Remember when Cheaper Than Dirt (CTD) charged high prices for PMAGS in 2012?

[American123]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. They can charge their obscene price, and we can spread the word and choose not to do business with them to help discourage greed.

Contrast CTD's practices with LaRue. LaRue has chosen to side with gun owners even if it lowers his revenue. He won't sell any products to government agencies that it wouldn't be legal to sell to civilians in that agency's jurisdiction. The 2A industry and gun owners are under attack from anti-gun activists who want to trade our liberties for their false sense of security and we need to care about each other to ensure our next generation can exercise its 2A right to self defense too. Gouging each other for a (many extra) buck should be criticized early and often.

Larue is a fantastic company and I agree with their business practices, but let's use them as an example. Their mounts and triggers are some of the best. When they first came out with their MBT2s triggers, they were selling them for $200, I haven't looked at their books personally, but since they made some changes to production and manufacturing, they cut the price of those triggers down to $70-$85 depending on sales. I would bet they make more money now selling $70 triggers and blowing them out the door (and the resulting higher volume of customer traffic buying other things at their company) than when they were selling $200 triggers. I agree that all companies in the industry should refuse to sell anything to state/federal/city governments that have what I am going to refer to as unconstitutional laws in place, but since CTD is only one of many online retailers, just don't buy from them, there, that was easy.

 

[OldTengu]

Looks like their site is down as of this morning.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Do we though? Complaining about economics 101 doesn't signify a great understanding of free market economics and capitalism because it's like acknowledging water is wet.

Complaining about a sleazy gun dealer on a gun forum is 100% legit. The comments mostly acknowledged that it was CTD's prerogative to do business in the way they do/did which exhibits a certain level of understanding.

Calling on anything beyond a consumer-based correction would demonstrate a lack of understanding of market forces, and a call for government intervention or price-fixing would rightly be met with open hostility in this venue. Nobody has complained about the price of bread at Safeway vs the outlet store yet, as far as I know.... just don't get me started on "Outlet Malls".

So yeah, I'd say that everybody here gets it.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Looks like their site is down as of this morning.

Probably takes some time and manpower to add 0s to or move decimal points on all of their prices.

 

[osprey]

They burned me once on 22 ammo just before last panic. Order showed in stock, next day I get email saying back ordered. A month later I got notice THEY cancelled my order due to not knowing when it would be back in stock, whatever. Two weeks later I was trolling around their site and saw my .22 ammo available for triple the price! They even had the nerve to send me an email saying items I liked were back in stock. Yes, you could say I am done with ctd.

 

[Nocaster]

I haven't so much as looked at their website since Sandy Hook

 

[DizzyJ]

On their website is a place to contact them. I left my email and told em, "I've seen you do this before - jacking prices up during emergencies. With friends like that who needs enemies?" Everyone should do the same.

I wish I could say it'd make a difference. Sadly, they've done this before and had a lot of complaints. I simply voice my opinion by never buying anything from them since the last debacle.....

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

screw'm! ive never bought anything from them because even when theyre not gouging i still can find what i want cheaper than from them.

 

[bbbass]

I used to shop there a lot in their earlier days... don't know what happened to them... corporate probably.

Anyway, thanx for the heads up... I won't be shopping there!!! They're just like a bunch of Dick's!!! Or the problems at Bud's.

 

[po18guy]

Have not done business with them since they totally messed up an order years ago. Shipping cost more than the items, due to their charging separate shipping instead of one price for the entire order. Lots of other places to do business.

Anyway, if you do not have a sufficient stock of ammo by now, what the heck have you been up to? My rule is a roll of toilet paper for each thousand rounds of ammo.

 

[gmerkt]

if you do not have a sufficient stock of ammo by now, what the heck have you been up to?

They haven't been visiting NWFA, that's for sure. Perennial topic for discussion.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Adding to my previous comments regarding CTD's nasty habit of gouging and it's effects on market demands... I'm not reserving my ire to just the retailer(s).

The phrase "what the market will bear" with regards to pricing spreads the blame more evenly. Those unprepared rubes who will pay those inflated prices on (what amounts to) non essential items deserve some amount of criticism as well. If they weren't paying it, they wouldn't charge it.

Good times or bad, we as consumers determine what a product or service is worth to us.

I always get a kick out of Craigslist ads proclaiming that "this price is for this weekend ONLY!".
Oh really? So if it doesn't sell at that price, you're going to raise it on Monday? Good luck with that.

