Easons move hunting magazines to over-18s top shelf section

meathstevie

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

From the ICABS website August 2015

he Irish Council Against Blood Sports has thanked Easons for responding positively to our appeal and acting to move graphic hunting publications out of the reach of children.

In an email to ICABS, Easons Head of Marketing, Brendan Corbett stated: "We are currently in the process of moving such titles from our bottom shelves to shelving at a height out of reach for children. We will also set up a prompt at our cash registers that ask anyone purchasing such titles whether they are over 18 (as per anyone purchasing cigarettes)."

A big thumbs up to Easons for this tremendous response.

I suggest we all stop purchasing stationary, drinks, papers, schoolbooks for the kids etc etc in Easons.

Sparks

Moved out of the no-discussion ICABS watch thread.

Grizzly 45

Might be worth letting this guy know your displeasure on the matter,and that Easons might be facing a boycott on this issue.
Are Easons going to ask their punters the same if they buy a copy of Playboy,Gay Times,50 shades of Grey,Combat& Survival or some other adult contet mag??

Conor Whelan,
Managing Director,
Eason & Son Ltd
40 Lower O Connell Street,
Dublin 1
Email: customerservice@easons.com
Phone: (01) 858 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EasonsIreland
Tweet to @easons

FISMA.

I am surprised they haven't required the magazines to be in a brown paper cover! :rolleyes:

yubabill1

designed to discourage new entrants to the sport.

Can't a 14 year-old get a firearms training licence?

and a 16 year-old get a full one.

will be emailing easons.

145000 firearms holders vs. (insert small no. of your choice) of ICABS members.

Best to remind Easons of ICABS's links to the likes of ALF, too.

Cass

A simple e-mail campaign is in order. Be polite and point out:

• The buying size of the hunting/firearm community (120,000 minimum) compared to the dozen or so members of "that".
• The amount we contribute to the local and national coffers each year
• Extended family and friends are not even counted in the total amount above.
• Long, community based history of field sports (hundreds of years)

Steer away from being ignorant, rude, making accusations about the others, and making boycott threats. IOW we don't need strong arm tactics. They are simply responding to an e-mail campaign by the other lot. Surely we can raise a few thousand e-mails between us and counter their actions.

yubabill1

just sent

Mr. Conor Whelan

MD Eason & Son

I object in the strongest terms to your company’s decision to move hunting publications into the over 18’s section and place an over 18’s advisory at your tills.

I regularly buy hunting publications, most frequently at Eason’s.

Hunting is a sustainable way to obtain food and the Firearms Act was amended in 2009 to allow persons aged 14 obtain a training licence.

There are 145,000 licensed firearms holders in Ireland at present, the majority of whom hunt. This represents a significant minority contributing to the Irish economy.

Firearms holders must undergo background checks to satisfy An Garda Siochana that they have no criminal record, they have good reason to possess a firearm and they must provide access to medical records to determine that they pose no threat to the public. This procedure is repeated every three years.

I would like to remind you that ICABS members have in the past been associated closely with extremists, including ALF – who terrorise shop owners in Ireland and post it on their website – and a terror organisation in the North.

I request you return hunting publications to their original POS.

Sincerely,

Vegeta

e-mail sent

Vegeta

Also a poll we can quote showing that ICABS position is not representative of the population

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055548801

Cass

Just sent:

Cass to Easons wrote:

Mr Whelan.

I was disappointed to learn that due to a “pressure campaign” by a tiny minority you have taken steps to move all hunting/fieldsports publications in to the same category as adult/over 18 publications. I must object to this in the strongest possible terms.

Hunting and fieldsport pursuits have a long and rich history in Ireland. It’s recorded history stretches back further than any other form of sport including our national sport (GAA). Those that take part in fieldsports come, for the most part, from generations that have enjoyed this sport and passed down their knowledge and craft to their children over the decades.

It is for this reason that the Government, in it’s legislative process, have declared that those from the age of 14 up, may apply for a firearms license (or training license as appropriate) to take part in the sport. Your new policy, in essence, prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from reading these hunting publications even though the law says they are old enough to actually TAKE PART in the sport.

As firearm owners we are scrutinised to the nth degree., We must sign away our right to medical privacy, have thorough background checks and maintain a level of standards which exceeds the “ordinary” citizen as any infraction (however small) would lead to the loss of the tools we use in our sport. For this reason I can state that the people involved are above reproach in terms of character, and have been signed off on by An Gardaí as such.

