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Business Profile

Sporting Goods Retail

Academy Sports & Outdoors

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Sporting Goods Retail.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Academy Sports & Outdoors's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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Academy Sports & Outdoors has 121 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 127 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 39 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/23/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 11-18-2023 my son and I purchased a bicycle (20" kids bike) from Academy at the 1720 W University Dr McKinney, TX 75069 location. When we got home my son immediately began riding his new bike. However, the chain kept falling off and causing the back wheel to lock up almost causing him to wreck. Being that this bike has 7 gears, it is not an easy fix for me. I called the McKinney Tx store and asked if we could bring it in for an exchange. I was told by a store representative that they would either exchange, repair or give us a gift card for equal value of the bike we had purchased.
      Yesterday on 11-22-23 my son an I went to the McKinney location with the faulty bicycle and we were told by the manager that they do not do repairs or accept returns. The manager then offered us a gift card. I thought this would be for equal value of the purchase I had made. So, my son and I went further into the store and picked out another bicycle for him. However, when we got to the purchase counter the gift card was for only $50. Now I was stuck in a hard position. I do not have a lot of money, but I had my son next to me (9yrs old) who really wanted to ride a bike with his friends when we got home, people behind us in line, a check out clerk that was unaware of the situation and I was already very upset with the situation. So I went ahead and purchased a second bike of which had no price tag on it and turned out to cost $199 at the counter. Which is $36 more than the original bicycle purchase. I now have purchased two bicycles within 5 days from the McKinney location. One of which already needs a new tire, inner tube and a repair shop for the chain falling off issue.
      I have been a long time customer of Academy for all my BBQ'ing, hunting, fishing and sport related items. I have never had an issue before so I have been very happy up until this event. However, I am beyond upset at this point.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/02/2023

      Dear Value Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors. We value you as a customer and appreciate your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with your recent purchase. We reached out to Mr. ** ***** and discussed the situation with the bike. We are glad to inform you that we resolved the situation to the customer's satisfaction. 


      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors, and we look forward to assisting you. If you have any questions or additional comments, please feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

       Sincerely,

       Customer Care Team  
       Academy Sports + Outdoors
       www.academy.com

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/07/2023

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]



      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  







       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/06/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased an airsoft gun at Academy Sports in Belton MO. Upon getting it set up we realized it was defective. I tried to return it to the store and was informed that they don't take returns on airsoft guns. I was not told this when I purchased it. There is no signage to indicate all sales are final. On the website it does not state airsoft only "firearms" are not returnable. In the ***** ** ******** an airsoft gun is not a firearm. I emailed their customer service and was told they only handle online issues and cannot override a decision of a store.
      Their policy is unlawful as they are claiming the airsoft is something it isn't. On top of that they do not inform customers when purchasing an airsoft it is a final purchase no matter what.

      Business Response

      Date: 09/13/2023

      Dear Valued Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.  We value you as a
      customer and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your
      experience with your recent purchase. We would like to further discuss your
      experience. Please contact us with a date, time, and phone number, so we can
      further discuss. After several attempts, we have not been successful in
      speaking with you.Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we
      look forward to assisting you.  If you have any questions or additional
      comments, please feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336.
      Have a good day.

      Sincerely,
       
      Customer Care Team  
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/10/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      . Transaction date: 07/31/23
      . The amount of money paid to the business: $95.91.
      . Commitment from Business: Academy had a promotional offer stating that if a customer spends $100, the customer will receive a $20 Gift card. If a customer spends $50, the customer will receive a $10 Gift Card Gift card.
      . Nature of the dispute: I spent $95.91 and did not receive the $10 Gift card.
      . Whether or not the business tried to resolve the dispute: The business stated that my purchases did not qualify for the gift card. Once my items were added to the cart and I pressed proceed to check out, I received a prompt telling me that I qualified for the item and that I qualified for a special offer that allowed me to receive a additional saving of 15%, which was why my total in the beginning was $104.24 and the additional savings brought my total to $95.91 after taxes and fees.
      . Order Number: *********
      . Advertising Issue: I saw the issue on the website in which it enticed me to order, but if I had received a flash notification informing me that my purchase did not qualify (like the notification that stated that my order qualified for an extra 15% off). I would not have ordered the items.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/12/2023

      Dear Valued Customer, 

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.? We value you as a customer and appreciate your feedback.

