Yep, I'm pissed.

For awhile now I've been in negotiations with Barrett for another .50 Group Buy. When The Terminator Bill was signed banning sales of .50s in California after Jan. 1 I kicked the thing iinto high gear and got it done. Barrett is a wonderful company and basically made it happen on great terms simply to allow me to take care of California members of this site and full-auto.com.

But I cannot get approval to post it in the Group Buy forum due to the ridiculous amount of unauthorized group buy posts by members who 1. Are NOT manufacturers, dealers or suppliers themeselves 2. have NO connections with manufacturers, dealers or suppliers and 3. don't even have a prearranged deal of any kind.

Basically they are some jackass who posts somethng like "Let's get a group buy on flashlight batteries going" because they can't afford to buy them at retail and hope to save .45 cents per package.

Here's a list of TYPICAL posts like that.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=226325

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=224730

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=224806

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=208680

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=225394

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=224454

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=224117

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=211664

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=222898

And these are ALL from page one.

Because of chuckleheads like this my last organized and coordinated group buy DID NOT get approval and my Barrett .50 Group Buy (which has been ready to go) is on hold until the moderators can get teh Group Buy forum cleaned up. Just a note, In NO WAY is any of this the fault of the moderators of the Group Buy Forum or any staff member. It is exclusisvely the fault of the idiots who CANNOT READ THE RULES and just decide to start a group buy because they can't afford magpulls at retail price.

The sickest part of all of this is the group buys in question (assuming they actually get done) will only save the participants a dollar or two in most cases. But they are gonna cost the members here hundreds of dollars because real group buys are not getting approval because the forum is clogged with bullshit.

California members who want .50 rifles have until Jan. 1 to get them registered and right now Barrett is 30-60 days on average in delivery. I think everyone in California who wanted to particpate in the proposed .50 Group Buy is screwed as a result.

I'm sorry guys, I tried.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=3&t=175883&page=3�

I began the work on this one in July.

But on the plus side you might be able to get a really good deal on a Magpul 93A stock.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=121&t=224730

The organizer of this Group Buy has exactly 10 posts and has been here since September 2004.

And he has clearly done his research to put this one together.

How bout starting if possible a Magpul 93A stock buy?   (Page 1)

SnipAR-15
Member
Joined :: September 2004
Post Number :: 10


Might be really stupid, but is it possible to start this group buy for Magpul 93A stocks?

Sorry for the bitching and ranting but I'm just so sick about this one. These guys piss me off.

But I cannot get approval to post it in the Group Buy forum due to the ridiculous amount of unauthorized group buy posts by members who 1. Are NOT manufacturers, dealers or suppliers themeselves 2. have NO connections with manufacturers, dealers or suppliers and 3. don't even have a prearranged deal of any kind.

do you have to be a manufacturer, dealer or supplier to do a group buy?

Quoted: But I cannot get approval to post it in the Group Buy forum due to the ridiculous amount of unauthorized group buy posts by members who 1. Are NOT manufacturers, dealers or suppliers themeselves 2. have NO connections with manufacturers, dealers or suppliers and 3. don't even have a prearranged deal of any kind. do you have to be a manufacturer, dealer or supplier to do a group buy?

Not sure. But I would think you would have to be a dealer to get a real group buy organized.

But the real point is these guys don't even have the Group Buy organized PRIOR to posting. I know "I" am not allowed to just post random Group Buy "ideas" in the Group Buy forum.

Quoted: It is not hard to make a connection in a company with the right people. Hell I do it for a living. I don't see a prob with some one trying this on there own. What do you have too loose SteyrAug?

Ask the guys in California who wanted me to do a .50 Group Buy for them what is to be lost.

I'm waiting on "approval" so that the mods can take a few weeks to clean out that mess. This means the .50 Group Buy probably won't happen in time for California members.

Quoted: Unforunately alot of people have mistakenly assumed that "group buy" means getting things below dealer cost.  I know someone spoke of an ACOG group buy, and you see nitwits acting like it's going to mean ACOGs for $500.

I'd like to get one for $375 or something like that. Maybe you can start a group buy and see if Trijicon is interested.

Huh.......I tried the correct channels for the one I did, but no one ever responded.

It's cool though, I got the dealer on board, I got the buyers on board.  We had a place for the dealers to do a demo, and we sold 8+ units.

I guess pretty much under the radar.

It was for the Virginia boys only so maybe that's why it was OK.

Anyway, if there are going to be rules, then there needs to be someone SQUARELY on top of the issue.  Maybe EdSr needs to appoint someone as a group buy liaision so there can be quicker and more definite turnaround on the requests and have inappropriate requests squashed QUICKLY.

