1.) ARCHERXP - 01/25/2014

This may just be me, but I had my first experience at a pro shop where I intended on buying a bow, and upon close to purchase when I ask to switch my old archery accessories over, they tell me they'll have to charge me a set-up fee.

Is this normal? I couldn't go through with the sale. Usually, all the tuning, set-up, etc went with me buying a $900+ purchase.

I know that it's their business, and they're free to do what they want. However, I as the consumer am also free to walk.

What've been ya'll's experiences?

2.) DParker - 01/26/2014

I don't know anything about the pro shop business, but I suspect that someone like Jon telling us what the profit margins on bows like that are would shed a lot of light.

3.) Triton Rich - 01/26/2014

[B]If I remember correctly, the dealer offered to install my accesories when I bought my Destroyer but I declined. [/B]

4.) OKY - 01/26/2014

AXP, our local shop doesn't charge squat for changing gear over. I've seen them do a good bit of work on bows they didn't even sell. Can't complain about the shop here.

5.) Swamp Fox - 01/26/2014

We don't have pro shops on every corner around here, so you would think they have you over a barrel.

That said, the standard at my old shop was that if you bought the bow from them, they would set it up for you gratis whether you bought the accessories there or not (or if they were being moved from one bow to the new one). They would also do a no-charge 1000-mile tune-up, so to speak, after the string was broken in, etc. They almost always charged at least something if you asked them to fiddle with something (almost anything) after that. A few times the charge was a bit more than it should have been, but I didn't mind paying because they took good care of me, treated me well, and put up with my quirks.

Since that place closed because the owner died, the place I go to most often now charges for everything, as far as I know. If I had to guess, that extends to accessories going on a bow they sell you. That just seems to be the way they lean. I haven't bought a bow from them and probably wouldn't, just because I get a certain vibe from them that I don't like. (I have bought arrows and accessories, and paid them for tech work.) I like one of their techs very much, but I question what's going on with one of the others and the owner. If I want/need service like what I used to get, I drive an extra 40 minutes to their second location to see my old tech, who landed there after the first shop closed.

My other option for a *good* pro shop, where I expect to pay for everything but where they've let little stuff slide several times, is almost an hour-and-a-half in a completely opposite direction, and is well worth the time.

6.) Jon - 01/26/2014

When I was in business, I would certainly swap parts over from a customers old bow to a newly purchased one for no charge.
Typical profit margin on a bow is 20%+\-

7.) DParker - 01/26/2014

Thanks Jon. So the shop makes about $180 on a bow like that. I guess the time and effort to transfer accessories for free is a smart customer relations gesture on a sale like that. On the other hand, the profit's not so great that I, as a customer, would feel entitled to that service for free...unless it's more-or-less an industry standard practice, and therefore an implied expectation.

8.) ARCHERXP - 01/26/2014

Thanks all.

I don't have too hard a feelings, but just hadn't come across a shop that did that.

I guess I'll just wait for an Elite dealer around here.

9.) Ar-mink - 01/26/2014

When I bought my bow 2 years I didn't have any of my accessories with me. They said I could bring them back with the bow and they'd install for free.

10.) DParker - 01/26/2014

Out of curiosity, what were the exact model and purchase price of the bow?

11.) ARCHERXP - 01/26/2014

$899 Elite Energy 35 pre-tax. Tax though would've only been 3%.

Requested $100 softcase in addition.

Had everything for the bow itself sans case.

I guess I was a little annoyed that they didn't say it beforehand and that I didn't see any signs stating their set-up policy.

12.) DParker - 01/26/2014

Thanks. And what were they wanting to charge you to transfer your gear? (Sorry, I should have also asked that in the previous post.)

13.) Go Bucks - 01/27/2014

If a shop pulled that at the time of purchase I wouldn't buy the bow either. I would think it would part of the game when someone buys a new bow. Now, if after the fact and I asked them to install something on a bow I already had even if I bought it from them, then a charge is fair game.

14.) ARCHERXP - 01/27/2014

[QUOTE=DParker;15442]Thanks. And what were they wanting to charge you to transfer your gear? (Sorry, I should have also asked that in the previous post.)[/QUOTE]

$40

Not an incredible amount but enough to annoy me after having driven for a little over an hour to get there lol

15.) DParker - 01/27/2014

So you're out probably somewhere around $25 in gas money and 3 hours or so of you're time...and no bow. Yeah, I can see how that could be irritating.

On the other hand, they're out a $900 sale and have lost a customer who will no doubt be telling other folks in the area about the experience. So I'd say they're even worse off.

16.) ARCHERXP - 01/27/2014

[QUOTE=DParker;15490]So you're out probably somewhere around $25 in gas money and 3 hours or so of you're time...and no bow. Yeah, I can see how that could be irritating.

On the other hand, they're out a $900 sale and have lost a customer who will no doubt be telling other folks in the area about the experience. So I'd say they're even worse off.[/QUOTE]

I got over it relatively quick when I figured that I wasn't taking crazy pills. Since I haven't bought a new bow in a while, I thought it maybe became common practice, and I was the one being a jerk by not buying. But in this case, nobody really is the jerk. It's just the way of the market. They can charge what they want, and I can decline.

I just wish I knew ahead of time to save me the hassle, but all isn't lost. I can still say that the Elite Energy 35 is a great shooting bow. I've tried shooting many of the 2014 bows, and they just don't compare to how I enjoyed shooting it. I reminded me of a faster version of my Commander, which made me smile :grin:

Also, now I know ahead of time to ask rather than assume, what charges will be included in the purchase of a bow at any pro shop.

17.) Swamp Fox - 01/27/2014

Do they know why you walked?

Maybe a phone call back to them...."I'll be in the area" (whether you really were going to be or not)... where you shed some light on their lost sale and give them an opening to get it back...

18.) ARCHERXP - 01/27/2014

They do. The two techs called the owner because they didn't want to lose the sale. The owner made the final call though.

It's ok. It wasn't a total loss, for me at least.

19.) Hunter - 01/27/2014

Good news is that you now know exactly what you want and will be able to jump on the best deal when it comes around.

20.) Swamp Fox - 01/27/2014

Well, $40 is outrageous anyway. Around here, it might be $5-7 to tie in a peep and maybe $10 (15 at the very outside) to set up a rest, including paper tuning. A couple of bucks for string silencers.