      We have reviewed your order *********. The items purchased did not qualify for the egift card promotion as they were already at a reduced price per the Academy Special Offers Terms & Conditions. We have contacted you directly options to resolve your concern.

      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to assisting you.? If you have any questions or additional comments, please feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day. 

      Sincerely, 

      Customer Care Team?? 
      Academy Sports + Outdoors 
      www.academy.com 


    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/26/2022

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On September 22, 2022 I made a purchase of a 10ft boat, along with the boat I purchased a **** ****** and a trolling motor, the total amount for the purchase was $1145.08. In the ***** ** *****, you cannot place a boat of this size in the water without it being registered, in order for it to be registered, I have to receive paperwork from Academy to do so. I have contacted Academy several times and still do not have paper to register this boat and use it. It has been over 3 months now.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/28/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,
      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports +
      Outdoors. We value you and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for
      the delay in getting the Manufacture Statement of Origin to you. ***** will deliver
      the document to you on December 29, 2022, before noon.
      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports +
      Outdoors, and we look forward to assisting you again.  If you have any questions or concerns, please
      feel free to contact us *** ****** **** or at 1 888-922-2336. Have a good day.
      Sincerely,
       
      Customer Care Team  
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/28/2022

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]



      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  







       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/06/2022

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I ordered a ****** **** ** *** and pick it up on the 26 oct 2022. Fire the weapon and it wouldn’t eject the fired cartridge. I returned the weapon on the 27 oct 2022 to academy sports, they said the only thing they could do is send it back to ****** ****. Contact ****** **** they said it’s unknown when the weapon will be repaired And academy sports . I want a replacement weapon or refine my money. I purchase the weapon for hunting season and I can’t hunt because I don’t have my weapon. I would just like to get my money back. Thank you.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/09/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.? We value you as a customer and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your experience while shopping with us. We understand you received a defective firearm that required repairs. After review,  we were able to partner with the appropriate team to reach a resolution to your satisfaction.

      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to assisting you.? If you have any questions or additional comments, please feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

      Sincerely, 
      ?
      Customer Care Team??
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/12/2022

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]



      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  







       

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/01/2022

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased a Mongoose 20" bike 11-16-22 for a Christmas present for my son. The online photo shows the bike having pegs front and rear. When the bike arrived the box was badly damaged and was retaped aggressively up the side and along the bottom. I opened the box and everything seemed to be undamaged and it looked as though everything was there, I assembled the bike and on the last step I realized that the pegs were not in the box.

      I reached out to Academy sports + outdoors to see if they could send me pegs and they were unable to do that. I was told to reach out to the manufacture and I got no where with that. I called again to let them know I got no resolution. They said that they will put the information through but it could take a month to get anyone to address the situation. I feel that the customer service, quality and standing behind the product they sell is horrible.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/05/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.  We value you as a
      customer and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your
      experience with your recent online order. To recap our communication, once your
      replacement is received, you may return the original back with the shipping
      label provided.

      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to
      assisting you.  If you have any questions or additional comments, please
      feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

      Sincerely,
       
      Customer Care Team  
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/28/2022

      Type:Delivery Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I love this rifle. My friend bought one a while back in a different color, and I wanted one. There is nothing wrong with the rifle itself. The picture and description are misleading, and incorrect. There is no picatinny accessory rail. It has a cheap, Weaver type scope mount. The bolt and barrel are not brown, they are ranger green. The rifle holds 4+1 bullets, not 5+1. When I explained this to the employees in the store when I picked-up my order, they brushed me off, and thought I was stupid, and did not care to help even after I showed them the picture, and description, and they were unwilling to try to fix the issue, or at least report the issue.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/30/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.  We value you as a
      customer and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your
      experience while purchasing a firearm from one of our stores. We were able to obtain
      the missing parts, and the parts are shipped to your home.

