Have I stepped out (New Hoyt)

[auburn3808]

I have been shooting the same bow for 8 years. It is a Bear compound and I think it was made sometime shortly before the birth of Christ.... IT IS OLD!
So, I went to my local archery shop to see prices on a new Mathews Reezen. The guy at the shop let me shoot several bows one of which was a Hoyt Alpha Max 32 (left handed) WOW! The Reezen had a lot of vibration and was fairly loud but the Hoyt was awesome. I knew right then that was the bow I wanted. Here is how it was priced before tax:

Bare bow - $799.00
Sights and accessories - $250-300

So here is where I the step out may or may not have occurred.

I went home in love with a piece of archery equipment and as I do before all big purchases, I started doing some research. While researching I stumbled across a bow on Ebay with the listing as follows:

"New Hoyt Alphamax 32 (left handed) Bone Collector Edition. I am selling it in order to pay for my son's surgery and I have only shot it twice. Trophy Ridge Mantis Single pin sight, QAD Fall-away rest, peep sight, and kisser. Price list is as follows, Bow $849.95, Sight $99.95, QAD rest $70, Peep $15, Loop and kisser $10 ++ Tax is around $1120 so save some cabbage here on this bow."

There was 5 hours left on the auction so on a spur of the moment decision I placed a bid 829.99 plus 16.95 S&H

NO ONE ELSE BID ON THE BOW! I got a bow with all accessories for less than I could have bought a bare bow after tax!

So now I have bought a bow on ebay THE DAY my archery shop owner spent over an hour letting me shoot bows. I feel very bad. To add on to things he is the only archery shop in the area so I will have to take it to him for tuning.

My questions are as follows:

1: Was this as good of a deal as I am making it out to be?
2: Should I ever show my face in the Archery Shop again?

Thanks guys!

[YorkArcher]

My questions are as follows:

1: Was this as good of a deal as I am making it out to be?
2: Should I ever show my face in the Archery Shop again?

1. You wont know until you get the bow. buying used equipment has its risks even if you know the person your buying it from.

2. You don't have a choice. But don't expect a friendly reception. I know the guy who runs my local shop hates setting up a bow he didn't sell unless its an old bow he is fixing for someone. They might not even do it.

I know you saved some money buy you may have made a mistake.

no offense just my opinion. I hope it works out for ya. It is a great bow!!!

A local pro shop can be your best friend!!!!

[auburn3808]

Well there are still some things I am gonna need to buy. Quiver, stabilizer, arrows, broadheads, ect. Do you think that will make up for it?

(I already know the answer)

On the bright side I do live about 2 minutes from a Bass Pro so maybe they can tune it for me....

[YorkArcher]

That will help I'm sure but like I said..

don't expect to much

If its a small shop he might need every sale he can get..

If its relatively big place they might not mind so much...

Good luck bud..

And welcome to the sight!!!!

Lots of good folks here!!!!

[Colorado Rick]

At what I am sure will amount to certain risk of life and limb, I am going to weigh in here...

First off, I agree with York 100% here. You may get the ol stink eye from the shop keeper, but... that's just a temporary thing. If he's smart he won't burn that bridge.

What makes me want to chime in here is the Bass Pro idea. My experience with the gentleman at my Bass Pro has been interesting at best. When my wife and I spent $3000 there in one weekend setting up myself, my wife, and my son... Oh they were Johnny on the spot with whatever we needed.

"Can you do such and such?"

"Oh yeah just bring it in."

"What if I need this or that?"

"OH sure just bring it in."

Cheri has "outgrown" the 30 to 40# draw on her bow, so we contacted them to get the limbs replaced. "Oh we can't do that... you need to contact Bowtech." Fine. So I contact Bowtech. "Oh no your retailer should handle that." Back to Bass Pro... same thing. After growing INCREDIBLY weary of the constant ping-pong game, I raised an unholy stink with Bowtech and within 10 minutes... I got a call from Bass Pro telling me to bring her bow in.

Upon taking the bow in, I was greeted like a lepper in a nudist colony. I'm not saying that because I spent money there before I should be trotted around the store on shoulders... but I had continued to spend hard earned money there, albeit not to the extent of that weekend, and I am a paying customer none the less, and finally, I DO expect a certain level of service without bureaucracy. After contemplating the reaction from them, and taking into full account the fact that I had just skewered them with a large supplier, I examined all of the previous visits and the ever-lessening service on those previous visits, and I came to this conclusion:

Unless I was going to spend half a month's income, my patronage means approximately (((EDITED BY AUTHOR))).

Now... I type this not to run rough-shot over Bass Pro, or to in any way discourage patronage of said establishment... only to illustrate that in my experience, some shops are only interested in the bottom line, and the bigger the shop, the more prevalent that idea is. In employing that tactic, they lose sight of the fact that although someone may come in and drop a bundle once, its the continued visitors that may only spend a tenth of that bundle that keep the establishment afloat... especially in times like these. I would hope that your Archery Tech can see that.

As a side note, after dealing with that fiasco and seeing the light, I found that day a bow shop called Tanglewood Archery that does see beyond the bottom line and I anticipate a long and fulfilling relationship with them. I;m afraid the same cannot be said for my relationship with Bass Pro.

[YorkArcher]

Rick is a wise man!!!!!

smells funny but very wise!!!!

[Colorado Rick]

Hey... I'm just sayin...

[auburn3808]

I know what I have to do but I just hate doing people like that. Just dreading the awkward, "Hey, well...... I bought a bow.... just not from you." Especially after the guy was super nice and extremely helpful....

[Colorado Rick]

I would just explain to the guy that it was a deal you couldn't say no to. Simple as that. I sure wouldn't! I seriously doubt that he'll forcibly eject yuo from the premises. And even if he does... well... there's nothing like Bass Pro to make you want to take of things on your own. hehe...

Seriously though, you bite the bullet, and take th heat for a bit... Buy the things you need from him... alls well that ends well my friend.

[YorkArcher]

Like Rick said. Tell the guy it was a price you couldn't pass up.

I doubt anyone in this economy will fault you for being money smart.

Rick's Bass Pro must be the same as the one in Baltimore MD. Real nice the day you buy the bow, then "who are you" the next day.

Good luck bud. You will love that bow!!!