We’re probably all well aware of the blunders on the part of Cheaper Than Dirt in the last few months. Now the question is, can they throw enough money at the community to get back into our good graces?
I’ll admit I’ve never been a customer of CTD’s, but I have been following the situation.
I don’t consider their actions to be price gouging, it’s supply and demand. If you really need mags that badly RIGHT NOW, you can pay an extremely high price for them – or you can wait and get them from a vendor that’s selling them at regular price. As has been noted by Magpul, they’re doing all they can to keep their MSRP consistent.
They did have an asinine knee-jerk reaction to the tragedy at Sandy Hook, that’s my big beef with them. Does cutting a big check to SAF absolve them of that?
Does jumping on the bandwagon of no sales to NY state employees that can’t go to non-government employees fix the problem?
I don’t think either of these gets them out of the hole they’ve dug, but I think they’re on the right track. Will you ever be a customer of CTD’s again? Were you before? I think they’ve got a long uphill battle when you’ve got companies like Brownells and MidwayUSA that didn’t pull any of these shenanigans.
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I’ve never been a CTD customer before, and I was incredibly disappointed in their shenanigans following Sandy Hook, but I think they’ve learned their lesson and are on the right track.
Now if only they can stay there.
It occurs to me what I’d really like to see is for firearms manufacturers and distributors to suspend ALL sales to law-enforcement, not just the ones covered by bans. If Cheaper Than Dirt would make a statement to that effect…
I don’t want to say any sure things just now, but I would strongly consider buying some ammo or other equipment from them at their exorbitant prices, even while I’m currently on a fairly tight budget.
What do you think, CTD? You in?
Agreed that they need to stay on this track. I think they’re seeing how bad it can hurt to get off track, and are wising up.
That would be awesome if they’d get on board with that, but I doubt they’ll lead that charge. I certainly would buy some extra kit from them if they did…
@ Volfram:
Never buy from them again. Same people running the show and they have only done this to save their business. Can’t ever trust them again, if you do, they will turn on you when you need them the most.
Most people deserve second chances. However, you only get one chance to make or break a first impression. For that matter, your company’s reputation.
I had been a loyal shopper of CTD for many years now. Sandy Hook ended that loyalty. Anything and every thing CTD does now to try and dupe people into believing they support 2nd Amendment freedoms is nothing more than cheap window dressing.
Forget the run on ammo, mags, parts, etc. I understand supply/demand. But by making a political statement which amounts to “law abiding citizens are reckless, and we know better than you do” truly pisses me off.
I am telling CTD how I feel by not spending a dime on their products, as well as “return to sender” all of their catalogs. By the way, if you’ve received them lately, you’ll notice NO PRICES listed on anything related to firearms and accessories. Interesting despite all of the catalogs I receive from other companies who do list their prices.
Have we considered that even if their $100k contribution doesn’t absolve their other recent actions that perhaps we should still give them a pass? Hear me out. There will be plenty of time after this nonsense blows over for us to bicker amongst ourselves. We should maximize our odds of success at beating back gun control, our true enemy, which absolutely means supporting the SAF – a heavy-weight in the court room. So maybe forgive but don’t forget?
Not having any stake in this at all i can say 2 things.
1 – they suck for the price hikes, but you suck for the price hikes too. Its either they sell them to you for $10 and you sell them online for +$50 or they do. Either way the end end user is paying the same.
2 – They really badly worded the original release. They should have said ‘ we cant get any guns in stock until Easter, we will tell you when we have some for sale.’
But at least that extra ripoff fee went to the SAF. Which is funny as another retailer (cant remember who right now) did just the same thing. They added extra on the price per magazine and donated it to the NRA and were applauded for it. Albeit they said that was what they were doing from the get go.
I hear the same kind of thing every other day about walmart stopping selling ammo. If you are keeping retail space empty and getting a couple of thousand rounds a day in, and they are gone by lunchtime. Common sense says fill those empty shelves with packets of cheetos or anything else that you have available to sell until supply (and demand) normalizes.
Also, they have to pay taxes, and maybe this year a lot of taxes. Would you prefer they give the money to the SAF or greenpeace?
I was a customer of CTD way back at the beginning of my interest in firearms, but, since then, I have been growing increasingly less impressed with their selection, quality, and prices, especially after discovering Brownells’ discount for FFLs (including C&Rs). And, supply or demand or no, I look askance at anyone trying to sell a rusted-assed milsurp AR15 magazine for $100. Add to that their behavior after Sandy Hook, and I do not have time nor money to waste on them any more.
While their donations to SAF will unquestionably be useful, they are also unquestionably attempts at, as you say, buying the good graces of firearm owners. Cannot say as though I am terribly impressed with a company that thinks bribes are the way to go…
@RkFlorida – Just out of curiosity does that mean you’ll never trust Ruger or S&W? Even after Ruger has gone out of their way to put up the new email your congresscritter site?
@Shall Not Be Infringed – I get most of what you’re saying, but what would/could a company do to fix that? I am in NO way affiliated with CTD, they’re just an interesting case study.
Going back to Ruger & S&W, they seem to have really repaired their reputation with the community as a whole. Is it just a matter of time? Did Bill Ruger kicking the bucket and a leadership change at S&W fix it?
Hell, even Recoil magazine seems to be back in most people’s good graces after they got rid of that asshat.
