What Standards for MBc Product Reviews?

G

gone_fishin

Guest
i've been approached by an MBc member about a possible product review of an engine...i'm told the plan would be to offer the engine to MBc members at a special price, with the possibility of MBc-support thru a percentage of proceeds. that "support" would in no way affect my honest review of the product itself, but i think it does require i ask you all how you feel about it.

also, the fella doesn't have a website and would be selling only thru a posting in "buy/sell/trade" which is viewable by MBc members only...it seems to me that this could make some folks hesitate to make a purchase, at least until someone bought one and gave us real-time feedback.

my opinion is that if this works out, it could help MBc to help the consumer even more, by confirming another source/seller.

this is still in the early discussion stage & may not occurr, but i wanted some community feedback...?
 
There is an ongoing GEBE seminar in Framemounting, rather than axlemounting the newest models of their kits, and I'm about to "mass purchase" 10-20 steel or aluminum blanks, about 3" long.

If I were to recover cost, a person could mail me a check, a self addressed envelope to tape to the envelope, plus whatever the postage on 5 or 10 oz.

Simple, Hardly any handling, I gotta have em, might as well be "the source".

Likewise, Stanton hasn't been a fountain of enthusiasm on my trike build, and if Loco or Custom Tecumsah or one of the others want to offer a "non-patented anyway, trike/sprocket system, based on senior citizen and handicapped specs, I would pay MORE to keep the money local, kinda MBarter system.

Engines.......you are getting iffy when the engines exceed 49 cc.

Keep the Canadians in mind, they are having troubles due to the "pocket bike craze", and if the whole industry gets affected by shenanigans....I mean I am paying twice as much to stay below 35cc.

Seems like a review, which I would have no input, would keep that 49cc definition in mind.
 
i agree about the future of the industry relying on the 48cc ceiling...i'm totally lost as to the rest of your reply to my OP about standards for product reviews.

(i also have been mentally installing a frame-mount GEBE system, based on the discussions going on in there)
 
i'm told the plan would be to offer the engine to MBc members at a special price, with the possibility of MBc-support thru a percentage of proceeds.

my opinion is that if this works out, it could help MBc to help the consumer even more, by confirming another source/seller.

this is still in the early discussion stage & may not occurr, but i wanted some community feedback...?

And I guess I'm confused by the "percentage of the proceeds".

Tom's gonna mail me a monthly dividend?
 
we have an official sponsor in Golden Eagle Bike Engines who pays for ad space. we have an unofficial sponsor in King's Sales & Service whose paid-link merely leads to a post in the parts section. MBc is not affiliated, beyond sponsorship, with either of the two. we now have the possibility of another "level" of support, but i'm not sure how it will work out. i've done my best to explain what i know up to now, but the term "kickback" keeps nibbling at my overtaxed mind...

the standards i'm trying to establish would apply to any MBc product review. anyone sending me a product for review should be aware that the report will be honest, regardless of MBc sponsorship or not. in order for the review-program to work to everyone's benefit, however, the community's perception is all-important.

if this particular proposal went thru, MBc would get some help with site funding...but only thru an actual sale.

my question was how does the community feel about this? if it looks too much like payola, then obviously MBc wouldn't want to get involved.

hence, my sincere concern and question.

EDIT: i've been in touch with the seller in question, and it's agreed that if the deal goes thru he'll represent like any web-based seller, so the original question as posted is moot at this time. the discussion of review-ethics remains a valid one, so i'll leave this up for any input.
 
Augi,
My only concern with reviews is full disclosure. Do you get to keep the engines for free or do you have to return them once the review is done. The potential of a conflict of interest should be disclosed, particularly if the engines are keepers.
 
yes, they're "keepers"...but there isn't anything "free" about swapping out installs & tearing engines down only to take pictures...i'm diligent about being honest...if a seller ever expects an automatic positive review, that would be a mistake. also, while i don't publicize it, the samples have become a great resource for "pay it forward" acts of comraderie, this surely isn't about collecting a bunch of "free" stuff.

this sort of thing goes on in the PC industry with positive results for the market, i'm hoping to have the same influence on the motoredbiking market, and i already have to a small extent. because of MBc, there's finally an "80" listed at it's honest size of "65."

any more concerns, let's talk it out.
 
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