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A certain member of TTAG’s writing stable argued that Cheaper than Dirt should be allowed back into gun guy’s good graces. The company has, after all, resumed the sales of modern sporting rifles, written a big check to the Second Amendment Foundation and joined the industry boycott of New York law enforcement agencies. What they’ve never done: issued a public apology for their post-Newtown withdrawal of AR-15-style rifles from their site and their attempts to disguise the decision as an inventory issue. (What they have done: raise their prices significantly to exploit the sellers’ market.) Until and unless they fess-up, as far as I’m concerned, Cheaper Than Dirt! can pound sand. The ad above? More grist for their new enemies’ mill.

42 COMMENTS

  1. Nope, not going to happen. They can keep their overpriced stock. Even if they came back to normal prices, I’d stay away. Don’t need “fair-weather” friends.

    • Weeks ago I responded to CTDs SPAM telling them to remove me from their mailing list. Today, I finally called them on the phone and told them to stop SPAMMING me. I suspect CTD is one of those firms that once they get your email they keep ignoring your instructions to stop SPAMMING. The best way to keep it from occurring is to never buy anything from CTD.

      • Not another dime. What’s up with the dozen warehouses and separate charges for shipping on the same order.

        Not sending money to those that bow down to those that would oppress us.

        “Working on improving our inventory system.” Yeah, I believe that…

  2. I think they are making moves to rehabilitate their rep, but yes, I concur that much is left to be done.

    Including ending their gouging. $100 for a used milspec mag? C’mon. That’s just being a jerk about it.

    John

  3. CTD is still selling most of their items at inflated prices, when I get their flier it goes straight into the recycling bin. But then again so is mom and pop places like thecountryshed, who actually has the same AK 40 round mags as CTD only at 12 dollars more.
    You can basically put almost every shop like CTD on this boycott list, most of them failed the test to.

  4. Reminds me of that greasy in-law. Kissing up, always hanging around, smelling bad, whining, asking for a handout.

    Stop feeding it…….it might die or go away.

  5. Like a man said, I just let them waste their money printing those fliers, what got NO prices. I get two a month. I look through them and if I see something I like I “g” it and get it cheaper than Cheaper Than Dirt, from someone ELSE. So I’ll be spending my tax refund elsewhere, FU very much. Personally, me thinks they should change their name to Dumber than Rocks, cause that’s what you gotta be to buy from them. Of course if they keep writing those fat checks to The SAF I might change my mind. Really, Scouts honor! (Finger crossing may have occurred during that last sentence)

  6. If someone’s willing to pay $100 for a PMAG, whatever. It’s capitalism. Deal with it.

    They showed some political cowardice at first but I think they’re making up for it. That said? Never bought there, never will after figuring out they slam you in the shipping charges. MidwayUSA and Sportsman’s Guide have my business.

    • Just got some 30 round Pmags for $29.99. CTD has gone crazy with prices, but if they keep donating money to SAF, I believe I’ll start shopping there again.

        • Yeah as a resident of kali, I resent the cop loophole. the awb here wouldn’t exist if not for the exemption clause for leo.
          “for me but not thee”. No exemptions should exist for anyone. mags, ebr’s, handgun roster, leo are exempt from them all. Accur81, not only were you legally able to aquire a standard pmag but you are actually able to USE your pmag in your personally owned AR’s, NOT just in your duties as a peace officer..
          you may be a decent guy but I despise EVERY THING that LEO in this state stand for…

        • To be fair to A81, I also picked up some 30-round PMAGs not too long ago. I’m a non-LEO CA resident.

          How? I had them shipped to me as “rebuild kits”, i.e. with the floorplate popped off so that they were not fully assembled functional mags. Under current CA law I could then use them to rebuild an existing (legal) full-cap mag, “permanently modify” them to 10-round capacity, or keep them disassembled except when I take them on out-of-state AZ/NV/etc. shooting expeditions.

          All 100% legal. Also the target of CA AB48 (Skinner) which is one of the biggest shytpiles of a bill I’ve ever read:

          http://www.firearmspolicy.org/the-issues/california/2013-2014/ab48/

          Please take a moment to send a message opposing AB48 after you read the summary.

        • Oi. Yes, i got it in CA. Notwithstanding the fact that I could just buy a mag in NV, AZ, WI, etc, make one, etc.
          I support freedom and standard cap mags for all responsible citizens. I use real mags in my guns whenever I can.

          Didn’t mean to piss anyone off. As Alpha has said, there are certainly ways to get real mags.

      • I know all about rebuild kits and ab48 is particularly heinous.however no matter how many 30 rounders I had, I would have no way of legally using them in my OLL (off-list lower). All cops would fight with us if there were NO exemptions…

    • Capitalism has nothing to do with it. The fact they stopped selling firearms “indefinitely” and then went on to say “We’re improving our inventory system”. That’s the issue.

      Vote with your dollars. I continue to do so in a way that supports those that support my rights.

      Never forget.

  7. I received that email from them today and couldn’t help but laugh. I wonder if the powers that be at CTD know these emails or going out or if there is some misguided marketing manager sending them that just doesn’t get it?

