Recommending products from retailers other than the sponsors?

Recommend a retailer that is not a sponsor of DC?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 93 86.1%

  • No.

    Votes: 6 5.6%

  • No opinion.

    Votes: 9 8.3%
  • Total voters
    108
C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
What is the general feeling about posting information about products that are available from some place other than the sponsors?
It could be an on-line store or a local retailer that has a good product or a really good price.
I'm a little undecided about this, but it would be interesting to see what some of the rest of you think.
FWIW, most of my stuff comes from the sponsors, but I have been known to stray.
:brick

Charles
 
If there is a really good product or information out there which one of us wants to share with the rest of the community and I say go for it. :jump Obviously using the forums as free advertising is unacceptable.
 
I don't think it's a problem at all. If the sponsors could "dictate" what we could and could not talk about, this would not be a very good place to learn or discuss things. It would turn into a "profit pit" more or less. I find that a lot of the stuff I use comes from local stores for a good deal less than what I can get a similar product from a sponsor for, and I have no qualms about sharing this info - especially with people who are just starting out. On the other hand, I will recommend the sponsors due to the high quality of customer sevrvice. I think if it ever came to the point where I (or others) were looked down on for talking about or recommnding non-sponsor products, I would leave and probably not be compelled to purchase any of the sponsor products all together.
 
My indecision isn't due to any concern about the sponsors "dictating" what we can recommend.
It's more the feeling that I am in some way being disloyal to the people that make the site possible if I steer someone to a different retailer.

:dunno

Charles
 
I didn't take it that way Charles, even if my post sounded that way. :) I really enjoy DC and using nice detailing products, but I don't see any reason not to share what works well for you, be it from a sponsor or Wal-Mart. That's just how I honestly feel about it. If I use a product that costs $2.99 that gives me the same results as a product that costs $15+, I'm just not going to go out of my way to spend any extra money is all. With all that being said, most of the sponsor products are not matched locally, so I do find that I use quite a bit of stuff from them. On the off chance that I buy something from another online retailer that I have very good success with, I am not going to hide the fact that I used it and I like it. An example would be the Sonus pads that I have and use regularly with very good results.
 
Here is my humble opinion!

Detail City is by title and what is dictated on the webste as follows!

Detailing Forum is the premier auto detailing forum on the internet! Use this forum to discuss car care tips, tricks, products and how-to. All about detailing, all the time.

Some other text that is on the website says the following!

Are you a professional detailer or just want to detail like the pros do? THis is where the pros hang out! Share your professional detailing, business and marketing tips here.

UNBIASED and IMPARTIAL car care product discussion by Detail City members.

So with all of that said! I beleive that DC is a place where we can come together and discuss Detailing. The sponsors probably receive 90% of our business but there are those few times that they either Don't have what we are looking for or we end up picking it up localy! But products aside 70% of the discussions held here are technique related and 30% products! The types of products we use are really personal prefrence!

IE: I prefer Poorboys ... there are a few reasons why personally one of my big things is that ALL PRODUCTS ARE MADE INT THE U.S.A!! I personally beleive that now more than ever this is a very important thing!

Now as an added benifit to these products. I find that they actually work for me. I recomend them to my friends (They have placed orders) ect. My Mail man has even placed orders with poorboys! (he can't beleive the shine every time he delivers the mail)

But back to the topic!

We are here to discuss products! And technique! If one of the sponsors doesn't carry that product thats their misfortune! Me personaly as a Product buyer for a camping company i have to take into account weather a product is worth it for me to carry! I can buy any product but am I going to sell it and as a retailer thats the chance they take! If they don't want to take that chance well someone else is and they are going to get the business!

Sorry if I rambled there for a bit but as someone who works in the retail industry there has to be something that gets the customer in the door or for this matter Onto the website! And if they feel that a discount is what its going to be well then they need to think twice espessially with such a (for lack of a beter word) Anal group of people! We don't want OK! products we want the best of the best of the best!

ok im done now!
 
Hey, Focusedonsound:
Don't hold back!
Tell us how you really feel.:D
I'm one of those Flag Waver buyers, too. It gets harder all the time with all the outsourcing being done. A guy I know calls Wal*Mart, China*Mart. He gets a little carried away with it sometimes.

Yeah, I pretty much agree with the idea of the forum being wide open for everything but spammers, but I still wonder a little about references to other places to buy stuff.

Heck, maybe I'm worrying about something that really doesn't concern people too much. I tend to do that occasionally.:)

Charles
 
My thought is that if you like a product that's not offered by one of our sponsors you should still tell others that it's out there.
 
tubafeak said:
My thought is that if you like a product that's not offered by one of our sponsors you should still tell others that it's out there.
Click to expand...
But...
What about a product that is offered by our sponsors but is available at a lesser price from a non sponsor?
Or similar/identical products from a non sponsor. Micro Fiber towels and buffing pads are a couple of things that come to mind.

Charles
 
CharlesW said:
But...
What about a product that is offered by our sponsors but is available at a lesser price from a non sponsor?
Or similar/identical products from a non sponsor. Micro Fiber towels and buffing pads are a couple of things that come to mind.

