| kruzo |
| (Temporarily removed. See bellow.) |
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| kruzo |
| (Temporarily removed. See bellow.) |
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| MDXlite |
Wow Kruzo!:eek:
These are great prices! I would have saved a couple of hundred more had I waited. Damn!
How about a price for the complete tow package??
Thanks! |
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| admin |
Here is the reason for this group buy being temporarily suspended:
This site is free to all members. However, if you are a business trying to sell/advertise your product, you have to pay a fee to hang out here. We had numerous dealers trying to sell their products on our sites without paying for advertisement, and we have been removing their posts quite frequently. Same applies to group buys.
Bottom line: I'd love for everyone to get good/better/best deals around, but we have to be strict on our advertising policy, and be fair to other paying advertisers.
So, once this accessories dealer makes appropriate arrangements with me, the group buy will be reopened.
Regards,
admin. |
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| kruzo |
I apologizes to the members -- I was not aware
of the restrictions that states that the group
buys are designed only for paying advertisers. :(
I have admin's permission to post the web site
of our supplier.
http://www.pbhonda.com/
Unfortunately our special rates are not available from the web site. Until this is all figured out,
feel free to email me kruzo@yahoo.com for the
prices, or send me private message
Since the dealer did not approach me (I approached
them) and is not even aware of this site, it will
be a tough sale for me to get them to advertise
here. :8: And I am at the point where I think I have
exceeded the amount of effort I am willing to invest out of the kindness of my heart. :(
quote:
Originally posted by admin
Here is the reason for this group buy being temporarily suspended:
This site is free to all members. However, if you are a business trying to sell/advertise your product, you have to pay a fee to hang out here.
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| justacar |
| Thanks for all the effort Kruzo, but I think Tim has the reputation and the loyalty that can't be beat. |
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| PrG |
Loyalty ...
Now that a novel idea !
PrG |
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| N_Jay |
Unfortunatly too many people shop on price alone and then complain about "Service" or other "Costs".
I would rather pay a few cents (or %) more on the transaction, than to deal with issues that arrise with most bottom dollar sellers.
Tim supports this site with both advertising and a lot of time reading and posting.
Tim supports his customers with a toll free number, and a willingness to spend time on it.
Lets hope that this new vendor wants to do that same. |
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| Mkell |
| Seeing that a few of us are displaying personal opinions let me add mine. On the internet, generally price should rule. If one needs a long-term purchasing relationship with a supplier then it might be worth it to pay more in exchange for an expectation that you will receive better service. If one is odering a couple of parts, like floor mats, I don't think that paying more for them from a friedly place gets you a whole lot. |
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| hondacuraworld |
Until yesterday, I have been the lowest price found on all accesories for the Pilot (when free shipping is factored in). I'm still cheaper on some than they are.....frankly I hadn't had time to go over the whole list. Let me demonstrate how what I do *can* make a difference.
Let's take this scenario (and this happens more frequently than you'd imagine). We have a new Pilot owner that calls me to order some accessories for his new incoming vehicle. We strike a friendly conversation, and talk about the internet forums, etc, and general banter. Order comes to say $200, shipped and received by the customer. Transaction done. Or is it?
Six months later, the customer sends me an email telling me of a defective cargo net that has lost tension. I return the email saying that a new one is en route to them along with a return label. Put the old net in the bag, and return it to me....let me deal with Honda on it. Happy customer.
Next year as I'm doing my daily round on the boards to see what's happening around, I see that customer has posted dissatisfaction with the dealer's handling of a warranty repair....they refuse to cover the needed repair and tell you you'll have to live with it. I send you a PM to tell you to call me. You ring me in the afternoon and we talk at length about your problem and I contact my people at Honda and find out exactly what is going on. I can't promise a resolution, but I can promise that I will use everything in my power to help you out. Things work out for the best in the end in this case. Happy customer.
Time passes and that same customer calls me and asks a little advice on a used Honda purchase for his daughter that's going away to school. I offer to do a VIN check for the warranty status of the car, and to check it's history. Looks like a good buy! Happy customer.
Whether you're my customer or not, I will display that level of commitment to you as an owner of a Honda product. This is why I have such loyal customers. Where you spend your money is of course your prerogative, and I never badmouth any other sites....they may have great service and prices as well. But there is one thing that I believe sets me apart from them.
I work here. |
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| N_Jay |
Buy on Cost:Value, not Price.
Lots goes into the Value equasion besides the product.
If everyone adopts your "Price is King" attitude, we all end up geting no service even when we only need a little, and paying a whole lot when we need a little more. |
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| kruzo |
N_Jay:
1. If "Price is King" attitude had no merit on the web, sites like dealtime.com, mysimon.com and other shoppers would not survive. They prosper.
2. If this was all about loyalty, you should be
buying your accessories from the dealer you bought
your car from (provided he was OK), support him and the local economy.
I agree, Value is what everyone is looking for.
But who's to say that the new source is not going
to offer it -- this is why we were going to do
a trial!
The thinking I see all to often here, "I bought
stuff from X and it was great and inexpensive,
and I've tried the Y, and he was cheap and bad,
so I won't try Z because cheap is bad". Well,
it's irrational. Keep in mind, we are buying
Honda part froma Honda dealer, no matter where
you go. If it's broken -- you can go to
ANY dealer and demand a warranty service within
12 month. How BAD CAN IT BE.
quote:
Originally posted by N_Jay
Buy on Cost:Value, not Price.
Lots goes into the Value equasion besides the product.
If everyone adopts your "Price is King" attitude, we all end up geting no service even when we only need a little, and paying a whole lot when we need a little more.
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| davemac |
My colleagues and I (involved with a financial product/service) jokingly refer to the obsession of low price chasing, as the "Walmart Syndrome"- the theory being that the large chain stores (Walmart/ Home Depot, etc) have conditioned the consumer to primarily target price. Good for the wallet- yes. But it comes at the expense of a lot of hard working, knowlegable, merchants who give much better service. Kinda sad I guess (although admittedly I am often guilty.... I like to blame my Scottish ancestry... Was copper wire really invented by two people fighting over a penny?)
Anyway, I appreciate Kruzo's efforts. I did get a glimpse at some of the prices b4 they were censored & didn't see much, if any, difference from HAW, so much of the stirrings appear moot. At this point, I'll be sticking with Tim for my next accessory purchase. Hey, any word yet on an August "special"? |
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| Hitandrun |
| I have to reply to the backhand at Home Depot. I have NEVER been treated better by ANY business establishment than by Home Depot. They have gone WAY above and beyond reasonable service each and every time I have ever had any problem. I have been jerked around too many times by "Hard-working knowledgable people" at other retailers. HD is a breath of fresh air in their policies regarding their customers. As for Wal-Mart and other national chains, I don't deal with any of them anough to have an opinion, but HD is OK by me. |
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| srpbep |
quote:
kruzo wrote:
I apologizes to the members -- I was not aware
of the restrictions that states that the group
buys are designed only for paying advertisers.
kruzo,
When you joined this site, you agreed to be bound by the "terms of use". If you will take a few minutes, I believe that you will see the following in what you did agree to:
"... You further agree not to post advertising of any kind in the Forums whether you are a private party or company. The only exceptions to this policy are granted for current Acuramdx.org banner advertisers"...
Granted there appears to be a typo here [think admin meant to say "honda-pilot.org", not Acuramdx.org] which I bet he will fix now!!
BUT ... the message was there. |
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| srpbep |
It would not be fair of me to say that those that only buy at the lowest possible cost are wrong ... heck, it is their money they are spending and it is theirs to spend as they see fit. Virtually all work hard for their money and are wise to part with it carefully.
OK ... I have agreed that this is not wrong. My belief system says that I want to live a reasonable life, one where good deals are what I want, nothing more, nothing less:
** I do not want to pay exorbitant prices [e.g. MSRP + $3K].
** I do not want to buy something at "cost"!! Why? I believe that everyone should be entitled to a profit!! Everyone has needs [family, food, etc.] and should be enabled to earn a living.
