Cheaper Than Dirt- I'm boycotting them

[BajaJames83]

SCTD

[call-in]

Originally Posted by myk

So......businesses should conduct themselves based on someone's approval or opinion of their practices? Hmm..that don't sound very American to me.

Businesses should conduct themselves based on customer's approval or opinion, IF they want to keep their customers.

Gouge your customers, your customers stop patronizing you, the system works.

[tenpercentfirearms]

Originally Posted by call-in

Businesses should conduct themselves based on customer's approval or opinion, IF they want to keep their customers.

Gouge your customers, your customers stop patronizing you, the system works.

If I conducted myself on customer approval or opinion, then I would sell everything for less. No thanks.

I base my decisions on profit. That is how the free market works. I do what is best for me.

However, on the flip side the consumer will do the same thing. They will try and find the best deal. Where we meet in the middle is what sets the price.

As it stands right now, there is a whole new class of customer that is willing to pay a premium price on an item in high demand and low supply. That customer is happy to get what they can get when they get it. Why wouldn't I cater to that customer and raise my prices? So I can keep a customer who pays me low prices who won't be buying anything from me because there is nothing in stock?

A smart gun shop will get whatever they can right now. Then when the demand dies, they will lower their prices. This is where advertising comes in handy. If people think your prices are too high, run an ad on something that is decently priced or even low priced and get customers back in the door. If a customer says, "Screw that, I remember when they were gougers and I will pay more rather than step foot in their doors", it is your money. However, I am not quite sure how that makes you any different than a guy willing to pay more now.

But hey, what do I know? I just an economics teacher and a gun shop owner.

[call-in]

Originally Posted by tenpercentfirearms

A smart gun shop will get whatever they can right now.

Thanks for being upfront about gouging your customers. I guess someday your business will be larger than Midway USA because they are not as smart as you. But just in case that doesn't happen maybe you can take a page out of their book. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=710069

[1911RONIN]

Everyone loves a free market until the market doesn't love them back...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[tenpercentfirearms]

Originally Posted by call-in

Thanks for being upfront about gouging your customers. I guess someday your business will be larger than Midway USA because they are not as smart as you. But just in case that doesn't happen maybe you can take a page out of their book. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=710069

Call up Midway USA and have them send you a gun. Any gun will do. Just ask them to ship it to your door.

[mediajunkie]

Well first time posting here. I wanted to say that id never buy from CTD. Cant understand why just now people are realizing this?? They charge for handling and the shipping is way outragous. And for all those saying supply and demand...walmart and big 5 have not raised their prices 1 penny. Yesterday bought a box of 20 .223 for only $12.99. Even before this drama they where never the cheap ammo, just a cheap name!!!

[call-in]

Originally Posted by tenpercentfirearms

Call up Midway USA and have them send you a gun. Any gun will do. Just ask them to ship it to your door.

They probably won't but I doubt you would also.

[tenpercentfirearms]

Originally Posted by call-in

They probably won't but I doubt you would also.

As I suspected, right over your head. Anyone else know what the difference is between Midway USA and a retail gun store? Or should be they be run the same? I could probably learn a lot from Apple since they make more money than me too. I am sure their iPad sales structure works the same for retail firearms. Man, why didn't I think of this sooner?

[call-in]

Originally Posted by tenpercentfirearms

As I suspected, right over your head. Anyone else know what the difference is between Midway USA and a retail gun store? Or should be they be run the same? I could probably learn a lot from Apple since they make more money than me too. I am sure their iPad sales structure works the same for retail firearms. Man, why didn't I think of this sooner?

Or 7-11, I know they have customers but I doubt many are loyal.

[Daryl Dixon]

I agree with the whole supply and demand stance. That being said, I am not participating in huge amounts of panic buying (just buying what I can for normal prices when I can find it as usual). What I AM doing, is paying attention to who is taking care of its customers in these crazy times (DSG Arms comes to mind) and will definitely be spending my dollars there when all this dies down.

[Daryl Dixon]

PS Their(CTD) name never made sense to me before this panic anyways.

[call-in]

Put simply, given the choice between retailers that would "get what they can" regardless of how small the cost to them and another who price their merchandise based on how much they'll be able to replace the item with, I would choose to support the latter.

[Nate]

Originally Posted by tenpercentfirearms

If I conducted myself on customer approval or opinion, then I would sell everything for less. No thanks.

