WHSmiths petition. Please show your support and sign.

[Reece]

Quote from Airgun Shooter Magazine facebook page:

 

"In the case of Manchester West 1, the store checked with the buyers at WHS Head Office who confirmed apparently confirmed that there should be "no restrictions in place on shooting titles, other than Guns & Ammo". (The store rang me back with this info... which was passed to BASC.)"

 

So, is Guns and Ammo now the only one with restrictions? Please, if you have time, go to your local WHSmith store (stores?) and test Airgun Shooter, Airsoft, and Guns and Ammo 2013.

 

And again, put as much pressure as you can on WHSmith to drop all its remaining age restrictions. customer.relations@whsmith.co.uk seem to respond to emails.

 

 

EDIT: Is there an email address people could send store visit findings to, if they are not members of BASC? I was going to send a letter in to Shooting Times urging readers to visit stores and test the till prompts, but not all will be BASC members.

Edited November 15, 2012 by Reece

[JonathanL]

Why the restriction on G&A though?

 

J.

[Conor O'Gorman]

Quote from Airgun Shooter Magazine facebook page:

 

"In the case of Manchester West 1, the store checked with the buyers at WHS Head Office who confirmed apparently confirmed that there should be "no restrictions in place on shooting titles, other than Guns & Ammo". (The store rang me back with this info... which was passed to BASC.)"

 

So, is Guns and Ammo now the only one with restrictions? Please, if you have time, go to your local WHSmith store (stores?) and test Airgun Shooter, Airsoft, and Guns and Ammo 2013.

 

And again, put as much pressure as you can on WHSmith to drop all its remaining age restrictions. customer.relations@whsmith.co.uk seem to respond to emails.

 

 

EDIT: Is there an email address people could send store visit findings to, if they are not members of BASC? I was going to send a letter in to Shooting Times urging readers to visit stores and test the till prompts, but not all will be BASC members.

 

For several weeks we have been pooling all store visit reports we can find or have been sent to us on the BASC website, the current list of reports being for the end phase of this campaign. If anyone wishes to add to that I would be happy to do so. Email me at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk

 

We are down to three magazines, and its looking like restriction problems with Airgun Shooter and Airsoft are being lifted. As for Guns and Ammo I have been in discussion with the publishers in New York last week and this week and based on principle hopefully that restriction will be lifted too.

 

In essence, our collective efforts have made a difference, but must not be complacent and think this is over. Continued vigilance is needed and if anyone gets a till prompt for a shooting magazine please report it in, whether that is in the coming weeks or years. A problem arose with WHSmith in 2004, it has happened again this year, and we must remain vigilant for the future.

 

EDIT: i have had a day off today but will add all the latest reports from the Airgun Shooter Facebook page and any other reports to the BASC website tomorrow.

Edited November 15, 2012 by Conor O'Gorman

[Conor O'Gorman]

On another note, I have had a response! Not sure if it's a stock reply or not. I think it's changed because it mentiones our campaign.

 

Reece, that's interesting to see a copy of, thanks.

There have been six types of stock replies so far issued by WHSmith. Your reply qualifies as the seventh (!) a new variant in that you have received it from Lisa Jones, whom i haven't seen any email before from, and that the content is a 'new', being a re-hash of parts of the stock statements contained in the other six stock replies. Nothing new content wise though. It really is quite insulting that so many of us have taken the time and effort to put together well argued points only to receive stock replies. BASC had published the six stock replies on the BASC website, so people would be able to compare and contrast, but we recently refreshed the page to focus visitors to the page on store visits rather than emails.

[Reece]

For several weeks we have been pooling all store visit reports we can find or have been sent to us on the BASC website, the current list of reports being for the end phase of this campaign. If anyone wishes to add to that I would be happy to do so. Email me at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk

 

We are down to three magazines, and its looking like restriction problems with Airgun Shooter and Airsoft are being lifted. As for Guns and Ammo I have been in discussion with the publishers in New York last week and this week and based on principle hopefully that restriction will be lifted too.

 

In essence, our collective efforts have made a difference, but must not be complacent and think this is over. Continued vigilance is needed and if anyone gets a till prompt for a shooting magazine please report it in, whether that is in the coming weeks or years. A problem arose with WHSmith in 2004, it has happened again this year, and we must remain vigilant for the future.