Soooo, do as you wish, it is your money. Just think twice before YOU decide to go into business for yourself 'cause you will be in for a rude awakening. And if you don't go into business for yourself and choose to sell your time to a company, remember that they too are interested in profits = greater margin = higher selling prices and lower operating costs. Well, if you work for a company, you are an operating cost. Don't you want them to be reasonable?
Good business is just that ... good business ... price gouging is not good business ... cheap hurts good business as well ... both ultimately hurt many many people.
The internet helps make us informed consumers, it enables some to to be a good business citizen and it enables others to make good business an increasingly difficult reality.
I for one, WANT Honda [and other merchants] to be successful. What is my warranty worth if we could strip Honda of all profit?? Silly me, that might mean I would have to pay more than it cost to build a Honda vehicle when I buy it ... silly, silly me |
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| kruzo |
quote:
Originally posted by davemac My colleagues and I
(involved with a financial product/service) jokingly refer to the
obsession of low price chasing, as the "Walmart Syndrome"- the theory
being that the large chain stores (Walmart/ Home Depot, etc) have
conditioned the consumer to primarily target price. Good for the
wallet- yes. But it comes at the expense of a lot of hard working,
knowlegable, merchants who give much better service.
Well, that's capitalism, you see:D
A self regulated survival of the fittest. If the process you've
described goes too far, the consumer will revolt, and will start
favoring craft shops -- Walmart will go out of business. Until then
-- Walmart MUST exist in order for the self-regulation to work. There
ALWAYS must be an alternative supplier.
The alternative is well known -- toilet paper queues (recall "Moscow On the Hudson").
Also
a syndrome, but of a very differnt kind.
I think it would suffice to look at a comparison
chart of Wallmart (WMT) vs S&P for the last 5 years
to understand that they are doing something right!
BTW, you implicitly allege that, in this case, your current Honda
Accessories supplier in fact provides "better service". This might very
well be, but at this point it is a pure speculation on your part --
since you have no experience to say one way or the other. If you're
convinced that no-one can deliver the service on par with what you're
getting now, in principal, well -- that's faith. But we are not talking about
the Church here -- just the Honda parts ;)
quote:
Anyway, I appreciate Kruzo's efforts. I did get a glimpse at some of the prices b4 they were censored & didn't see much, if any, difference from HAW, so much of the stirrings appear moot.
Thanks for your kind words, but the reset of your statement is
false. Honda of Kingsport offered us the prices
that are on average 11.41% better then HondAcuraWorld.com
That's on average.
The advantage varies anywhere from .29% on a Cargo tray, to a Back Up sensor w/attachment, that is 42%
cheaper in Kingsport. There are only 2 accessories where HAW comes
ahead -- Splash Guards and Hitch Set, by 7.14% and 3.58% correspondingly.
I personally am planing to buy the Back up sensor for my upcoming truck.
To me -- the point is FAR from "moot", I can think of a few ways
to spend an extra 150 bucks. For example, I can buy 5 sets of Splash guards from hondacuraworld, and give one to each of my favorite posters.
I am not here to convince you to change your ways. As people like to say
around here, it's your money.
However, let's not put down others simply to feel better about ourselves.
Respectfully,
K. |
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| kruzo |
quote:
Originally posted by srpbep
"... You further agree not to post advertising of any kind in the Forums whether you are a private party or company. The only exceptions to this policy are granted for current Acuramdx.org banner advertisers"...
Granted there appears to be a typo here [think admin meant to say "honda-pilot.org", not Acuramdx.org] which I bet he will fix now!!
BUT ... the message was there.
I am curious, once he fixes it, won't your
post become illegal? I mean your signature -- that's a free advertisment of an Acura product on a Honda site w/out authorization, no?;) |
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| TheWorm |
Kruzo,
I have edited a portion of your most recent post. Links to your website w/pricing in the context of the discussion forums is a de facto advertisement. A third-party advertisement, but an advertisement nonetheless. |
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| kruzo |
Thanks for keeping it clean.
