Big 5 Sporting Goods
Reviews and Complaints

I'm not pleased w/ your customer service . I had to return like only 4-5 shoes to the West Seattle business. The women were rude to me. Now I'm blacklisted from any products, or shoe returns there. They have copays of 2 of my driver licenses. I feel there going to steal my identity.

Target and other places let their employees have dyed hair and be themselves even starbucks let's you have dyed hair . It's 2021 ! Why are employees being forced to wear boring dress code we are a sporting store not a lawyer firm, the dress code should be changed to allow any kind of colored hair . It's ridiculous that this is still an issue in 2021

Purchase a faulty tent. Went to store to exchange for a tent that worked. They told me they had to order a replacement it would take 2-3 weeks. So that was July 9th. I called every week to ensure it was being handled and every werk they said its in transit. I called 1 day ago just to find out they have been lying. It no longer in transit. They would have to reorder another one that will again take 2-3 weeks. The assistant manager but kept sayin g 2-3 weeks. They wonder why people shop walmart at least they refund or replace ypur product. Not make ypu wsit until campimg season over. Here i wait another 2-3 weeks. What a joke.

Big 5 in Carlsborg, Washington has done this to me several times. They have a big sale (In this case the Memorial Day Sale). They had some bluetooth earbuds on sale so I went in and arrived 3 minutes to the start of the sale. They did not have any of the earbuds. They did not have any coming in. Their explanation was that "We only get what headquarters gives us". They wrote me a rain check and sent me on my way. This is why I rarely go in the place.

I was in El Cerrito, Ca. on May 21, 20119, at 11:52pm. I had some extra time to spare on my lunch break & decided to visit the Big 5 store at 11060 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, Ca. 94530. Immediately as I entered the store the clerks looked at me suspiciously. As I was looking for a pair of hiking boots, I could see that at any given time, one of the store personal had their eyes on me. I did find myself a pair that my feet enjoyed & purchased them for $83.30. The customer service at this store was the worst I've ever experienced in my 60 years here on earth. I believe that I recieved this degraded demeaning customer service from the staff at this Big 5 store because they probably are not use to seeing a Black man nor do they have satisfactory training in giving good customer service to all ethnicities. I am very discouraged with Big 5 & will recommend to all people who are of African, Mexican, Latino, Native, decent to boycott this specific Big 5 store, tell a friend, & let this message go viral!

At approximately 7pm on 1/16/2019 i walked into Big 5 in Canby, Or and from the moment i walked in this heavy set Hispanic employee was following me around. At first i didnt think anything about it, but then it started to bother me cuz he was getting too close and making me uncomfortable. When i walked around a center rack he almost ran into me. I said excuse me, but he stood in my way and said "I'm going this way" I then asked if he had a problem and he started yelling at me "Get the [censored] out of my store! I can see right through you punk! You can't talk to me like that you [censored]ing tweek!" I was very offended and told him i wanted to talk to his supervisor and he told me that i had to leave the store.

Hello on 9/20 at 11:40 AM, I went to Big 5 at 721 Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd. to take the Firearm Safety test for a cert. The person behind the counter was helping out a client who bought some type if rifle. I waited politely until he closed the transaction. The Associate didn't seem cheerful because he wasn't smiling.

After he finished the transaction, and there were no other customers in the firearm section, I asked him politely if I can take the Firearm Safety test. He looked at me up and down and said "we are giving the test only if you are purchasing a firearm today." Wow...I don't think he read any of Dale Carnegie's books. He didn't make a friend with me. He obligated me to buy, although my intention was just to get the safety requirement first. I was so upset. I called the Corporate number and made a complaint, I got a return phonecall back from Julio, who showed sincere concern, and told me to go back in a couple of hours because he was helping someone else. (I reiterate the fact that when I was there, there was no one there. I guess I'm not that important of a customer. Well, unfortunately I am an Senior Environmental Consultant in the Hazmat industry and I have a hectic schedule. So the Associate ultimately got his way, but my main reason for writing this complaint is fir Big 5 to know what the consumer sees. I am the eyes and ears of the customer and that infirmation is invaluable. I might be making a complaint, but how many people has this happened to that didn't complain? 10, 20, 100? Who knows. I love Big 5. I don't want Big 5 to have the same fate as some of the orher sporting good chains. Sincerely, Abe.

