Big 5 Sporting Goods — Local services in Crescent City

The lady running the firearm section was training a new person on the process. I really didn't mind everyone has to learn their job at some point so I was being patient. The guy came back and forth numerous times, to get my ID, to bring it back, sign this form, disappear into the back room, need your ID again, sign this form, disappear again bring more forms for a signature, disappear, bring back ID, set me up on a tablet screen answer a bunch of questions while he disappears in the backroom again. Fill out a DROS (dealer record of sale) to send in to the state of California for the background check which usually is complete in 10 days. Day six a letter from the Department of Justice, the Attorney General, stating there will be a delay in the background check of up to 30 days and by law at the end of the 30 calendar days if they had not made a determination then the dealer (Big 5) could release the firearm to me. Day 31 I returned to Big 5 to pickup my firearm and the lady in the firearms section started doing some checking. She then returned with a copy of the DROS and told me to sign in the box that is labeled Purchaser's Signature. After I did she informed me that she was cancelling the sale because DOJ returned the finding of the DROS as Undetermined. She said that when Big 5 gets a return of Undetermined they can't release a firearm. I told her I had my letter from the Attorney General that states by law they can release the firearm to me. She wouldn't read the letter and as we went into it further it is a Big 5 Corporate Policy not to release the firearm. She also stated if I had gone to a private firearms dealer they could have released the firearm to me but Big 5 doesn't. While standing there I called DOJ and was informed that due to the high number of firearms (approximately 200000 a month) DOJ was unable to complete the background check within the 30 days by law and therefore mark the request as undetermined. Since they (Big 5) were allowed to release the firearm but refused I asked the lady to return all my money I paid. She said can't do that. I told her it's not my fault DOJ couldn't complete their job and by law she could release it but because of Corporate Policy she was refusing. She tried to show me on my copy of paper work where it states they did not have to return my money but she couldn't locate it on the DROS paper work but gave me the number for Customer Service. Later when I returned home I was going through my copies of paperwork from the guy that sold the firearm to me and sure enough on the Big 5 Firearm Sales Slip, not the register sales receipt, under the Customer Acknowledgement states, "No returns, exchanges, or refunds on all firearms sales, state fees, or firearm related dealer fees. I called Customer Service the next day and the lady on the other end seemed sympathetic and told me she would talk to the firearms division and get back to me. She got back pretty quickly and told me that was the policy and there was nothing she could do for me. I explained to her this is only happening because of Corporate Policy and if DOJ is backlogged then this should continue to reoccur with other Purchaser's. She agreed that they might have a problem and they would watch to see what happens. My feeling is if Big 5 can't abide by the statutes then get out of the business of selling firearms and ammo and quit ripping people off by hiding behind a technicality when DOJ states you can release...

Horrible. Extremely immature "manager" & sales associate. Sydney & Brendon. I might be wrong about the names though. The sales associate had a sticker covering his name. All except for the first & last letters. The "manager" was not wearing any sort of name tag or such. Both were poorly lacking in not only store policies but also in regards to products being sold in the store. Took a pellet gun in to be returned due to issues with it not operating correctly. The sales associate stated with in the first 5 minutes that he knows next to nothing about pellet guns or guns in general. He then went to get the "manager". She was awful. She said nothing but went about "checking" the pellet gun to, I guess, see if she could fix it? She spent close to 15 minutes or more trying to screw on the co2 cap. I was getting worried that she was going to strip the cap or damage the threads by continuing to incorrectly screw the cap back on. But she finally said "there, I got it" & took the pellet gun & left the store. Literally, walked out. I assume, but highly question, to "check" how the pellet gun performed. When she returned to the counter, she said, " The gun works fine. I will NOT be returning this." . I left the store & went across the street to get gas at which point my son began examining the pellet gun & noticed the co2 cap had in fact been damaged by the "managers" repeated attempts to screw it back on. I understand the trouble our local Big 5 Sporting Goods store is having in securing employees to fill their vacant job openings. However, I find it shameful to allow individuals such as Sidney to hold a position such as "manager" when she is so blatantly unqualified in more ways than one. It is acceptable to merely be inexperienced. With a little time & more training some people go on to do well for the company for which they are employed. Then there are other's that no amount of time, experience, or training will help to build competent, professional, valued employees. Unfortunately, "manager" Sydney at Big 5 Sporting Goods is...

Ok, this place has a great variety and a quality selection, but we stopped in on our way through town, hoping to buy a pair of work pants (got them) and 4 pair of shoes. We left with the pants and only one pair of shoes because although there were at least 5 employees on site, only one guy was actually working, helping all of the customers in the store, simultaneously. Everyone else was either huddled, working on some problem together, or outside, inspecting the employee smoking area. It's really hard to try on and pick out shoes, when the salesman keeps disappearing to help other customers to cover for his coworkers who are doing nothing. It was a disappointing experience, overall, and that is actually...