Elwoodtrix, Exactly my point! Yes the catalog was designed and paid for months ago, but they should have done some damage control and cancelled it, and ate the cost. They could have paid for it with the overcharge money.
Doesn't make them in the wrong. However it can indicate that you are easily offended and hold grudges.
I'm not missing the point. The money for printing (and, almost certainly, mailing) the catalog is already spent, so if they just throw the catalogs in the shredder, they get no return on that investment. If, however, they ship them, and one person buys something, they've just gotten at least some return on their investment. Given the way catalog sales usually work, it probably doesn't take many sales at all for them to show a profit, and the number of people who will actually be driven away is likely to be small, even among the ranks of people who are vociferously stating that they will never do business with them again.
It's just human nature; in a few months, someone is going to see that CTD catalog on a coffee table and say, hey, I need some stuff, and I've heard of them, and hey, don't they sponsor my favorite show on the Outdoor Channel? Even if they'd heard someone call CTD a bunch of slimeballs around now, they're much more likely to remember the name than the bad rep--there's a reason PR flacks have that adage "there's no such thing as bad publicity."
And it's not like CTD only sells ammo, firearms, and accessories that are affected by the current madness, so even now people are buying items in that catalog and getting the advertised deal. Heck, even if they're calling in to order something that is affected, most people are reasonable enough that they'll go with it if the phone rep gives a polite, reasonable explanation as to why they can't honor the deal in the catalog.
They got me when I saw the shotguns for sale on the cover of the catalog then logged onto the website where all the guns have been removed and if you follow an outside link to a gun for sale on their site it says "Cheaper Than Dirt does not sell firearms" in red letters next to the picture. Awesome, guess they aren't sure what they sell and for how much. Frankly I'm tired of CTD's crap and have started buying through other sources. The only benefit I got from CTD was the fast shipping, their prices were no cheaper than anyone else.
I won't. There is nothing they offer that I can't find elsewhere.
In the end they are a business and they would lose far more money by selling their inventory below market prices than they will by losing a few customers who get their feelings hurt because they raised prices when demand was high and supply was low.
ya you are... this catalog is 2 days old
The date on the catalog may be two days ago, but it almost certainly went to press several months ago, and it's also highly likely that they hired a mailing service to send it. Unless they sent it first class, it more than likely went out in early December, possibly before any of this madness began.
Haven't bought from them since the last time they did this (Obama's 1st election).
When you tell people "F*** Y**", don't be surprised when they return the favor...
When you tell people "F*** Y**", don't be surprised when they return the favor...
Simply put, I prefer to deal with companies that have better values and morals. Take SKD Tactical for example. They know they can't price their Gen-3 P-Mags for $14.95 and stay in business long under these circumstances. So they charge $39.20 (still WAY less than CTD) and donate the difference from our normal price to either the National Rifle Association or the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
Given the choice, why would I line CTD's pockets when there are FAR more reputable companies I could deal with??? This isn't about market economics, it's about right and wrong. I happen to have a long memory when it comes to things like that!
Given the choice, why would I line CTD's pockets when there are FAR more reputable companies I could deal with??? This isn't about market economics, it's about right and wrong. I happen to have a long memory when it comes to things like that!
