Hi folks

I had an idea the other night that I thought I would toss out there and see how you guys felt about it. There are reviews on this site for just about everything. Kits, aftermarket items, books etc are all reviewed. My idea is this. in the same area that has the other reviews why not have reviews of internet hobby stores.
Maybe its just because I'm rather new to shopping on the net, but it seems to me that there are tons of model shops out there. How are we to know the good ones from the not so good ones, or better yet the ones to avoid? Like I said , its just a thought

Harry

Not a bad idea Harry. This kind of info could be very useful to the new and not so new modelers.

yes you could give them marks for stock,postage,ect and little things like they only put the shipping cost on the invoice so you dont get stung for tax like here in the UK

Not a bad idea, but it would take some work. The nature of an interaction with a shop can be very subjective. What you consider prompt service, I might find interminable, for example. Perhaps a databased system which allowed for a numerical rating on several criteria to be averaged for the area and aggregate score. This still has the problem of one person skewing the numbers up or down by repeated voting, or as the reputed Cook County motto said, "Vote early, vote often" :-)
Beyond that, post a specific request for the type of model you're looking for and who is the best dealer for that or ask about specific shops with whom you are thinking of dealing.

I'm no lawyer but someone who rips a store for one bad transaction and causes a store to lose a lot of business could be liable for something in this lawsuit crazy world.

It's one thing for members to post their individual horror stories about their experiences, it's another to have a site sponsored section.

Shermie's right about that one another forum I know is like that very cagey about naming dealers who have done bad work/sold a moody scooter as the website can also be done for allowing/spreading libelous gossip

It's kind of a neat idea, but I agree with AJ and Shermies. Almost anything dealing with products and services is subjective, otherwise we would all be driving the same kind of car, etc. And having been an officer of the court, I can tell you people will sue over just about anything. One alternative to a site sanctioned review might be a seperate forum on the lines of Junk Drawer (with an appropriate staff approved title and content ) dedicated to members who wish to pass on their experiences, good or bad. And you won't have to go through a bunch of other threads to get the info you want.

Art

Hi all

It was just an idea. I thought it might be a way to save some folks some time and trouble. I did not think of the legal end .

Wolfsix