Ramsey Outdoor Store — Attraction in Ramsey

Compelled to provide an honest review because it's worth pointing out the difference in shopping here for kayaks, as opposed to other stores. Two reasons why I felt the need to shop here: 1) support local businesses, 2) only place to still have Hobie products in stock at the time of this review.

As for service, not much can be said about it. I came here knowing more about the products than the sales rep and found myself having conversations with other clientele on the features of each kayak and being more informed of upgrades, etc, than the people working there. This happened at least twice while I visited in store. Sad that I probably sold kayaks for them, but whatever.

Second, I put my name down for a kayak and was told I was going to be contacted upon arrival but never got called. It wasn't until I followed up did I find out it was, in fact, in stock and a delivery had come in. Even with referencing my name, it seems that my reservation went out the window. With a high demand product of pedal kayaks, I would have been SOL if I didn't call numerous times to check.

Third, I came to pick up the kayak but it did not come assembled, which is a surprise as I've bought 2 other Hobie Kayaks from Empire Kayaks in Island Park, NY and it was all set up ready to load. Not here! I was asked if I would like it assembled and clearly the obvious answer is, Yes. First of all, why would anyone say 'No'? But what irked me is that this now caused me to waste time for it to be done. Again, my name was on the list, so the expectation is that the product would be ready for pick up. The excuse here was that the deliveries come this way. You're a HOBIE authorized dealer, and I'm certain, that's not how they do business.

Lastly, I had been given a discount on other accessories when I purchased from another store for a large kayak purchase. Apparently they have something similar but was informed that the kayak I bought does not qualify, regardless of the $1800 price point. I guess, I'd have to make it past the $3k mark to get that discount. From a sales perspective, this is just horrible business. While I was in the market to buy more accessories, I felt deterred from doing so. These incentives amount to more sales in the long run, but clearly they lose out. Double thumbs down. My business goes elsewhere.

P.S. just some of the finer points surrounding customer service. I was given tie downs to put on the roof of my car when I took home my kayaks from ANOTHER store, as a courtesy. Ramsey Outdoor asks you to buy some or bring your own. I can't believe that after spending close to 2k on a product, they cant bother to hand you a $7 strap to help you on your way. Certainly, another sore spot here.

Only reason why it got the stars is because they had a high demand product available. Apart from the availability and convenience (which his solely based on proximity to where I live), I don't think I will make another large purchase from this store again. How am I incentivized to do so? I'm not. Next time, I'd prefer to go back to Empire Kayaks or buy from REI where I can, at the very least get some dividends back from an expensive item.

*update * Initially gave 2 stars, now demoted to 1 star. At the time I picked up the kayak, I specifically asked for the paperwork on the boat, warranty, etc. I have 2 other Hobies, so I know what to look for. He (Peter) assured me it was inside the hull of the kayak but it was NOT. Upon taking the kayak off the car I come to find nothing but an allen key that he left inside which made the drive home miserable.. I refuse to make a 3rd trip to the store for yet another mistake. WORST experience ever and I'm seeing if it can get...

Stopped in here to check out a few pistols for ccw. Before I stopped by, had a nice conversation with Dave on the phone about some pistols I was interested in. He gave me time to explain what I was looking for, didn't rush me off the phone and invited me to stop by. I did stop by later in the day and was greeted by Ben ,Dave and Anthony at the gun counter. They all were a great tag team. They were very knowledgeable and were extremely helpful in providing me with advice suggestions as well as pointing out some things that I was not thinking about prior to my conversation with them. I did not wind up purchasing a pistol however after conversing with them I started asking them opinions on hunting rifles and wound up making a purchase I have been putting off for years in upgrading my current hunting rifle. I'm very happy with the way I was treated here everybody was very friendly and helpful and I did not feel rushed or like I was annoying the staff at any point. This is super important when considering making a purchase of this nature. I had been to other gunshops as well as head conversations with them over the phone and I always feel rushed or persuaded to purchase in a certain direction. I will certainly be coming back to Ramsey outdoor for all of my hunting fishing and outdoor needs if the customer service continues on the path that it currently is taking. I would highly recommend to anybody looking for anything outdoors outdoors related to give them a cand you won't be...

I would like to personally thank Greg W. for superb customer service. My package was lost in the USPS transit and I had little hope that it would ever be found and delivered to me. The tracking history showed that it moved through the first few steps, and then had no progress for about 14 days, so I was sure "it fell off the truck". Part of my order were items that were being discontinued at R.O. store, and I ordered the last of their inventory. I mention that as I would be less than happy if I got a refund, but would not be able to reorder the items. When I called Ramsey Outdoor to report a lost package, I truly felt like I was dealing with a local family store that it working really hard to earn the business of each and every customer. Greg suggested that he may be able to work with USPS to try to track down the lost package. He sent me personalized emails every few days with status of the investigation, next steps and when to expect next update. I am so happy to report that not only the package was recovered and delivered intact, but how nice it felt to experience this above and beyond, personalized customer service. Other stores may compete on price or selection, but I doubt many would stack up on the level of Ramsey Outdoors when it comes to customer service when something goes wrong. Even though I live many states away from your store, I feel like I found a "local outfitter" that I can trust. ...