Dealer Consumer Reports Program

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (VR6Stress)

By the way - I love your sig!

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (Silverback)

Planet Feedback also has a place to add comments about dealerships
http://www.planetfeedback.com/
Specifically this Link.
It's short right now, but I think with everyone's effort it could definitely become a viable and informative resource. Of course that means having to be civil.

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (Silverback)

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Silver, this is a great idea.
A thought though, we have a wide pool of talent on this site. If you are interested in starting a site from scratch I'm sure a lot of people would lend their knowledge and talents to helping you out. Most likely gratis as well. I know for a fact that the type of database system you are looking for exsists in several hundred forms and it wouldn't take all that much to get it running and on a website. Some interface design and a few content additions and you have a fully self sufficient website that needs only moderating. And there are a few of those on here too.
I'm sure once asked the 'tex would rally and everything would come together.
The big plus for CarDealerReports is that they already have the database up and populated. But they aren't that visible on the net, I searched my state and found the newest report from 282 days ago.
So I guess the big question is if you/we/the texers want to have a site built from scratch or promote and participate in CarDealerReports.
That's how I see it anyway. Thoughts?

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (Passater)

Passater-
I took a look at CarDealerReports, the site looks pretty good, but the information is generally quite old, and very limited in scope. It is, however, close to what I was envisioning. Personally, I think with all the talent that is available here at VW Vortex (great site by the way, I'm glad to have stumbled upon it!!), and the number of people visiting the Vortex due to g-man's situation, that building one from scratch might be a better idea. For one thing, if we could get a group of a few people together that do have the talent, one could take this and go ahead and incorporate as non-profit (I'm not a lawyer, but my wife works for a law firm and I'm sure we could get the stuff together). By doing so to begin with, and by having a good Policy drawn clearly outlining the goal, and how the site would be run, it would facilitate good relations with the auto buyers (us) and the dealers. I didn't want to start up a site just to rant about dealers, instead I imagine a site with both the good and the bad. The perfect example from my perspective would be http://www.carreview.com . The reviews are open, anyone can post, but the information is clear and available. I also think it is important to try and do it right to begin with, and to build it with folks that know cars (ie - members of this and other forums). As for an example of a not-for-profit that has existed on the internet for 4 years, and lived up to it's charter would be http://www.distributed.net .

Those are just some ideas. What do the rest of you think?

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (Silverback)

I agree with you, I'd like to see one started from scratch too. Check out http://www.epinions.com It is what I had in mind only limited to car dealers and dealer/customer relation opinions. Both sales relations AND service relations. I think this is the type of thing you were thinking of too.
I think it could be done like this, there are freeware subission/review databases out there, and I'm sure that some of the people on the 'tex could get one running in no time flat. Or design a better one from scratch.

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (Silverback)

Sounds like a great plan - and potentially, a worthy recipient of a donation from the "G-Man Legal Defense Fund"
We could start from scratch, or work with the owners of CarDealerReports.com to overhaul their site along the lines you suggest. Again, the latter has the advantage of pre-existing server, domain name, and content.

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (g-man_ae)

Ok. Let's see if where we at.
We have two choices, do we:

A. Design the site from scratch, based upon the criteria we have discussed here.
or
B. Approach the owner/operator of cardealerreports.com and see if they would like to do an overhaul of their site.

