Are you a gun dealer looking for an alternative to Shopify? Maybe you are a knife store and you see the writing on the wall and would like a viable alternative to your current Shopify e-commerce platform?   As many retailers in the weapons-related industry have found out Shopify has followed the lead of Facebook, Youtube and other tech giants in their left-leaning censorship and suppression efforts. Recently Shopify announced it is now removing gun related products from their platform and has given a time frame of only a few months for owners to remove their stores from the platform before being shut down completely.   Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lutke has stated “Solely deferring to the law, in this age of political gridlock is too idealistic and functionally unworkable”, “we had to accept that neutrality is not a possibility.”   Additionally, Lutke has inferred other weapons-related products and services such as knives, accessories and even direct services are currently also under consideration. “we may further refine our policies as needed."   A look at their new terms is quite enlightening and helps give understanding to the direction Shopify and other tech-related companies are now moving.   Regulated products and services ( source: https://www.shopify.ca/legal/terms-payments-us ): Marijuana dispensaries and related businesses; alcohol or alcoholic beverages; sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes, or accessories including e-juice or e-liquid; online pharmacies or pharmacy referral services; age-restricted goods or services; weapons and munitions; gunpowder and other explosives; fireworks and related goods; toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials; products and services with varying legal status on a state-by-state basis.   Given that Shopify has decided to abandon good business principles and instead is now focusing on a liberal political agenda this should give all gun and knife related businesses on their platform reason for concern.   Because you are here reading this article this shows you have had the foresight to at least begin searching for a viable alternative that will support your business efforts.   While there are options at WeaponSeeker we think it is important not just to weigh the benefits of various platforms but also their associated risks. At WeaponSeeker we feel the wisest choice given the current political environment and the mass exodus of current tech providers from serving the industry is to fully own the platform you eventually choose. Without ownership you may very well be stuck in the same trap Shopify has put so many gun and knife store owners recently.   At WeaponSeeker we believe in one’s right to protect their life, their loved ones, and their business. We are a pro 2nd Amendment organization focused on all things weapons, survival and outdoors.   If you either currently need an e-commerce solution and agree it is a good time to begin the switch to a company that not only will but is eager to support your brand feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help. Whether it be through simple consultation on your options all the way up to developing a robust full-scale e-commerce solution that you, in fact, will own, we can help.   The clock is ticking so don’t be caught off guard. The life of your business may very well depend on you taking action sooner rather than later.   Need help with advertising? Yep, we can help there too. At WeaponSeeker we provide a robust full-service social platform where you can additionally provide laser-focused advertising for your brand, products, and services. We additionally provide an option of including your inventory feed in our shopper service to allow the community to better shop your product line giving you even greater exposure.

Shopify joins other tech and retail giants and wades into the realm of politics, political correctness and social justice while trying to maintain the false appearance that it has nothing to do with politics or censorship and that they are not political. Again the loud left whines loud enough to coerce action to be taken against free speech, capitalism and the 2nd Amendment, and Shopify bows to their pressure by amending their terms and conditions in ways they understand will cause great hardship and will in fact be the death nail to many small mom and pop retailers who take part in the legal sale of firearms and firearm related merchandise. That is right, once again guns are targeted. Guns, not criminals, are blamed for criminal activity and guns, gun owners and businesses are shut down seemingly without a voice or say in the matter.   Are guns really the only things being targeted though? Here we will discuss the policies of Shopify and let you decide if you think they will stop with your gun or if the gun is just the foot in the door and the excuse to start the process of taking action against other legitimate individual and business interests.   When asked by the Associated Press, Tobi Lutke, Shopify’s CEO states: “Solely deferring to the law, in this age of political gridlock is too idealistic and functionally unworkable”, “we had to accept that neutrality is not a possibility.” So what does this mean? This means if you sell ANY weapon related items, services or accessories such as stun guns, knives, self-defense classes, or even simple paper targets you are in fact in the crosshairs of the left and their tech cronies.   While knives have not yet been mentioned we take these further statements by Shopify to mean that in fact they also are under serious consideration. “We have recently amended our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to restrict the sale of certain firearms and parts on our platform," and “we may further refine our policies as needed."   So while many knife retailers and brands are breathing a sigh of relief thinking the new rules surrounding guns does not affect them, at WeaponSeeker we would caution such thinking as being naive. To validate this point let’s look at what Shopify’s AUP actually states. If you are a knife related company (or any weapon related business) then we highly encourage you to evaluate your position based on the facts and prepare yourself for what we see as an inevitability.   