Lee

Since the stuff I've looked at today simply says to contact the supplier and quote scoobyshop, was all the effort worth it ? or am i missing the point ?

If I was a supplier I'd want some method of verifying a shop member before handing over a discount. Otherwise you might just as well be prepared to offer anyone a 5% discount over the phone.

explain pls

MarkO

I've also got a question (which I posted in general, but here's more appropriate to post it.

If I buy something with my Scoobynet plus card, and then find it cheaper elsewhere on the 'net, do I have any comeback? After all, my £25 members' fee is only worthwhile if it guarantees me the cheapest prices.

Is there a price-match policy in place for Scoobynet vendors?

sammyh

iTrader: (1)

I'll be right back with some answers

[Edited by sammyh - 10/21/2002 11:55:07 AM]

ex-webby

Hi All

Lee. You will have a method of checking members by the morning within your vendor admin section of your two vendor accounts.

The point and the effort was to bring a huge range of products and services to the community, and to enable the mass of vendors that are interested in the scoobynet market place to effectively market their products without having to spam the boards.

So the benefits to vendors are the increased marketing. The benefits to customers is a huge range of products to compare, view, buy, etc. The benefits to ScoobyNetPlus members are discounts + the other stuff you get. Then the benefit to scoobynet is the revenue generated by giving a benefit to both parties without us having to set up a shop that competes with the vendors that form part of this community.

Mark
If the individual vendors want to offer better discounts to members they are able to. If you find something cheeper elsewhere I would suggest emailing them and letting them know.

Also..if you spot ANY product that has a less expensive retail than quoted on ScoobyShop, PLEASE contact us as this is taken VERY seriously.

All the best

Simon

ex-webby

PS

We're also working on the next phase which will allow online credit card sales for premium vendors.

All the best

Simon

MarkO

Okay, but do you mean "less expensive retail" by a ScoobynetPlus vendor, or do you mean less expensive by a completely separate company?

Obviously, I can understand that if a SN+ vendor was selling stuff direct at the same price or cheaper than via SN, that would be an issue you'd have to take up with them.

But what comeback do I have if, say, I find a product on the net being sold in the UK and it's £50 cheaper than the SN+ vendor? The T&Cs seem very vague and non-committal about this.

sammyh

iTrader: (1)

Thank you Simon

Lee

I am happy as long as I can verify scoobyshop membership.

mark, bottom line is that membership gives 5% off the listed retailers. If you can find a separate retailer elsewhere who offer it cheaper then thats just life I guess.

MarkO

Fair enough. Just seems that if I'm actually coughing up £25 of my not-so-hard-earned, I'm going to be a bit miffed if I find out that the vendor's normal price is 15% more expensive than everyone else on the 'net is selling it for....

ex-webby

Lee

Cool. Yeah, apologies this functionality isn't in now. Will have it working by the morning.

MarkO
As Lee says. The card is not a guarantee that you couldn't scour the planet for a better price. It's merely an opportunity to buy at the offered discounted price.

Re : Pricing abuse. If a vendor was (for instance) to offer a £100 product for £110 and then make the discounted price £100 that is the kind of thing we will take very seriously.

Also, if there is a general retail price for something and the standard price offered is higher than that, we will take a dim view of that also.

Regardless of revenue generated interests, etc, etc, etc.. that kind of thing will not be tolerated on scoobyshop as it would make it more difficult to trust the prices shown.

The vendor terms and conditions clearly state all this as well.

All the best

Simon

Lee

I would think that since scoobyshop would cover most (if not all) of impreza suppliers this scenario would not arise.

however if you were looking to buy a head-unit or SonicPro firwall for instance its almost certain that looking elsewhere on the net will get a cheaper price.

Simon I think it may have been an idea to release the shop initially for just impreza-based products since then you are keeping it "in the family" and look at other stuff later on. Ah well

ex-webby

MarkO

There are other benefits to the card as well as the discount. There will also be much more in the near future.

You will have access to "Sell you stuff!" which is a classifides section of scoobyshop, and if you have something for sale all of your posts will have an "items for sale" link under your username.

This is just one of the new things that will be coming online for members shortly.

I agree that we will need to look very carefully at things like the net example you mentioned.

All the best, and thanks for the feedback

Simon

MarkO

Cool. As long as there will be some pressure from your side to ensure the prices are suitably low, I'm sure it'll work out fine.

<sits back with box of popcorn waiting for the inevitable "I bought XYZ at Scoobyshop, only to find it cheaper at XXX" threads>

ex-webby

Thanks for your optimism Mark!

MarkO

LOL. I've been on SN too long to expect any different.

rik1471

Surely if you phone a supplier and quote the cheaper ScoobyShop price without your membership card number, he/she will still sell it for the lower price rather than loose a sale. They're obviously making a big enough profit, even with the reduced price.

ScoobyShop can just show us what suppliers are prepared to barter to.

ex-webby

Hi Rik

Not exactly. They are offering the price to members as we are able to bring them more customers / exposure for a reduced price as their costs are supplimented by the cost of membership (the same as your membership is supplimented by their costs of advertising).

The only way it will all work in the long term is if everyone respects that. Companies offering the discount to non-members will be removed from scoobyshop. Obviously companies are able to negociate some discounts, but I think you will be surprised how few of the companies on scoobyshop will normally discount, and in a lot of cases the standard prices are already discounted.

Many of the companies have looked at the discount as a kind of loss leader, working on the assumption that half of the business from the shop will be from non-members.

All the best

Simon

rik1471

good