Compare those involved in fieldsports to those that have no doubt bombarded you with correspondence to pressure you into this move. You have some 140,000 people involved in fieldsports and this does not even include family, extended family and friends. Now look at the group that contacted you about this issue. At their core they have approx. 20 members. None of whom would buy ANY publications because, and I can only guess, it “kills” trees.

I appreciate you may be in an awkward position, but I would strongly urge you to reconsider, what in my opinion, is a rushed and short sighted move to appease a tiny minority that contribute nothing to the local or national coffers, and have some extreme views regarding our sport. As opposed to the hundreds of thousands that contribute millions each year in license fees, support to local businesses, and to the exchequer as a whole.

I trust you will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and reverse your decision that contravenes not only common sense, but law.

Respectfully


Cass

I, almost immediately, received an automated reply with a generic thank you and reference number. So we'll see where it goes from here.

Grizzly 45

And just sent.
Mr Whelan,or to whom it may concern.

I was disappointed to read that your company has given into pressure from a minority group called Irish Council Against Bloodsports [ICABS] in relation to placing an age check on shooting and hunting magazines and demanding a “top shelf” status. Despite that they might have presented you with a 1000 person signed petition,which is online and apex 75% of the signitories are not in Ireland but a global anti hunting and shooting fratertinity who sign any such petitions in any country.ICABS itself consists of approx 75 people who dedicate themselves to intimidating busisness with their letter writing and threats to remove any reference to fieldsports.

I on the other hand as one of your regular customers ,belong to a group of over 250 thousand liscensed,fully Garda vetted and approved liscensed firearms owners in Ireland,Along with those involved in the fishing and horse riding sector,would be over half a million potential and actual customers of Easons.We along with our friends,relatives and children are regular customers in your stores and are your mainstay of busisness and trade.It would be very unfortunate for any busisness in this day and age in Ireland to even lose even one tenth of that custom base due to pressure from a miniscule minority of radicals who repersent less than 1 per cent of the Irish pouplation,but insist in forcing their minority views on any busisness or organisation that doesn’t suit their agenda.

Also,if Easons are going to introduce an adult check on people purchasing fieldsport and gun magazines.Will Easons also be asking for ID for other “Adult content” periodicals or books like.The books 50 shades of Grey, any erotic novels ,classical or modern?Gay Times,Playboy,H&E monthly,or even the Red top dalies with a page 3?All of these contain sexual or adult content only suitable for those over 18?
It is farsical that in this day and age that you as the longest seller of books and media in this country,having laboured under strict censorship laws imposed since the foundation of the State and enforced by religious edicts,would bow down again to a tiny bunch of fundamentalists with a social agenda and no legal or social remit whatsoever so quickly.

Sincerely yours

Cass

Reply received moments ago:

Easons reply wrote:

Dear "Cass"

Thank you for writing to us with your feedback.

I appreciate you letting us know what your thoughts. I have forwarded your comments on to to our newsagency team for review.
Customer feedback like yours is valuable to us as we are continually working on making improvements to our website and to the overall customer shopping experience.
Kindest Regards

"Named Eason Rep"

Can anyone say "thanks, but go away and stop bothering us"? It's so generic it mentions websites, etc. That have nothing to do with the matter at hand and were not mentioned in my e-mail.

Petition time me thinks.

Grizzly 45

Eason & Son
AUG 12, 2015 | 11:37AM UTC
Hi, Thanks for submitting your query – a Customer Support agent will respond to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you would like to provide any additional information, please reply to this email.
Your Reference Number is [REDACTED}. Please keep this for your records, as it may help us track your query.
We’ll be in touch soon!
Kind regards,
Eason Customer Support

yubabill1

from eason's FB

Well said, John.


John Shelley
Today at 1:36am.Hi, As a long time customer of yours it is with disbelief & dismay that I learned that your company had bowed to pressure from the self proclaimed Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) request to move hunting & shooting publications out of reach of children & to put a prompt on your till system to make sure any potential purchaser is over 18. I buy my shooting & hunting, among many, many other items such as stationery, books, newspapers etc. every week in your store in Clonmel. I don't know what material ICABS find so offensive that they reckon it needs to be out of reach of children in the shooting & hunting magazines I read. Are they claiming that target orientated shooting magazines now contain some sort of offensive material? I'm sure if there is material in these publications that are that offensive that there are ways for them to have them censored. Or are they adopting their usual method of threats to mount campaign against organisations who refuse to adopt their views & policies? People can legally apply for firearms certificates & legally participate in shooting sports in this country from the age of 14. Therefore, I suggest that the prompt to ensure a potential purchaser is over 18 is removed & that shooting & hunting magazines should not be placed out of reach of children or if they are that you ensure that your average 14 year old can reach them. Finally, I, and a great many more hunters & shooters, who will outnumber the ICABS members many thousands of times, if we were to adopt the methods of some other organisations' and were to threaten to organise a boycott of your stores, it will have a much greater affect on your business than a boycott by the small number of ICABS supporters in the country. Thank you for your time & I hope we will see a public statement on this matter soon.

