Have you ever seen a deal where you buy a car and get something free? Is a free lunch or tickets to an event enough to make you want to run down and buy a car?
A Ford dealership in Alabama used that classic marketing technique this week, but instead of a free hotdog or free movie tickets, they were offering a free shotgun. But once corporate America got involved, the promotion was terminated.
Chatom Ford, of Chatom, Alabama, was offering a free bible, 12 gauge shotgun, and an American flag with the purchase of any new or used car or truck. Here’s the listing from their Facebook page (which has since been removed).
GOD, GUNS, AND FREEDOM
CELEBRATING JULY 4th FROM NOW UNTIL JULY 31 HERE AT CHATOM FORD!!! EVERY VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW OR PREOWNED WILL COME WITH A BIBLE, 12 GAUGE SHOT GUN, AND AMERICAN FLAG!! THIS IS A SMALL GIFT TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS AND A OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE ….. DONT MISS OUT ON THE GREAT DEALS AND GIFTS WAITING ON YOU HERE!!!! CALL, CLICK, OR TEXT FOR MORE DETAILS!!! #chatomford
must be 18 or older, have valid id, can legally purchase a vehicle, and pass all checks associated with owning a fire arm in state of residency”
Chatom Ford Facebook page, (sic)
In the first three days, Chatom Ford reports selling five vehicles based on this promotion, and many more calls and lots of interest.
Customers buying a car could leave the lot with the car, the Bible, and the flag, but they had to take a certificate to a specific local firearms dealer to obtain the shotgun after the typical background check process.
Unfortunately (though unsurprisingly), Ford Motor Company asked Chatom to end the promotion and remove the ads. The promotion was expected to run for 5 weeks but was cut short after just three days. Apparently, the gun giveaway didn’t sit well with them. Ford didn’t comment on the reasons, however.
Chatom Ford has switched to giving away a $200 gift certificate instead of the shotgun — which customers can then use to buy a shotgun on their own.
It seems that if there was a place in the country where a dealer could pull this off, Alabama would be it. Even though customers had to go to a licensed firearm dealer and go through the federally mandated procedure to buy a firearm, Ford Motor Company still wouldn’t let the local dealer run with this promotion. It’s unknown whether Ford Motor Company compensated Chatom Ford for revenues lost.
How about you? Would the offer of a ‘free’ shotgun be enough to entice you to buy a vehicle?
I am totally Ford and have been whole life but this makes me want to go for a Jap car now
I have been and always will be a Ford guy. It however makes me furious about how Ford executives full bore try to ruin this fine company. But the fact remains that I would rather own Ford than the sellout, bailed out, Obama “too big to fail”, screw the stock holder for the top exec’s bonus, of Chevy and Chrysler. Besides I have always bought my own Bibles and firearms, I don’t need free-bees.
In Contrast, Jeep has had many ‘special editions’ such as “Oscar Mike” and “Call of Duty, Modern Warfare” in their lineup. I guess they understand their place in the history and pride of our Country.
Hmm, don’t you mean good business PERSONS? 🙂
Actually no, that isn’t true. All Dealers sign a Contract, and that contract may be very specific in it’s allowance of how the Dealer portrays Ford and it’s products, since after all, the Ford product has name recognition.
So the Dealer may have had no choice, it may have had to do with Contractual obligations.
Time to buy a Chevy
I HAVE OWNED A GREAT MANY 1 TON AND 3/4 TON fORD TRUCKS. As of this day, I will not now or ever buy another Ford anything. It will have to be Dodge Chevrolet or Gm. I hope Ford goes out of business. IF YOU ARE NOT FOR AMERICA, THEN GET OUT!
I am a retired Ford worker and damn proud of it! When you print this shit you hurt every one of us and I ‘m sure I’m not the only one that used to read your column! Anyone that would go buy a Toyota because of this must not know anyone who fought in the Pacific during WWII.
My Dad fought in the Pacific and I fought in Vietnam. So what? Ford made a stupid ass move with the dealer in Alabama. Deal with it.
Yup!
David, no one questions your patriotism or serving our country in WWII (if that’s what you did). However, your post about WWII has nothing relevant to this story. Also, printing this story doesn’t hurt you retired Ford workers one bit. And to set things straight, Ford Corp. is the one that hurts themselves for doing this kind of shenanigans.
