Merchant Accounts: Possibly the next way to stop gun ownership?

[waizen]

I'm not trying to over-dramatize this and I have no solid proof of any kind. Just wondering here:

Are there any gun shop/merchants out there who are experiencing issues with your merchant accounts because you sell gun-oriented merchandise?

I ask only because I was having a discussion with a new gun store owner in my town about this. He had a heck of a time setting up merchant accounts because of what he is selling.

For instance, Authorize.net gave him issues (that's one of the big companies), as did PayPal. He said there seems to be only a handful of companies that still service firearms merchants. As I understand it, there is no personal reason for these companies to have given this merchant any problems...just the fact he sells firearms. According to this merchant, those companies no longer service firearm oriented companies.

Note that I don't know any of this for sure...just trying to find out here.

If true, then it is a bit unsettling for me that this could be a way to get around the 2nd Amendment and control the selling of firearms related merchandise to citizens. Merchants depend heavily on the ability to accept credit cards.

I hope I'm imagining things and welcome anyone to set me straight.

[CampingJosh]

If there is a market, someone will fill it. If all the companies refuse to provide merchant service for the firearms community, a new company will start up and prosper in that area.

That said, there are a couple shops by me that are cash/check only anyway.

[dbcooper]

Originally Posted by CampingJosh

If there is a market, someone will fill it. If all the companies refuse to provide merchant service for the firearms community, a new company will start up and prosper in that area.

That said, there are a couple shops by me that are cash/check only anyway.

this is right


If you remember a few years back, CDNN, one of America's biggest gun warehouses in Abilene, TX was dropped by CITI bank when they found out the they were "selling guns across state lines" eeeww, how scary

Those jerks dropped a business that was running tens of thousands of dollars in credit card sales PER DAY


well, it wasn't but few hours and they had another credit card company up and running and more than happy to take the business

then for good measure, Charlie printed the letter from Citi in his next catalog and let the whole customer list know how they treated him

there were hundres of gun dealers out there who dropped them after that.

one guy even refinanced his house over it

[hogger129]

Originally Posted by CampingJosh

If there is a market, someone will fill it. If all the companies refuse to provide merchant service for the firearms community, a new company will start up and prosper in that area.

That said, there are a couple shops by me that are cash/check only anyway.

+1

[WHSmithIV]

Not surprised regarding PayPal. The terms of service state that PayPal may not be used to purchase firearms.

[Alpo]

Probably time for Citi to try again.

Citibank cancels credit to Las Vegas gun store because they deal in evil firearms. Ooohhh, scary.
http://rense.com/politics6/citigun.htm

I used to have the page with that letter on it bookmarked, but they deleted the page. Oh well. I've finally learned that if I see something online and want to keep it, don't bookmark it - save it.

http://www.learnaboutguns.com/2008/0...earms-dealers/

[cutter]

I won't use PayPal period. If thats all they take I go elsewhere!!! I also won't use CitiBank. That stuff pi--es me off!! If they don't believe in the 2 nd they don't need my buissnes!!!

[JohnnyFlake]

Cash always works well for me. Never been refused yet!

[mogunner]

I take Paypal for my small business. They aren't "anti-gun", they're "anti-litigation", in other words they are just hedging their bets against being sued by some idiot who would toss them into the lawsuit based on the fact that their service was used to purchase a firearm that was later used in some illegal activity. Seeing as how they are based in California, it really isn't surprising. The co-founder actually donated a total of 2.6 MILLION dollars to the super-PAC that endorsed Ron Paul.

[Helix_FR]

I run Intuit to process my CC's for my business. They never gave me any grief. I have noticed that the funding times have increased some over the past few months but it seem to coincide with a system upgrade that really has slowed things down.

[targetacqmgt]

Originally Posted by waizen

I'm not trying to over-dramatize this and I have no solid proof of any kind. Just wondering here:

Are there any gun shop/merchants out there who are experiencing issues with your merchant accounts because you sell gun-oriented merchandise?

I ask only because I was having a discussion with a new gun store owner in my town about this. He had a heck of a time setting up merchant accounts because of what he is selling.

For instance, Authorize.net gave him issues (that's one of the big companies), as did PayPal. He said there seems to be only a handful of companies that still service firearms merchants. As I understand it, there is no personal reason for these companies to have given this merchant any problems...just the fact he sells firearms. According to this merchant, those companies no longer service firearm oriented companies.

Note that I don't know any of this for sure...just trying to find out here.

If true, then it is a bit unsettling for me that this could be a way to get around the 2nd Amendment and control the selling of firearms related merchandise to citizens. Merchants depend heavily on the ability to accept credit cards.

I hope I'm imagining things and welcome anyone to set me straight.

If I am understanding the problem here Banks like Wells Fargo and the former Wachovia are anti gun and will NOT set up or will hold a merchants funds (I suppose in an attempt to put them out of business) for several weeks before they cancel his/her clearing account.