Today I walked into a big 5 in Palm Springs, Ca . The guy at the front (they wouldn't give me his name) asked if I need help. I am a 5'10 fit female massage therapist, I said" yes, I need a rash guard". He says to me "is it for you", I tell him yes and he proceeds to take me past all the woman's clothing into the men's department to the men's rash guards and says. "These are the ones that will fit you." And walks away. I look around and see that they are men's. I am very feminine. No chance he mistook my sex, but possibly because I wear a woman size xl he decided to size me up and decide I was to big to shop in your woman's section. Which I do all the time and your xl fits me perfect, not tight. I had this young guy classify me and decide that I couldn't shop those clothes. I phoned to complain and was put on hold for a length of time before I was informed that management was too busy selling a gun to talk to me. I work with VIP's every day. I would never treat someone so rudely. No one would tell me the guys name so sorry.cant help you there.I did let him know he was rude. he profiled me in tje first 5 sexonds and I dont appreciate it. please inform me as to how you wil be sure this type of body profiling wont happen again.

4/5/18 1800 -1900; We entered Madera store was not greeted. There was 2 young people girl, boy who were in a deep conversation about themselves. As we were approaching to cash register, the Hispanic young teen female saw that we were carrying heavy object, struggling. I asked her what side do you want to us to checkout? She didn't answer me till I was basically in the middle of checkout stand. The way she gave me look and pointed to left side of register. My husband and I were dragging the merchandise. As she was ringing up our merchandise one of the items wasn't showing on sale. I asked her about the price sticker in front of merchandise, (Hispanic girl) said " I need to see it" stood there looking at me dead stare for about 5-10 seconds. The white male had his back to us behind the register didn't even move. Your staff wasn't going to go look. After a log day of work & frustrated looking down at the game I found the sticker on my merchandise. As I was giving her the sale sticker she (Hispanic female staff) made it known she didn't want to touch the sticker as I was giving it to her facial expressions didn't want to really touch sticker. Made it feel like we were a big inconvenience, dirty, very unappreciative! As I was looking at her name tag she covered it up. Very young Hispanic female early teens, 5 foot, first t letters that I could see on her name tag SU. maybe Susan She was very rude, condescending, unprofessional, and so is the white male in early teens ignoring the whole situation. There was no customer service, professionalism. I will not go back to any Big 5 store for the way that young Hispanic female treated us. I want to know how you are going to handle that situation? What is going to happen to Hispanic Female?

The Big 5 Sporting Goods sells defective merchandise in violation of "FTC’s Implied Warranty of Merchantability Laws". Section 2-315 of the FTC Uniform Commercial Code makes it abundantly clear that no company can sell defective products in the United States regardless of what argument or return policies they might present to get away with it.

The heels of the hiking boots I had purchased from their Oceanside store became unglued and flopped half way through a moderate hike. This happened the first time I wore the boots! I have been given nothing but a great deal of hassle, run-around, grief and frustration since I brought these boots back to the store for a refund or store credit.

The company has tied store manager's hands to process defective returns. The customer is sent to the customer service department, which is set up centrally within the headquarters and staffed with the most formidable, the most ruthless, and the most rude and intimidating individuals one has ever encountered. They are extremely rude, constantly interrupting you in the middle of every sentence, and in my dealings with them in both cases they hang up on me.

By blocking every possible avenue from getting a remedy, I have no choice but to feel ripped off and defrauded. I have written letters to their CEO (Steven Miller) and several executive management complaining about the matter. But I have not received any replies or resolution to the matter.

The company must stop violating consumer protection laws clearly spelled out in the FTC’s Implied Warranty of Merchantability Law and make every effort to settle this and other customer‘s claims. It must be understood by their customer service department (and their executive management team) that no company can rip off customers in the United States by selling defective products regardless of what argument or return policies they might present to get away with it.

I have cited FTC's website here for other consumers such as myself who have been defrauded by unscrupulous companies so that such companies can no longer can go to China, buy defective and manufacturing rejects, selling them here in the United States, ripping off customers to make a profit on the back of hard working people in this country.

