Politics

Social coupon website Groupon no longer offering gun deals

Josh Peterson Tech Editor
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Groupon canceled a gun shop owner’s offer for a concealed handgun training course last week, prompting the owner to call for a boycott of the website, AOL Daily Finance reported Sunday.

Michael Cargill, owner of Austin’s Central Texas Gun Works, kicked off the Groupon deal last week Tuesday. The deal’s popularity initially prompted Groupon to offer to raise Cargill’s limit from 500 users to 1,500, until Groupon decided to prematurely cancel the offer on Friday. The deal was supposed to run through January 19.

“All scheduled and current gun-related deals featured on Groupon North America, including shooting ranges, conceal-and-carry and clay shooting, have been placed on hiatus while we review internal standards that shape the deal inventory we feature,” said Groupon in a statement to AOL Daily Finance.

“The category is under review following recent consumer and merchant feedback,” they said.

NBC Chicago reported that Groupon’s stock was below $5 on Monday.

Whatever Groupon’s reasoning, Cargill — who has retained a lawyer and is evaluating his legal options — is now on a mission against the company. He is both honoring Groupons purchased prior to the cancellation and offering his course at a discounted rate “until further notice.”

He is also calling for a boycott of the site.

“I’m asking everyone in the Second Amendment community to boycott Groupon, because the message they’re sending is, ‘Look, we do not want to support law-abiding citizens taking time out of their schedule to learn the safety surrounding firearms,’ ” Cargill told AOL Daily Finance.

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Josh Peterson