      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to
      assisting you.  If you have any questions or additional comments, please
      feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

      Sincerely,
       
      Customer Care Team  
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com
      case number ********

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/20/2022

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I made a purchase 2 days ago for tennis shoes for 39.99 each and today they are 29.99. I was in process of a decent size or order for Christmas gifts and 2 representatives and 1 supposed supervisor, all told me that only way I could get an adjustment for the $10 per pair of shoes was if I ordered and paid full price otherwise they will not adjust price. I asked them to cancel the order and I would rebuy @ cheaper price but of course they couldn’t do that. Thry said I needed to go to the store & maybe a manager will fix it.  I will not keep shoes at $39.99 because I did nothing wrong ..... I bought shoes less than 48 hours ago and cannot not believe you guys would risk losing customers this way.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/23/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.  We value you as a
      customer and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your
      experience with your recent online orders. To recap our conversation, per our
      Price Adjustment Policy, if a regular priced item you purchased is offered by us
      at a lower price within fourteen (14) days of your original purchase, the item
      may be eligible for a price adjustment. Merchandise purchased on clearance or
      during timed-events are not eligible for price adjustments.

      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to
      assisting you.  If you have any questions or additional comments, please
      feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

      Sincerely,
       
      Customer Care Team  
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/08/2022

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I placed multiple orders between 09/09 and 09/12 (all under email [email protected]) and multiple items came shipped from different stores. Multiple items have security tags on them!!! There is not a store close to me, that i can take to get these removed. This is a huge inconvenience. I can’t try these on because of the security tag .. and am going to miss the return window because of this. My order from 09/09 doesn’t fit and i need to return these. I need a label. I’ve tried numerous times to use the chat feature on your site and can never get a live agent.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/14/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.  We value you as a customer
      and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your experience with
      your recent online orders. To recap our communication, we have provided return
      labels that you may use to return the merchandise back to Academy Sports +
      Outdoors. Once the returns have been received, we will further assist accordingly
      with the refund and the security tag.

      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to
      assisting you.  If you have any questions or additional comments, please
      feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

      Sincerely,
       
      Customer Care Team  
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com

      Customer Answer

      Date: 11/15/2022

      Better Business Bureau:



      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  



      [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]



      Regards,


      they did not provide me 2 labels, as discussed. And this is not to be closed until the issue has been resolved. 



       

      Business Response

      Date: 11/18/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,

      Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors.  We value you as a
      customer and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your
      experience with your recent online orders. To recap our communications , we appreciate you confirming you successfully received the return labels. Once the returns have been received, we will further assist accordingly with the refund and the security tag.

      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to
      assisting you.  If you have any questions or additional comments, please
      feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

      Sincerely,
       
      Customer Care Team  
      Academy Sports + Outdoors
      www.academy.com

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/15/2022

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      An employee recommended me the wrong product for my needs. I went to ask for an exchange for the correct item that will fulfill the task correctly. My exchange was denied because the item was open. Whe. Talking to the manager about the issue, he stated "and you believed him?" I reached out to their corporate office and was told that their employees can make recommendations but they are not responsible for my decision to purchase. So they are telling me that they have employees assisting customers with questions to make a purchase and when you're sold the wrong thing, they are not responsible and will not offer any other solution other then you're stuck with the purchase. I now have 2 boat ankers and 4 fishing rod holders which are not compatible with my boat which was sold to me by their employee stating this was what I needed.

      Business Response

      Date: 09/23/2022

      Dear Valued Customer,

       Thank you for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors. We value you as a customer and appreciate your feedback. We sincerely apologize for your experience while shopping with us. Our policy states that returned merchandise must be resalable, without signs of being used, and with their original packaging. The products you attempted to return were used. However, the store made the exception and issued a credit on 09/15/22. 


      Thank you again for choosing Academy Sports + Outdoors and we look forward to assisting you. If you have any questions or additional comments, please feel free to contact us via online chat or at 1 888 922 2336. Have a good day.

       Sincerely,

       Customer Care Team  
       Academy Sports + Outdoors
       www.academy.com

    Academy Sports & Outdoors is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

    To become accredited, a business must agree to BBB Standards for Trust and pass BBB's vetting process.

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