Just curious, is Zaino approved to be
mentioned? |
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| N_Jay |
I would like to thank Kruzo for puting together the page.
Hmm, if we ban links that could be interpreted as advertising, what is next, banning links to pages that have links to advertising.
P.S. Took a look at his prices, Tim saved me more when I ordered during his 10% introductory sale. (I am assuming I purchased the most common accessories)
I see he is doing a 10% sale for MDX stuf next month, so in the long run its going to be a wash.
P.P.S. Not going to go into the whole he 's 11% lower or 10% higher, but averaging all accessories is not a very good way to compare. |
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| davemac |
Kruzo, As luck would have it, there were only 3 items I "price checked" on your (now censored) post. The splash guards, & hitch pkg (both of which I had already purchased... and thus was familiar with HAW price) and also the cargo tray (which I am planning on purchasing next). Thus the "moot comment".
As for "implications", please don't mistake me for being anti Capitalism- as you'd have a hard time finding a bigger supporter of a free market economy. Not everybody from MA is a sociali...OK , I'll stop because I'm sure nobody wants to turn this into a political forum. |
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| kruzo |
quote:
Originally posted by N_Jay
[B]I would like to thank Kruzo for puting together the page.
Thankyouverymuch.
quote:
Hmm, if we ban links that could be interpreted as advertising, what is next, banning links to pages that have links to advertising.
Case in point. Check this one out:
http://www.honda-pilot.org/forums/s...s=&threadid=845 |
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| N_Jay |
Let me get this strait;
Capitalism>>>Good
Linking to dealers pages in a non-favoring maner>>>OK
Listing prices>>>Bad
Now lets get back to discussing Pilots and not economics, advertising, and web-etiquet.
:2: |
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| admin |
We can go on and on on this site's advertising policies, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don't have lawyers on my payroll to handcraft every detail of the policy and cover every possible scenario. So just bear with me if you can. I think I've made my point on group buys. If you think you found a good source for accessories, detailing products and other gizmos, definitely mention them. But don't run a marketing campaign.
Over and out. |
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| pjl56 |
To me, this whole discussion is a little like that arcade game "Wack A Mole" - everytime you wack the problem mole, it just pops up again elsewhere. And cackles.
Admin, respectfully, you've got your hands full. If your Golden Rule ain't in Black & White, they'll keep working you on the Grey areas in between. Regardless, THANK YOU for this site. It is a blessing in my puny, insignificant little life :).
As regards Tim, forgive me my opinion, but until you can objectively meld a rating that includes service and integity to go along with price, y'all that are strictly price-based are idiots. There, I said it. :eek: YMMV, of course.
quote:
Originally posted by admin
We can go on and on on this site's advertising policies, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don't have lawyers on my payroll to handcraft every detail of the policy and cover every possible scenario. So just bear with me if you can. I think I've made my point on group buys. If you think you found a good source for accessories, detailing products and other gizmos, definitely mention them. But don't run a marketing campaign.
Over and out.
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| srpbep |
quote:
kruzo wrote the following to srpbep:
I am curious, once he fixes it, won't your
post become illegal? I mean your signature -- that's a free advertisment of an Acura product on a Honda site w/out authorization, no?
kruzo,
At first I thought you were simply dedicated to the almighty buck. One who is willing to spend vast amounts of time to save a couple of dollars. One to whom service means absolutely nothing. While I totally disagree with the philosophy, I was vaguely able to understand a little about you.
Well, I have now updated my belief as it applies to what motivates you. My question now is "how old are you"? Would you be willing to share this information?
Regarding my signature: I have read the "terms of use" [as you have noted by now] and do respect the rights of others. I believe that the signature is compliant with the site rules. Should the Admin decide that it is not, I would immediately alter it to be compliant.
