HONEA PATH, S.C. (WSPA) – A South Carolina car dealership has been running a “God, guns and America” promotion that has been raising eyebrows on social media but driving up sales.
“You purchase a vehicle [and] you will be actually leaving the dealership with a Bible and your American flag. We will give a voucher to you to go to a local reputable gun store,” Carolina Ford General Manager Derrick Hughes said.
The promotion gained the Honea Path dealership national attention.
“We’ve had people from as far as Texas [and] Pennsylvania. I think we’ve had a couple of them from Oklahoma,” Hughes said.
Hughes said customers are making the trip just to buy a car at Carolina Ford. He said from now until the end of November, every new car purchase comes with a Bible, American flag and a $400 voucher to Locked N Loaded, in Abbeville, for a Smith and Wesson AR.
The owner of Locked N Loaded Jay Ashley wanted to make it very clear they just aren’t giving away guns. Ashley said customers who plan to redeem the voucher have to pass required background checks.
“What we don’t want is someone who bought a car and they know they can’t buy a firearm to give that to somebody else to come in here and get it,” Ashley told 7 News. “Not going to happen! We will squish that. We know the name of the person who bought the car, who signed [for it] and that’s why we require a copy of their driver’s license.”
People can choose to use the $400 voucher for other items in the tactical store.
“They can spend it on fishing equipment. They can spend it on hunting [equipment],” Ashley said.
As of Wednesday, no one has tried to redeem the firearm voucher at Locked N Loaded.
