A South Carolina Ford dealership has launched a ‘patriotic’ promotion that gifts customers a free bible, an American flag and a voucher to buy an AR-15 assault rifle with every car purchased.
General manager of Honea Path’s Carolina Ford dealer, Derrick Hughes, says he came up with the ‘God, Guns and America’ incentive in a bid to boost sales.
Insisting the promotion wasn’t politically motivated, Hughes said the idea came from a brainstorming session with his staff, discussing how best to appeal to the demographic of the small-town, which has a large hunting community.
‘We are not taking a political stance in any way shape or form,’ Hughes told WYFF. ‘We are all country folk, God-fearing people. We are very patriotic people, believe in our country and salute our military.’
Honea Path’s Carolina Ford dealership has launched a controversial ‘patriotic’ promotion that gifts customers a free bible, American flag and a voucher to buy an AR-15 assault rifle with every car purchased
General manager of Honea Path’s Carolina Ford dealer, Derrick Hughes (left), says came up with the ‘God, Guns and America’ incentive in a bid to boost sales and business. Insisting the promotion wasn’t politically motivated, Hughes said the idea came from a brainstorming session with his staff (dealership shown right), discussing how best to appeal to the demographic of the small-town, whose population has a large hunting community
The promotion, which is running through November, offers any paying customers a $400 voucher to purchase a Smith & Wesson AR-15-style rifle from local store, Locked N Loaded, in nearby Abbeville.
All customers must go through a background check before being able to purchase the gun, Locked N Loaded owner Jay Ashley assured.
‘What we don’t want is someone who bought a car and they know they can’t buy a firearm to give that to somebody else to come in here and get it,’ Ashley told 7 News.
AR-15’s have been used in a number of mass shootings across the US in recent years, including the Las Vegas massacre that left 58 dead
‘Not going to happen! We will squish that. We know the name of the person who bought the car, who signed [for it] and that’s why we require a copy of their driver’s license. ‘
Should the consumer opt against the voucher, Hughes says the amount will be deducted from the overall price of the vehicle.
‘We are not forcing anyone to take the gun. They can use the voucher for sporting equipment, fishing or archery equipment,’ Hughes said. ‘They can also choose a different gun.’
AR-15’s have been used in around half of America’s 10 deadliest shootings, including the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that left 58 dead and the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, which killed 17.
The promotion, which is running through November, offers any paying customers a $400 voucher to purchase a Smith & Wesson AR-15-style rifle from local store, Locked N Loaded, in nearby Abbeville
Should the consumer opt against the voucher, Hughes says the amount will be deducted from the overall price of the vehicle
Hughes says he decided to put emphasis on the AR-15 because most locals already gave a shotgun or pistol for hunting, and he believes the lightweight assault rifle is an effective tool for hunting wild hogs and coyotes.
He claims the promotion has gone down a storm among the local community and beyond, with one customer driving two hours from Mitchell, Georgia, to buy a new truck and cash-in on the promotion.
The dealership has come under criticism, however, with one angered Facebook user writing on the dealership’s official page, ‘Can’t wait for the lawsuits when your company is held liable for a shooting.’
Others have voiced their support in retort, with one user exclaiming Love this promo – And a good reason to buy another Ford truck.’
‘God Bless America!! Good for you, too bad I don’t live closer,’ another added.