I base my decisions on profit. That is how the free market works. I do what is best for me.

However, on the flip side the consumer will do the same thing. They will try and find the best deal. Where we meet in the middle is what sets the price.

As it stands right now, there is a whole new class of customer that is willing to pay a premium price on an item in high demand and low supply. That customer is happy to get what they can get when they get it. Why wouldn't I cater to that customer and raise my prices? So I can keep a customer who pays me low prices who won't be buying anything from me because there is nothing in stock?

A smart gun shop will get whatever they can right now. Then when the demand dies, they will lower their prices. This is where advertising comes in handy. If people think your prices are too high, run an ad on something that is decently priced or even low priced and get customers back in the door. If a customer says, "Screw that, I remember when they were gougers and I will pay more rather than step foot in their doors", it is your money. However, I am not quite sure how that makes you any different than a guy willing to pay more now.

But hey, what do I know? I just an economics teacher and a gun shop owner.

I agree with you to a point. You have to put food on your table.

The flip side is inflated prices, and trying to support local brick and mortar shops that uses the supply and demand excuse will lose customers. They lost me years ago even in a good market, and I have not been back.

There are plenty of online vendors that will sell to Ca, and local FFL's that will do the transfers that still make the total cost cheaper than buying from an LGS, including SSE.

By the way, CTD is full of BS and I have never purchased anything from them.

[tenpercentfirearms]

Originally Posted by Nate

The flip side is inflated prices, and trying to support local brick and mortar shops that uses the supply and demand excuse will lose customers. They lost me years ago even in a good market, and I have not been back.

I think this sums it up well. There are people that shop at retail stores and there are people that don't. The Calguns crowd by and large is more educated and will spend time looking for the best deals. However, Calguns is not that large compared to the state as a whole and as gun dealers as a whole.

You still have huge amounts of gun owners and buyers that only know their local shop and buy what they can when they can. Some people don't care about price at all.

And that is why you still have gun shops in operation even despite this Internet presense. Think of the worst gun shops you know. Why are they still in business? There will always be people that go buy guns for full price and then some.

So in these times, when demand is so high, it is foolish for the retail store to continue to make low profit when you cannot restock to keep the money flowing. My customer base is loyal and does understand economics. They know if I can sell it to someone else for a whole lot of money, that is good. I will still be in operation when the bubble pops and prices come down as supply rises. That will be the time to buy. Not now.

So good luck with your Cheaper than Dirt boycott. My business partner even buys from them and he has access to wholesale warehouses! Some people have more money than time and you have to admit, their name is brilliant. Even when they are not, you still might think they are cheaper than dirt.

[Nate]

Originally Posted by tenpercentfirearms

Some people don't care about price at all.

I wish that were me. However, if I had that much money, and didn't care about prices, I think I would still be a cheap *****!

[tenpercentfirearms]

Originally Posted by Nate

I wish that were me. However, if I had that much money, and didn't care about prices, I think I would still be a cheap *****!

At some point your life, you realize time is worth more than money. You could spend hours searching for the best deals or you could spend 5 minutes and spend the rest of the time doing something important like spending it with your family, actually going out and shooting guns, or reloading ammunition.

[wikidklown]

If you think the price is too much, you don't need it because if you desperately need anything, you wouldn't care about the price.
As for MidwayUSA (and Brownells), I have been a loyal customer since day 1 of my addiction to the sport. I browse their site before any other site and yes I have bought from other sites and local gun stores even though their price were slightly or a lot higher. It's because I need the part or want the firearm.
CTD is a different story, just like Sporstman's, CDDN, and a few more that will not sell even a simple buttstock. Those places I refuse to browse period.

My 2cents

[repubconserv]

Should be pretty easy to boycott CTD as they wont sell just about anything to CA anyways

[Nate]

Originally Posted by tenpercentfirearms

At some point your life, you realize time is worth more than money. You could spend hours searching for the best deals or you could spend 5 minutes and spend the rest of the time doing something important like spending it with your family, actually going out and shooting guns, or reloading ammunition.

I'm no young buck believe me, and my time with my family and friends is all that matters. This is just one of my hobbies, so spending the extra time to save money is worth it. In most cases, I save money, and do it without having to deal with all the people in the stores(unless its a transfer or firearm purchase), and some of the FUD created by less than knowledgable LGS employees.

Surfing the web is cheaper and faster than going to my LGS.