ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gander Mountain Company (Nachrichten) today announced that computer equipment, containing certain customer transaction information relating to a single store in Pennsylvania, is missing and may have been stolen. The transaction data relates only to customers who conducted business with the Gander Mountain store located in Greensburg, PA, during the period from July 2002 through June 2007.
The stored transaction information may have included: -- Approximately 112,000 credit card numbers with expiration date but without any other associated information. -- Approximately 10,000 transaction records may have included the credit card number, expiration date and customer name. -- For the approximately 5,100 credit card customers who returned merchandise or did a lay-away purchase at the store during this period, the information also may have included an address. -- For the approximately 650 customers who purchased by check and returned merchandise without a receipt or put merchandise on lay-away by check payment, the information may have contained a name, address, driver's license number and date of birth.
The company has sent letters to the approximately 5,750 customers for whom address information is available informing them of this incident. The letter summarizes the steps the company has taken, including notifying the major credit card companies and the company's merchant card processing bank, establishing a customer toll-free helpline and Web site to answer questions, and working with authorities to locate the equipment. The letter also provides customers with recommended actions they can take to protect themselves, including telephone numbers for contacting the credit reporting agencies and carefully reviewing monthly statements and credit reports.
"Our primary goal is to prevent any harm to our customers affected by this situation," said Mark Baker, Gander Mountain president and CEO. "We have no evidence that any of this information has been misused, or that the missing equipment was stolen with intent to steal data. We take this matter very seriously and regret any inconvenience to our customers who shopped at our Greensburg, Pennsylvania, store."
Beginning September 11th, the company has established a toll-free helpline for affected customers at 866-986-2988, during the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CT, Monday through Friday. This number will be effective through September 28, 2007. Customers may contact the company at Gander Mountain, 180 E. Fifth St., Suite 1300, St. Paul, MN 55101, Attn: Customer Service, or by email at contact.us@gandermountain.com. Additional information is available on the company's website at http://www.gandermountain.com/ (click on "Important Customer Alert").
Gander Mountain's first priority in this situation is to reduce the harm and inconvenience this apparent theft of computer hardware may cause for its customers. The company is doing its utmost to work with affected customers in this regard. Because of the relatively small number of customers that might be affected, the company does not expect any material impact on its business from this event.
About Gander Mountain Company
Gander Mountain Company , headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the nation's largest retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, camping, boats, marine and outdoor lifestyle products and services. Since 1960, the Gander Mountain brand has offered an expanding assortment of competitively priced outdoor equipment, technical apparel and footwear, as well as gunsmith, archery, ATV and marine services. The stores feature national, regional and local brands as well as the company's owned brands. Focused on a "We Live Outdoors(R)" culture, Gander Mountain dedicates itself to creating outdoor memories. There are currently 109 conveniently located Gander Mountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 22 states. For the nearest store location call 800-282-5993 or visit http://www.gandermountain.com/ .
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this release that are not historical or current facts are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward- looking statements. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are described in the "Risks and Factors Affecting Current and Future Results" section of the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2006 and other required reports, as filed with the SEC, which are available at http://www.gandermountain.com/ and at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/.