 

EDIT: i have had a day off today but will add all the latest reports from the Airgun Shooter Facebook page and any other reports to the BASC website tomorrow.

 

Would it be all right for me to include your BASC email in a letter to Shooting Times? I was going to send a letter asking more people to visit stores to test the till prompts, but you need to be a BASC member to post comments from store visits directly onto the BASC page. It would be good to include that email because non BASC members could use it to send their findings to BASC.

 

Reece, that's interesting to see a copy of, thanks.

There have been six types of stock replies so far issued by WHSmith. Your reply qualifies as the seventh (!) a new variant in that you have received it from Lisa Jones, whom i haven't seen any email before from, and that the content is a 'new', being a re-hash of parts of the stock statements contained in the other six stock replies. Nothing new content wise though. It really is quite insulting that so many of us have taken the time and effort to put together well argued points only to receive stock replies. BASC had published the six stock replies on the BASC website, so people would be able to compare and contrast, but we recently refreshed the page to focus visitors to the page on store visits rather than emails.

 

I sent my latest email to customer.relations@whsmith.co.uk. Most emailed the CEO and Chairman instead. That might be why I got a slightly different response from a different person.

It does mention our campaign, so there is a little bit of new content.

 

I sent the email to encourage WHSmith to drop its last remaining restrictions.

[Conor O'Gorman]

Would it be all right for me to include your BASC email in a letter to Shooting Times? I was going to send a letter asking more people to visit stores to test the till prompts, but you need to be a BASC member to post comments from store visits directly onto the BASC page. It would be good to include that email because non BASC members could use it to send their findings to BASC.

 

 

Yes, no problem with that, and feel free to email me directly to compare notes etc. by the way, for what its worth, you have done a sterling job in motivating so many people on this issue. Your efforts have been very inspiring.

[Reece]

Sent a letter to Shooting Times encouraging readers to test shooting magazines at stores. I've also included a link to the petition.

 

Conor, what's the latest with Airsoft and Guns and Ammo? I know Airgun Shooter doesn't seem to have any restrictions, but when are you next planning to visit WHSmith to test the till prompts?

Edited November 17, 2012 by Reece

[guest1957]

Country Life had a piece on it in their 7th November issue.

[Reece]

Animal Aid have stepped up their campaign, so we MUST keep up the pressure.

 

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_shooting//2777//

 

It also looks like we will have to remain vigilant after the policy is completely removed. Otherwise Animal Aid are going to score some serious victories.

 

Also, what is the latest with the policy? Has it been completely retracted yet?

[guest1957]

Animal Aid have stepped up their campaign, so we MUST keep up the pressure.

 

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_shooting//2777//

 

It also looks like we will have to remain vigilant after the policy is completely removed. Otherwise Animal Aid are going to score some serious victories.

 

Also, what is the latest with the policy? Has it been completely retracted yet?

 

A couple of those in the post and it looks an awful lot like harassment

[sitsinhedges]

Vegan Fayres and Dolphin days. Sounds like a bunch of cranks to me

[Conor O'Gorman]

Sent a letter to Shooting Times encouraging readers to test shooting magazines at stores. I've also included a link to the petition.

 

Conor, what's the latest with Airsoft and Guns and Ammo? I know Airgun Shooter doesn't seem to have any restrictions, but when are you next planning to visit WHSmith to test the till prompts?

 

Blaze publishes both Airgun Shooter and Airsoft Action so if all age restrictions have been lifted on one I imagaine its the same for the other. The only way to find out for sure is for people to visit stores, test on the self service machine and report back so any remaining gremlins in their till prompt system (which is apparently centrally controlled) can be alerted to and ironed out. We have had no new reports for tests on these magazines since last week. People on the Airgun shooter facebook site did a fantastic job in checking many stores - perhaps you could add an awareness raising post on the Airsoft Action facebook page to prompt some interest?

 

As regards Guns and Ammo nothing more to report there, it would also be worth posting some awareness raising amongst the members on their Facebook site (which has a massive following in the USA by our standards with 60,000 likes and up to 1,000 likes per post). They might not be able to test magazines over here but they could help bring the matter to the fore for the publishers.

