Bass Pro is low looking into the barrel of a lawsuit seeking class-action status after one of the instructors they had teaching Illinois concealed carry classes in their stores was recently decertified for corner cutting on his courses.
James Andel was an instructor teaching for the Illinois Security Guard College.
Today, Mr. Andel is dodging phone calls and emails from hundreds of angry former students who paid good money to get sham training.
Some undoubtedly assumed that since Mr. Andel was teaching at Bass Pro Shops stores that he was a competent instructor. Others were looking for the cheapest training they could find.
And it came back to bite them on the rear.
As for Bass Pro, they failed to vet the instructor they had teaching in their store.
They also have a lot deeper pockets that Mr. Andel, who will be lucky if he’s not caught himself a felony rap when this is all said and done.
Suit: Bass Pro Shop falsely advertised conceal-carry classes
(Chicago Sun-Times) – A Joliet man is suing Bass Pro Shops for falsely advertising “a worthless class” that failed to meet the required training hours to obtain an Illinois concealed carry permit, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
John P. Ambrose is seeking class action status after taking a class offered through Bass Pro Shops. The classes were taught by James Andel, a then certified instructor, and Bolingbrook-based Security Guard College, Inc., the suit said.
Ambrose attended the class after seeing an advertisement in October 2013 inside a Bolingbrook Bass Pro Shops called, “Illinois Concealed Carry Permit Class,” the lawsuit said.
The classes were such a failure, however, that the Illinois State Police issued a press release on April 1 stating that Andel was no longer approved to train Illinois Concealed Carry Curricula and that all of his 327 applicants were denied.
Ambrose was one of those 327, the lawsuit said.
I agree that someone needs to cough up some money here but If Bass Pro didn’t hold the classes on their grounds or make money from the classes they can’t exactly be held at fault. If I manufacturer a product and get a chain store to sell it for me and it turns out the product is unsafe to be used your not going to sue the store that sold the product in good faith.
The whole thing sounds like maybe some flyers were left in the store or put up so on a bulletin board or something of that nature so people had an easy option. My guess is that the corporate offices didn’t even have an idea of this and it may have even been to the point where the store manager did not realize they were there.
Bass Pro’s logo was on the flyer.
If Bass Pro’s logo is on promotional materials, they are on the hook to some degree.
I find it REALLY hard to believe they donated their classroom space and sign space for someone else to run a commercial CCW training operation in their stores.
If so, have them contact me and we’ll put a GSL Defense Training course together for their store(s)…
Bass Pro has a lot deeper pockets than this Andel scoundrel, who has gone into hiding for the last week or so.
John
That pic is not James Andel.
I have a copy of the flyer. I’ll check if Bass Pro is on it but I don’t recall seeing it. He just used a conference room, for free, at bass pro. Bass pro did not collect $.
Not sure how he involved Bass Pro or if they just rented him a conference room, but Andel was clearly the focal point of this training. He was definitely not organized as the leader. I figure I was harmed by losses in course costs, time invested, mileage, range fees, ammo costs, application fees, etc. Sign me up for whatever class action suit is filed.
I was one of those students that got denied any one know how to join the lawsuit so I at least get my money back