    Either way they must really think the gun community are idiots.

    I live a stones throw away from their Fort Worth store and have spent a lot of money with them over the years but their recent actions have caused me to take my business elsewhere.

  8. Yes, if they gave $1M+ to SAF, I would take notice. A $100K donation for a company that size that is selling $100 Colt mags to the uninformed and desperate doesn’t exactly inspire forgiveness.

  9. I don’t really care that they (temporarily) stopped selling EBRs in the wake of Newtown. CTD only started selling firearms a couple of years ago and honestly, there are other sources out there for guns that have better prices.

    My question, have they ever addressed the reports that they cancelled some back ordered products (notably ammo) as “unavailable” and then re-listed the same product at double the price? I’ve heard they did but I don’t know if anyone’s ever contacted them to ask whether that was a practice they engaged in.

    If they did, then they are dead to me (and I’ve been a CTD customore for over a decade.) Screwing over the very people who have made you wealthy, just because you can, is lower than low.

    • I blacklisted a supplier of magazine rebuild kits for just this reason — they cancelled my order placed minutes before they raised prices on their website.

      That’s a boycott that actually means something, IMHO, because there aren’t many suppliers of new magazine rebuild kits (aka disassembled magazines) which have any kind of products available. It’s not like I can just click over to the next entry on a plentiful list of rebuild-kit sellers who actually have inventory available.

      • I placed some high-cap pistol magazine orders with Midway right after Christmas with some cash from Santa. It took them nearly two months to ship them, but they didn’t cancel my order so that they could sell the mags at a higher price. Kudos to Midway USA!

  10. Cheaper Than Dirt should change their name to Higher’n a Cat’s @$$. I find their gestures to be lukewarm and underwhelming.

  11. “These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot like Lower Than Dirt can ES&D.”

    I think Thomas Paine said that.

  12. Do what you will but Cheaper Then Dirt is anything but cheap. I never buy from them anyway. You can always find it cheaper then dirt some where else.

  13. There is “nothing” CTD that they sell. $99 Colt Mags? Really?

    Sorry. They went to corporate lawyers when the heat hit. Read Potterfields letter to customers of Midway.

    They had Stoner 30rd. mags for $13.99 yesterday. Of course sold out in a few hours.

    CTD truly can pound sand. (and I hope they read TTAG.)

  14. I also received an e-mail from them urging me to spend my tax refund with them…just like I did from them last year as well.

  15. #1 son recently ordered a muzzle brake (without consulting his all knowing father) from CTD, which arrived today (sort of). It was shipped in an unpadded thin gray plastic mailer that arrived chewed open at one corner, no doubt due to being caught in the feed rollers of a mail processing machine. We got the plastic envelope, what was left of the invoice, and a catalog. NO MUZZLE BRAKE. I placed a call to CTD 3 hours ago and as of yet no response.

    No, I won’t file a claim with the Post Office, are you kidding me? YOU are the idiots who sent a 1″ steel tube in a package designed for a book. I’ll give them until tomorrow to contact me with a satisfactory resolution to this problem. Should satisfaction NOT be forthcoming, I will proceed to tell my story on blogs far and wide, small and large and in between.

    Stay tuned.

    • Just contact your c/c company. They will get your problem resolved or a refund. I’m in business. CC companies side with the consumer in “he said she said” situation.

    • To be fair I’ve never had any issues with CTD’s return/refund policy. The one time I got an inexpensive holster with a defective snap they simply mailed me a new holster and told me to keep the defective one as well (I guess it wasn’t worth it for them to return or restock a $20 holster.)

  16. Glen Beck was doing a personal ad for them on his radio show this morning, which don’t come cheap. Keep up the boycott, they are definitely feeling it.

  17. The problem with Lower-than-Dirt is that they already tainted their own reputation, and that leaves a bad after-taste in many gun owners. I’ve personally have not bought anything from them in the past, and most likely never will–unless they were the last resort (I doubt that). I would rather buy from a local gun shop and support my local economy than to buy from them.

    It will take a whole lot more than just donating to a 2A cause for them to get back in the consumer’s good graces.

  18. CTD’s true cowardly colors were revealed last year, and continue as they exploit the current hyper-demand market conditions. I don’t necessarily blame them for raising prices; if demand exceeds supply the market either has to raise prices, ration product, or a combination of both.

    However, their firearm and ammo prices are simply a rip off. My local, family-owned gun stores have had to raise their prices in accordance with demand, but not nearly to the degree as CTD, and I would assume that CTD has considerably more buying power and clout than my small, local gun shops. I won’t be purchasing anything from them in the near future, perhaps never.

  19. CTD SEEMS TO BE A SLOW LEARNER. THESE DOPES JUST CAN’T SEEM TO STOP DOING POOPIES IN THEIR OWN NEST. I GUESS GREED IS NUMBER ONE IN CTD’S WORLD!

    TOO BAD, AT ONE TIME I ENJOYED DOING BUSINESS WITH THEM.

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