 

I didnt get a chance to visit any WHSmith store at the weekend but plan to visit again this weekend.

[Reece]

Blaze publishes both Airgun Shooter and Airsoft Action so if all age restrictions have been lifted on one I imagaine its the same for the other. The only way to find out for sure is for people to visit stores, test on the self service machine and report back so any remaining gremlins in their till prompt system (which is apparently centrally controlled) can be alerted to and ironed out. We have had no new reports for tests on these magazines since last week. People on the Airgun shooter facebook site did a fantastic job in checking many stores - perhaps you could add an awareness raising post on the Airsoft Action facebook page to prompt some interest?

 

As regards Guns and Ammo nothing more to report there, it would also be worth posting some awareness raising amongst the members on their Facebook site (which has a massive following in the USA by our standards with 60,000 likes and up to 1,000 likes per post). They might not be able to test magazines over here but they could help bring the matter to the fore for the publishers.

 

I didnt get a chance to visit any WHSmith store at the weekend but plan to visit again this weekend.

 

I get a bit confused with all the airsoft facebook pages there are. I'm not sure which page is the right page for the Airsoft magazine.

 

I'll have a look for guns and ammo magazine's facebook page.

 

I can't get anywhere near a WHSmith store. I won't be able to visit until our family starts the christmas shopping.

 

EDIT: Found G&A. I see what you mean about the number of likes. Nearly 70,000.

Edited November 20, 2012 by Reece

[Conor O'Gorman]

i saw your post on the Guns & Ammo facebook page. it will be interesting to see if it generates any interest amongst their members.

 

the airsoft action magazine facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/AirsoftAction it would be useful to ask people there to test the magazine for the 13pa till prompt in stores.

[Conor O'Gorman]

The latest update has been added to the BASC website as follows:

 

Age restrictions appear to have been lifted from all UK shooting magazines that were previously affected, including Airgun Shooter, Clay Shooter, Fieldsports, Gun Mart, Shooting Sports, Shooting Times, Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter.

 

Age restrictions may still be in place for a shooting magazine imported from the USA called Guns & Ammo 2013 annual magazine. The last report BASC received of an age restriction on this magazine was on 11th November. BASC has made the publishers aware of the problem and further tests on this magazine in WHSmith stores would be useful.

 

Recent reports of a '13pa' message appearing on self-service tills for Airgun Shooter and Airsoft Action were thought to have been a new type of age restriction but BASC has been informed that this stands for 13 issues per annum and this message should not trigger a till prompt at self-service tills.

 

If people encounter any type of age restriction when buying a shooting magazine in any newsagent, supermarket or shop, whether it’s a till prompt or staff imposing an age restriction, please let BASC know immediately.

 

Click here to to let us know if you encounter any age restrictions via the BASC website or email me at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk

Edited November 21, 2012 by Conor O'Gorman

[Reece]

I posted that on the Guns and Ammo facebook page, but no one seems to have paid any attention.

 

Also, why aren't more people doing store visits? Interest in the campaign seems to have died down.

[Reece]

So, have us shooters won this one? Guns and Ammo magazine isn't relevant to British shooting, so I think we have. All UK magazines are free of restrictions.

 

If we have won, it would be a good idea to update the change.org petition to say "victory", as they do with successful petitions.

[Bloke]

Was in WHSmiths in Sheffield Meadowhall on Sunday, glad to report all shooting magazines back on the lower shelves again and didn't see any age check stuff come up on the till display - people power at work! :good:

[Conor O'Gorman]

So, have us shooters won this one? Guns and Ammo magazine isn't relevant to British shooting, so I think we have. All UK magazines are free of restrictions.

 

If we have won, it would be a good idea to update the change.org petition to say "victory", as they do with successful petitions.

