Editorial US Elite Doing Battle with Silicon Valley Recoil Staff October 22, 2015 Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Read our affiliate policy. Find out more about how we test products. US Elite took a hosing recently, and without benefit of any sort of happy ending. Apparently Google (and Twitter and PayPal) does not appreciate the fact that they sell knives. US Elite says that they've halted ads without warning, seized funds, and engaged in other nonsensical tomfuckery that will — or at least should — frustrate the hell out of you. The following is an excerpt from a blog post by Steve Keefer, CEO of U.S. Elite, about the negative impact these inconsistent policies have on their small business. My company, U.S. Elite, offers high end outdoor and tactical gear. While we support the 2nd Amendment, we do not sell guns or ammunition. We do sell a lot of apparel, footwear, eyewear, pouches, packs, watches, and other types of gear (up until recently we were a Benchmade Knife dealer, but that’s the point of this story). Well, we were advertising some apparel and footwear with Google and all of a sudden we got shut down. Just like that! No warning, no notice, just green to red in a flash. Scratching our heads, we checked in with Google and got this response: “Due to our Dangerous Products or Services policy, we no longer allow the advertisement of knives anywhere on your website. Although you may not directly have ads for knives, knives cannot be anywhere on the website advertised with AdWords.” Say what? So a line that we’ve nurtured for years, invested countless hours, factory visits, and tens of thousands of dollars in inventory, without any warning we’re off the site? Or on the other hand, give up a revenue driver that’s almost 20% of our business? Daaaaaammmnnn. That’s hardball. Mind you, this wasn’t a conversation about automatic knives or anything regulated; this includes all knives, even the Benchmade Prestige Kitchen Set. Every damn knife. Off the damn site. US Elite Gear is not the only company dealing with poor business practice and inconsistency. Raven Concealment Systems seems to do battle with Facebook's ad people on a weekly basis. We're all about capitalism — a business can have whatever policies it likes — but how about we apply the same standards to everyone, and make sure those standards are objectively reasonable? And let's not forget just how many of the companies in our industry are small businesses, the cornerstone of the American dream. Now they're doing battle with Silicon Valley behemoths. Let's help them out — spread the word! Read more here. Hat tip to Soldier Systems Daily. Why you can trust RECOIL Since our founding in 2012, RECOIL remains the premier firearms lifestyle publication for the modern shooting enthusiast. We deliver cutting-edge coverage of guns, gear, accessories and technology. We go beyond basic reviews, providing no B.S. buyer’s guides, hands-on testing and expert analysis on everything from firearms and survival equipment to watches and vehicles. Our reviewers are the backbone of our operation and come from diverse shooting backgrounds: Former law enforcement, military veterans, competitive shooters, seasoned hunters and plain old firearms enthusiasts. Furthermore, we’re not just gun experts, but dedicated journalists who adhere to the strictest standards of our profession. At RECOIL, editorial independence is the foundation of everything we publish and the cornerstone of reader trust. Our editors, writers and content creators make all editorial decisions independently, free from outside influence. That boils down to: advertisers don’t dictate our coverage, the outcomes of our reviews or what we recommend in our buyer’s guides. First and always, our commitment is to our audience—ensuring every review and article is accurate, unbiased, and driven by real-world experience. Whether you’re selecting your next firearm, upgrading your gear, or exploring the latest innovations in the shooting world, RECOIL provides the trusted insights you need to make informed decisions. Learn more about our Editorial Standards and how we review products. NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.
