to say it wasn't a huge problem, BUT, all it took to rectify the said problem , was one phone call to Wes Winkel, we spoke , he understood my dismay, and he took the appropriate steps to rectify the problem, and it was over and done with, before it went out of control. I don't believe in flaming a person/ corporation without first exhausting all possible other channels. That's it , that's all I have to say at this time.
 
Epps is a good gun store.
They’re going to be around for a long long time.
I wish they would modernize their website.
Al Flaherty’s would be a good template to follow.
We’d buy more accessories and ammo from them if they offered it online.
 
Hi Folks,

Want to add my experience so far with Ellwood Epps.

Back at the end of August I decided to buy a Dillon 650XL, and sent out requests for quotes to a few different stores in Ontario. EE came back with a quote significantly under everyone else's. I sent an email back asking if the quote was in Canadian funds, and was told yes.

I called in to place my order (got Wes Winkel fortunately), and he stated the price quoted was their error, but to his credit, they would honor it. I placed my order in the second week of September, and EE was placing their order that week (so I was told by a gentleman called Burt, hence my placing my order by phone to make that order), and have been waiting patiently since. I have called a number of times over the last few weeks, and keep getting told that the order is being held up at the border.

I have checked with the other stores that I requested quotes from, which all had order dates LATER than EE, (one store was three weeks later!), they have all received their orders. I do not understand what the hold up could be. I have been given the same reason time and time again.

I even offered to help with my contacts at the CBSA, and was politely refused.

The CBSA processes shipments on a first in first out basis. The other stores placed their orders at later dates, and ALL have received their orders earlier.

For the record, all service was very polite, and courteous. It is the fact I have been hearing the same excuse for over five weeks now about the border. I made a general inquiry to my contacts at the CBSA, and while not permitted to discuss particulars, stated that while over five weeks to clear customs is not entirely unheard of, it is VERY unlikely, and it raises red flags.

I am a reasonable person, who understands that international shipping can have it's issues. I also hold the truth very highly in all respects of life. If there is a problem, be honest with me, and I will understand

I plan to be in Barrie next weekend for the IPSC AGM, and will be stopping in to speak to Mr. Winkel in person, with the hopes of getting some answers. I will update this post after that.

I am curious if this has happened to other CGN'ers who have dealt with Ellwood Epps before.

Thank you
 
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Lequarius said:
Hi Folks,

Want to add my experience so far with Ellwood Epps.

Back at the end of August I decided to buy a Dillon 650XL, and sent out requests for quotes to a few different stores in Ontario. EE came back with a quote significantly under everyone else's. I sent an email back asking if the quote was in Canadian funds, and was told yes.

I called in to place my order (got Wes Winkel fortunately), and he stated the price quoted was their error, but to his credit, they would honor it. I placed my order in the second week of September, and EE was placing their order that week (so I was told by a gentleman called Burt, hence my placing my order by phone to make that order), and have been waiting patiently since. I have called a number of times over the last few weeks, and keep getting told that the order is being held up at border.

I have checked with the other stores that I requested quotes from, which all had order dates LATER than EE, (one store was three weeks later!), they have all received their orders. I do not understand what the hold up could be. I have been given the same reason time and time again.

I even offered to help with my contacts at the CBSA, and was politely refused.

The CBSA processes shipments on a first in first out basis. The other stores placed their orders at later dates, and ALL have received their orders earlier.

For the record, all service was very polite, and courteous. It is the fact I have been hearing the same excuse for over five weeks now about the border. I made a general inquiry to my contacts at the CBSA, and while not permitted to discuss particulars, stated that while over five weeks to clear customs is not entirely unheard of, it is VERY unlikely, and it raises red flags.

I am a reasonable person, who understands that international shipping can have it's issues. I also hold the truth very highly in all respects of life. If there is a problem, be honest with me, and I will understand

I plan to be in Barrie next weekend for the IPSC AGM, and will be stopping in to speak to Mr. Winkel in person, with the hopes of getting some answers. I will update this post after that.

I am curious if this has happened to other CGN'ers who have dealt with Ellwood Epps before.

