Half Price Books contact information

[dhoobler]

The E-mail address for HPB is customercare@halfpricebooks.com. The phone number is 800-883-2114.

I sent the following text to them as an E-mail. Depending one their response, I might follow up with a phone call.

Dear Sirs:
I have been a customer of Half Price Books for years. I have also had a concealed handgun license for the past 20 years.

I went to your store in Webster, TX yesterday and I noticed that you have posted signs prohibiting both open carry and concealed carry. I understand your motivation for prohibiting open carry. I do not understand prohibiting concealed carry.

Texas is home to nearly one million holders of concealed handgun licenses. Holders of such licenses have impeccable records of both safety and obeying the law. We actually have lower conviction rates than police officers. A holder of a concealed handgun license has not been a threat to your business for the past 20 years and did not become a threat to your business just because open carry became legal on January 1, 2016.

Before you tell me that your policy is for the safety of your employees and your customers, there is no data to support claims that holders of concealed handgun licenses in any way reduce safety.

Before you tell me that it is for the comfort of your customers and employees, I will concede that open carry could have a negative affect and I have no issue with you banning open carry under Texas Penal Code section 30.07.

On the other hand, a concealed and unseen handgun cannot affect anyone's comfort, except for the person who is carrying the firearm. There is no justification for banning concealed carry.

Many businesses are banning open carry but not concealed carry. HEB is but one example of a state-wide company that prohibits open carry but does not prohibit concealed carry. I respectfully request that you remove the signs from your stores that reference Texas Penal Code, section 30.06 that prohibits concealed carry.

Edited to add missing digit from phone number.

[dhoobler]

This is their reply.

Thank you for your email. Half Price Books has had a long-standing policy making all of our stores and facilities weapons-free. This policy will not change in 2016, though we are now posting signs in our Texas stores that are compliant with the relative statutes starting on January 1st.

We know this is a sensitive issue and understand that there are many different viewpoints on the subject. However, it is the policy from our corporate offices, to our warehouses, and to our stores that weapons are not allowed on the premises. As you mentioned in your email, we decided to do this for the comfort of our employees and customers.
Again, thank you for contacting us.


Jeremy W.

Half Price Books Customer Care
1-800-883-2114
customercare@hpb.com

[suthdj]

Old news search first

[Redneck_Buddha]

Yeah my take is that they are not going to back down and they've made a misguided business decision considering, as another poster mentioned, their business proposition is tenuous and they don't seem to be changing with the times. Seems like they've determined most of their clientele is older, bookish intellectuals with a "progressive" tilt, and have determined that the effect on their business will be minimal.

I would like nothing better than to open a similar type company that more fun, astute, and with the times but that also respects the tenets of liberty and common sense.

[dhoobler]

Old news search first

This is their reply to my Email. I received it today.