Quoted: So who's banned from your buys ... the authors of the threads you linked?

Yep, the guys who didn't get prior approval for their group buys and are clogging the forum with their crap.

Quoted: What's the deal? I can understand why a dealer would be required to have things in order PRIOR to announcing a GB as it's related to their business and it's what they do. An individual OTOH should be free to organize any type of GB, purchase they choose. If it cuts into your profit/business I could understand. What I don't get is WTF a GB on  .50s would be affected by a GB on magpulls.

Because they are unauthorized and as a result of the mods having to clean out their crap my stuff gets put on hold.

I don't sell most of that junk anyway so it is not a matter of them cutting into my profits.

I just don't see why I should have to wait for official approval and somebody with a 10 postcount membership can simply start a Group Buy in the same forum because they "think" they can set it up.

Quoted: Quoted: Just a note, In NO WAY is any of this the fault of the moderators of the Group Buy Forum or any staff member. It is exclusisvely the fault of the idiots who CANNOT READ THE RULES and just decide to start a group buy because they can't afford magpulls at retail price. Never mind I see the 'Rules' now.. Actually most of what you linked there are not group buys but mearly asking if there is interest. How is ths all that different from your post in the 50 forum asking about interests?

1. Those post are in the GB forum and become Group Buys.

2. My post in the Group Buy forum is not a "Who is interested in a Group Buy" post but seeing which manufacturer is most popular.

Quoted: SteyrAug, So are you banning the thread starters or the group buy participants in these threads? Just curious so that no one misunderstands what has happened! BigDozer66

I would not ban the unknowing particpants. That would be so wrong.

Quoted: Do it on pre-ban and Full-auto, and simply link to it from here. I tried a LOOOOONG time ago to do a Benchmade ARFCOM custom, but MOD/STAFF coul'dnt get off their ass long enough except to simply say, "no, not right now". Just a note, In NO WAY is any of this the fault of the moderators of the Group Buy Forum or any staff member. It is exclusisvely the fault of the idiots who CANNOT READ THE RULES and just decide to start a group buy because they can't afford magpulls at retail price. This is BS. The mods are responsible for the forum. Yet another swirl in the bowl.

No they DID get back to me.

The problem is UNTIL they get the forum under control NOBODY is getting group buy approval.

Of course that is not stopping guys from simply starting them anyway.

I do NOT blame mods/staff, I blame thje guys who can't read/follow the rules and who created the problem.

Plain & simple, it's all a matter of time, there are only three of us over there in the EE that handle such issues but we also have real jobs to contend with and we TRY to have a shred of a personal life before diving into things here.

The Group Buy forum is just not as simple as you all think it is.  We feel we have a responsibility to try and make sure everything goes smoothly.  We don't want another CCA event to occur because if it does we will personally get eat up with seeing & dealing with all the frustrations.

We opened that forum for you guys but I told you there would be rules & limits so we could keep things organized.  The rules were posted from day one but very few have bothered to pay attention.  Even dealers who have had previous g.b. throw up what they want without any contact with us just so they can skim names and run it before we even have time to discuss it with them.  THEN if we go to remove it or lock it we get bitched at by those who want in or whoever started it.

It's just not as simple as it looks, we've tried to be fair to those who have consulted us first and even they get held pushed back because we're working on what's been posted.  I'm sorry we don't have a master moderator for the group buy forum but for certain reasons that's the way it is.

Kevin
AR15.com Staff

Quoted: SA- Why isn't this being addressed directly to the staff?  If it has, what is their response? I would think their concern for the members would have them hustling all over this time critical problem if they thought it was important. Let's hope this doesn't go the way of the GlockTalk group buy attempt... Thanks for trying to help out the CA members...

This is in reply to the response from staff/mods.

Again, the problem is Group Buys are on are hold till they get the GB forum under control.

I understand and respect that decision, I have noticed how out of hand crap is in there for months.

I'm just addressing the guys who created the problem mods/staff are trying to deal with.

Quoted: Plain & simple, it's all a matter of time, there are only three of us over there in the EE that handle such issues but we also have real jobs to contend with and we TRY to have a shred of a personal life before diving into things here. The Group Buy forum is just not as simple as you all think it is.  We feel have a responsibility to try and make sure everything goes smoothly.  We don't want a CCA event to occur because if it does we will personally get eat up with seeing & dealing with all the frustrations. We opened that forum for you guys but I told you there would be rules & limits so we could to keep things organized.  The rules were posted from day one but very few have bothered to pay attention.  Even dealers who have had previous g.b. throw up what they want without any contact with us just so they can skim names and run it before we even have time to discuss it with them.  THEN if we go to remove it or lock it we get bitched at by those who want in or whoever started it. It's just not as simple as it looks, we've tried to be fair to those who have consulted us first and even they get held pushed back because we're working on what's been posted.  I'm sorry we don't have a master moderator for the group buy forum but for certain reasons that's the way it is. Kevin AR15.com Staff

Works for me.