 

Hi Reece, we have to all intents and purposes won this battle, but we must remain vigilant. This time around it has been the age restrictions on shooting magazines that has been exposed and overturned in WHSmith stores thanks to the lobbying efforts of so many shooters. But let's not forget that in December 2004 a shooter was surprised to find no shooting magazines on display in the Bromley branch of WHSmith. He could have just accepted that. However, he queried this, and was told by the staff that a head office memo had been sent to staff instructing them to stop putting shooting publications on public display. He wrote to Countryman's Weekly which appeared as their star letter on 9 December 2004 accompanied by a footnote from the editor to state that a WHSmith spokesman had said that no such instruction had gone out. The shooter also received a letter from WHSmith denying that there was an anti-shooting policy and when he visited the Bromley branch the following month the magazines were again on the shelf. If you want a scanned copy of the Countrymans Weekly letters page email me at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk

 

It has happened before and could happen again. For example PETA have tried something similar recently in USA. Click here for some background So whilst we have to all intents and purposes won this particular battle looking at the bigger picture i think vigilance is needed, particularly in the absence of any statement from WHSmith to date.

 

On the BASC websiteour advice is that if people encounter any type of age restriction when buying a shooting magazine in any newsagent, supermarket or shop, whether it’s a till prompt or staff imposing an age restriction, to please let us know immediately. A shooter acted in 2004 and may have nipped an issue in the bud, it is imperative that we all do the same now and into the future.

 

I have advised James that an update would be timely on the petition, whether that is to register the petition as successful with change.org or provide an update - thats very much his call, as he set it up.

 

As regards BASC we will keep adding any feedback received from store visits and any other updates of pertinence on our website. I have posted feedback from my own store visit on Sunday and added the one above by Bloke as well.

Edited November 28, 2012 by Conor O'Gorman

[Reece]

Hi Reece, we have to all intents and purposes won this battle, but we must remain vigilant. This time around it has been the age restrictions on shooting magazines that has been exposed and overturned in WHSmith stores thanks to the lobbying efforts of so many shooters. But let's not forget that in December 2004 a shooter was surprised to find no shooting magazines on display in the Bromley branch of WHSmith. He could have just accepted that. However, he queried this, and was told by the staff that a head office memo had been sent to staff instructing them to stop putting shooting publications on public display. He wrote to Countryman's Weekly which appeared as their star letter on 9 December 2004 accompanied by a footnote from the editor to state that a WHSmith spokesman had said that no such instruction had gone out. The shooter also received a letter from WHSmith denying that there was an anti-shooting policy and when he visited the Bromley branch the following month the magazines were again on the shelf. If you want a scanned copy of the Countrymans Weekly letters page email me at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk

 

It has happened before and could happen again. For example PETA have tried something similar recently in USA. Click here for some backgroundSo whilst we have to all intents and purposes won this particular battle looking at the bigger picture i think vigilance is needed, particularly in the absence of any statement from WHSmith to date.

 

On the BASC websiteour advice is that if people encounter any type of age restriction when buying a shooting magazine in any newsagent, supermarket or shop, whether it’s a till prompt or staff imposing an age restriction, to please let us know immediately. A shooter acted in 2004 and may have nipped an issue in the bud, it is imperative that we all do the same now and into the future.

 

I have advised James that an update would be timely on the petition, whether that is to register the petition as successful with change.org or provide an update - thats very much his call, as he set it up.

 

As regards BASC we will keep adding any feedback received from store visits and any other updates of pertinence on our website. I have posted feedback from my own store visit on Sunday and added the one above by Bloke as well.

 

Of course we need to remain vigilant. But, then again, it has long been this way for shooters. We have long had to keep an eye out for the next threat to shooting, and it is likely to stay this way. Even after we win particular campaigns, we need to keep our eyes open.

[Reece]

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/news_shooting//2788//

 

"On 15 December, activists will be leafleting outside WH Smith outlets across the UK, to protest the retailer’s sale to children of titles such as Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, Shooting Sports and Sporting Rifle, which encourage and even celebrate the killing of animals for ‘sport’.

Animal Aid’s campaign already has the support of the majority of the public, according to the results of a recent NOP poll. In the survey, 84 per cent of respondents called for a ban on the sale of gun magazines to under-18s and 74 per cent of the public supported our call to have such material moved to a top shelf position."

 

This is the latest from Animal Aid. So, keep up the pressure. I'll be emailing WHSmith again, and I urge others to do the same, asking WHSmith not to impose any age restrictions. It would also be useful to emphasise that AA does not have majority public support, and that its poll is biased, the sample size too small, and the questions were worded to encourage certain responses.

 

Anyone who has the time should go down to WHSmith stores and speak to someone in charge, to counter Animal Aid's campaign. Maybe BASC could start a leafletting campaign as well?