Vendor/Sponsor/Advertising Rules - SRT Forums

ekool · 07-01-2003, 03:45 PM

Now that the board is officially supporting Sponsors/Vendors, it is time to put the advertising rules into effect.

1. Advertising from non supporting vendors is not allowed. Period. Do not post a link to your site, link to your business, contact information, pricing, etc. Do not attempt to pimp your wares on the forum.

The forum costs money to run, and until you contribute to the forums, you have no place in using it to promote your own business.

2. Discussion of products by a non supporting vendor is allowed. However, when the discussion turns into an advertisement and the vendor particpates, we will have a problem.

The line is thin, and we will use our judgement as to when that line is being crossed.

3. Group buys from supporting vendors are allowed. However, group buys from non supporting vendors (especially on products that our supporting vendors sell) will be heavily frowned upon.

4. Business signatures are not allowed from non supporting vendors.

For the first few months at least, 100% of the advertising dollars will be going towards the SRT Owners Club fund. What does this mean? This means that I'm not going to be making a single penny off the advertising. In the future, that will change, but for now it is the case.

It is in your better interest to support your vendors, and in turn, they will be supporting you. This promotes a tight, well supported and funded community which will help promote innovation.

There will be more rules added, for now, I would appreciate it if non supporting vendors would please remove signature images, text, etc. promoting their business.

drizze99 · 07-01-2003, 03:59 PM

Sounds fair to me...

ekool · 07-01-2003, 04:00 PM

Im thinking the initial money will go towards printing of an owners club "magazine" and some stickers... at the very least, perhaps some tshirts and any free stuff I can talk mopar/dcx into giving us to give out.

naucrx · 07-01-2003, 04:01 PM

Is there a list somewhere of the Supporting Vendors?

ekool · 07-01-2003, 04:01 PM

There will be, as soon as one signs up

RUgoinUp · 07-01-2003, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ekool
Discussion of products by a non supporting vendor is allowed. However, when the discussion turns into an advertisement and the vendor particpates, we will have a problem.

What would you like us not to say when we recommend a product?

I know you are doing this mostly for the sake of us members, so I want to cooperate with you as much as possible.

ekool · 07-01-2003, 04:29 PM

The scenario I have seen on boards that have vendor rules go like this.

Account is created (fake, or legit, or whatever)

Account posts about Product X, and how great it is

Account posts where to get Product X, pricing, contact info, etc.

This scenario totally bypasses the rules that are in place.

If someone wants to do a review about the new springs, or boost controller they get or motor mounts that helped, great. But, they need to leave out the contact information, the place they bought it, the pricing, etc. unless that vendor is a supporting vendor.

BigWoody · 07-01-2003, 06:00 PM

umm Im sorry dont mean to get into this but That's kinda crap in a way. I understand you dont want fly by the night companies just spamming the board in effect but If I bring a product to market and cant provide a means of displaying it here that kinda sucks.. As does the Signature requirements. I use this signature everywhere..

ekool · 07-01-2003, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BWtwoK
umm Im sorry dont mean to get into this but That's kinda crap in a way. I understand you dont want fly by the night companies just spamming the board in effect but If I bring a product to market and cant provide a means of displaying it here that kinda sucks.. As does the Signature requirements. I use this signature everywhere..

By the same token, simply because you have a product that you wish to sell and make money on, dont we have the right to say what our hard earned work and dollars goes towards advertising? In other words, you cant advertise here for free... you cant make money off this site, and not expect to give a little back in return.

Essentially, there is no difference. You are free to pimp your wares on any other number of forums you wish. However, on here, we want the vendors who are supported by the community to also give back to the very people who helped make their business possible.

I dont feel this is too much to ask.

BigWoody · 07-01-2003, 06:15 PM

But this board is more of a SRT specific board where only true members are SRT owners as your newsletter is SRT specific?? So your only giving back to a subset of the community. You have a very nice an Free open forums site which is great and I understand maybe limiting where product announcements are down and how. Like have verified vendors. Your also telling me that freedom of speech thing the site is about is not possible because I can have an image below my name that only has a picture of my car and the companies I support. You know if you dont want a non supporting company to tout their wares here I can understand but now your telling your users that they cannot support the companies that support them because they dont give SRTFORUMS Money. I mean thats like a double standard. I love these forums and try to contribute alot here. I dont tout Howell's all the time but do when I think they provide a service a user is looking for. So now I see it. Since Mopar is the only advertiser at this second when a users asks where to get a part We all need to say oh you can get that at mopar as thats the only one we are allowed to talk about.. SEEE my point here??

ekool · 07-01-2003, 06:18 PM

Mopar isnt even a paid advertiser. I am simply using their forum to demo to potential vendors what their 'benefits' will look like.

Vendors make money off this site. Plain and simple.

For a vendor to say, we want to advertise on your forums, for free even tho we make money off your hard work is just ridiculous.

If a vendor doesnt believe in the site enough to be an advertiser, then they shouldnt believe that they are losing any revenue from it.

If the potential customer base here (this subset) as you call it is so small, then the vendor is out "nothing" by not being able to advertise.

As far as you not being associated with Howell, etc. and not advertising for them, you can tell that to someone else. Its not flying with me.

jasfrmn · 07-01-2003, 06:20 PM

I am a legit member who just bought a SRT4 but I am interested in how I could become a vendor because i work at a store that sells many car and truck accessories...I hook people up on other forums that I am a member of with below retail prices ect.... i would like to point out I have not and will never join a site to push business...the only ones I am on are sites that deal with the vehicles I own

ekool · 07-01-2003, 06:23 PM

I fergot to add.

I registered this domain name, and a few others. Thats minimum $40 out of my pocket. VB software cost $180 (or was that, $160).

I have probably a total of about 100 man hours into the site as far as work goes... Next month, August 16th will be our year Anniversary.

Grunge, Fastattack, and all the other moderators, etc. have not been paid a single penny.

I have not been paid a single penny. In fact, I have turned down every attempted donation ever thrown at me.

I want the site to succeed, and I want the owners club to take off. Compensation to myself, and my crew are second to that.

If a vendor who makes money off the community doesnt wish to contribute, so be it. But you certainly arent getting any sympathy from me.

ekool · 07-01-2003, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jasfrmn
I am a legit member who just bought a SRT4 but I am interested in how I could become a vendor because i work at a store that sells many car and truck accessories...I hook people up on other forums that I am a member of with below retail prices ect.... i would like to point out I have not and will never join a site to push business...the only ones I am on are sites that deal with the vehicles I own

Our preliminary vendor information was just PM'ed to you.

BigWoody · 07-01-2003, 06:28 PM

I am affiliated with them as I support their ecommerce and IT effort. I also help with customers and new products for the 2000 plus neons and SRT parts. I sent you a message and I understand your points on the one agreement and thats fine. I do not agree though that I cannot have my signature. What does it hurt?? Howell has supported me so i support them and my signature is a way to do that. I was never asked to create it as I did it in support. I also advertise my car clubs website. Yes it is a form of advertising.. But Im not required to do so and feel that I should not be required to remove it either.