Here are all the brands that have cut ties with the NRA following gun-control activists' boycotts
From Delta Airlines to Avis and Budget a range of companies have ended their relationship with the association
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Gun-control activists are organising boycotts of companies with ties to the National Rifle Association – and they’re already producing results.
People on social media are calling for boycotts of companies that offer or have offered special deals to NRA members who, as part of their membership, receive discounts on things like car rentals and prescription drugs.
While companies such as FedEx and Hertz still offer such discounts, other companies have cut ties.
Here are all the brands that have cut ties with the gun-rights group after the recent boycotts as well as past efforts by gun-control activists.
Delta Airlines
On Saturday, the airline tweeted that it is ”reaching out to the NRA to let them know we will be ending their contract for discounted rates through our group travel programme. We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website.”
United Airlines
The airline announced on Saturday that it is cutting ties to the NRA.
“United is notifying the NRA that we will no longer offer a discounted rate to their annual meeting and we are asking that the NRA remove our information from their website,” the company tweeted.
Hertz
On Friday, Hertz tweeted, “We have notified the NRA that we are ending the NRA’s rental car discount programme with Hertz.”
Allied Van Lines
In a statement to Business Insider, an Allied representative said the moving company is discontinuing its discount program with the NRA immediately. “We have asked them to remove our listing from their benefits site,” the representative said.
MetLife
MetLife told Business Insider on Friday that it would discontinue its NRA discounts program. “We value all our customers but have decided to end our discount program with the NRA,” a representative said in an emailed statement.
SimpliSafe
On Friday, the home-security company SimpliSafe told Business Insider that it would withdraw from the NRA discount program. “We have discontinued our existing relationship with the NRA,” SimpliSafe CEO Chad Laurans said in a statement.
First National Bank of Omaha
On Thursday, the bank said it would not renew a contract with the NRA that allowed members to receive an NRA-branded Visa card. “Customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA,” the bank said on Twitter in response to a call for a boycott. Previously, First National Bank offered members of the gun-rights organisation an NRA Visa card, which offered a $40 cash-back bonus (£28.50p).
Paramount Rx
On Friday night, Paramount Rx released the following statement to Business Insider: “The prescription discount program that is made available to NRA members is offered through a third-party vendor. We are working with that vendor to discontinue the program and remove the offering.”
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental
The car-rental giant Enterprise Holdings announced on Thursday that it would end its NRA discount program, effective March 26. The three car-rental brands that Enterprise operates – Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental – will stop offering discounts to NRA members.
A representative did not respond to Business Insider’s follow-up questions about why Enterprise was ending the program, though the company has been flooded with boycott threats on social media. Avis Budget Group and Hertz, two rivals of Enterprise, still offered NRA discounts as of Friday morning.
Symantec
The cybersecurity company announced on social media Friday that it had “stopped its discount program with the National Rifle Association.”
Best Western
Best Western has been targeted by boycott efforts because it has offered discounts to NRA members as recently as 2016. In response, the hotel chain has tweeted dozens of times that it “does not have an affiliation with and is not a corporate partner of the National Rifle Association.”
“Best Western ended any association with the NRA in 2014,” a representative said in a statement to Business Insider.
Best Western has been targeted in past NRA boycott efforts.
In 2012, after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the activist group Avaaz organised a boycott of Best Western and Wyndham Hotel Group, calling for them to cut ties with the NRA. At the time, both hotel chains were listed on the gun-rights group’s website as “friends of the NRA” and offered members discounts at hotels.
Wyndham Hotel Group
While Wyndham Hotel Group previously offered a 10 per cent discount to NRA members, the hotel chain cut ties with the organisation late last year. In response to boycott threats this week, the Twitter accounts for Wyndham and its rewards programme tweeted dozens of times that the hotel chain was “no longer affiliated with the NRA.”
Republic Bank
“The NRA Prepaid Card program was previously under review. Upon conclusion of this review, we decided to discontinue the offering,” a representative said in a statement.
Avis and Budget
A representative for Avis and Budget told Business Insider that the brands would stop the NRA rewards programme, effective 26 March 2018.
Read more:
• May tackles new Brexit Rebellion
• Philip Hammond and Mark Carney are in China to secure £1 billion of trade deals
• Facebook admits that social media can be bad for you
Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2018. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments