Texas AG going after CTD

[Chucktshoes]

 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused the Fort Worth-based website Cheaper Than Dirt, which primarily sells firearms, ammunition and hunting gear, of price gouging at the start of the pandemic.

The AG's office identified over 4,000 sales that involved price gouging and has directed Cheaper Than Dirt to pay $402,786 in refunds to consumers, according to court documents filed this month. 

Over 100 people have complained to the AG's office about Cheaper Than Dirt, the Houston Chronicle reported earlier this year. 

The same week that Gov. Greg Abbott made a pandemic-related disaster declaration in Texas, ammunition orders to Cheaper Than Dirt substantially increased. In response to the increased demand for its products, the website raised the prices on hundreds of its products, according to the AG's office. 

 

 

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2020/12/16/gun-website-price-gouging-pandemic/3932523001/

[AuEagle]

Bad precedent.

CTD can sell whatever they want at whatever price they choose.  They're not price gouging on necessities such as gas, food, bottled water, etc...

Don't like the prices, don't buy from them. Making the .g0v the "gouging police" on these type purchases is bad.

[Erik88]

7 minutes ago, AuEagle said:

Bad precedent

Agreed. I would prefer consumers punish CTD rather than government. I do my part by never, ever, shopping with them .

[JunkiCosmonaut]

I look at it like this. CTD always has ammunition, and if one was desperate enough to pay.... say 2.00$ a round for 9mm then they are guaranteed to get some from CTD. Ill never buy anything from them but they don't force me to do so, so its cool.  

[Chucktshoes]

26 minutes ago, AuEagle said:

Bad precedent.

CTD can sell whatever they want at whatever price they choose.  They're not price gouging on necessities such as gas, food, bottled water, etc...

Don't like the prices, don't buy from them. Making the .g0v the "gouging police" on these type purchases is bad.

Texas AG lists ammunition amongst the other items on the necessities list. The precedent was set prior to this by regulating those other items you listed. If the government can regulate price gouging on anything, it can regulate it on all things. 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Chucktshoes

[AuEagle]

4 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

Texas AG lists ammunition amongst the other items on the necessities list. The precedent was set prior to this by regulating those other items you listed. If the government can regulate price gouging on anything, it can regulate it on all things. 

Got a link for that? 

[Chucktshoes]

It’s in the complete story linked. -
 

The Texas AG's office has identified ammunition as a necessity and, as a result, is arguing that those price hikes were against the Texas Business and Commerce Code. The code forbids businesses from "taking advantage of a disaster" by selling "fuel, food, medicine, lodging, building materials, construction tools or another necessity at an exorbitant or excessive price."

Edited December 18, 2020 by Chucktshoes

[DaveTN]

Can’t do it with gas, can’t do it with water….

[Grayfox54]

We've all known about CTD and their price gouging for years. Its the newbies that get taken. I completely agree that we, the consumers, should be the ones to punish them. 

However, the article says the Texas AGs office got over 100 complaints. They have to at least check it out. The article also states that prices on the shopping page were different from what was actually listed at checkout.  CTD is guilty and the state called them on it. While I'm sure there were political considerations,  the Texas AG office  just did their job. 

[AuEagle]

33 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

It’s in the complete story linked. -
 

The Texas AG's office has identified ammunition as a necessity and, as a result, is arguing that those price hikes were against the Texas Business and Commerce Code. The code forbids businesses from "taking advantage of a disaster" by selling "fuel, food, medicine, lodging, building materials, construction tools or another necessity at an exorbitant or excessive price."

I see the newspaper account but can't find anything from the .g0v ag office making the declaration.

[MacGyver]

It seems what's getting the most traction is them cancelling orders and then relisting it at a higher price.

Interestingly, what could have ramifications up the line in other cases is Texas classifying guns and ammo as essential items.

[AuEagle]

8 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

It seems what's getting the most traction is them cancelling orders and then relisting it at a higher price.

Interestingly, what could have ramifications up the line in other cases is Texas classifying guns and ammo as essential items.

This practice I can see the ag getting involved, false advertising etc... 

 

[Dirtshooter]

2 hours ago, MacGyver said:

Interestingly, what could have ramifications up the line in other cases is Texas classifying guns and ammo as essential items.

And he was right, they are essential items in order for the Patriots to fight against tyranny in their government!!!

[Daniel]

5 hours ago, Erik88 said:

Agreed. I would prefer consumers punish CTD rather than government. I do my part by never, ever, shopping with them .

We tried that like 12 years ago didn’t we?

[MacGyver]

15 minutes ago, Daniel said:

We tried that like 12 years ago didn’t we?