I'd volunteer to help but I think there would be a conflict on interest on the part of the staff since I'm also a dealer.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Do it on pre-ban and Full-auto, and simply link to it from here. I tried a LOOOOONG time ago to do a Benchmade ARFCOM custom, but MOD/STAFF coul'dnt get off their ass long enough except to simply say, "no, not right now". Just a note, In NO WAY is any of this the fault of the moderators of the Group Buy Forum or any staff member. It is exclusisvely the fault of the idiots who CANNOT READ THE RULES and just decide to start a group buy because they can't afford magpulls at retail price. This is BS. The mods are responsible for the forum. Yet another swirl in the bowl. No they DID get back to me. The problem is UNTIL they get the forum under control NOBODY is getting group buy approval. Of course that is not stopping guys from simply starting them anyway. I do NOT blame mods/staff, I blame thje guys who can't read/follow the rules and who created the problem. Huh? That's like blaiming the population for the crime problem (while we'd all like to, it does no good). The "police" in this instance are failing miserably.

Read Kevin's reply.

Perhaps you'd like to volunteer as a mod.

And if I may offer a solution/suggestion to the mods/staff.

Perhaps simply requiring Group Buy post to begin with:

This Group Buy was approved by [insert name of mod who gave approval].

Then all unauthorized Group Buys that do not contain that offical approval could simply be deleted.

I have been following this practice of noting "official approval" on my last few Group Buys.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Unforunately alot of people have mistakenly assumed that "group buy" means getting things below dealer cost.  I know someone spoke of an ACOG group buy, and you see nitwits acting like it's going to mean ACOGs for $500. I'd like to get one for $375 or something like that. Maybe you can start a group buy and see if Trijicon is interested. I'm in only if we can get them for $225, shipped to each person's house.  Oh, and they have to be olive drab 24084 per Fed-Std-595A.   And this is if I get a bonus check and the seller can finance for me.

Some of you guys obviously don't care about the dollars and have NO taste !!  I can go for the olive drab but only if it is #24084B and I think we should have the scopes shipped to our homes at no charge and have 30 days to decide whether or not to buy and the obvious 'Group Buy' price should be $199.

Seems fair to me.....................in fact, I MIGHT buy two !!



5sub

Perhaps a forum that group buys are submitted to a staff/mod via email for that forum and only STAFF/Mods start the thread for the buys would work. Any thread not strated by staff could be killed instatntly.

That way ALL GB go through proper channels and the forum does not get clogged with junk?

Just a suggestion.

mike

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Unforunately alot of people have mistakenly assumed that "group buy" means getting things below dealer cost.  I know someone spoke of an ACOG group buy, and you see nitwits acting like it's going to mean ACOGs for $500. I'd like to get one for $375 or something like that. Maybe you can start a group buy and see if Trijicon is interested. I'm in only if we can get them for $225, shipped to each person's house.  Oh, and they have to be olive drab 24084 per Fed-Std-595A.   And this is if I get a bonus check and the seller can finance for me.       Some of you guys obviously don't care about the dollars and have NO taste !!  I can go for the olive drab but only if it is #24084B and I think we should have the scopes shipped to our homes at no charge and have 30 days to decide whether or not to buy and the obvious 'Group Buy' price should be $199. Seems fair to me.....................in fact, I MIGHT buy two !! 5sub

i am in only if CCA handles the deal

Quoted: That's all well and good, but we are facing an upcoming ban. In this case, SteyrAug's should go to the top of the heap. He has done several (or more) group buys, and hasn't had a blowup. He seems to be a standup guy, and gets the big names to negotiate. Approve it and tack it. tony

Thanks but I get the distinct impression the Barrett Group Buy will not happen.

My inquiry in the .50 caliber discussion forum (which was NOT a group buy or even an offer for sale) was moved to the Equipment Exchange and then to the Trash.

That combined with my non approval for this and my last group buy, combined with the sheer number of unapproved (and unorganized) group buys which are still in the Group Buy forum sorta indicates to me that it will not happen.

I only wish I had known (if it proves to be the case) that it will not receive approval before I spent my time negotiating the Group Buy with Barrett in the first place. It seems everyones time has been wasted.