US Concealed Carry - USCCA - Need Help

**BobFromBucks** · July 17th, 2013, 11:58 AM

I would like to get your opinion of this group if you are a member or know about them. I subscribed to the magazine last year and it is okay. Not great but okay.

However, they sent me emails at a rate beyond spamming for months wanting me to join their organization. The magazine is just that...a magazine. The organization's only benefit that I could see is they just came up with a new insurance policy in case of a shooting. In a weak moment, I signed up but I was cognizant enough to do month-to-month. And, they say they

After two months of them continuing to send me junk emails and after evaluating exactly what benefits they do offer, I decide to quit and sent them an email letting them know I want to stop my membership and since they have a 365 day money back guarantee, I'm triggering that too.

Their response was that I need to call them to cancel. I can't cancel using the email address and password I have with them for 'security purposes.'

This lie just reinforced my desire to part company with them. Security has nothing to do with it. It is just a roadblock to cancelling and as someone who has written books on sales and marketing, I know that they only want to make me another offer, etc. I emailed back and let them know that their 'security purposes, was ridiculous and they could cancel me immediately or I would file a dispute with American Express. They said "Go ahead and file it."

Now, I'm obviously not happy with them and I'll make a call to them and have a good time with it now. However, I wondered if I'm missing something good about them. Maybe everyone else loves them.

Your thoughts?

**customloaded** · July 17th, 2013, 12:42 PM

Nope, not missing a damn thing worth while. I joined a few years back when I first found internet gun forums and stuff like USCCA. Being a newbie at the time, I was all excited....kinda like a first date expecting something big at the end and NOTHING! From what I saw and read, a man and wife running a half assed outfit and making a pretty good living.

You are doing what I should have done. Kudos to you Sir.

CL

**BobFromBucks** · July 17th, 2013, 12:54 PM

I called and cancelled and asked for a cancellation email. They old not do that either and told me to check my credit card statement.

In my observation, their sales and marketing is very similar to that used by multi-level marketing marketing companies.

**sprrdhawk44** · July 17th, 2013, 01:51 PM

Gun Owners legal Defense Network is the better way to go in my opinion.
http://www.gunownersldn.com/

I am somewhat affiliated with the company, if you have any questions feel free to pm me.

**stevew58** · July 17th, 2013, 02:47 PM

Not worth the $. They are getting rich off peoples fears and great marketing on their part. He is not a supporter of the shooting sports he is just capitalizing off it. The CEO also markets a report (for $$ of course)on how to do this yourself. This is just a internet version of a infomercial.T

**BobFromBucks** · July 17th, 2013, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by stevew58

Not worth the $. They are getting rich off peoples fears and great marketing on their part. He is not a supporter of the shooting sports he is just capitalizing off it. The CEO also markets a report (for $$ of course)on how to do this yourself. This is just a internet version of a infomercial.T

That I did not know but I'm not surprised. I can give you 100 names of people who use the same tactics and there isn't a one you'd invite into your home to join your family for dinner.

**mosseater** · July 18th, 2013, 01:41 AM

I've been a member since '07, and early on, it was a good deal. They had a good bunch of guys on the forum who knew guns, law, shooting, carrying, all of it. When Tim Schmidt got greedy, they put all their eggs in the Self Defense Shield insurance basket and never looked back. I can't claim Tim is not a gun guy, don't honestly know, but I have my doubts. I know he at least WAS looked upon favorabley by the likes of Marty Hayes, Massad Ayoob, and others. Heard that with my own ears.

They knew they were going to lose a bunch of members with the mandatory insurance and accompanying increase in membership dues, but it was a calculated risk they were willing to take in the name of profits and growing the company. Now they have redone the magazine from the homespun, down-to-earth manual of the "everyman", to the glitz and neon of "tacti-kewl" rags similar to the rest on the shelf. The content of the mags is fine, in fact IMHO, the content has gone up a notch in quality of writing and info conveyed. I personally don't care for the new sinister tone but I'm hanging in til my renual comes due. We'll see then, it may have run it's course.

I'm not on the inside of the organization, but I have a feeling the upgrades were a necessary make-or-break decision. Membership was languishing and they needed a way to boost profits. Just my take on it, but I believe I'm probably close to correct. Currently way overpriced for what you're getting and the forum is just constantly stale now. I believe the end is near, sadly. I hear the ACLDN is a better deal if you're looking to save your bacon in the even you end up in court rather than dead.

**BobFromBucks** · July 18th, 2013, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by mosseater

I'm not on the inside of the organization, but I have a feeling the upgrades were a necessary make-or-break decision. Membership was languishing and they needed a way to boost profits. Just my take on it, but I believe I'm probably close to correct. Currently way overpriced for what you're getting and the forum is just constantly stale now. I believe the end is near, sadly. I hear the ACLDN is a better deal if you're looking to save your bacon in the even you end up in court rather than dead.

Excellent post! In the last 25 years, the world of self-improvement morphed into Internet marketing and the selling of ideas and information. "How To" turned into "How You Can Do What I Did and Make Millions Too." If you bought that program there were always others. Hence the Silver, Gold, Platinum, etc., etc. A guy named Dan Kennedy was an early "self-described expert" and he taught his techniques to many who then adapted and adopted them for things like - voila - Concealed Carry.

The deeper I got into USCCA the more I realized that they are using those techniques.

Now, you may say, "What's wrong with that?" Nothing, other than I know from experience that when these techniques are used, the service and/or product is usually like light beer - all cheap water and no substance.

And, I also know from experience that when someone starts offering to teach others how this "system" works - it is a sign they realize that their customers have come to the realization that micro-brews made by people who really care about their customers and not just their customers' money are really the beers to drink

**/dev/null** · July 18th, 2013, 11:16 AM

Like Mosseater, I joined about 5 years ago when I received my first LTCF / CWL and was looking to get any piece of info I could. Like this forum in fact, it changed (and not necessarily for the better) so I never renewed after the first year. I thought the magazine was okay, but nothing really new other than advertisements and the forum was extremely stale.

I do see Tim's posts occationally on Facebook, and they really do seem to be thinly veiled ads to signup for the USCCA "plethora of benifits"... aint going back ther myself though.

Some WILL get value from this, Im just not one of them.

**laen3145** · July 18th, 2013, 07:31 PM

Kudos to Mosseater, Bob From Bucks and Dev/Null: You all have stated as it is. You have to make your own decision to stay with USCCA as a member (civil lawsuit coverage) or as subscriber (advertisements) to their magazine. Honestly, I was originally hooked on the mag. Lots of good advice and recommendations on equipment and training courses. NO ADS. Now there are ADS!! Many ads. This is my second (four year total) and final year of subscription with the civil lawsuit insurance.