Coronavirus-related gun store price gouging in Texas

[HankB]

Texas has laws against price gouging during a declared emergency (declared on March 13) and over 100 complaints have been lodged against Cheaper than Dirt. The story apparently originated in a Fort Worth paper, but it also appeared today in the local Austin paper and was picked up by other media.

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/04/03/north-texas-gun-seller-cheaper-than-dirt-dozens-complaints-price-gouging/

Allegations include raising the price of 1000 rounds of 5.56 from around $300 to over $800 from March 15 to March 17. More troubling is another complaint that the listed price of $257.24 for 1000 rounds jumped up to $499.89 at check out.

I've had issues with CTD in the past and didn't much like the store they operated locally for a year or so - it would seem other folks have issues with this store as well.

[MillCreek]

If they are cheaper than dirt, than apparently dirt has gotten a lot more expensive recently.

[bedlamite]

Yep, CTD did the same thing when Obama was elected too. Haven't bought anything from them since.

[WLJ]

CTD: Home of the $100 PMag.
Haven't checked their prices lately but back in 2012 they jacked pmags up to $100 ea.
And yes prices would jump on many items after clicking add to cart

[Hawkmoon]

It's incomprehensible that CTD is still in business. They should have been shut down for their predatory, bait-and-switch tactics years ago.

[MechAg94]

I stopped ordering from them when I noticed one of my orders had the shipping cost higher than the order.  I was looking at 5 or so items.  It seems CTD wanted to charge separate shipping charges if it came from a different warehouse.  I do not know if they still do that, but I used other people by preference.  When I found out about their actions after Sandy Hook, I generally don't use them at all. 

I don't really need the Govt to lower the boom on them.  I figure buyer beware on stuff like this.  However, that law isn't new.

[MechAg94]

I have seen ads for other other companies with 1000 rounds of 9mm at $300 and 1000 rounds of 5.56 at $400.  That is the pricing I would expect since any discounts would be pulled back and the wholesale cost would go up.  I wouldn't expect $900. 

[Jamisjockey]

CTD never misses an opportunity to price gouge.  Hopefully they get burned at the stake this time.

[charby]

I have never found a bargain at CTD that I couldn't be beat by a LGS or big box sporting goods store.

[Jamisjockey]

I have never found a bargain at CTD that I couldn't be beat by a LGS or big box sporting goods store.

Alot of the cheap tactical crap they sell is available on Amazon these days.

[HankB]

Alot of the cheap tactical crap they sell is available on Amazon these days.

And shipped directly from China!

[lupinus]

Cheaper than dirt, and worth about the same. *expletive deleted*ck em.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[K Frame]

Isn't CTD the one that rolled out some new shipping system a few years ago that shipped your multiple-item orders from different stores, basically exploding your shipping costs? And pretty much without letting you know they were doing it?

[Hawkmoon]

Isn't CTD the one that rolled out some new shipping system a few years ago that shipped your multiple-item orders from different stores, basically exploding your shipping costs? And pretty much without letting you know they were doing it?

Yes.

[Fly320s]

CTD has really gone downhill.  When I lived in the DFW area I would go to their store to buy stuff since they actually had good prices.  Now they just sell crap to uninformed panic buyers.

They should fail as a business, but I don't know if they will.

[Ben]

I recall buying stuff from CTD maybe 20 years ago. I thought they were sort of a Harbor Freight of gun stuff stores. Then Amazon started selling many of the things CTD did, at cheaper prices and much faster, much, much cheaper shipping. I can't remember the last time I was on the CTD website to even just browse. Certainly sounds like they went way downhill.

[HankB]

I bought some nice .303 British ammo some years back from CTD - good stuff at a good price. Another time I bought something and was supposed to get some sort of "freebie" but that was never shipped, and when I called them to ask about it, the woman on the phone laughed at me and hung up. 

Their local store - open for maybe a year in an Austin, TX suburb - had a large selection of guns, including some medium-pricey rifles (e.g., Dakotas for >$5k) and some fancy shotguns by companies I never heard of, some of which were priced $50k - $100k and more. 

I don't think they sold a lot of these - I know I sure didn't buy anything there, since even accessories were overpriced. And since the store wasn't open for long, I don't think they sold a lot of anything else, either.

[Perd Hapley]

I thought CTD folded to the gun nuts (the anti-gun crazies) during one of the Evil Black Gun Panic episodes a few years ago. I've been avoiding them since then.