Yeah, this is one of those cases where government reticence actually hasn't served us well - and I don't know that most of us have the visibility most times to even recognize it.

We haven't sent any corporate executives of note to prison since the Enron/WorldCom/Tyco/Global Crossing days of the early 2000's. 

There are probably a lot of factors that influence it - but the future political ambitions of a lot of AGs have translated into we're not even willing to try cases that we don't know for certain we'll win. That means a lot of things are going unpunished that shouldn't.

For as "law and order" as a lot of the right is these days - this should be a bigger deal.  Wage theft is almost as big a source of theft as all other thefts combined. That's corporations stealing from workers.

Asset forfeiture - that's the government stealing from people - is bigger than all other sources combined.

This isn't necessarily the thread to talk about all of that - but we should be trying more cases like this.

[DaveTN]

3 hours ago, Dirtshooter said:

And he was right, they are essential items in order for the Patriots to fight against tyranny in their government!!!

You would need machine guns for that. Even Texas won't sell you those. 

[Chucktshoes]

8 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

You would need machine guns for that. Even Texas won't sell you those. 

True, but I’m gonna give this trigger a shot (pun intended) and see how I like it. 
 

https://www.rarebreedtriggers.com/

 

[MacGyver]

10 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

True, but I’m gonna give this trigger a shot (pun intended) and see how I like it. 
 

https://www.rarebreedtriggers.com/

 

While I recognize they're saying that this is technically a trigger pull and thus this qualifies as legal - I wouldn't want to test it.

Their "locking bar" functions like an auto-sear that has a machining burr on it and didn't pass QA.  A few thousandths off of that thing and you're into full rock and roll territory.

They've basically moved the "third hole" into the receiver and contain it within the mechanism.  It's like a drop in trigger and auto sear all in one. Since you need the full auto bolt carrier for it to function - I just don't see it passing muster.

 

[DaveTN]

13 minutes ago, Chucktshoes said:

True, but I’m gonna give this trigger a shot (pun intended) and see how I like it. 
 

https://www.rarebreedtriggers.com/

 

The attorney in that video is making the same argument that was used for a bump stock…one pull of the trigger…that dog won’t hunt.

He then goes on to tell us that he submitted it to TWO BATF agents….really?? That’s supposed to mean something? He also makes it very clear that this is his opinion.

But here’s the good news…. let us know where they send you and I’ll toss some money in your commissary account every once in awhile.

[MacGyver]

18 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

The attorney in that video is making the same argument that was used for a bump stock…one pull of the trigger…that dog won’t hunt.

He then goes on to tell us that he submitted it to TWO BATF agents….really?? That’s supposed to mean something? He also makes it very clear that this is his opinion.

But here’s the good news…. let us know where they send you and I’ll toss some money in your commissary account every once in awhile.

Speaking of dogs - if anyone of you decide to try one of these - I'd probably keep your dogs inside...

[Handsome Rob]

I feel the same way about this as i feel about BLM or KKK rallies. I disagree with the principals but I have to defend the right to hold those principles. 

I detest price gouging, but i'm a huge fan of the Free Market Economy & capitalism & I cannot see any criminal activity in CTDs actions. Immoral? Possibly. Unethical? Probably. Unconscionable choices? Absolutely.

Illegal? HELL no. This is just a case of capitalism working as it should. Don't like the price? Don't buy. Don't like CTD? Walk away, berate them online & complain. 

I hate them, i'll never deal with them, i'll never give them another penny, but at the same time, i do not for one second believe they've done a single thing that warrants litigation. 

[JunkiCosmonaut]

On 12/18/2020 at 11:48 AM, AuEagle said:

This practice I can see the ag getting involved, false advertising etc... 

 

Yeah, seems like a BBB complaint or a class action lawsuit against the company for these practices would be effective. By now anyone that shops with cheaper than diamonds is just asking to be spanked in my book. I can't see why they're even still in business at this point. I've seen companies go quicker for less. 

[Grayfox54]

4 hours ago, Handsome Rob said:

I cannot see any criminal activity in CTDs actions.

Its the old bait and switch. Tell the customer one price and then charge them much more. That is illegal. 

Then there's the question of cancelling existing orders just to raise the price on future orders to resell the same stock. If that ain't illegal, it sure aughta be. 

[A.J. Holst]

I haven't bought since the Obama administration, so no dog in this fight.

If bait n switch, hammer them.

If complaints from whiners because CTD is the only place with stock, leave them be.

[Quavodus]

I never even look at ads from CTD. Prices are way to high.