I am a freelance outdoor writer, columnist, photographer, editor and pro staff hunter. I was more than annoyed to see Bushnell and various others with "pro" pricing set higher than what I am finding like products for online at retail. This doesn't seem ethical. Reviewing products is a part of my "gear bag". I don't get excited about reviewing products when I feel like a company is trying to take advantage of people. I can't help but think this is what is happening with the example I've given. Look at the pricing then "Google" the product to compare pricing. I don't get a warm and fuzzy. What can be done to regulate this apparent "gouging" of industry professionals on Promotive? I'm concerned about how rampant this problem may be with "discounted" products.

Competitors who participate in 3 gun, muti-gun, IDPA, USPSA, IPSC and other competitive shooting events use many typs of gear offered here and often run their gear as hard and sometimes harder than many security law enforcement and military professionals. 3 gun is an up and coming sport becoming rather prevalent as evidenced by shows like "3 Gun Nation". These competitions are held Worldwide, and those involved are often security, law enforcement and military professionals. I would be interested in seeing a team dedicated to those involved in "practical tactical" shooting. Much of the gear offered here is actively used by participants of the sport. Tactical and weapons lights, optics, performance clothing and many other areas of product would be used, tested, and tried by those in the sport. Manufacturers would get some great feedback and promotion by expanding into this area. Much of the shooting industry is now following trends set by those involved in this sport. I would really like to see some teams pop up in this area, and see it grow.

I get that manufacturers allot a limited amount of merchandise for sale thru this site, and some items can be out of stock pretty quickly. That's fine. But once an item is not available, it should be removed from the site. It seems like 70% of the items that look appealing to me end up being not available. It is frustrating enough that I find perusing the site to be not worth the trouble. Only list the stuff we can actually get! Or is it some sinister plan to turn us on to products (with the offer of a deal), then have us go buy them at a store?

First off, this idea is in no way meant to cast any negative light on the promotive program; I think it is great that it exists, and does offer some opportunities that one would otherwise not have access to.

But I do have one main gripe with the "NO RETURN/EXCHANGE" policy for all purchases (yes, it is in ALL CAPS, for some odd reason...hey, no need to yell)

and a perfect example of it is specifically aimed at The North Face, Inc.:

1) Their website specifically states "Please do not use any retail store as a fitting room or for returns. You can find all product information on thenorthface.com or by calling 866-715-3223, prompt 7."

Ok...so maybe I'm in the market for a new product, and am considering north face, but of of respect for their terms of usage, do not go into a store to check my sizing. I then take a chance on a size, but it turns out to be either too big, or too small.

Hey...sorry, you should have known your size before you ordered, right ? But wait...we asked that you NOT do this by going to a retail location in order to determine that.

So now, what are my options ? Return or exchange, right ? Wrong. We don't allow that, either... Why this policy, I have no idea. Maybe because they didn't make enough money off me by selling for full retail that it would actually pose a loss of profit for them ? I would be MORE than willing to pay for return shipping on my mistake, and NEW shipping for the size I'm positive would work for me.

So what is Plan "C" ? Attempt to sell it and recoup my money ? Well, not exactly.... these brands claim to "actively monitor" for this type of activity, and any violation can have you not only removed from the program, but with some companies even subject to legal action.

So now, I'm stuck with this product that doesn't fit me, and even though a manufacturer is having their brand name promoted by somebody who will more than likely generate more business for them, they provide ABSOLUTELY ZERO backend support.

The above scenario literally applies to nearly any brand in the ProMotive program.

So what are we left to do ?

A) I want the product, but agree to respect the retail establishments by not "window shopping" and wasting their time.
B) I take a chance and order a size, but it ends up not working (a more than likely scenario)
C) The manufacturer states "Hey, tough luck. NO RETURNS OR EXCHANGES", even though my product is more than likely tried on indoors once, and is in PERFECT condition".
D) I cant even attempt to sell it for fear of retaliation by this company, and also out of respect for the rules as a "Pro" who has access to this exclusive discount.

Seems like a huge Catch22, ProMotive. What is the deal ? I would think these brands would offer even MORE support for their "Pro customers" than their retail clients...but it seems since they are taking the loss on profit, our ability to more effectively market and promote their product takes a backseat.

Although I am more than impressed with the prices, this is a major problem, as I just found out with the order of a jacket (not from North Face, I might add. They were just an example")

Problem # 2, imo... it seems nearly every manufacturer in stock has more than 60-70% of their items listed as "out of stock"...yet if I'm on their website and willing to pay full retail, they have tons of active stock. Apparently, this limited "loss of profit" for pro's is only to a certain extent.

Thank you for this great program, but no thanks. Until this detail is fixed, I prefer to bargain hunt and pay retail like everybody else, knowing that when these issues arise, not only will the brand pay more attention to me, but I will also have the full backing and support of the retail establishment I made the purchase from in terms of returns/exchanges, etc. rather than the middleman in this case (*ProMotive*) touting program exclusivity and agreements as the reason why I'm stuck with what I purchased.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.