Cheaper than dirt sponsors the SAF

[drewtam]

SAF ANNOUNCES 2013 DIAMOND SPONSOR CHEAPER THAN DIRT!

BELLEVUE, WA - The Second Amendment Foundation today announced that CheaperThanDirt has made an unprecedented contribution of $100,000, making the online sporting goods retailer SAF's first-ever Diamond Level sponsor.

“The level of support from CheaperThanDirt both delighted and shocked me,” said SAF Director of Development Ray Carter. “SAF has never before received a single donation of this size and by itself CheaperThanDirt’s contribution will make possible a major expansion of SAF legal action and education efforts. We are privileged to consider CheaperThanDirt a partner in our efforts.”

http://www.saf.org/viewpr-new.asp?id=422


Sounds like CTD is feeling the pain of pissing off every gun owner in the middle of a huge political battle. This doesn't change my disgust with their betrayal, nor does it change my purchasing plans.

But it does raise the questions...
What would CTD have to do to earn your business back?
How much time will it take or what would they have to do to get your forgiveness?

[sorry for continually modifying the post, just trying to add more details and links.]

[SADShooter]

Could've just donates 1k PMAGS. More symbolically fitting.

[Boomhauer]

What would CTD have to do to earn your business back?

Nothing, because I won't deal with them or their ilk. Why would I buy from them when there are much better places to do business with? This is far from CTD's only moment of stupidity.

There's a free market solution for bad businesses like CTD. They wither and die due to lack of customers and the customers go support better businesses which grow strong.

[Fly320s]

What would CTD have to do to earn your business back?
How much time will it take or what would they have to do to get your forgiveness?

1. Publicly apologize to the gun community for CTD's ass hat maneuver.
2. Publicly tell all of the anti-gun community to piss off, including congress and Obama.
3. Complete change of management.
4. Completely restock and ship at cost all orders that CTD cancelled due to their ass hat manuever.
5. Promise to sell at cost all standard capacity magazines for a period of 180 days.

Edit to add:

These 5 steps only gets CTD a second look from me. This is no gaurantee that I would actually shop there.

[AZRedhawk44]

I was mildly annoyed when Appleseed "partnered" with CTD for promotional purposes, since their ammo is always more expensive than Wideners or Ammoman or other places.  

I'm hoping Appleseed breaks with CTD after this market gouging.

CTD is dead to me.

[cordex]

I'm less bothered by the gouging as I am the initial decision to no longer sell modern sporting rifles.

[Ron]

Hopefully the check clears before CTD goes under.

[Balog]

Gouging is what it is, a dick move on their part but hey it's the free market capitalism we all love so much. I'm not mad at them for that.

I'm mad at them for canceling orders that had already been paid for, so they could sell those goods at jacked up prices. I'm mad at them for stopping the sale of modern sporting rifles. And this does nothing to appease me.

[dm1333]

How many of you have read their explanation of why they stopped selling guns after Sandy Hook?

http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?p=35788

Between this and selling PMAGS for $100 each I'm done with them.  I'm all for people making money but their actions look  like a PC, knee jerk reaction followed by price gouging and taking advantage of the situation.  I might be wrong but right now their actions smell like bullsh*t and it will take a lot more than this to get any business out of me.

[mtnbkr]

I was done with them before it was cool to be done with them (12-13 years).  After both of my first two orders with them were "backordered" with no indication of that on their website, I said scroo 'em and never looked back.  There are so many good places to do business with, why waste any time withe scumbags?

Chris

[Ben]

I was done with them before it was cool to be done with them (12-13 years).  After both of my first two orders with them were "backordered" with no indication of that on their website, I said scroo 'em and never looked back.  There are so many good places to do business with, why waste any time withe scumbags?

Chris

I stopped for the same reason as Chris. While I did get a few really good deals from them, there were one too many unexpected backorders, and if I remember right, they charged my card at time of order as well. I'd rather pay 10% more and have more reliable service.

[Matthew Carberry]

This is a good move on their part, regardless of motive.  The market will determine what they do with their actual business decisions.

Not going to waste any more energy on a company i never used anyway.

[Bigjake]

I rarely listen to talk radio anymore,  but someone oughta tell Glenn Beck that CTD is in fact NOT on the side of the angels this time.  Heard him pimping them a few weeks ago and it was one of those " Are we talking about the same company?"  moments.

[French G.]

Well, they only had to sell ten pmags to get that much money to donate.

[CNYCacher]

Maybe I'm the only person here, but I'll say it anyway.  I don't fault them for selling anything at prices people are willing to pay.  If you are selling something under market value, you are not a business, you are a charity.

[freakazoid]

There is always going to be people willing to pay even if they went up to $200.

[Gewehr98]

Just ordered a couple 20-round AK mags from them to show my support.   

[Boomhauer]

Maybe I'm the only person here, but I'll say it anyway.  I don't fault them for selling anything at prices people are willing to pay.  If you are selling something under market value, you are not a business, you are a charity.

IMHO it's not the price it's the 'tude they have first and foremost...

[Gewehr98]

Having read their posted reason for the temporary suspension in sales, I can see why they did it.

I look at the local brick & mortar store, and how they got wiped clean of anything that was mag-fed, autoloading and black.

They can't get new inventory from any of their dealers. 

Granted, they sold everything in house, but it doesn't bode well for such places in the next year or whenever the new firelocks get sent their way...

[Balog]

Maybe I'm the only person here, but I'll say it anyway.  I don't fault them for selling anything at prices people are willing to pay.  If you are selling something under market value, you are not a business, you are a charity.

I think the objection is more to canceling already placed orders so that the goods can be resold at the inflated prices.

[CNYCacher]

I think the objection is more to canceling already placed orders so that the goods can be resold at the inflated prices.

Oh.  First I've heard of it.  That's a dick move.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I think the objection is more to canceling already placed orders so that the goods can be resold at the inflated prices.

isn't ctd primarily a drop ship operation?

[Cliffh]

I'm not sure there's anything they could do to get my business, never having bought anything from them in the past.  I've always been able to find what I'm looking for either cheaper or closer (no shipping).

Having just read their explanation, it just don't smell right.  There are too many other businesses that were/are under the same circumstances and didn't have to stop shipments and/or sales.

[slingshot]

I have no particular problem with Cheaper Than Dirt suspending sales and shipments through dealers.  They were just covering their butts initially and trying to get a handle on what was going on.

I absolutely condemn them for gouging on ammunition and accessories.  Retailers should maintain a higher standard.  They can limit sales volumes, but the price should reflect their cost rather than what the market will bear.

I have not bought from them in months.  I have mixed feelings about them and you really have to pay attention to their warehouse situation or you can be really beat up on shipping costs.  They need to figure out some other approach as it does hurt sales and future sales.

[cordex]

They can limit sales volumes, but the price should reflect their cost rather than what the market will bear.

So you think prices should be fixed through some arbitrary scheme rather than set by the market?