Ford dealer pulls social media ads for gun giveaway after news reports
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After gaining national attention for an incentive program offering a Bible, gun store voucher and an American flag with every new car purchase, a South Carolina Ford dealer has pulled any mention of the deal from its social media platforms -- but it’s still going on.
(Carolina Ford)
Carolina Ford’s “God, Guns and America” promotion has been a big hit for the Honea Path outlet, with some shoppers even coming in from out of state to take advantage of it, General Manager Derrick Hughes told WLTX. The gun store voucher is worth $400, which is enough to buy an AR-15 rifle at a nearby gun store after required background checks, but can be used for any product.
“We sat down here, me and my whole team, and we looked at different aspects of how to do this. Everybody at this dealership is proud of our country and almost everybody likes to hunt, and so we tried to do something a little bit different,” Hughes told The Index-Journal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Google Street View)
The deal is similar to a “God, Guns and Freedom” promotion offered by Chatom Ford in Alabama in July. It initially included a Bible, flag and shotgun with any new or used car purchase, but the gun was later changed to a $200 gift certificate after the regional Ford office said the program was insensitive in the wake of a deadly shooting at Ford dealer in California.
Prior to the news coverage, Carolina Ford’s Facebook page featured the ad, links to some of the articles about it and posts with photos of some happy customers holding up their guns, many of which were commented on by people criticizing the program.
But they were all gone by Wednesday afternoon, and Hughes told Fox News Autos that he was updating the ad and would be putting the new one up by the end of the day. It never appeared, and he did not respond to requests for additional comment, but a customer service representative confirmed on Thursday via a Facebook message that the promotion is continuing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The deal is scheduled to run through November. Ford has not responded to a request for comment from Fox News Autos.