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Is paying for an award false advertising?

MikeFitzpatrick

3rd Base Coach
Apr 15, 2010
42
10
First Name
Mike
As a vendor in the automotive world I am not comfortable paying to have my "best" sites/products reviewed for awards. We talk about how to treat the dealer customer every day and how it is important that we don't treat them like they are stupid or uniformed when buying a car, but some of the "awards" in this industry do just that.

Let's face it there is no consumer reports for dealers to get a truly unbiased review of the products and services that they are looking at purchasing. Don't get me wrong I get that advertising is an important piece of doing business in any industry it just doesn't feel right to me when it is under the guise of an award.

I don't want to come off as some self righteous person that is condemning other vendors for participating in these awards, of which we have in the past. It just doesn't feel right and I am very interested in feedback from the dealer community.

Please share your thoughts...
 
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As a vendor in the automotive world I am not comfortable paying to have my "best" sites/products reviewed for awards.

Who is charging for awards? Could also be called an entry fee I guess. Perhaps the award company can explain the charge/fee.

We talk about how to treat the dealer customer every day and how it is important that we don't treat them like they are stupid or uniformed when buying a car, but some of the "awards" in this industry do just that.

You're going to have to be more specific on this one, let's not beat around the bush.

Let's face it there is no consumer reports for dealers to get a truly unbiased review of the products and services that they are looking at purchasing.

Driving Sales has a really good vendor rating section. Some day I hope to see Jeff do the same.
 
This has PCG written all over it... haha.

It's certainly not an award of the best in the industry if the only people being judged are those who buy-in. Plus, who makes the decisions? There should be a vote among dealers in order to determine a winner, not a panel of elitists who believe they know what's best. Fair is fair, right?

Let's call it like it is and remove the term "award" if that's really what's happening.
 
All awards are skewed. Even testimonials, I'm sure you'd have some great things to say too if a company gave you a year or $5K worth of products for free.. Some people will even praise you for an extra $20 coupon, cash, whatever.. Then you have referrals, which you can't get an honest answer since they are being rewarded with money.. The biggest award I hate is anything by JD Power & Associates, they cannot be trusted and their awards for things like "best customer service", are an absolute joke. The real way to get an award is to ask customers and let them be the judge, don't influence their decision with a reward..
 
Driving Sales has a really good vendor rating section. Some day I hope to see Jeff do the same.
I have to agree with Jerry on this. We participate every year and have done very well. The nice part about DrivingSales is it doesn't cost to participate and the ratings come from our customers.

Just like a dealer earns reviews, we work hard to provide great service and ask our customers for the review. No payment, no reward - just provide great service and ask for a review. Pretty simple.
 
Sounding a little naive to me... What isn't Pay for Play???

What happens if Honda decides not to "donate" a new Accord for every employee of the magazine to drive for 6 months?

Does every manufacturer line-up to provide cars for writers at the writers' whim? What happens to the ones who don't?

(Hint: you don't see them on a Top Ten list...)

Who pays for Consumer Reports???

Let's get real here...

JQ
 
Who pays for Consumer Reports???

Let's get real here...

JQ
When Lee Iacocca, left Chrysler he gave a teleconference with the dealerships (we had satellite conferences back then). He said goodbye and then warned that Dodge would have some negative reviews from Consumer Reports because he refused to bribe them.

One year, Toyota came out with a van that had the engine between the driver and front passenger. Consumer reports blasted it. They said that if you hit someone you would lose your legs. Unchanged the next year, Consumer Reports praised it. Use it to line a bird cage.
 
Sounding a little naive to me... What isn't Pay for Play???

What happens if Honda decides not to "donate" a new Accord for every employee of the magazine to drive for 6 months?

Does every manufacturer line-up to provide cars for writers at the writers' whim? What happens to the ones who don't?

(Hint: you don't see them on a Top Ten list...)

Who pays for Consumer Reports???

Let's get real here...

JQ

There is a lot of truth to that--and good truth!

When you "play": Go to the conventions, support seminars, sponsor events, etc you become known by other vendors/award givers as well as you promote your product at the same time. Showing up doesn't make your product a good one but definitively brings a lot more attention to it. Participating in these events and promotions is the only way a vendor can entice other vendors to give him an award.

Can dealers alone give an award? I don't think so:

25% of my dealers would vote for me, 25% will use the vote to leverage me and get a better deal, 25% will not vote, and 25% will even wonder why they have vendors awards.

But in the end: if you don't like what you see go and form the "good vendor" award. I use to think a lot like Mr. Fitz but now I think that it is great that some people stepped up, put the money, their time, and their effort. Let them play the song they like to dance to.