Intuit Reverses Gunsite Academy Credit Card Charges
Rachel 05.24.18
In a Gun Talk Radio interview, Ken Campbell, Gunsite Academy COO revealed that Intuit (Quickbooks) credit card processors have indeed parted ways with the well-known firearms training facility after only a few months of working together. However, the credit card processor didn’t sever ties without some financially-damaging results.
Why Gunsite Academy and Intuit Parted Ways
According to the radio interview, Gunsite Academy made the decision to change credit card processors around March, 2018. Then, almost 2 weeks ago, an Intuit representative reached out to the Gunsite Academy accountant, referencing the online sale of firearms which violated Intuit company policy.
The Gunsite accountant explained how online sales of firearms works and that firearms aren’t shipped to a customer’s home, they are shipped to a Federal Firearms Licensee and a background check is performed to determine whether ownership of the firearm is permitted.
At that time, the representative from Quickbooks/Intuit seemed to understand the process and released a “considerable amount” of funds which were being held by the company.
Then according to Campbell, Intuit called Gunsite’s accountant again a few days later, claiming that the training facility and Pro Shop violated the company’s policy against online sales of firearms. CEO and Chairman of Gunsite Brad Smith even sent Intuit an email, stating:
The firearms business is one of the most heavily-regulated and -watched industries by the federal and state governments as well as the media. Your claim of business firearms sales other than face-to-face is plainly wrong and illegal … A sale of a firearm is made through a state and federally licensed firearms dealer, face-to-face, after checking the customer government-issued identification, completion of mandatory federal form 4473 (with felony penalties for improper completion and regular dealer scrutiny and audit by ATF), and a mandatory FBI NICS check. The verification of identity is far greater through this face-to-face transaction than for any other products your company may support.
The email was written to no avail, because Intuit, the makers of TurboTax also owned by Quickbooks, decided to sever ties with Gunsite. However, rather than release funds which were pending from the sales of merchandise and tuition on classes, the credit card processor reversed all charges, sending tens of thousands of dollars back to customers, most of which was for goods and services already provided.
Because the “online purchase policy” was indeed in the company’s fine print, Gunsite’s only course of action was to change their credit card processor, reach out to those affected customers for whom they have contact information, and begin again.
What’s In Your Wallet?
This isn’t the first time Intuit/Quickbooks has stepped in to take Second Amendment rights into their own hands. Square and Paypal have similar policies regarding the sales of firearms, mainly online but some in-person sales as well.
NRA Business Alliance offers a list of pro-gun credit card processors. EMS+, as well as McMillan Group offer pro-firearm credit card processing for businesses of all sizes–a tip Gunsite wishes it’d known beforehand.
I wish I could track all the man hours we have lost with myself, our owners Buz and Sonja Mills, our accountant, our IT consultant, the Pro Shop manager and assistant, and training coordinator,” Campbell explained. “We know our great Gunsite clients (family) will pay their bills once they learn from us and through the media of this and understand the issues. However, it may take us 30 to 45 days to obtain the new payment. Then there are the simple over-the-counter sales for miscellaneous items in the Pro Shop that we don’t keep detailed customer records on. We anticipate several thousand dollars in losses there that may not be recoverable.
Consumers Can Help
If you’ve enrolled in a Gunsite course with your credit card, contact Rikki Newell at Rikki@Gunsite.com. If you’ve purchased any items online or in person through the Gunsite Pro Shop, you can reach out to them via email at ProShop@Gunsite.com.
Gunsite also offers courses on Citizen Response to Active Shooter, introduced a Church Defense course this year, and on Monday May 21st announced a School Defense course coming in 2019.
Learn more about Gunsite via their website.