Far as I know, once the dealer purchases the car from the manufacturer for sale, there’s nothing the manufacturer can do. The dealer could’ve told Ford to go pound sand. Whatever moron or morons at Ford that made this call obviously want their company to lose $$$$. Just read all the comments on this article alone Ford!! Once word gets out, you’ll be losing a lot more $$$$
This is not a surprise. Ford Motor Co. is run by one of the most liberal of liberals Bill Ford Jr. You should know that if you purchase a Ford truck that you are monetarily supporting the LGBT&Q, abortion and the election of the most leftist of the left.
Ford needs to keep its nose out of this promo, my Ford might have to do a quick change to another brand!
I hate to be a spoil sport but the guy in Morgan Hill at the Ford Store ( name of the dealership) used a revolver and had a semi as backup. No shottie, if you’re going to blame something get the facts right.
As a Ford stockholder I want to register a complaint. When I bought Ford shares I wanted the company to build vehicles, sell vehicles, make money and pay dividends. If I want to support political enterprises, that’s a whole separate bag of worms. Businesses need to get out and stay out of politics and concentrate on their core competencies.
I’d take the shotgun but I’m not fussed about the bible… maybe use it for firelighting or something tho…
Personally I don’t see anything wrong with this. It has been done for close to a hundred years now as some sort of promotion. These anti 2nd Amendment types are making people angry. If you don’t want the Shotgun or Bible or even the flag you do NOT have to accept them.
New F-250 1989 had 26 days broke down 5-6 times,they had picked it up from up north after a flood sent south to Florida.But forgot to tell me when it started to act up on day 26 .I became a TOYOTA man and haven’t looked back.All my TOYS have been built in AMERICA by AMERICAN”S thank you very much.
Right own, go Toyota and as the other person said, business needs to get the hell out of Politics. From a 2016 CrewMax owner. And as an aside there is no such thing as an all American made vehicle any more. Not GM, Chrysler, or Ford
up vote!
Personally I don’t see anything wrong with this. It has been done for close to a hundred years now as some sort of promotion. These anti 2nd Amendment types are making people angry. If you don’t want the Shotgun or Bible or even the flag you do NOT have to accept them.
I have had Ford trucks and cars for years, but Ford’s actions to pull the dealer’s promo that included a bible, shotgun, and flag for a vehicle purchase is giving me cause to look at other manufacturers like Dodge and Toyota. Companies like Ford who market to the public should stay the hell out of politics.
Another company caving to the PC ( progressively correct aka anti-American ) agenda.
I refuse to patronize any company that blatant in their hatred of true American values.
Whmmm…. I am looking out the front door of my home here in Central Texas and see an F250, an F150, an Expedition, and two Focus’ (my daughters’ cars) parked around our circular driveway. I know Ford isn’t concerned, but when I purchase my next vehicles they won’t be Fords! Why corporations, entertainers, and athletes think they have to get involved in political nonsense like this amazes me. So long to For, their stores, and their service departments.
And while they are backing their noses out of the business of others, let them stay away from religion, or the lack of religion, and issues attached to religion such as birth control, abortion, and anything that happens in another persons home.
No one seems to understand that these efforts to control another’s thoughts and actions are a hidden form of socialism. Since I graduated from high school in 1966, the divorce rate has doubled from 25% to 50%, yet the birth rate continues to climb.
I would like to see our grossly overpaid athletes get involved in some type of youth athletic programs with police officers and kids of the inner city. I believe that it could build trust and cooperation in the toughest neighborhoods.
We are teaching history to kids to prevent the repeat of our past mistakes. Look back at prohibition. That was another example of blaming a brown bottle for the actions of the hand that held it. It lead to the most lawless time in our history.
Mandatory sterilization of violent criminals will likely prevent another generation of trouble. The use of the death penalty will provide a lot of funding for teaching kids to read, and help them to find the right path in life.
I totally agree with Mr. Conrad! He speaks freely for me! Thankyou,sir!
I had been a Ford guy all my 59 years. Now I must choose a Dodge or Gm. Ford just showed me they are not good business men.
William
I would think Ford would go the extra mile and bitch about the giving away of the bible and the flag also. Maybe
tomorrow their balls will grow and they will. If you own Ford stock better start selling!!
William
Well, I own a mercury and while I don\’t agree with fords political position, I really like my car.
Check out my podcast \”The Wiseguy\” at: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/jim13a/ for more of my views on the stupidity and treason of the democrats and businesses that are anti American.
The action of Ford pulling the plug just costs them a customer of a Ford F-350. I just decided on the Ram 3500. Thanks for helping me decide Ford!
“How about you? Would the offer of a ‘free’ shotgun be enough to entice you to buy a vehicle?” – A vehicle, yes,
a Ford, never………….