Thank you
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Being totally pessimistic but I think they didn't order the press. Epps may not be making any $$ on your order so they just want to give up and get a refund. That's my conspiracy theory.

I have made many purchases at EE both online and in person. Some of the guys can be on the unfriendly side but they sometimes tend to have hard to find items and lower prices. One time they forgot to start the restricted transfer. Not really a huge deal. I'll continue to shop there.
 
I would hope that is not the case, as that would be fraudulent, and I would be forced to take legal action.

As far as not making any money on the press, that may be true. They would certainly make money on the accessories I plan to buy with it. So this would not be a negative transaction for them.

I prefer to assume the best of people and businesses, and conduct myself accordingly. On the flip side, I show no mercy to those that wrong me.

As I have not spoken to Mr. Winkel in person to deal with this matter, I prefer to give him, and his company the benefit of the doubt.

I would kindly ask that responses not reflect suppositions, only factual experience with Ellwood Epps.

Thank you
 
JohnnyPython said:
Being totally pessimistic but I think they didn't order the press. Epps may not be making any $$ on your order so they just want to give up and get a refund. That's my conspiracy theory.

I have made many purchases at EE both online and in person. Some of the guys can be on the unfriendly side but they sometimes tend to have hard to find items and lower prices. One time they forgot to start the restricted transfer. Not really a huge deal. I'll continue to shop there.
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That's funny, I had he same thoughts about a sako I ordered from them. They quoted me a great price. When I made my order they said i had the wrong price. After I sent them the email with the price they quoted me they agreed to honour it. I thought this was a very noble move. They also said it could be a 6-8 month wait. I said that was fine. After waiting 18 months I agreed to be refunded as they told me It was discontinued. I cant say for sure what happened but it really made me wonder. I will say all communication through out the process was prompt and courteous. I would not hesitate to deal with them in the future. I will also say service during in store visits was hit and miss.
 
There are many great site sponsors I deal with and have not dealt with Epps for online purchases or stop by the store while passing by. Not to mention there is little to no chance that I would want to drive there, absolutely not.

I do not need a personal bad experience with them as many have attested to having and are about to realize they now have, so I avoid them and thus have no problems with Epps.
 
savage112 said:
There has to be more to this story than what you have mentioned here.Would you care to elaborate?
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Bought a new rem ltr 308. Put it aside for 2 months and tried it after the range was possible to go. Didn’t shoot well, send it to my gunsmith to have it checked with borescope and everything. Went back to me saying the barrel was one of lot of thousands rounds , was rusted from use with corrosive ammo. My rifle are stored in a controlled environment , don’t have any corrosive ammo at home. My gunsmith is doing some contracts for Gravel who are the remington service centre. So he knows what he is doing. Contact epps several times including phone. Never heard back from them. Decide to order a new barrel and a new project.
 
UPDATE TO POST

Got my 650 at the price quoted but had to buy a .45 conversion kit as the only press available was a 9mm press. Many thanks to salesman Mike Gillespie for looking through cold dark storage areas looking for a 650!

I was not happy with how this transaction was handled. Service was respectful, just extremely slow and excuse-ridden. I plan to shoot 9mm in the near future but having to take a press in 9mm and having to buy a .45 conversion kit was not what I consider good business. Wes could have ordered another press to replace the one supposedly held up at the border and it would have arrived long before I got frustrated enough to take a 9mm press to be done with the deal.

I would not rule out doing business with them again, but it will ONLY be a last resort and ONLY in stock items I can physically inspect.

I never was able to speak directly to Wes in person.
 
Took a rifle to get bedded a few years back. Took forever and when it was finally done looked liked a child had done it. Bubbles and voids everywhere. Anyways lesson learned.
 
I had them tweak and re-barrel a Win 94 for me a while back. It took a long time; several emails, phone calls, and then a visit in person to see it through. The work was great but I think they are over booked in the Gunsmith dept.
 
Worst customer service I have ever experienced with anything... sent my rifle in for service in January - now August and they have lost (or can't locate) the factory replacement they received two weeks ago.. no one there has a frickin clue.
 
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