Brandon@Forged

35ounces...and? That only tells us it is a non-paying vendor...it doesn't tell us that the guy starting the GB isn't related to them.

35ounces

iTrader: (5)

If your THAT worried about it then require members to be on the board for at least 6 months before they can start a GB and to specify the Vendor. Its not a guarrantee by any means but it is a reasonable compromise.

Surely you can see that a global policy like this hurts the site in intangible ways.

Brandon@Forged

I've already stated why that doesn't work either.

Dr Bonz

iTrader: (1)

Godzilla, sure this is the biggest 350Z site but the vast majority of it's membership are one time registers who don't contribute, or kids who register to talk trash, or lurkers etc.

The REAL core group of members is probably only about two or three thousand or so.

I too would MUCH rather pay a subscription fee to this site and have it remain FREE to business instead of letting the vendors make all the rules. We will NEVER get the variety of products or the great prices on them, with the way you are advocating. And that is a HUGE shame.

A fee to be a member would also weed out all the "suckers" too. This site LOOKS huge but mainly because of all of the off topic crap and all the non-350Z related stuff.

Finally, please don't play the "this site costs money to run" card again. We who were here before you are TIRED of it. I'm sorry if the multi-millionare who owns this site isn't making more money than it takes to simply break even. And don't tell me he isn't AT LEAST doing that and more now.

zzzya

iTrader: (2)

I sure hope the Vendors are paying a lot more to advertise on this site than any of the other sites since my350 has so many more members. I sure know that I have spent a **** load of money buying from the sponsors on this site and so have many other members here. Its too bad you don't have a way of tracking the amount of sales you are generating for them so they could take care of the financial needs as appropriate. I do agree that you have to have some rules for personal GBs. I am constantly disappointed in the vendor GBs anymore, it would be nice if they would do more, especially if the personal ones go out the window.

GodZilla

Are you saying do something like this? http://forums.somethingawful.com/

As far as playing the "this site costs money to run" card. I'm not playing any cards I'm only stating the truth.

BTW how do you know I wasnt here before any of you? Because of my registration date? I'm a lurker and there's nothing wrong with being a lurker.

FYI I still remember your's and Jmanz's first post on ZCar.com "before this site even started" so dont even go there..

2003z

iTrader: (7)

But Ed, they want to have all those 'suckers' because it justifies the high fees they charge the vendors. Do you think they care if everyone is active, no. Just whether the ad revenues continue to roll in.

Dr Bonz

iTrader: (1)

Oh I know that. But it doesn't make this a better site to have them here. You would think that the vendors would be savy enough to realize that the vast majority of members here are people who have never posted or have inactive accounts.

Vic once mentioned cleaning out all of the members who have zero or only a handful of posts at one time. I bet if he did that, you'd see a SIGNIFICANT drop. But they'll never do that now since it makes it look (to the vendors) that this place is a lot bigger than it really is.

I'm sorry Godzilla. I don't mean to single you out. You were "the messenger" and you got shot. Maybe YOU were here before me. If you were I don't remember you since you have probably changed your name. But most of the guys who run this site were NOT here before me.

Not that longevity makes me any more important than anyone else, but what it DOES do is bring perspective to the argument here. I just want you guys who never saw this site the way it used to be in the "good old days", to know that by doing this, you are RUINING this place as far as I'm concerned.

Anyone else with me on this?

Dr Bonz

iTrader: (1)

"Are you saying do something like this? http://forums.somethingawful.com/"

If that meant that we'd be free to conduct "business" here without having to worry about the vendors crying every time someone wants to start a GB, then ABSOLUTELY!

Hell, I'd pay three times that!

How many of us come here on a daily basis? On a two or three times a day basis? What else do any of us do that often FOR FREE?

Now, I know we'll now see all the posts from guys saying "The internet should be free!" "Hell no, I refuse to pay a fee!"

I get that every time I mention a subscription fee. I also get that since I'm a "rich doctor" of course I don't mind paying. Well, come on! You guys pay more than that in beer and cigarette money in a DAY.

Don't you realize that with this new system, the "internet" is NOT free? It is run by the vendors. It's a HELL of a lot less free then if you paid a subscription.

hfm

iTrader: (1)

That is what you're supposed to tell the vendors to promote the site and to pay for it. We already know this and it's not as important to us. That fact that some of us are talking about leaving the site because of this policy change shows you that much.

We're watching.

Then deal with these "some people" individually rather than wrecking the thing for all of us.

Members first, vendors second.

"All I will say concerning this topic is that I think what the people who run this site and make the rules must realize is that the site exists because of its members. This site is its members. The guiding principle on policies and organization must be "what will benefit our members the most?" - Tim/TBCZ 07-04-03.

If I were a vendor, I'd be more concerned about losing the vendor page, vendor feed back links and bottom signature than the fact that some members are doing group buys just as they have been for the past three years. You're losing sponsors because you're not doing what you need to be doing for vendors not because of group buys.

That's hardly a reason to end all group buys.

Actually, two years ago, this site was exactly the same. My thread on this subject happened two years ago and it was properly resolved sometime after I self-banned posts. Kyle, frankly the difference comes with your fairly recent promotion to administrator status. And, that makes me ask, are you still with StrictlyZ or have you given up all vendor activities? Heck Motoring had the newer VB up and running before this site. It's why this site had to upgrade, just to compete. And, they just started with sponsors.

