The original LivingSocial concealed weapon license discount posting can be seen here.
I’m ULTRA impressed by the below follow-up from LivingSocial. Not because of the follow-up itself, but, because…
a) the thoroughness/research taken (see below).
b) the conciseness/effectiveness of the messaging.
c) the inclusion of an apology. I didn’t demand, expect, or need one but it’s shocking/refreshing to see any company, politician, public figure, human, etc, etc, etc mention fault and apologize.
d) the deal being shut down.
Again, I’m not against gun ownership. I’m not against deals on a concealed weapon license – it’s completely legal in Michigan. I was against the timing.
From: Sara Willis
To: thelist@bcclist.com (nice research! This is my blog’s generic inbox…address listed on the mainpage.)
Date: Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 3:52 PM
Subject: Our Apologies
Good afternoon,
We caught your blog post (nice customization!), and we’re hoping to reach out to you about our mistake. We apologize that our recent deal offering for Action Impact was offensive.
In running this offer, our intent was not to offend our customers or to minimize the unfortunate events that recently took place in Arizona. We greatly respect and value our customers, and as such, we have shut down this deal.
Again, we offer a humble apology and ensure you that we will give additional consideration in moving forward with the types of deals we select and when (my originally noted concern!) they are offered.
Sincerely,
Sara
Update 1: It seems that the deal hasn’t been scrubbed from LivingSocial (yet). I wonder if marking it as Sold Out means – as Sara mentioned – the deal was shut down. Regardless, the crude imagery still exists on LivingSocial less than one week after 6 people were murdered in AZ.
Update 2: LivingSocial surely likes to sell the hell out of gun licensing classes. Again, gun classes obviously aren’t illegal – a simple observation…
Yesterday’s Detroit Deal:
http://livingsocial.com/deals/19581-concealed-pistol-license
Houston:
http://livingsocial.com/deals/6948-concealed-handgun-class-65
Lubbock:
http://livingsocial.com/deals/15993-concealed-handgun-class-for-75
Bcc:List.com 
That is indeed a nice response from Living Social.
I really don’t understand why any incident should be correlated to whether a business (especially the small businesses that planned the even well before the shootings) like Living Social is allowed or should offer a deal on something.
The timing was horrible but you NEED to know that both the merchant and LS had this signed likely weeks prior and ready to go a week before.
This is the time it takes to PREPARE the merchant for the huge rush of sales.
Same thing happened because of Florida…again tragic but that should not effect “businesses” that make it their lively hood to assist others in REGAINING their 2nd Amendment Right in the first place.
I’m appalled that LS has actually been taking actions to dismissing these deals especially CCW courses because they are needed.
The more we “gripe” and make it harder for LEGAL ways of becoming a permit/gun owner the more we allow the bad guys to continue doing what they do.
No gun signs tell bad guys where to go because there should be less hassle from anyone being armed.
Taking away RIGHTS for those wishing to carry for self defense LEGALLY is again doing nothing to deter BADGUYS from carrying..only harming those of us that carry legally chances of being able to do so in the future.
There are many restaurants with food poisoning, doctors with malpractice/rape issues and much more out there but THOSE deals are rarely gripped and have yet to be pulled from social media sites.
Guns do not kill people. It is merely the tool in which for the bullet to be discharged and in the hands of LEGAL PERMIT HOLDERS for self defense 99.9% of the time.
Bad people are every where and they use guns, knives, bats, sticks you name it but its those that THINK they are helping out by causing more gun carry issues for those that want to do so legally that are even a bigger threat then the bad guys themselves.
If you don’t like a deal…MOVE ON to another site with one you like.
How many massage, manni/pedi’s and all the other crap do you think the rest of us really want to see?
Grow up and realize that LIFE happens and that timing is not perfect especially when what you planned has been prepared weeks in advance.
Taking it out on the small business merchant who was prepared for the deal and counting on the business is not the resolution to ensuring ILLEGAL gun carriers are stopped.
Voting on making laws EASIER for LEGAL carry, the stoppage of posting “no guns signs” and saying (bad guys welcome here) and encouraging tougher penalties on those that ILLEGAL carry is whats needed.
Thank you for checking out the blog and commenting.
“The timing was horrible but you NEED to know that both the merchant and LS had this signed likely weeks prior and ready to go a week before.”
Yup — that makes it worse since LivingSocial had a week to yank the deal but ran with it anyway to make a few bucks.
As mentioned, this isn’t a 2nd Amendment issue. Imagery from a shooting range and asking “Do the rigors of 2011 already have you feeling pistol-whipped?” was ill-timed especially given the shooting of Giffords and crap like this: