Time for a Glock Boycott?

[robertbank]

As many of you know we up here in the Great White North pay premium prices for our firearms. Questar International is a Canadian Import/Export Company that provides a service to Canadian shooters by completing for a fee all the paper work required for Canadians to Import firearms from the US to Canada. As a results Questar also imports firearms for resale to Canadian shooters at very competitive pricing.

Glock Inc. has responded by this by cancelling Questar as a sales agent for Glock pistols and threatening US sellers if they sell to Questar. Go here for details:


http://questar.ca/Glock_vs_Questar.htm

The only way we up here are going to keep our rights to own handguns and firearms is to expand our sport and one way to do this is to keep the cost of entry as low as possible. Price fixing by Glock hardly supports this endeavor.

Consider the above when next purchasing a striker fired pistol. I did, I bought the S&W M&P! Made in the US by our friends in the U.S.

Take Care

Bob

 

[MASTEROFMALICE]

Instead of breaking Glock's chops about it, how about getting your fellow countrymen together and get your rights restored.

 

[strat81]

Instead of breaking Glock's chops about it, how about getting your fellow countrymen together and get your rights restored.

Probably because changing Glock's mind is easier than changing the minds of an entire country.

While Glock has the right to choose how they sell and to whom they sell, they're digging their own grave if they think that fewer sales are a good idea. Only very few companies can make money with "less is more" (Ferrari comes to mind), and Glock isn't one of them.

ETA: I do own a Glock and am very happy with it. I also own stock in S&W.

 

[robertbank]

You can't restore what we never had. There is no "2nd amendment" in our constitution. Firearm legislation controls what "rights" we have. The more folks participating in our shooting sports the less likely we will see more anti-gun legislation passed and the more likely what we have will get changed.

Any company that gets involved in price fixing ought to have their balls broken and this is as good an example as any.

strat81 - Bang on. We are slowly winning the battle with the anti-gun crowd up here. It takes many blows to fell an ox but the Ox will fall!

Take Care

Bob

 

[MASTEROFMALICE]

The Second Amendment does not grant us a right. It only states a right we all have.

If it needs to be put into writing for the Canadians to recognize it then so be it. I'm not trying to come down on you or defend what Glock is doing but you should have one single priority, and you should focus every bit of effort into that priority first.

 

[robertbank]

With respect, the sun will run out of fuel before you see our Constitution being amended, least of all to add gun rights to the document.

The formula for doing so would drive a blind man to drink. Think of what it would take to amend yours then add to the difficulty by a factor of 2.

Much easier to amend the laws we have and much work is in process to get that done.

Take Care

Bob

 

[mpmarty]

You don't win a war by attacking yourself. Canadians lack the 2nd amendment as we enjoy it. If you think their government, or any government is going to recognize what some here consider god given rights you are very mistaken. You only have two types of rights the first is what is outlined in the constitution and the second is the right to whatever you are strong and dedicated enough to take and hold. The first right is very much dependent on the second.

Glock needs its hand slapped, hard. If they were so sure of their "perfection" they wouldn't need to try to control what their guns sell for. If these plastic marvels were so much better than the rest of the bunch the market would dictate a higher price without the gouging and conniving by Glock. I personally will never pay what Glocks sell for around here as they just aren't worth it. They are cheaply made and way overpriced.

 

[3 gun]

Just one more reason not to buy a Glock. Rather than encourage people into buying Glocks (who doesn't want YOUR money) by lowing the fees for a Glock try lowing the fee on S&W or SA pistol. Then send a list of "lost sales" to Glock. Nothing speaks to bean counters more than lost beans. Bottom line is I try and avoid ANY company that uses "agreements" to force sellers into price fixing.

 

[Jim E]

Looks to me that Questar violated an agreement they entered into with Glock Inc. Why blame Glock? Am I missing something?

 

[CountGlockula]

Glock, Inc. sent a notice addressed to all Glock Commercial Distributors requesting them to refuse new orders and to cancel all existing orders from Questar International of Port Huron, Michigan. Though Questar International is acknowledged by Glock, Inc. to be a legally licensed Federal Firearms Dealer, we were "accused" of exporting to Canada Glock pistols sold in the United States and for that reason all Commercial Glock Dealers were instructed to stop selling Glock products to Questar or else be in violation of their Commercial Distributor Agreement.

Interesting.

 

[robertbank]

JimE

I think you should read the Questar thread again.

Take Care

Bob

 

[RM]

It's absurd to blame robertbank for the politcal decisions made by millions of Canadians. People frequently tell others to "get off their butts," and have "good" excuses for their own failures.

 

[Blarelli]

I've been boycotting Glock for years

 

[Hunter0924]

Count me in Bob. I have never even considered buying a Glock and I reckon I will stay the path.

 

[bl4ckd0g]

Sounds more like "poaching" or territory infringement. Some manufacturers have penalty clauses if their resellers or distributors sell beyond their agreed-upon boundaries. It should protect the parent company from legal disputes between the third party resellers.

I'll still boycott Glock firearms, though their rail light is on my house gun.

 

[robertbank]

bl4ckd0g

Questar is a retailer in Canada where there are no "territories". Glock got upset when Questar started buying Glock guns in the US cheaper than what Glock was selling their pistols to Canadian distributers for resale to Canadian consumers. With our dollar at par Glocks retail here for over $700. Glocks way of sticking it to Canadian shooters.

Questar comes along and starts selling Glocks for less and closer to what they sell for in the US and you can see what Glock's reaction is.

