Ethics in the Tactical Gear Industry

[MIKE G]

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[dookie1481]

How do we know who to keep an eye on if no names are involved :confused:

[MIKE G]

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[militarymoron]

The original post is mostly focused at pro reviewers and those seen as "in the know" who review gear but make no mention of the outstanding orders or crummy support that some companies provide. It is irresponsible for a reviewer to even mention a piece of gear when the manufacturer has orders outstanding in excess of a year.

it's also the responsibility of the customer to inform the reviewer of problems with manufacturers of the items reviewed. speaking from personal experience as a reviewer, i won't know of problems unless a customer contacts me. if they do, i try to help and get the issue resolved.
but other than unhappy customers asking for help, i don't have any additional insight into outstanding orders or crummy support unless it surfaces through a forum. i've dealt with a couple of companies that just could not deliver. if i'm aware of specific problems, i'll put a note in a writeup.

[chadbag]

Many credit card companies and banking institutions give you protection for up to 60 days from purchase for products not delivered. Paypal is 45 days if memory serves. Confirm this ahead of time.


There are ways to get much longer than 60 days on a CC purchase and many banks will take care of you.

However, it is against the law I believe to not ship within 30 days of taking the money... Look into FTC rules to confirm and file a complaint.

[cavediver]

Has anyone had any dealing with usmilitarysurplus.com /Appalachian Tactical ?:(

[rob_s]

I don't know if I qualify as a "reviewer" or not, but to elaborate on what MM has said...

What the reviewer knows, or doesn't know, about lead times and order filling has a lot to do with how they procure the item in question. If I email a maker and ask for samples of a couple of their products for a review or an article I'm working on, it only makes sense that they would expedite the shipment if they are serious about wanting to include their product. Unless I've bought something from them before I have no way of knowing if that expedited order is normal or not, although with most things I do try to confirm real-world lead times with the company. For example, if I'm having custom work done I always want to make sure that the maker gives me the same ETA they'd give someone else so I can include that in the article.

Unfortunately due to some recent silliness I also have to ask manufacturers that do favors for me if they want that fact disclosed, as some will see that as an open invitation to badger the shit out of the company asking for the same thing.

If I've purchased the item outside of the review process, then I'll have a better idea as to lead times, but I still only have that one order to go by. I usually try to include that fact, as well as whatever excuses the vendor fed me so that the reader can make up their own mind.

There is also a whole lot of behind the scenes friendships that you have to be pretty astute to pick up on sometimes, but also pretty stupid to miss in other cases. If a reviewer has gotten into the design business then you can take whatever they say about their own designs of IMHO anything they say about the other products from that vendor with a grain of salt. It doesn't mean they are wrong or that the vendor makes shit and the reviewer is being bought off, it just means that you should keep the situation in mind.

I have also discovered some round-a-bout relationships where a reviewer seemingly has no relationship with a maker only to find out that they are both closely tied to one trainer or one school.

Ultimately, it's all caveat emptor. I buy things that are in stock for my own use, and nothing else. I've been burned on backorders in the gun business for years and I finally decided to stop playing the game. You don't have the pouch I want in stock? Great, no problem, I'm sure someone else makes something similar enough that I don't need you. Same thing with guns, shoes, whatever.

Remember that many people go into firearms-related businesses because they are making a job out of a hobby, often because they don't want to work a regular real job. A guy may be a great seamstress, but a horrible business person. This is true in all industries. More architects, lawyers, and doctors go out of business due to bad business practices and skills than any lack of work. Same thing applies here. You may be a welding phenom and a marketing wizard but have no earthly idea how to run a business or manage product. Look at AAC. ;)

[ToddG]

Unfortunately due to some recent silliness I also have to ask manufacturers that do favors for me if they want that fact disclosed, as some will see that as an open invitation to badger the shit out of the company asking for the same thing.

FTC updates regulations to require "bloggers" to disclose relationships & compensation from companies reviewed (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/10/more-transparency-coming-to-blog-reviews-under-new-ftc-rules.ars)

[rob_s]

I don't think that applies in the specific case you quoted for me, but I saw that on another forum as well.

As I posted there, I frankly think it's unethical to do anything less. I try to make sure I'm specific as to whether I got it on loan or bought it myself, and I don't take freebies unless it's not financially worth it to send it back (in other words, I'm not paying $5 to mail back a $5 SWAT-T tourniquet) and the vendor agrees.

The worry is that what they're after is disclosures on free shit so that they can in turn tax you on it. If someone is receiving thousands of dollars a year in free shit, the IRS could argue that it's compensation and try to tax you on it.

Which is part of the reason that I don't take any free shit. ;)

[ToddG]

Agreed that it's unethical not to report when you're receiving stuff for free. While I think the new FTC reg is over the top, it's not going to mean any changes for my business because we've always done it that way.

I'm not concerned about the tax thing from an income tax standpoint, since it's not income. I'm being sent products to review. If it bought it, it would be a legitimate business expense. For me in Maryland, however, it does all become taxable as non-real business property.