Regarding rights of others: This site belongs to Admin. Membership is free [hmmm ... sounds live a PRIVILEDGE to me]. How many of your posts do you think the Admin should have to edit? How many times do you need to be informed of the rules? The Admin does receive revenue from advertising. Since we are provided free access, do you think we should really complain that the Admin requries payment for commercial advertising?
Maybe the last question is dangerous ... it is quite possible IMHO that you believe you should be paid for your contributions!! |
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| Mkell |
I'm on the verge of unsubscribing to this tread, but before I do I would like to say thanks for this website and I hope that there are more advertisers that come on board. Perhaps we should encourage places that we individually believe to provide a benefit to Honda owners to advertise here. Running the site is work. It should be compensated - good luck Admin.
Regarding the sniping or insults that occur in forums, I think it's unfortunate and silly how disagreements get amplified to such a great extent. It appears that people that would never get harsh or even a little testy in person might do so on the internet because there is no lookem in the eye contact with those they are communicating with. |
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| kruzo |
Check this poll out:
http://www.honda-pilot.org/forums/f...p?s=&forumid=13
If the prices on HAW actually drop, I think all the friendly pilot/xheads who've been bashing me here for a while should
get together and write me a nice little letter of apology:
I hope you don't think that it's anything other then
competition that is driving the prices lower. :26:
Cheers
P.S. After ordering and installing the accessories this week
(which was not uneventful), I now have first hand experience
ordering from Kingsport Honda. I will write a review when I
have a bit of time. |
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| davemac |
| Kruzo, regarding your upcoming review... it might be a good idea to enter it as a new thread... there's lots of bad karma going on in this one. Start fresh... I'm sure lots of people have already "unsubscribed" here:D |
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| hondalover |
| I am a first time SUV buyer. I joined this group for knowledge base information. Lately, the knowledge based idea is somewhat slipping away rather offtopic subjects come in this forum. May be it's time now to think in what direction we are going? :8: |
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| hondacuraworld |
| Don't pat yourself on the back too hard Kruzo, it's not because of you that this decision is being made. |
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| N_Jay |
OK, Move along folks!
:2: |
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| kruzo |
quote:
Originally posted by hondacuraworld
Don't pat yourself on the back too hard Kruzo, it's not because of you that this decision is being made.
Yeah, right. Just charity as usual :6:
:22: |
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| hondacuraworld |
| Hm, I find it mighty interesting that you feel you should be lauded with praise on this issue. Personally I don't care what you say anymore, and I'm going to set my options to ignore your posts from this point. I'm betting that you have no idea why I still have any customers left. |
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| N_Jay |
One more outburst and I am sending both of you to your rooms.
(Help, I just became my dad!) |
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| justacar |
| Tim, just ignore this guy and you are already ahead of the pack so no worries mate! |
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| hondalover |
| I think Tim is a good businessman prompt customer service. Great job. Just ignore others. |
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| kruzo |
quote:
Originally posted by hondalover
I think Tim is a good businessman prompt customer service. Great job. Just ignore others.
Why?! Suppose others are good businessmen, propmpt customer
service providers e.t.c. Is that a possibility??!! |
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| N_Jay |
I now return you to your regularly scheduled argument.
Pick one;
Oil Weight
Fuel Brand
Best Headlight bulbs |
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| kruzo |
N_Jay:
I've got a better one for you:
True of False:
"Pilot is nothing but an MDX with balls" :D
Heard this one at a Honda dealership the other day ;) |
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| xyzzy |
| You mean like these kinda' balls? |
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| 03pilot |
| Thats funny xyzzy :2: |
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| Spartanman |
:D
Oh my-
We've done quick 180 from customer service and price related issues, to nuts on a hitch. LMAO |
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| SteveLuman |
| Beans & Franks |
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| bigdelta |
I believe that is "franks and beans, franks and beans"
One of my favorite movies
Dave |
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| xyzzy |
quote:
Originally posted by SteveLuman
Beans & Franks
So how did you get the beans above the frank?!?! |
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| SteveLuman |
| I was wondering if anyone would catch that. |
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