It is called "price Fixing" and I hope your Feds get wind of it.

Take Care

Bob

 

[Youngster]

Instead of breaking Glock's chops about it, how about getting your fellow countrymen together and get your rights restored.

They never really had the rights to begin with, Canada is more of a kingdom than a representative democracy.

 

[jahwarrior]

the only glock i'd ever buy is a used one.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Price fixing by Glock hardly supports this endeavor.

If this was bona fide price fixing, Glock would be in trouble in both Canada and the US, but this does not appear to be actual price fixing. Glock is not working in tandem with any other competitor to fix a market price. If you think it is actually price fixing, then you don't need to be asking for a boycott, but pursuing the matter through the Canadian and US governments. Surely if this was the case, Questar would have already done so as well.

Looks to me that Questar violated an agreement they entered into with Glock Inc. Why blame Glock? Am I missing something?

JimE
I think you should read the Questar thread again.

Well Robert, JimE made an observation and asked for help in understanding and the best you had to offer was to say you think he should reread the Questar thread again. For a person who is trying to drum up support for a cause, your lack of help in explaining the matter to JimE is rather off-putting.

Based on the Questar thread and the letter from Glock, JimE has a good point. I noticed that Questar is not refuting the claim by Glock that Questar violated its Glock Distributor agreement with Glock.

It sounds like Questar entered into the agreement with Glock, violated the agreement and Glock gave them some time to comply (hence the delay between canceling sales to Questar from Glock before canceling Questar's Glock distriubtor status) and Questar failed to comply. In the mean time, Questar has gone about trying to find other US sources and Glock is reminding its distributors of their agreement with Glock.

bl4ckd0g may have it right. Glock appears to be protecting against territory poaching. Restrictions on distribution areas are not illegal and are not price fixing. Keep in mind that the companies entered into their agreement with Glock voluntarily and agreed to the conditions of their contracts when they did so.

 

[NoScreenName]

They never really had the rights to begin with, Canada is more of a kingdom than a representative democracy.

That's the problem right there...

why not demand democracy? Start a movement... battle the issue on both fronts...??? Two is one and one is none...



With that said... I'll boycott Glock... NP... I've always been afraid to get one anyways... the little fookers seem to multiply like crazy... like tribbles.


Just don't ask me to boycott SigArms... aint gonna happen.

 

[Old Fuff]

When any manufacturer, distributor, dealer or whoever does something that doesn't work in my interest, I buy from someone else. It appears that Smith & Wesson as well as others will get the business that was going to Glock. That's the way things sould be. Eventually Glock may learn that a discounted sale is better then no sale at all.

Perhaps Questar Int'l. should look into exporting Springfield Arsenal's XD line of pistols, if they have not done so already.

 

[redneckrepairs]

Well heck i have boycotted glocks for years in my personal collection , not tho because of any politics tho , simply because i just cant warm up to them .

 

[robertbank]

Youngster

"They never really had the rights to begin with, Canada is more of a kingdom than a representative democracy."

Canada is a Democracy in every respect, our "Rights" are set out in our Charter of Rights & Freedoms. Ths has nothing to do with how we elect our government but rather how a company is attempting to set prices within a market. And as Double Naught Spy correctly pints out the efforts are not true price fixing in the legal sense of the words.

I do apologise to JimE for my response if it was taken as off putting. Questar subsidiary in the U.S. was a Glock dealer as was the parent in Canada. The U.S. sub was able to buy Glock pistols from Glock, arrange for their legal export/import into Canada and have them sell, with a profit cheaper than the parent could buy from Glock's distributer in Canada. Why, because Glock was setting the price higher to their distributer than they were to their US distributers. The result of which Canadian firearm consumers were being charged over $200 more for the pistols than they retailed for in the U.S.

In order to continue to gouge Canadian shooters Glock responded by pulling both the parent's and subsidiaries rights to sell Glock pistols as a licensed Glock dealer.

This has nothing to do about how we elect our governments, we are a Consitutional Monarchy as opposed to a Republic. We have as much to say about how our governments act as you folks do. On an individual basis I suggest that doesn't amount to much other than every four years or so we get to vote and throw the rascals out of we choose.

As an importer Questar does import any product that is legally allowed to be owned in Canada. With our dollar being at par at present we are seeing some reduction in retail prices on American made goods, including firearms but there is still a gap. As an expiditer Questar charges a fee to do the import/export paper work involved for the export/import of firearms from the US. Paperwork that can be onerouos in the extreme due to regulations on both sides of the border.

Take Care

Bob
ps Personally I think the S&W M&P is a better gun anyway!

 

[brighamr]

anyone who will sell to the US for one price and Canada for $200 more per pistol deserves to lose some profit.


Just an example:
If Remington were to sell 1000 rounds for $200 in china, and 1000 rounds for $400 in taiwan, I would certainly hope taiwan would boycott Remington. That's just plain unfair.


to the OP: i completely agree with what you're doing. i think having members of your shooting clubs write to glock and convey their thoughts would also help. (Maybe even with a picture of the new S&W they just bought )

good luck!

 

[Scorpiusdeus]

Regardless of my feelings about Glock or this topic, it's sad to see so many here crapping on our Canadian brothers because their government doesn't trust them to have this freedom we enjoy... for now. Our laws in the US have only gotten worse, rarely better with regard to firearms ownership. No need to rub salt in their wounds, they know how bad they have it.