Regulated products and services ( source: https://www.shopify.ca/legal/terms-payments-us ) Marijuana dispensaries and related businesses; alcohol or alcoholic beverages; sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes, or accessories including e-juice or e-liquid; online pharmacies or pharmacy referral services; age restricted goods or services; weapons and munitions; gunpowder and other explosives; fireworks and related goods; toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials; products and services with varying legal status on a state-by-state basis.   The naïve knife guy/gal will say “but (my) knives are not weapons they are tools”. REALLY? Can’t the same thing be said about a gun? Just for jollies though I will play the game. Okay, does your “tool” face different legal status in different states? Think not? Then this goes beyond naïve and you seriously need to research your business further. So you have no excuses, here is a great resource to help understand the peril you and your business in fact face: https://kniferights.org/about/accomplishments/   Still in denial? Let’s take this one step further. Stripe is the official payment processor for Shopify. Since a business is not much of a business without the ability to accept payments, let’s look at their “Prohibited Businesses” ( https://stripe.com/us/prohibited-businesses )   Regulated or illegal products or services Marijuana dispensaries and related businesses; sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and e-liquid; online pharmacies; age restricted goods or services; weapons and munitions; gunpowder and other explosives; fireworks and related goods; toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials; products and services with varying legal status on a state-by-state basis; goods or services, the sale of which is illegal under applicable law in the jurisdictions to which your business is targeted or directed.   Notice the similarity? Now let’s dig a little deeper into actual knife dealers’ experiences. True Talon writes on Shopify’s discussion forum about Stripe “My website was disqualified by Stripe because we sell knives.” Another post on their forum by Charles Morris “Funny. Knives aren't weapons. They are tools! Nonetheless, how nice is it for shopify to not allow us to use their credit card gateway b/c we sell "weapons", then charge US an additional 1%, because we aren't using their gateway.”   So Shopify (currently) overlooks the weapons classification for knives but says you cannot use our payment processor because they are “weapons”. Is that typical lib-speak or what? To us this sounds like a double headed coin. So the question then becomes do you really think it wise to gamble your business?   However, for the convenience of oversight (Shopify) currently is still going to charge a gateway fee. REALLY!   And for the knife businesses (and other weapon related businesses and services) out there that think they are safe and still are not able to connect the obvious dots the questions becomes, when do you think the convenience of collecting the extra unearned 1% will be not worth the inconvenience of dealing with the crybaby snowflake crowd when their sights turn to knives/etc.? How many more terrorist stabbings will need to take place? Remember, in their minds it is NOT the criminal but the “tool” that is at fault instead.   Ironically, Shopify also stated that their gun policy change affected "a small number of merchants," but would not give a specific number. Reading between the lines and understanding the impact this has on so many means that what they are really saying is in the grand scheme of things this will not have much effect on their business and that they have little concern that they are literally destroying the lives of so many others who have worked so hard to grow and develop their own small businesses.   At WeaponSeeker we find it incredibly ironic that out of one side of their mouth the leftists spew ideas of hate against what they consider corporate abuse, but when it instead suits their own agenda of subjugation and intolerance they laud the praises of the same corporate entities they claim to hate. I guess in their minds it only makes sense for them to Twitter gather using their iphones on Wallstreet mocking the very capitalist system that gave them Twitter and iPhone in the first place. What is even more ironic is that more companies continue to bow to the pressure thinking this somehow takes them out of the crosshair of lunacy.   If you are reading this you are guilty. You know you have probably said it hundreds of times on the fascist Facebook platform that someone needs to come up with an alternative. At WeaponSeeker we have done just that and more.   WeaponSeeker is a complete ecosystem ranging from full scale social network services to ecommerce. The purpose of WeaponSeeker is to serve the entire weapons, survival and outdoors community. If you are a business it’s time to consider a switch to an online social and e-commerce platform that not only will never abandon you, but actually supports your interests. It you are an individual it’s time to consider a switch to an organization that supports your God given rights to self-preservation and the protection of the ones you love.   At WeaponSeeker we like to say we are like Facebook minus the trash. Not only is this a funny statement but one that is also very true. On WeaponSeeker you will not be bogged down with fake news and misleading ads nor will your voice be drowned out by liberal tears. Setting up an account is free and for businesses additional free upgrades provide even more access to great services, including advertising, that can help you run your weapons, survival or outdoor related business without fear of political censorship.   The time to join WeaponSeeker is now. Through unity it’s time to make our voices heard. Together we too have a voice we can use. The time is now to fight fire with fire and stop letting the insane have their way and continually change the rules to suit their needs.   Martin Niemoller: Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.