Here is the FTC website:
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/businesspersons-guide-federal-warranty-law

I am extremely offended by the attitude and behavior of this company. The company's position is that I am not entitled to any refund or store credit for the boots I have purchased, wore only once, and now must throw away when they are in brand new condition. This position is in violation of every one of numerous consumer protection laws governing every single transaction within the United States. These laws are clear: It stated that the company, being in the business of selling sporting goods, should understand that the hiking boots they sell "must be fit for the ordinary purposes for which such boots are used". This law is universally applicable to any product sold in the United States. The fitness for the ordinary purposes of the merchandise sold is the fundamental principle of anything sold in the United States. This is what the consumer protection law requires. Selling hiking boots that fail after only three miles of hiking and then badgering the customer and telling him to get lost is not only bad business it is also a clear violation of the law. This is what was behind the "lemon law" which was enacted against unscrupulous car dealers. In my experience, Big 5 Sporting Goods is far worse than any one of these unscrupulous car dealers.

In their response to my complaint, the Company claims that the boots are several years old. The pictures I have attached strongly refute this claim. The pictures show that the boots are in brand new condition. I wore them only once and now I have to throw them away. The pictures show that the heel of the right-hand pair is completely unglued and detached. This happened after about three miles of hiking. I suffered severe feet and ankle injuries having to limp back to the trial head.

In their response to my complaint, the Company also claims that "the boots are no longer in our system after being discontinued and out of stock for many years". If they are so old and no longer on their system, how else could they find out how old the boots were? And if they do have the data why did not share it with the store manager so that he can deal with the customer directly?

The fact is that the company has removed the data from the store computers in order to tie store manager's hands to process returns. The hapless customer is then sent to the customer service department (which is set up centrally within the headquarters) and staffed with the most formidable, the most ruthless, and the most rude and intimidating individuals one has ever encountered. They have no clue or training to have a civil, respectful, and effective communication with a customer. Instead, they are extremely rude, constantly interrupting you in the middle of every sentence, and in my dealings with them in both cases they hang up on me.

It is clear that the customer service has been ordered not to budge; and to do everything possible to frustrate and block the customer from returning a defective product. Their behavior was so outrageous that I finally decided to write a letter to Mr. Steven Miller, CEO of the Company and his executive management team, complaining about the hassle, the outrageous maltreatment and the frustration I received and asked that they authorize the store manager to process the return. No resolution and no rely so far.

They claim that "We offered a discount off of a new pair as a courtesy but the gentleman did not want the discount and was insisting on receiving full credit, which we denied". The discount she is talking about was nothing but a lie and deception: The store manager first agreed to give me $35 refund towards a new pair. He then changed his mind after I spent more than an hour finding another pair. He told me that I misunderstood. He then offered a voucher which was only $5 toward the purchase! What a waste of time that was!

Every other statements in their response to my BBB complaint is similarly based on lies, deception, and false assertions. So far I have received nothing from this company but endless maltreatment, hassle, rudeness, run around and frustration.

How can a pair of hiking boots, worn for the first time, lose its heels after only three miles of hiking? And how is it that the company shows no interest whatsoever in examining the boots and seeing to it that the manufacturer or the supplier is sanctioned or forced to pay compensations? Well, the only conclusions I can reach is that the company imports defective boots and manufacturing rejects in volume and sells them within the United States, making a profit on the back of hard working citizens of this country. This practice is in clear violation of all the customer protection and merchantability laws governing anything sold within the United States.

This matter will not be resolved by the rank and file. They have been ordered not to accept returns -- which are numerous based on my own experience and the poor quality of merchandize they sell. For this reason, I would like to suggest that this matter be brought to the attention of the CEO of the Company and his executive team (As I mentioned above, I have written letter to them without any resolution). And I hope they take time to at least take a look at the pictures of the boots I have provided and hopefully Google the "implied warranty merchantability laws" which are extensively covered in many websites. Without such a step I am convinced that this matter remains unresolved and the boots will ultimately end up on the bench of a judge, on the desk of the attorney general, and on the cover of Fortune magazine or Wall Street Journal. I have already sent pictures of the boots to Fortune and the Wall Street Journal with letters to their editors requesting that they might find a subject worthy of journalistic investigation.