I've been a customer of Cheaper Than Dirt for many years now. I regularly get their product catalog sent to my home. I figured this was the perfect way to make my dissatisfaction well known to the company's management. This is the letter I sent. I taped it to the latest catalog I received. Short but to the point.
If you can't read that this is what it says;
Dear CTD Management
Due to your recent decision to capitulate on the Second Amendment and my right to keep and bear arms I will no longer do business of any kind with your company.
Please remove my name from any and all customer lists and cease any and all correspondence including product catalogs.
To say I am disappointed in your decision is a massive understatement.
Sincerely
Six
A very dissatisfied former customer.
They may be able to ignore this like a spam e-mail but at least someone in the company will read it and perhaps get the necessary message to the decision makers. We shall see.
I hate boycott and I'm not a huge fan of embargo. It often leads to events like those in 1812 and 1941. But we have limited responses available and must take advantage of those we can. Our ability to influence these companies and entities are mostly limited to expressions of dismay and voting with our wallets. So be it. I've made my position as clear as I can. I won't do business with nor support anyone who would work with those intent on violating and removing any of my civil rights.
Period.
Six
Update: I and another blogger who shall remain nameless caught a bit of flack for our stance on CTD. The comments on both of our sites took us to task for jumping the gun and not doing the necessary homework as well as basically being wrong and stupid. Let me point you here and here and here and here. Apparently we aren't the only ones in the gun community who think CTD melted in the heat. Here's the text of CTD's initial statement;
Cheaper Than Dirt! is suspending online sales of firearms effective immediately.Note the language please, especially that last part about gear and accessories. No mention of guns. I don't care what a company decides they will or won't sell. I'll find what I want somewhere. What I do care about is a company that is so quick to surrender to the anti gun folks. It's not about whether they will or won't sell guns it's about whether they will or won't support the second amendment. BTW, snark is one thing, arrogant belittling is something else. I've removed one blogger from my roll and read list because of it.
We are reviewing our policy internally, and will continue to be the leader in the outdoor industry with our full line of gear and accessories.
Michael Tenny, CEO
9 comments:
Outstanding. Well done!
I haven't done business with them for a while now. Used to love them and would drive all the way to Ft Worth to visit their physical store. They lost my business during the big ammo crunch a couple of years ago. Not because they raised prices. I'm a free market guy.
Ticked me off, though, when several friends of mine had orders "canceled" at the advertised price after they placed their order and paid... then were offered the opportunity to re-order at a higher price.
I've heard they've since back peddled on their gun sales suspension. I won't darken their door again.
Thanks Rev!
Yeah, I'm done with them too Paladin. I heard a lot of the ammo stories from back then but since I do most of my ammo buying from Natchez it didn't really register. Now this? I don't think so and I also don't think we three are alone in our opinion. Could be an expensive lesson. Didn't anyone learn anything from the S&W fiasco?
I did the same thing.
Do your research before jumping on the bandwagon first.
CTD didn't cave to anyone - they had inventory problems with the crush of orders. THAT is why they had to suspend sales. There is no conspiracy here, and you're making yourself look like a fool by pushing this.
I don't think so daniels and if you want to make a point with me on my blog you had better modify your tone. This is my home and your brand of dismissiveness and name calling is neither appreciated nor tolerated. If you can't behave yourself and talk like an adult you are welcome to leave your slobber trail someplace else. You understand that?
Now to your comment. I did my homework (though you wouldn't know because like most ignorant people you assumed. That's a Fail right there). I saw the posts and comments about this very thing. I'm not buying it. They had inventory they just decided to suspend gun sales and only gun sales. No explanation. No apology for the delay. No nothing. That tells me that they were more concerned with perceptions and potential fallout that supporting the 2A and their customers. No matter what they or their apologists (that's you daniels) say.
Now go peddle your divisiveness and hostility somewhere else. Daddy is in no mood for the prattling and temper tantrums of children.
It was my assumption that they wanted to get clearance from lawyers on how to proceed and chose to weasel out at a crucial time. (Heck, they may have sold the mother a weapon and had to understand implications there.) We already had issues with them for not representing their name anymore. Damned expensive dirt...
GT's has chosen to remain strong, to not gouge (tho I support the right of companies to charge whatever the market will bear), and will likely be around awhile.
And, of course, Himself works for a very nice FFL guy who is happy to sell for a few dollars over wholesale.
Shop around, as you say, and let those who disappoint fail on their own.
I'm with Six on this, if they had given a reason beyond "We're reviewing our policy" I would be fine with it, but WHY are you needing to review your policy??
If it was an inventory issue then they could have put up "Due to the flood of orders we have had..." but they didn't, and that makes the difference.
Don't tell me to support your company when your company won't support the very thing it makes money off of - the 2nd Amendment.
If they want to be Fudds, great - my money will go elsewhere.
Ya know, I have never been a fan of boycotts and the such either, but there comes a time when standing up for what one believes comes to pass. I have to admitt I have never purchased anything from Cheaper Than Dirt, but I am done shopping and visiting places that are overtly anti gun or otherwise comtibute to the downfall of this country.
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