Kirby said:
I probably should not get involved here, but I am going to post a few thoughts anyhow.
- I noticed Autohaus' sponsorship of this forum without going to the marketplace link. It clearly says on the main page:
Discussion Forum relating to nonspecific BMW models and any car talk. Sponsored By: Autohaus Arizona
I, along with other people, typically dont even click the "Forum" link at the top. I use the "latest topics" feature on the main page (
http://www.bmwboard.com/) except for when I want to obviously check out general discussion. Maybe the advertiseres links need to be placed on the main page for more exposure.
- I'm pretty sure I saw a banner ad for them at the top of the page. At any rate, I visited their site a few weeks ago after they started sponsoring the forum, so to me it's pretty evident that they are a sponsor.
I didn't see their banner - and it appears I'm not the only one. Again, maybe their ad placement isn't working as well as it could. Like I said before - most of the advertisers sell stuff for BMW's no older than 6 - 10 years. I'd have no reason to even look at the links. This forum is mostly for newer cars anyways and not quite as tech related as other forums.
- I trust that the admins have done some research on sponsors and feel comfortable with them. Any malfeasance on a supplier's part will have some repercussion on the Board and Tom, so I can feel comfortable that they are not just a random, unqualified supplier. With that said, certainly "buyer beware" applies to ANY internet purchases, Autohaus or Amazon.com
I trust and respect tom and his mods/admins, but like I said, I BELIEVE (Tom could definitely clear this up) that lowen design was, at one time, a sponsor. I shouldn't have to say more than that.
- Pricing is easy to shop around for on the internet. After seeing them on here a few weeks ago, I visited their site. Some of Autohaus' listed prices are competitive, some aren't. If they are willing to match another site's price for identical equipment, since they support the board, maybe it's worth giving them a try.
Yes, I said that if you would read the last part of my post.
I'm not saying AutohausAZ is not reputable - their site looks like they built it with time and care, and it doesn't look like just any old site out there. I'm believe they are reputable, but that's not my point at all. When advertisers are put above forum members trying to help out and watch out for someone else in the community, that's when the "community" part disappears. I realize websites cost a fortune to run and maintain, so advertisers are a must, but they should stay out of the community discussions. The best thing to do is for someone to say "check out the Market Place link, you would probably find a good deal from one of our advertisers". That's all. I never saw anyone go after a forum member becuase of what they said about a sponsor on Bimmerforums.com which is a much larger forum.
There are other ways for the forum to make money to help support the site... like selling stickers (BMW Board), or other little things. Sell a sticker for $10 - say it's a $10 donation and you get a free sticker. I think there are a good number of people here who would be more than willing to do that.