@Brandon – That is somewhat similar to what I’m thinking. I don’t know their specific costs, but $100,000 for SAF…that seems like it’d go an awfully long way towards a court case or two.
@Dave W – 1 is a great point. I know at our local big box stores, most of the people were lined up for an AR were lined up to flip them.
2- That they did. A little bit of PR smarts could have avoided most of this situation for them. I’m thinking it’s just going to take time…and more big donations like we saw, to fix.
@Linoge – Yeah, I get that. I never saw anything from them that I was interested in at the time for a good enough price.
Is it a bribe, or reparations?
I’ve ordered from these guys in the past. I found the cost of their cheap 10mm ammo almost as cheap as buying just the brass. I haven’t needed any in a while (ah, the joys of handloading) but have at least temporarily sworn off the company.
Did they do something revoltingtly stupid? Most certainly they did. Are they trying to make ammends? Well, that or management-directed, PR-influenced damage control. I see this is mostly reactionary, not just in trying to put out the flames of angry ex-customers but in jumping on the bandwagon. Nothing here has struck me as being a unique idea. Donating money? Nice, but tax-deductible I’m sure. Nothing satisfies the accountant like that (unless the accountant is Larry Cor… I mean “Spreadsheet” of G.I. Joe). If they come up with something original or truly significant, then I MIGHT return as a customer at some point.
I vowed never to purchase anything from them in 2008 when 380 ACP was next to impossible to find and CTD inflated their price to more than $50 per box of 50. Now (when I checked a week or so ago) they’re selling USGI 30 round AR mags for $130… I understand supply and demand but I still consider their actions price-gouging. Couple that with their post Sandy Hook stupidity and I have no intention of EVER doing business with them.
When MidwayUSA and Brownell’s never jacked their prices in my mind CTD was gouging. CTD has a history of being a fair weather friend and I think this go-around bit them in the ass enough that they’re trying to make amends. Their recent amends mean little to me because they are still gouging prices on mags and to me the first and greatest show of goodwill to shooters in general would be to quit asking them to take it in the kazoo for a magazine. I’m much more fine with seeing a normal priced mag backordered as opposed to a company asking me to pay four or five times normal price.
While their last two shows of goodwill are definitely appreciated the timing is way too convenient to hold much water for me as a potential returning customer. To ever see another penny from me CTD needs to show true dedication to shooters and the shooting sports by continuing the donations and overt support.
Unlike Recoil magazine, CTD is trying to make amends by making amends, not by saying, “because, eff you, that’s why” like the editor of Recoil did.
Only time will tell if it is genuine. I don’t think it is. Not going to be a customer any time soon.
Ruger–I had to finally forgive them. Bill Sr. would have never let the LCP, LCR or LC9 into production–they aren’t guns for “honest Americans.” Nor would he have put up the political advocacy page.
Still think their company’s internal culture is crap but that also comes from being a literal “Special Snowflake.” They treat their employees like crap because they can. Doesn’t mean I won’t own one of their revolvers someday though. Mag disconnect makes the autos a no-go for me, however.
@Derek D. – Yeah, but the LCR and LC9 are complete rip-offs of the Kel-Tec P32 and PF9, respectively. Sure, they look and feel a bit nicer, but Kel-Tec were the ones that put in the effort and R&D.
[Yes, I am well aware that such things are and have long been common in the gun industry... plus industry in general. It doesn't mean that I have to support Ruger for doing, though. My personal compromise is that I'll never buy one of their -handguns- but I acknowledge that they make good rifles. Gorram it, they're nice... I've got two myself]
I stopped patronizing CTD after the first ammo dry spell when they inflated their prices and then locked them in. When Walmart was back to selling Winchester and Federal 9mm in 100 rd. boxes for $22 CTD kept the same ammo priced at over $30 plus shipping.
Cheaper Than Dirt my A$$.
Mussorgsky wrote:
I shoot a CZ75B. Companies that have ripped off that design: Springfield (!) (P9), IMI, Tanfoglio, Norinco (I don’t think they have EVER had an original design), ArmaLite, even the mighty Bren Ten borrowed a lot from the CZ. People say that it’s the most ripped-off design in the world behind the 1911.
Every time I read about CZ getting “secret” patents not enforceable anywhere outside the country on a gun MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR EXPORT it makes my head hurt.
Ruger still had a devil of a time getting the aluminum insert to work and I think they should have differentiated themselves by using steel instead. Then again, I hang 48oz of steel on my hip every day.
Come to think about it, Springfield Armory hasn’t ever had an original handgun design have they?
OK, they’ve made up for their gouging in 2008. Now, what have they done to make up for their suspension of firearms sales and gouging in 2012?
Looks like they have some more checks to write.
Which might be tough since lots of use aren’t buying from them now…
And I say that as someone who feels that you’re perfectly justified at setting your prices wherever you want. Bearing in mind that your potential customers can be insulted by your decision.
@ Derek D.:
It comes down to patents and Cz couldn’t enforce their patents here in the west until the horse was long gone from the barn and made into glue.
Kel Tec doesn’t appear to have put any patents on the guns that Ruger appears to have cloned, but it’s likely there’s nothing patentable about them. Kel Tec took the risk to pioneer the marketplace, and Ruger is reaping the profits.
Gun companies are freaking cannibals about ideas. There was nothing keeping Colt from making the Mustang this whole time, but it took SIG copying it to get them to put it back into production. Nothing like noticing your out-of-production niche product is making someone else money!