Vegeta

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Eason & Son
AUG 12, 2015 | 11:37AM UTC
Hi, Thanks for submitting your query – a Customer Support agent will respond to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you would like to provide any additional information, please reply to this email.
Your Reference Number is [REDACTED}. Please keep this for your records, as it may help us track your query.
We’ll be in touch soon!
Kind regards,
Eason Customer Support

Got the same response

hathcock

I am very disappointed to see that you have decided to move hunting magazines to your top shelves at the behest of dangerous animal rights fanatics.These people in Ireland are a very tiny minority who are known to use intimidation and violence in pursuit of their vegetarian utopia.Contrast this with the law abiding hunting community who number in the many tens of thousands,we as a community have noted your recent policy change. I in my own right will make no further purchases in your stores unless there is a reversal of this policy,and I will be encouraging all members of the various hunting organisations of which I am member to do likewise.
Yours in anticipation of a positive reply

arrowloopboy

Dooow ,dose ICABS not know that all meat is made at the supermarket :rolleyes:.
What a bunch of fcuking numptys ,maybe they threatened to cancel their subs to tree huggers weekly or the crustys almanac :rolleyes:, just goes to show ,who ever shouts the loudest ,gets what they want ,no matter how small an organisation ......Now where did I leave my Quorn sandwich .

hiddenmongoose

A disgrace, I spend a fair few bob in easons,(or used to !).Il sit tonight and write a letter of complaint.

cookimonster

I shall be writing to them myself suggesting they move cook books and fashion magazines to the top self so not to offend the vegans, vegetarians and feminists of Ireland...........oh wait......what about those vile magazines that depict cruel and unusual torture.....you know..... those angling publications!

Ask Easons what censorship they carry out for the general literature sold off their shelves in the form of novels...much of which contains direct references to illegal activities.

aaakev

Just sent my mail

Dear Mr. Whelan,

I wish to express my disappointment at your decision to place all Fieldsports and Hunting magazines to the top shelf and implement an over 18's only policy. Hunting and Shooting magazines do not contain adult only material and are suitable for all age groups just like the real thing. Hunting and shooting is enjoyed by over 140,000 people in this country, a lot of whom are from the age of 14 as this is the age the law states you can legally use a firearm for hunting or target shooting. My own son is 7 years old and enjoys coming out hunting with me for Rabbits, from this has learned a lot about where his food comes from and has gained respect for the animals which we hunt.

As a regular customer of your Newbridge store where I regularly buy newspapers, magazines, birthday and wedding gifts and stationary for my childrens school I would like to ask you to please explain this decision and let you know I will be changing where I shop if this decision is not reversed.


The group, ICABS, who convinced you to do this in the first place are a small group of people who regularly use threats and underhand tactics to push their agenda and I would go so far as to say they do not nearly equal the amount of customers you have from the Farming, Shooting and Hunting community who you are offending with this move. The Shooting community are one of the most strictly scrutinized in the country who must constantly prove they are of good character and law abiding

I await your response.

Kind regards

tac foley

Over here, the company of W H Smith tried that lark, too.

It lasted about a week.

There are 39000 certificate holders in my county alone [4961 FACs with anything from 1 to fifty rifled firearms each, and 4961 shotgun certs - one serves for as many shotguns as you care to pay for].

Keep up the pressure, Gentlemen, and I hope that you'll find that your problem will go away like it did here. If not, then, as Cass notes, it's petition time.

BTW, in the UK case, 'pressure' had been applied by an even smaller group - the so called 'Gun control network', which consists of Mr & Mrs Robert Marshall-Andrews and their pet cat.

tac

aaakev

Iv now got the 2 generic replys identical to Cass. Has anyone had an actual response?

Mycroft H

How many actually buy magazines realistically?

aaakev

Mycroft H wrote: »

How many actually buy magazines realistically?

i dont actually read shooting or hunting mags but i know plenty who do. i spent €22 in the newbridge shop on sunday when i was there with the family and that wouldn't be uncommon

yubabill1

Mycroft H wrote: »

How many actually buy magazines realistically?

