Brownells

I've been trying to get my hands on a BLACKHAWK - T-Series L2C Light-Bearing Holster (Left Hand Carry) to fit a Sig M18 for a little over a year now, but every time I check their website, the holster is out of stock. So I went to Brownells and to my surprise they had it! So I ordered one from them on October 20th and received it on November 8th. As soon as the holster arrived in the mail, I tore that box open and noticed it was the wrong product. I immediately called customer service to explain to them the issue I had. I was transferred to three different people because they weren't understanding the problem I was having. I kept telling the person I spoke to over the phone, "I got the wrong product in the mail. The holster I was supposed to receive is a light-baring holster, a holster that allows me to holster my firearms (Sig M18) with a weapon light on it", and she didn't know what I was talking about, I sent her pictures of the holster I got with my firearm in it, and she was even more lost, she confused a weapon light with a red dot and then asked me if my problem was that the holster came in the wrong color, at this point I was already frustrated, but I kept my cool. After a while, they thought it would be a good idea to transfer me to what they called a "product technician." The older gentleman I spoke to had no clue on what I was talking about either. They finally came to a conclusion to have me send them the holster back to inspect it. When I heard that, I became upset because the issue wasn't that the holster was defective, it was, that you sent the wrong product. It was getting late, and they were about to close, so they told me someone from their team was going to reach out the following day, which they never did; I had to call them back. When I called back they finally gave me an answer, and it was that their website had the wrong information on it, which is odd because they have both the name of the product and the picture on there. (I will attach the screenshot I took on December 11th, 2021, which means they still haven't fixed it.) The point of all this is that their customer service team and the technician I spoke to lack the necessary knowledge of what their company is selling, which is sad. I don't think I'll be buying any major piece of equipment from Brownells anymore. I have the documents to prove it.

Don't believe the edited reviews on Bizrate or other sites where Brownells has edited reviews or paid for good ones. Both of my Brownells experiences were far from satisfying. In the latest case I needed an item shipped by 2-day air so as to avoid delivery while out of town the following week. The web site kept flipping the order back to 7-day default, no matter how many times I reset the choice to 2-day air. It finally displayed my choice correctly, along with the extra charge. I clicked on "Submit" and next thing that came up was a confirmation showing 7-day delivery again! I called and tried to get it changed, but the company was "unable" to upgrade the shipping. The item was shipped anyway, was delivered while I was out of town, and apparently stolen during that time. Now I am trying to process a chargeback on my credit card. Beware. The web site is unreliable and will CHANGE your order after you hit the "Submit" button.

I have been a dedicated customer of Brownells for the past 23 years and spent a lot money with this company. In the past, I was extremely happy with the quality of their parts and outstanding customer service. But, within the last 2 years, I noticed that Brownells prices were much higher than their competitors. As an EDGE Member, I do not see the same discounts as the previous years, which has caused me to shop elsewhere for firearm parts, ammo, and tool needs. I hear the same story from numerous other friends, firearms enthusiast, and gunsmiths. Hopefully, Brownells will change their market strategy soon or lose customers.