Yes I would and have I use to run a large car dealership s and one of my best months ever we gave away your choice ak47 or ar 15. sold 60 trucks that month. I will no longer buy fords and am going to trade for a Chevy this weekend I was going back for another ford but not now.
Hell, Chevy is moving to Mexico, cost too much to pay workers here in the states I guess after we bailed them out! Dodge sold out to Fiat. Better go get a Toyota, they are more American made than anything else these days!
I agree!
Dodge truck had a similar program .You bought Dodge Adventure truck and got a certificate for Winchester model 94 in 30/30.I remember this because I worked there from 65 to 97. Thank a vet and enjoy your freedom .
Businesses should stick to business and stay out of politics. When a major American company disrespects America and its constitution it is not a good sign as to the direction our elites are heading. Of course the globalists in charge of major companies are making millions of dollars and assume that if one country gets too bad they can afford to move to another which is more friendly to them. They may want to start packing their toys and heading out sooner rather than later because if they keep pushing this direction the peasants with their pitchforks and torches may be getting irritated.
After reading some of the other comments sounds as if they are dems sucking on lemons with out sugar sad people beyond help?
Great idea nothing better than God, the American flag, a shot gun and a Ford truck
Amen!
There are many reasons to not support Ford (as Robert illustrated in his response)) but this isn\’t one of them. Shortly after Chatom started their promotion a mental defective out in California went into a Ford dealership he recently was fired from and used a shotgun to kill the parts manager & the service manager before killing himself. I think would have been very callous & unfeeling for them to continue the promotion. And to Levi Sim the author of this article…. next time you write something get the WHOLE story or someone may mistake you for a liberal democrat.
“a mental defective out in California went into a Ford dealership he recently was fired from and used a shotgun to kill the parts manager & the service manager before killing himself” Yes we definitely need to stop these shotguns from doing these bad things, just the other day I was taking out the trash and that same shotgun drove by, I was lucky enough to be able to hide behind the plastic bin while the shotgun drove off, that poor demented Californian would still be alive if we had destroyed all the shotguns out there. GOD HELP US!!!!!
I think Ford should take another look at what they have done. Gordon M. needs to re think what happens in CA does not mean everybody should tow the anti gun line. I live in the Communist state of Kalifornia you should come here and be a subject of the anti gun people.
What does that have to do with an ad in AL? Something in me says that the idiotic fired employee was going to harm them anyways.
Since this dealership was doing everything by the law, Ford should not have stopped this promotion. I’m sorry about the shooting in mexifornia, but if there is going to be a knee-jerk reaction, on all of the crap going on in this Country, we won’t have any rights left !!
There are many reasons to not support Ford (as Robert illustrated in his response)) but this isn’t one of them. Shortly after Chatom started their promotion a mental defective out in California went into a Ford dealership he recently was fired from and used a shotgun to kill the parts manager & the service manager before killing himself. I think would have been very callous & unfeeling for them to continue the promotion. And to Levi Sim the author of this article…. next time you write something get the WHOLE story or someone may mistake you for a liberal democrat.
Just take the $200 and go get the shotgun. The Bible and flag are a bonus.
I have a new catch phrase, “Joe McCarthy was right”. The Communist Party of the US began to infiltrate the Democrat Party in the 1930’s, a planned decision picking the most likely swayed group. It has succeeded in being a major player now, with the current crop of front runners, including Biden with financial ties to the organization. The AFL-CIO is headed by members of the Communist Party of the US. Gun control and ultimately confiscation is one of their primary directives, if you want to overthrow an nation, you sure don’t want the citizens shooting back. The US is like the frog in the skillet of water, Democrats are slowly turning up the heat and it will be dead without even knowing it is happening. It is up to all Patriots to become knowledgeable in the chain of support behind Democrats, and to point it out whenever somebody says they support so and so. Bernie Sanders appeals to so many, while in fact he is one of the most anti-American, anti-Constitution, anti-freedom ones on the roster, even a little research into his past will show how treasonous he is. All of them should not be standing in front of an American audience debated, they should be standing in front of a firing squad.
Scary huh. We used to fight wars in foreign countries to stop people like this coming into power. Now we have people voting for them here. However, as a California voter, I can contest that all voting here is pretty much a sham.
I miss Old America. It’s never coming back. Way past time for secession. Support TEXIT.
3 more fords bite the dust, not on my watch!