I buy them in Easons regularly. And have done for over 30 years.

having a serious rethink now, of course.

hiddenmongoose

Even if they reverse their decision the fact that they implemented this policy in the first place disgusts me.They obviously didnt research who ICABS are and their activities .I dont believe either way I will ever spend money in Easons again.I would have bought papers,novels,maps,cards,gift vouchers,stationary there on a regular basis. For example ,Im currently on the 9th book in a series of novels and each costs between 12-16 euro a piece ,all have been purchased in Easons in the last 6 month.

hiddenmongoose

Sent this just now.
To whom it concerns,

I wish to write to you to express my utter disappointment and disgust at your recent decision to place all hunting publications to the top shelf and to introduce a till policy of asking for Id to prove buyers are over 18.

This policy has been implemented after you were partitioned by a group known as ICABS.This group, if you had bothered to research is well known to An Garda Siochana.They are a small extremist animal rights group who has several members with convictions for trespass,assault,threatening behaviour /intimidation and vandalism.This in contrast to the over 140,000 licenced firearms owners in Ireland who if were convicted of any of those offences would lose their firearms licence.

In addition to the 140,000 or so firearms owners you also have thousands more who are interested in this subject ,for example their children.Currently a person of 14 years of age may attain and hold a firearms licence but Eason has decided that they may not buy a hunting magazine!

The images that ICABS claim are offensive and graphic are infact carefully chosen by these publications so as to be exactly the opposite,they will however show animals who have been shot/killed as this is the end result of hunting.Young people growing up in the country,on farms or in homes where countryside life or hunting exists will have an interest in these sports .Sports which promote good values such as being law abiding ,being protective of ,aware and respectful of our countrside,natural surroundings and animals.These publications are a wealth of instructive knowledge to young people interested in the subject.

I would have been a frequent shopper in Eason's of Athlone and would buy magazines ,books,maps,cards,gift vouchers,and stationary there.I will no longer spend my money in any of your stores and will urge all my friends, family and co-workers to do the same.Your policy has outraged the shooting/hunting/countryside community and is currently being discussed on many forums online.I will be bringing your policy to the attention of various shooting organisations so that other shooters/hunters will learn of this.I will also be emailing the editors of the publications in question to inform them of how your policy will affect both the ability of their readers to access their publications and how this will also affect their sales.


Regards,

and the auto reply

Hi, Thanks for submitting your query – a Customer Support agent will respond to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you would like to provide any additional information, please reply to this email.
Your Reference Number is 125752. Please keep this for your records, as it may help us track your query.
We’ll be in touch soon!
Kind regards,
Eason Customer Support

cookimonster

My two cents worth as emailed recently :

As a law abiding and ethical hunter I was dismayed to hear of your recent policy regarding the sales of hunting magazines in your outlets.
I feel that your company policy has been swayed by a minority of society that has links to extremists, who in turn are involved in hate campaigns directed at law abiding citizens, acts of criminal damage and grievous bodily harm.
Under current Irish law minors are licensed to participate in shooting sports and therefore there is no legal constraints as to what publications they may read in conjunction with their sport. There can be no correlation between pornography, alcohol and cigarettes which have age restrictions imposed by legislation and a perfectly legal activity enjoyed by all walks of life both young and old of either of the sexes.
This literature serves as a form of education and a source of knowledge. This policy paints Easons in a poor light as it suggests that you have little or no idea of the actual content of these publications both in printed word and pictorial form. If you where to apply the same logic, as you seem to now, with other publications then cook books depicting meat etc need censorship as would any publications detailing death and inhumane treatment of our fellow man as seen in periodicals, non fiction and fiction literature.
I feel you have capitulated to biased views and are on the slippery slope to bending to every lunatic fringe hiding in the shadows while losing a wide spread customer base.
Remember as hunters and shooters not only have we tens of thousands of fellow enthusiasts to rally we have the support of our families and friends which add up to a substantial loss in revenue for your company should we chose to shop else where. It's not just the magazines but the additional purchases such as novels, stationery, newspapers that you will lose.


And auto reply as per others just received

Cass

E-mails sent to Irish Shooters Digest, Sporting Rifle, Shooting times, Gunmart, Sporting Rifle, and any other publication i can think of informing them of Easons actions, the thoughts of boycotting them because of it, short summary or why it's silly, and possible loss of sales as a result.

Cass

Have gotten two replies from the publications. Simply thanking for the heads up and saying they would look into the matter.

1jay1

I went in to my local Easons today armed with a list of questions / statements only to find the shooting / hunting mags in the exact same bottom shelf they are always on. Has anyone actually seen them make it to the top shelves yet?