Personally, I prefer doing it from scratch. I know a few database folks myself, I can take care of getting a domain name registered and the DNS stuff. I can also get some of the basic site content written out... however, my HTML skills are not good at all.
What do we need:
1. Domain name. Ideas, anyone? I was thinking something like DealerReview.com or DealerSeek.com (or .org, .net?).
2. DNS Entries. Like I said, I can get the Domain name and DNS entries set up properly. And I have some experience with Apache, so if we wanted to do virtual hosts I am decent at it.
3. Content - at least a framework needs to be developed. I can aid on the textual content, but formating and HTML will need to come from elsewhere.
4. Administrative decision - should it be a registered NON-PROFIT organization, or should it just be another forum? I really like the distributed.net method of being a non-prof. I think they have done a very good job of it. I have never run a non-profit organization before (not even a small one), so I don't really know what I'm getting myself into by suggesting it. Anyone with experience, now is the time to stand up and share it!
5. Search engine registration... same as above, those with experience, please speak now.
6. Funding. If we want to build a lasting site, we need to figure out how to fund it. I'll gladly donate the cost of registering the domain name, and my time, but there are recurring costs (such as hosting) that I cannot afford indefinately. This goes back to distributed.net - the reason I like them as a non-prof is because they publish their balance sheet. No wondering where funds are going.
7. Support. If all of the above can be done, we still need to have two groups of people - those that help keep it running, and those that actually visit the site to provide their feedback. I think that while there are so many additional visitors to 'tex, it would be a good idea to get a plan together and get the word out before they all retreat back to their respective forums.

Ok.... that's all for now. Please feel free to rip that to shreds and come up with something better

J.

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (Silverback)

Ok, lemme throw in my $0.02 step by step.
1. Domain. I'm a fan of .info, it sorta says it all. It isn't popular yet so many names are available and it WILL catch on so we don't have to worry about people not knowing it much longer. Plus a .info is unique, not just another .com therefore it would stick in brains longer.
The following are available:
dealershipreview(s).info,.com,.net,.org
dealerseek.info,.com,.net,.org
dealerreview(s).info,.net,.org
Personally I don't care for combined letters, (rr in dealerreview) but I do like dealershipreviews.
2. I have many, many, sites that I manage under the FSU domain. I have a lot of experience setting up servers, permission, getting software installed, etc. If needed I can set up the site along with someone or by myself and get it ready for the smart people to do their stuff. I do think virtual hosting is the way to go, there are many good hosts out there. *nix hosts anyway.
3. Easy. We have MANY talented people.
4. That's a tough one, more discussion is needed. 501(c)3 means we have to have all sorts of things in place and have to report ourselves. If someone wants to take that responsibility that's cool, but like you said, not me. I'd say a semi-non-profit site, privately owned, would be a better idea. Donations and expenses could still be published without the hassle of a non-profit structure. Just a thought there.
5. Easy, we have talent here.
6. I think that if g-man were to donate, we could come up with the funding to keep the site running for about a year all things included. At that point it would either take new donations or become self sufficient somehow. (ads, partnerships, etc) A year test run would be sort of a litmus test for the concept in the public eye.
7. Those that keep it running would probably be easy, identifying who is in charge is a bit harder. Without a clear hierarchy things could descend into chaos. Getting the word out will be easy though, I don't think any automotive site administrator would come down on someone advertising a free dealer review site if done through the proper channels. (asking first, etc)
What do you think?

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (Passater)

NO NO NO NO!!! http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif (okay, maybe...)
Ever heard this expression? "One customer with a bad experience will tell ten people about it. Ten customers with good experiences will tell one person about it."
Do you know what's going to happen if you put all this time and energy into this? You're going to have a web site populated with dealers that have a 90% disapproval rating! Every single one will look like the worst dealer this side of the sun. If there's a great dealer that gives great service to 1000 people and 10 people are just pickey bastards, those 10 people will post their disapointment, while maybe 1 or 2 people will post their possitive experiences.
I don't want to kill a good idea (because it really is a great idea!), but there has to be some type of way to deal with basic human nature, which is to complain. Just consider this post the "voice of reason" post. You might want to research to see if anyone (including epinions, edmunds, customerreview, planet-whatever...) has already tried things like this and see what the response was.

Re: Dealer Consumer Reports Program (theevilshiftkey)

Well than there should be some sort of middle-ground. Like perhaps a secret shopper that will have an unbiased opinion and post his experience at the dealership. Maybe a food critic type of guy.