Support for Living Social and Groupon

[leadaddict]

I received this email from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence” today. (Yes, I subscribe to their emails. I like knowing what they’re up to.) I thought it was worth sending a supportive message to them and let them know that we appreciate such deals! The links are included in the message below. I sent each a short thank you for providing deals on firearms training courses. I thought some of you might be interested in doing the same.

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Groupon and LivingSocial Suddenly Trigger-Happy

By now, you might have noticed curious ads from two online businesses that offer daily discounts and deals: Groupon and LivingSocial. Specifically, I am talking about offers that seem to go directly against the notion of corporate responsibility by promoting a flippant attitude about carrying firearms in public.

One recent deal, from Groupon, offers discount pricing on a firearms training course that qualifies a person to obtain concealed handgun permits in Virginia, Utah, and Florida: three "Shall-Issue" states with some of the weakest screening/training regimes in the country. The ad even brags, "combined, these permits could allow reciprocity in up to 37 states." This Groupon is not about developing proficiency with firearms, but rather a "quickie" method to carry loaded, hidden handguns in neighborhoods across the country.

Another deal, from LivingSocial, also offers a concealed handgun training course and boasts, "Envious of how fictional characters like James Bond and Lara Croft are cool under fire and able to handle anything that comes up? You can become that way too, in real life, just by going to school—Badass School, that is." Apparently, to LivingSocial, being a "badass" with a gun is just one big, money-making joke. Law enforcement will tell you that carrying a firearm in public is no joking matter, however.

If you find these ads offensive and reckless, please contact Groupon and LivingSocial today to register your disapproval using the following email forms:

1) Contact Groupon
https://www.groupon.com/support

2) Contact LivingSocial
http://help.livingsocial.com/contact_us

We understand that Groupon and LivingSocial are in the business of making money, but in America, families and communities are devastated by gun violence every single day. Profiting by encouraging poorly-trained "James Bonds" to walk our streets with loaded handguns is a terrible idea that we need not tolerate.

Best regards,

Josh Horwitz
Executive Director
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[hso]

I sent this to the contacts.

An activist group, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (formerly the Brady Campaign), has sent out an email encouraging people to flood Groupon with complaints about discount offers from companies providing training for legal firearms carry permits. Such and effort to influence Groupon is wrong headed since your clients are providing services to help qualified people meet the legal requirements on who may carry instead of promoting anything illegal. Even more contradictory is that organizations like CTSGV insist restrictions and requirements have to be in place that regulates who has the right to carry a firearm while they are encouraging people to attack Groupon for allowing companies to promote this very thing!

Please understand that far more people are applying for carry permits and using the companies advertising with Groupon than ever before and the tactics by CTSGV to bully you are from a shrinking radical group.

If anyone has an account with any of the Groupon/Living Social/Deal Chicken/etc. organizations please send something similar to help blunt the effect from the people who complain about legals services being offered to help law abiding citizens comply with the restrictions already in place.

 

[k_dawg]

More like "Coalition To Enable Criminals to Prey on Lawful Citizens".

 

[hso]

I received this response today (that was quick) -

Thank you very much for your feedback. We never intend to upset our subscribers, and we genuinely appreciate your thoughts. I'll make sure that your opinion is communicated to the appropriate channels.

The deals featured on Groupon are largely shaped by our subscribers' tastes and requests. We regularly survey consumers and test new types of features across the country, and we encourage local residents to let us know what they think. Similarly, what works in one city may not be embraced in another, and we try to take in local sentiment as much as possible when selecting each region's local deals.

Again, we greatly appreciate your feedback!

Regards,

Andi W
Groupon Customer Support

 

[Shadow 7D]

generic auto response

 

[hso]

I disagree.
I'm impressed they responded promptly.
I'm also encouraged by the fact they didn't take the anti position and that the tone is neutral with emphasis on market driven and local forces deciding on what works.

 

[paramedic70002]

I caught their email today and already sent my thoughts in as well as farmed it out to a couple other forums.

 

[230RN]

Thank you very much for your feedback. We never intend to upset our subscribers, and we genuinely appreciate your thoughts. I'll make sure that your opinion is communicated to the appropriate channels.

Standard deferral to someone else's authority. Meaning the round file.

The other form, Form B, reads,

Thank you very much for your feedback. We are always happy to please our subscribers, and we genuinely appreciate your thoughts. I'll make sure that your opinion is communicated to the appropriate channels.

I disagree.
I'm impressed they responded promptly.

Sure, they print them up en masse and zip 'em right out. Form Letter A or Form Letter B.

generic auto response

Right. Reminds me of the story of the guy who writes to the hotel he stayed at complaining of the cockroaches in his room.

Pleased that he got such a quick response, he opens the letter they sent him apologizing for it, expressing shock and saying they have investigated the situation, cured the problem, we try to maintain the cleanest, highest standards, we assure you that it cannot happen again, blah, blah blah.

Stuck to the letter is a sticky note which reads,

Carol, send this guy the bug letter. --jb

A somewhat cynical, Terry, 230RN

 

[Centurian22]

HSO, well written, thank you for expressing thoughts similar to my own. How un-characteristic of such main stream services to embrace encourage promote and make available such important training. I will say their choice of words and 'joking' tone could be improved to a more serious and professional presentation but that by far does not out-weigh the benefits of what they are offering.

 

[jawman]

So what if it is a generic auto-response? Is contacting them going to hurt? Nope. Is it going to help? It sure could. And that's enough for me.

 

[230RN]

So what if it is a generic auto-response? Is contacting them going to hurt? Nope. Is it going to help? It sure could. And that's enough for me.

Oh, I agree with you 100%. As the saying goes, "They can't read, but they can count."

It's just that I had a friend whose brother had a sister-in-law whose cousin's father's brother's girl friend ( ! ) worked at a Congressman's local office. According to the way the story got to me, when the stack of letters regarding a controversial subject got "so high," she'd sit down and count the "votes" on one side of the issue versus the other side. Then she'd send out the appropriate "Form A" or "Form B" response letter.

The "response time" was excellent if your letter happened to be on the top of the stack.

That "plucking" sound you hear is my tongue being withdrawn from my cheek. More silent is my left eyebrow being raised as the plucking occurred.

Terry, 230RN