Why Ford had decided to succumb to continually increasing its chassis sizes, I don’t know, but there is NOTHING in their lineup that appeals to me. All I wanted was a small well made pickup that got decent mileage, but no, what do they do? Everything is the size of the Queen Mary and priced like a Lambo. On top of that is they’re all made of plastic, and cheap plastic at that. And the Ranger is now priced right under the F150, which is just a tad under the $40K+ F150.
In the all too dysfunctional auto industry, especially within the last 40 years, the trend has been to introduce a model and then, after the public has acquired a taste for it, to increase both the size and option availability. They figure that one customers have gotten hooked on a model, they are either too brand or model loyal, or too flat out stupid to figure out that each subsequent purchase is a chance to wring more cash out of your wallet ……….. per unit sale.
In 2002, I bought a new, custom order Tacoma with no A/C or 4WD. The 2.7 was a strong engine, but I couldn’t buy a BASIC pickup truck with a 5 speed UNLESS I bought 4WD or a V6 with it, neither of which I wanted.
Again, all I wanted was a basic dependable truck for work, not Cleopatra’s barge ……… and you can’t find them anymore.
Anyway, I went to the Ford dealer recently to see what they had, but it was all crap. The corporate office should have kept its big yap shut and let this dealership handle its own customer base.
i AGREE!!!
Were I that Ford dealer, I would change my line of automobiles. I bet Toyota would like to have an entrepreneur work for them.
Ford is not the only one supporting pride parades. Just FYI. They all should stay away from politics but choose to support the few over the many
A little story about FORD’s History!
Henry Ford’s dirty history
Issue section: Opinion
Issue: October 2017 (428)
By
John Newsinger
Donald Trump’s reluctance to denounce neo-Nazis marching on the streets of the US has shocked many people. But there is a long history of US businessmen flirting with fascism, writes John Newsinger.
Donald Trump is by no means the first US businessman to flirt with the far-right and even fascism. In the 1920s and 1930s many American businessmen looked to fascism as a way to protect their interests.
One particular individual stands out though — Henry Ford. Ford is still celebrated as one of the greatest US businessmen, as someone who transformed modern capitalism.
What is less often acknowledged is that he was also a vicious antisemite. Indeed, far from Ford being influenced by the Nazis, it was very much the other way round.
Ford had his own newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, that was distributed throughout the country and at its height had a circulation of half a million copies.
In May 1920 it carried the first of a series of antisemitic articles on “The International Jew”.
Over succeeding weeks and months readers were treated to such exposés as the “fact” that Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated by Jewish bankers; that jazz had been invented by the Jews to demoralise the American people; that Jewish doctors were inoculating white people with syphilis, and much more.
Ford was a staunch believer in the validity of the Tsarist forgery, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. As far as he was concerned, there was an international Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world and he was warning the American people about it.
And not just the American people. The “International Jew” articles were published in book form with the same title and the book went on to become one of the most influential antisemitic works of the 20th century.
In the course of the 1920s it was translated into 16 languages. In Germany the book became one of the mainstays of Nazi propaganda, going through an incredible six editions by the end of 1922.
When Adolf Hitler was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune in March 1923, he went out of his way to sing the praises of “Heinrich Ford” and his “anti-Jewish articles”, describing him as the leader of US Fascism.
Indeed, Hitler had a picture of the Ford automobile on his office wall.
Ford was forced to retreat from his public championing of antisemitism in 1927, but he refused to repudiate The International Jew, which remained in print in many countries.
He employed Fritz Kuhn, the leader of the pro-Nazi German-American Bund and covertly financed the activities of the American fascist and antisemite, Gerald Smith.
As far as Ford was concerned, Franklin Roosevelt was part-Jewish, and he was convinced that the US trade union movement was the work of Jewish bankers out to destroy American industry. The New Deal was the “Jew Deal”.
Inevitably, the Second World War was also the work of the Jews, according to Ford.
When a pro-Nazi gathering of US businessmen met to celebrate the German victory over France in June 1940, Ford sent his son, Edsel, to represent him.
And the Führer was grateful.
On 30 July 1938 Hitler sent Ford congratulations on his 75th birthday and awarded him the Grand Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle, an honour he shared with the likes of Hungarian dictator Admiral Horthy, General Franco of Spain and Benito Mussolini of Italy.
As far as domestic fascism in the US was concerned, however, in the 1930s it never managed to become a mass movement. It was still of use to US businessmen though, doing some of the dirty work that they could not get done by other means.
One particularly murderous fascist organisation was the Black Legion, an off-shoot of the Ku Klux Klan, that was used by the Detroit car companies in their fight against the unions.
