Despite the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, gun control in the US still remains elusive as finance companies like Credova and Sezzle offer ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes for prospective weapon buyers.
The ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes also offer teenagers – who are likely unable to access credit cards and debit cards like adults – the chance to buy firearms and also increases the likelihood of mass shootings where background checks are ignored.
A report by news agency Bloomberg shows that the gun manufacturer Daniel Defense – whose weapon was used by Salvador Ramos to kill 19 children and two teachers in Robb Elementary – was selling its firearms via a promotional ad which explained how to enroll for a sweepstakes contest if the weapon is bought via Credova’s ‘buy now, pay later’ scheme.
“Enter to win $15K when you buy now, pay later with Credova,” a message said.
News18 at the time of writing this report also accessed the website and saw the financing option still available on Daniel Defense’s website.
Upon opening the website one can also see the pop-up message where the company extended its condolences to those killed in the Uvalde mass shooting.
The finance company based in Montana’s Bozeman which offers installment plans also shows how accessible firearms are in the vast majority of the US and also shows how far-reaching is the impact of ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes in retail.
Aimee Huff, an associate professor of marketing at Oregon State University, told Bloomberg that such marketing tools send a symbolic message that firearms are easily accessible.
“It normalizes and legitimizes guns as just another kind of consumer product that people should be able to access with minimal interference,” Huff was quoted as saying by news agency Bloomberg.
The schemes also are being promoted at a time when the US Supreme Court is mulling a ruling which could greatly expand the presence of handguns in the country’s most populous cities.
The report also found out that Minneapolis-based Sezzle Inc. also works with several sellers of guns, ammunition, and accessories such as concealed carry holsters.
Credova’s CEO Dusty Wanderlich, who ran a now-bankrupt holding company, said that Credova aims to make ‘customer experience easier’. “We consider ourselves a financial technology company. What a lot of financial technology companies are doing is trying to make the customer experience easier,” he said earlier in January.
(with inputs from Bloomberg)
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