Again, how does terminating group buys directly bring in revenue for this site?

Fix the vendor page, fix their feed back links, fix the bottom signature links so that vendors get what they pay for. Don't screw up a good system for members because you guys are screwing up on what needs to be done for the vendors and as a consequence, aren't seeing as much revenue as you would like.

hfm

iTrader: (1)

That's already been said before. In all the time I've been here, I've done two group buys, one for Borlas which turned out well for over twenty-five members. The other for Volks which failed because vendors properly had concerns of a non-distributor selling the wheels cheaper than then could. In the second instance, I withdrew the group buy because it ultimately affected paying sponsors. The deal would otherwise have gone through with Mackin.

The point is, if a member like myself who has been around for three years has only tried two group buys, I think you guys can figure out that if a member with 150 post count starts doing a group buy every week, that there is a problem. You can deal with this.

hfm

iTrader: (1)

As is, I can't even tell who the hell is sponsoring this site. It's no wonder you maybe having problems with vendors. At this point, what are they paying for other than the three buttons above? You guys need to fix it such that vendors are getting their moneys worth and not screwing around with something that worked for members and vendors alike.

Damn straight. I've bought from Coz, from Gruppe-S, from Performance Nissan, from 350Evo and others vendors in part because they sponsor this site. Bonz I'm sure has supported many vendors because of their sponsorship. Ditto for a huge number of members just like us and moreso for us long timers.

Kyle, your vendors are making money off of people like us. That's why they pay you. Your policies maybe chasing away people like us. Heck, what if I said, okay, you want to end group buys - fine, I'll just keep coming to this site but will end purchasing specifically from your vendors.

Many of us have spent $5,000 to $10,000 on forum sponsors and they know it or should know it. I strongly recommend that you not underestimate how important our membership is to keeping this site up and what we have done for the site by our patronage of sponsors.

The point is, we need vendors, they need us. Start screwing with what we want, and you lose happy customers. You lose happy customers, you lose business. More importantly, please re-read what Tim/TBCZ said on this issue two years ago. He was absolutely correct. This site is about members. Bonz, and all the members that have voiced their opinion on this issue agree that this site is first and fore-most about the members.

How are the discussions going on this issue?

GodZilla

I never said the vendors first, members second.
We do realize the site exists because of its members

Thats just it your not a vendor. However I am just as concerned about vendor page as the vendors are. It is being worked on. Fact is, I am currently intergrating it with the banner ad program now. The way it was setup before would not work with the current version of VB we are using.

You cant say the site was exactly the same 2 years ago. The traffic and post count has more than doubled since then.
Also, I gave up on the vendor status, activities and no longer sell parts and accessories thus the reason you dont see any advertisments from strictlyz on the site anymore.
As far as Motoring goes I had been planning the upgrade long before they did there's they just beat me to the punchline.

We are working on the vendors page and the feedback links will be going to a new format.

My point is this I've seen many sides of the fence from the enthusiast, vendor and the person that runs and maintains the site. I know what it costs to be a sponsor, cost to run the site, time and maintence needed to keep the site going. There are still a lot of cool and good things getting added to the site but you just cant add it all in one day.

The overall intent is to make this site an enjoyable and worthwile place for everyone to come to, everyone working on it and everyone sponsoring it.

I have yet to finish implementing everything on the site, only a portion of it is done.
And as I stated before Will the Group buys come back? Maybe but in a different manor and that is still under discussion.

hfm

iTrader: (1)

Okay, it's good to know where members stand with you.

Whether I am a vendor or not isn't the issue. It's good that you're concerned about the vendor page. But, you missed my point. Fixing those things that offer value to vendors is what needs to be done rather than removal of group buys.

I'm not talking about traffic or post count. I'm talking about how the site should be run relative to group buys. How much traffic and how many posts doesn't change the fact that group buys by non-vendors is good for this community and maybe accomplished while still providing vendors with value for their sponsorship.

Really? You're giving customer service as recently as January this year. https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ight=strictlyZ Whatever the case, I'll assume you're not letting your business interests affect your adminstration duties.

Good.

As said before, we are watching.

It's good that you're listening because your administration is being reviewed by members.

Brandon@Forged

We have figured out something to do for the group buy's, although i'm not sure most of you will like it. We'll let you know soon regardless.

zand02max

iTrader: (22)

Whats the point then?

2003z

iTrader: (7)

I find that hard to believe. As for strictly Z, when you stole Audio Pats product, used testimonies for his patented product as your own, and Yuichi left you, thats when your store went downhill.

2003z

iTrader: (7)

by the way, if people wonder why strictly z doesn't advertise on one of the other sites, its because they used testimony for audio pats product for their knock-off. reason enough to never by from them.

GodZilla

Yes I was but that didnt mean I was taking any new orders..
In fact part of the reason I am no longer doing strictlyz is for the same reasons you are concerned about. My primary objective has nothing to do with selling parts

Brandon@Forged

The point was to try to get everyone to understand why group buy's were closed up until a few hours ago.