Many of the foremen in General Motors car plants were Black Legion members and they dominated a number of police departments across Michigan and Ohio.
The Black Legion was held responsible by the left for at least 30 murders of union activists, socialists and black people in Michigan between 1933 and 1936.
The Black Legion’s chosen uniform was Ku Klux Klan robes died black, but for some reason they replaced the Ku Klux Klan headgear with a pirate hat!
They never became a mass movement, but were nevertheless a dangerous fascist terrorist organisation.
Hitler’s Nazis had successfully destroyed the German labour movement in the early 1930s, but in the US this period brought a great explosion of trade union militancy.
Beginning in 1934 with huge strikes in Minneapolis, Toledo and San Francisco, the movement reached a climax in the great wave of factory occupations that began at General Motors in December 1936.
This collective working class militancy shifted the balance of class forces across American society, pushing the Nazis and antisemites onto the back foot.
I’ve owned Ford trucks all my life. That just stopped. Can you guys publish an email or a site where I can let corporate Ford know they lost a customer in MD.
Public education phased out common sense in response to public demands that their kids always succeed.
Simple Fix. Don’t buy Ford.
Remember just 20 or 30 years ago the bank’s gave Weatherby rifles away when you opened up a new account with a certain amount of money. Now the banks want to hold money away from the gun companies for Investments. Our world is really changing. Ford just lost another customer with me.
If memory serves, and it may not, that was the bank of Boulder (Colorado). Ran for years and they did very well with that campaign.
I just put a 5000 dollar deposit on a Ford Explorer. I’ll be retracting that deposit and offer today. Now Ford, realize where your trying to sell vehicles. The country that was formed by GOD, GUNS AND RELIGION. Not pussies, punks and pukes.
Understandable. After all it’s baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and CHEVROLET. Why would Ford want to be associated with anything patriotic, especially one of their dealers supporting the 2nd amendment?
Some lawyer at Fraud is congratulating himself for his political correctness.
I think Ford should be sued every single time one of their vehicles is involved in a drunk driving incident . Even if we limited it to one involving fatalities there would be about 14,000 chances for them to be sued. I bet their products are more dangerous than that shotgun.
On second thought, sue them every time one of their products causes a fatality, drunk or not. Fords are dangerous.
The younger generations have been taught everything will be ok (participation trophies and the like), no need to actually compete to succeed and with that they are deathly scared of life since they never were taught to take it on face to face. That is why getting free handouts sounds so good to the emerging voting population. Its also why NOBODY takes ownership of their mistakes. Our younger generations have been taught success is not necessary, trades are not work suited for humans and its NEVER “your” fault. Ford simply saw the litigation possibilities of the emerging generations and since its a “Ford” dealer it is part of Ford in a court of law. 3.5 Billion people were on this planet when I was born, its pushing 7.5 Billion now,,, not sure how ANYONE thought that was going to make life any better,, its only going to get a LOT worse so learn to take it on the chin,,, “common sense” started being phased out decades ago in our public schools.
I Wii never buy ford again .what happened to land of the free ?
if you follow federal gun laws what IS the issue
shame on ford dealer should move to GM product
I guess I’ll be buying a Tundra for sure now —
Why buy foreign garbage? Buy Chevy, Buick, Cadillac etc.
I left Ford when they started participating in gay pride events. This just seals it. No more Ford products until the management supports American values.
I just bought tickets from a church organization that’s running a gun raffle. Apparently, the libtards haven’t found out yet….SMH
Kill them and show them how well guns actually work to stem the tide of ugly policies buy communist politicians
If you give away a flag the flag holder wink-wink and the Bible everything should fly through just fine
Ford just lost this truck buyer. I am sure many more sales will lost over Fords anti gun pub!ic policy. If GM had any smarts they would pick up this idea for GMC truck sales.
Ford needs to take a lesson from Dick’s. They’ll need more than sales to anti-gunners only to keep their heads above water. Piss off the buying public and your days are numbered.
20, 30, 40 years ago this would have been ok. Today . . . It won’t work. This is not the same America today as it was then. During the Obama years saw the rise of racism set backs, victimhood, identify politics, white privilege, open boarders, welcoming and encouraging illegal and unlawful aliens, socialism, Marxism, wealth redistribution, abhors the Constitutional Republic, abhors individual rights and freedoms, attack certain rights that are threat to their ultimate goal of implementing a powerful central government, turning academia and the institution into liberal indoctrination centers, and the list goes on. It’ll take years to undo the damage, if it can be undone, and all for naught because there’s a new generation of radicalized liberals to carry on the fight.