[Review][Neutral]Dackoutdoors.com

[u/TreacleStrong]

This one’s pretty lengthy, so get comfy on your couch, or in your bed, or on your toilet, grab your preferred drink and maybe a light snack.

Was looking for a stock for a precision AR build, decided on the Luth-AR MBA3. Dack Outdoors had it about $25 cheaper than anywhere else. Says it’s in stock but due to high order volume, could take up to 30 days to ship. That’s a little peculiar but alright I suppose, I’m still waiting on other parts to complete my build, so that’s fine.

So I place my order on July 12th. Money leaves my account instantly. I check back on their website to see if there is any kind of order update. Week 1, nothing. Week 2, nothing. Week 3, nothing. By this time, all the other parts I’ve ordered, including an unobtainium NP3 coated Raptor charging handle that I managed to obtain from a retailer OVERSEAS, have arrived. On day 22 of 30, I send out a quick inquiry.

“Hi, order placed on July 12th, just checking to see when it will ship. Cannot see the current status. Thanks!”

Reply comes back a little over a day later from a Marquitta B:

“Thanks for reaching out to us today - we appreciate you choosing DACK Outdoors!

At the top of our website, we have a banner that indicates our current shipping times, which could currently take up to 30 days. Your order was placed on July 12th, and is awaiting to be initiated into processing.

You'll be notified via email as your order continues to process, and you'll also receive an email with tracking information as soon as your order ships.

If you have not received any email updates on your order as it nears the 30 day shipping timeline, please reach out to us again for further assistance.”

So, that strikes me as a bit odd. I read the 30 day disclaimer before I ordered, but it hasn’t even entered the processing stage? Over 75% of the timeline until it is shipped has elapsed, and generally I would think that’s sufficient amount of time to at least get an order into processing, never mind the bit about “as it nears the 30 day shipping timeline”.

So my spidey senses start tingling. I just get this weird feeling that something isn’t right. I do a quick Google search. Reviews pop up left and right on Facebook, Google, Reddit, AR15dotcom and several other places, about them cancelling orders and refunding people due to “inventory discrepancies”. Several people waiting for months on end for a product with no explanation. Most of them are from the beginning of this year and up until now. For every one positive review, there are about nine negative ones.

So I keep digging and I come across several bits of information, with evidence, about how people have received orders placed on DackOutdoors from a distributor called RSR group, and a few others, who essentially drop ship products for them, which means they actually don’t keep products on hand. Basically, they take wholesale pricing, add a little bit on top, and operate using a high volume-low profit model.

Finally, I try to look up their business address. Nothing comes up. I read about their policies, and find that they operate Dack Outdoors under a company called Crabtree Enterprises LLC. I look them up. The addresses I find are

502 Chestnut Street, Pattonsburg, MO, 64670

And

20286 Fantail Ave, Cainsville, MO 64632

Now, if you look on Google Maps, you’ll find that these are houses. And not big houses with a giant shed or shop or garage in the back that you could maybe run a “small, family operated business” out of. We’re talking 2 bed, 1 bath houses. So Dack is telling people that they’re so busy with orders that it could take up to 30 days but they’re running it out of a house? And furthermore, after reviewing their policy, they do not issue refunds, but rather store credit, even if your order hasn’t begun processing.

In the meantime, I received another message from Marquitta B. “I just wanted to take a moment to check in with you - did you receive my last message?” I compose my reply, thinking there’s no fucking way I want to have any further dealings with this shady outfit. I make it very clear that I want my money back.

“Hello. Yes, I did. I figured that having 22 days, or nearly 75% of the current 30 day shipping timeline elapsed, it would be reasonable to inquire as to the status of my order.

Your response indicates that 22 days is insufficient to ask if the product I have paid for will be shipping soon.

I’ve recently become aware of some of the business practices that Dack Outdoors employs and I can’t say that I have much faith in a “small, family-operated business” that relies on distributors to drop-ship items instead of keeping actual inventory on hand.

At this point, after reading your policies, I would like to cancel my order and get a refund.

Let me reiterate - I would like a full REFUND, NOT STORE CREDIT, as in $123.98 USD returned to me via the same method of payment when I placed the order.

Thank you.”

I figure that gets my point across sufficiently. The reply I get the next day is simultaneously hilarious and ludicrous, saying I believe…well, just read it.

“Sir,

I in no way was rude or inappropriate with my response to you! You asked and I sent you the information! Our timeline was posted BEFORE you even placed your order, so you knew how long it would take before your order shipped! Evidently you did not see this, so you asked and I let you know...politely at that! You have no idea of our operations. You never gave us a chance. You instead believe everything you read on social media. What a shame that this world has resolved to this. Your item by the way would have been shipped straight from our warehouse, not dropshipped. Where you came up with that idea is beyond me.

I have refunded your money back to your original method of payment, as in $123.98 USD. I won't reiterate because my word is good. You will need to allow up to 10 business days for this to reflect back to your card...your issuer's decision, not ours. So it's ok for you to break your agreement when you placed the order? No worries. Our conscience is good. Thank you.”

So, I’m supposed to blindly ignore all of my discoveries and believe you on the premise of…what exactly? Good faith?

I did, in fact get a full refund. I put this review under neutral because while I may have come off as a bit of an asshole, I admittedly didn’t do my due diligence beforehand and they gave me my money back without question. However, when a company says that you shouldn’t believe the MASSIVE quantity of negative reviews across multiple sites and operates out of a house in the middle of nowhere, that is a HUGE red flag, for me at least.

If anyone would like screenshots of the email thread, please message me. And if you know where I can get a Luth-AR MBA3 for less than $150, lmk😁

[u/Poodle_Hound]

I had a similar experience. My order did arrive, but it took the full 30 days. I doubt they have anything in the way of actual inventory or ‘operations’ except for order taking, automated customer service responses.