Charles
Click to expand...

I think in that case I would tell them where they could get it! and perhaps let our carying sponser aware of this.

One of the things as a retailer that we are forced to do is when we buy a product we have to sell it at a specfic price for a certian amount of time! We can occasionally run sales but they can only last a certian length of time! other wise we give up our ability to sell the product. I don't know if its the same way with our sponsors! But manufacture usually dictates price! some products we are alowed to set our own profit margin but there are very few of those.
 
CharlesW said:
But...
What about a product that is offered by our sponsors but is available at a lesser price from a non sponsor?
Or similar/identical products from a non sponsor. Micro Fiber towels and buffing pads are a couple of things that come to mind.

Charles
Click to expand...
I am sure that the sponsors appreciate your sense of loyalty. Detail City is a great place for car care product vendors and manufacturers to advertise and we hope that they are reaping the rewards that come with supporting this website.

With that said, as long as we aren't dealing with a filthy, stinking spammer or a shady product shill, members are and have always been encouraged to be helpful. It's all about intent.

If the member has good and helpful intentions then they are welcome to make recomendations. If a member has a bone to pick with a sponsor, that's bad. If a member also profits from making certain product or vendor recomendations, that's bad. If a member is an undercover shill, I will show them the door.

It would be great to see Detail City members 100% loyal to Detail City sponsors, but that is not realistic. It certainly isn't official policy or enforced. For those that are loyal and have chance to make a purchase elsewhere cheaper, you can always call, email or PM your favorite sponsor and give them an opportunity to price match. Just make sure that you are looking at the bottom line price and factor in all the discounts and shipping charges when doing comparison shopping. $10 with a 10% discount is better that $9.50 and no discount.

Bottom line from The Fuzz. Buy what you want from who you want. Be helpful and unbiased and everything will be just fine.
 
The Fuzz said:
With that said, as long as we aren't dealing with a filthy, stinking spammer or a shady product shill, members are and have always been encouraged to be helpful. It's all about intent.
Click to expand...
Hey man, back off a little. Some of my best friends are filthy stinking spammers and shady product shills. A person has to do what a person has to do.:)
The Fuzz said:
Just make sure that you are looking at the bottom line price and factor in all the discounts and shipping charges when doing comparison shopping. $10 with a 10% discount is better that $9.50 and no discount.
Click to expand...
Actually, I even take into consideration the cost of driving to a store that is not close to me when looking at shipping charges. If I have to drive 20 or 30 miles each way to save on shipping, the shipping costs look pretty cheap. It would probably cost me close to $15 to drive to some of the stores in my area. Then if they don't have it in stock, I might have to do it again.
Having the product delivered to your doorstep is awfully convenient.

Charles
 
holland_patrick said:
Unless you really like it then you keep it for yourself
Click to expand...
Why? I'm new here and wondering what is the deal. I was just at Megs site and they are kinda the same way, megs or nothing. Is this place like that?
 
While I would love to just support the sponsors here, the reality
for me is that the sponsors don't always offer or have products
I'm interested in. So I personally don't see anything wrong with
sharing my thoughts on products not available through the
sponsors here. I won't go out of my way to spam
non-sponsor-offered products. But if I find something
that I like and works for me, I don't think i will keep it a secret
either.
 
Hey Charles,

I like do buy products from the sponsors. I also buy from other outfits on the internet. It really comes down to a couple of things for me. Price and how fast I can get the product. Usually for me price dictates the other. I do buy from a place in the upper midwest and I get my products in about a day or two. Usually the price is the same or lower. I know they have a 20% off sale coming up, and they carry some of the big product lines. So why not buy from them if I get it a cheap or cheaper and faster?
 
Funny, but in another forum, I am no longer able to search for
threads regarding some products not offered by it's sponsors
(as far as I know). Obviously it is the right of the website owner
to dictate what content becomes available on the forums. But
to just remove these threads simply reduces my faith that the
the forum is an open place to share ideas, and/ or feedback
on products.

I wonder what will be deleted next from the forum, Mr. Clean
Magic Erasers?
 
I don't see any problem with a member recommending other products or vendors. Provided that member is being honest, sincere, and and has no "ulterior" motives. If that is truly the case, I think the member is just trying to help other members out... that's what DC is all about... helping other members! :D

On the other hand, I don't think there's anything wrong with members buying from, or recommending good products from the sponsors. Without that, DC wouldn't exist!
 
:yeah

If someone can discuss certain vendors and products in this manner it can benefit all members.

I will second that you cannot go wrong with the sponsors of the forum.
 
:yeah :yeah

The reason I like our sponsors is because they have proven and tested products by myself and other members AND they are on here giving advice and answering our questions! Customer service goes a long way with me. On the other hand, I'm a bargain shopper and will purchase what I can get locally too. I can get Megs products locally for really cheap and not pay shipping. I love the PB lineup and I'm excited to try DP's new goodies. Discounts are always nice and our sponsors always seem to have something on sale! Gotta love it! My checkbook would say otherwise, however... :jump

Mike
 
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