I just stopped by an Academy here in Houston for other reasons and decided to check out their gun case. I happened to spot a really good deal on a PX4 and might have ended up purchasing it. I asked the guy behind the counter if I could see the gun, and he demanded that I relinquish my driver's license. At first I was confused, so I just showed it to him, but when he told me to take it out and give it to him I pressed him on it. He said it was a new policy of theirs to hold the customer's drivers license while they handled a firearm and pointed to the sign, when I told him the sign only listed the minimum age to hold/purchase various weapons, he brushed it off and said they must not have updated the signage yet.
I told him it wasn't state law that I relinquish my license to hold a gun and wasn't going to do so, but I did allow him to look at it. That wasn't enough. He refused to let me handle the gun, so I walked.
I went and talked to a manager, and asked her about the policy. She said they'd been doing this at their store for at least two years. I told her I'd take it up with the corporate office but didn't plan on purchasing a gun from Academy in the future.
I've never encountered a gun store that required you to relinquish your license simply to handle a gun. When I worked at Academy 10 years ago, behind the gun counter, we certainly never did this. I plan on calling Academy's corporate office next week and asking if this is a chain-wide policy or just a local store policy. I've been to other Academys within the last several years and held guns without turning over my DL, so I'm hopeful this is just a single store's policy. I don't know if there are potential illegalities around a policy like this, but a policy like this implies your motives are suspect and I refuse to do business with a place that does not treat me with respect.
Has anyone else encountered this at Academy?
Resolution Update taken from my follow-up post - Fri Jun 17 2011 4:19PM
Hey folks, I was finally able to call Academy's corporate office today. The gentleman I spoke with told me there has NOT been a policy change chain-wide, he researched it to verify. He called the store to confirm the store-specific policy and was told this policy was implemented due to theft.
He contacted the district manager with a recommendation that they implement signage about this store-specific policy and inform their associates that this is not a standard practice. He said I should hear from the DM within 3 business days.
I'm happy with how Academy treated me during my phone call and the time that was taken to research the issue (phone call lasted about 60min). I still will not be visiting that particular store again. Their store, their rules, but ultimately my choice.
I told him it wasn't state law that I relinquish my license to hold a gun and wasn't going to do so, but I did allow him to look at it. That wasn't enough. He refused to let me handle the gun, so I walked.
I went and talked to a manager, and asked her about the policy. She said they'd been doing this at their store for at least two years. I told her I'd take it up with the corporate office but didn't plan on purchasing a gun from Academy in the future.
I've never encountered a gun store that required you to relinquish your license simply to handle a gun. When I worked at Academy 10 years ago, behind the gun counter, we certainly never did this. I plan on calling Academy's corporate office next week and asking if this is a chain-wide policy or just a local store policy. I've been to other Academys within the last several years and held guns without turning over my DL, so I'm hopeful this is just a single store's policy. I don't know if there are potential illegalities around a policy like this, but a policy like this implies your motives are suspect and I refuse to do business with a place that does not treat me with respect.
Has anyone else encountered this at Academy?
Resolution Update taken from my follow-up post - Fri Jun 17 2011 4:19PM
Hey folks, I was finally able to call Academy's corporate office today. The gentleman I spoke with told me there has NOT been a policy change chain-wide, he researched it to verify. He called the store to confirm the store-specific policy and was told this policy was implemented due to theft.
He contacted the district manager with a recommendation that they implement signage about this store-specific policy and inform their associates that this is not a standard practice. He said I should hear from the DM within 3 business days.
I'm happy with how Academy treated me during my phone call and the time that was taken to research the issue (phone call lasted about 60min). I still will not be visiting that particular store again. Their store, their rules, but ultimately my choice.