 

[LuckySG]

They are at it again. I won't order anything from them.
View attachment 670837

So we all pay Hawaiian prices now, eh? Unfortunately all that is left for meto order is over priced Sig Sauer match grade stuff. Just wow!

 

[arakboss]

So we all pay Hawaiian prices now, eh? Unfortunately all that is left for meto order is over priced Sig Sauer match grade stuff. Just wow!

I get that people would panic buy self defense ammo but why are they panic buying FMJ or other target ammo. Not that I would want to get shot with an FMJ round but it doesn't seem like something people would need under the circumstances. I would understand more it if they thought there were permanent ammo ban regulations coming soon but that doesn't seem to be the trigger event for this rush on ammo? Heck panic buying tp makes more sense to me. FMJ ammo seems like a luxury right now.

 

[Alexx1401]

I used to shop there now and then for many years. When they were selling boxes of Fed Red box .380 for $50 that was the end of them. I did still get catalogs from them for years. I would look through them. If I saw something I liked I would search for it online until I found it on some other site. I am sure they could care less since they are doing it again. It is their Co to run as they see fit. I and I can see a few others, will never shop again with them.
This latest panic will show me who to deal with and who will never see my wallet again.

 

[po18guy]

So we all pay Hawaiian prices now, eh? Unfortunately all that is left for meto order is over priced Sig Sauer match grade stuff. Just wow!

Flights to Hawaii are so cheap about now that if you're buying enough, it might be cheaper to fly there and actually pay Hawaiian prices.

Just label the ammo as "Corona Test Kits" and it'll zip right through.

 

[Mrnorke]

Winchester that was 130 or so the other day is now 300. Wont be shopping there anymore. I'm not on a panic just purchased my first 9mm lol. Hopefully things dont go up that much at the end of all this.

 

[arakboss]

CTD is doing some people a favor. If some stores jacked tp prices way up, there might still be some available for those who really want it. Amazon does this everyday with their demand pricing. I'll bet grocery stores wish they could jack up prices like CTD and Amazon.

 

[Alexx1401]

CTD is doing some people a favor. If some stores jacked tp prices way up, there might still be some available for those who really want it. Amazon does this everyday with their demand pricing. I'll bet grocery stores wish they could jack up prices like CTD and Amazon.

CTD is taking advantage to make some big bucks. I have to guess they feel it's worth the bad press and loss of customers.
Amazon does not do this. I understand you hate Jeff because he got rich but, his co is not scalping. We just ordered some more TP from them last night that is at the same price the Fred Meyer sells it for, if they had it. Right now Amazon puts the stuff up as they know shipments are coming in. They take orders and clearly tell you when it will ship. When that order is sold they mark it no more available. Now Amazon does have section that is like Ebay. Anyone can set up and sell. Some were using this to make a buck and Amazon and Ebay both started shutting them down as fast as they pop up.
The Grocery store can sell stuff for whatever price they feel the market will take. If they started to take it too far two things would happen. Laws would get passed and or enforced, and people would get angry and no longer shop there when the panic was over.

 

[arakboss]

CTD is taking advantage to make some big bucks. I have to guess they feel it's worth the bad press and loss of customers.
Amazon does not do this. I understand you hate Jeff because he got rich but, his co is not scalping. We just ordered some more TP from them last night that is at the same price the Fred Meyer sells it for, if they had it. Right now Amazon puts the stuff up as they know shipments are coming in. They take orders and clearly tell you when it will ship. When that order is sold they mark it no more available. Now Amazon does have section that is like Ebay. Anyone can set up and sell. Some were using this to make a buck and Amazon and Ebay both started shutting them down as fast as they pop up.
The Grocery store can sell stuff for whatever price they feel the market will take. If they started to take it too far two things would happen. Laws would get passed and or enforced, and people would get angry and no longer shop there when the panic was over.

I don't hate JB, I respect his accomplishments. Amazon does increase prices on some products when there is a surge in demand for them. The algos likely handle it for them. My point was CTD is far from the only place that does this. And my second point was that CTD raising their prices during a surge in demand makes some of that product available to those who really want it. If they left their prices low the hoarders would scoop it all up and those who really want the product will be out of luck.

How Amazon uses "surge pricing," just like Uber

The practices that hike air fares, hotel room prices and car fare charges can also jack up your online shopping costs

www.google.com