Opt Out

[SuperBuickGuy]

I wish I could opt out of the mailbox-stuffing fliers I get from companies I may have bought something from, once.
Today's rant is brought to you by Classic Industries. I bought 2 rocker panels (not even with the inners) from them - I just got a catalog with a cover price of $12.95 on the front. Here's an idea - let me opt out, then credit it me whatever the amount you would have spent in postage and printing. I guarantee that would make me far more likely to shop at your store.

Heck, if Summit did that, I'd get thousands in free gear every year.

And the rub - they never even make it into my house, the recycle bin is on the way in....

and if they must send them, here's an idea - include something useful like shop drawings, or wiring diagrams... but don't keep sending me pretty, color books of stuff that I'll buy from the company manufactured the parts for them at 50% their cost.

[Loren]

I met the owner of the place in 1986 at the small store front he was doing business out of at the time...I'd just bought a cowl-induction hood from Chevy to replace my bent one, and mentioned it...he wanted to know, why didn't I buy it from him? All the same to me, but those catalogs in all the years since are why people buy stuff from him, and it's a pretty good mid-size company now, so he'll keep sending them. But I see your point, so it goes.

[malc]

I get four catalogues a year from Summit.....
never read them, when I need something I go
to their webpages.
I did call and asked them to remove me from the
mailing list......years ago....."Click....done" said the rep.
Their costs must be huge so stopping using up trees will benefit them and the planet.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I met the owner of the place in 1986 at the small store front he was doing business out of at the time...I'd just bought a cowl-induction hood from Chevy to replace my bent one, and mentioned it...he wanted to know, why didn't I buy it from him? All the same to me, but those catalogs in all the years since are why people buy stuff from him, and it's a pretty good mid-size company now, so he'll keep sending them. But I see your point, so it goes.

There was a time when catalogs were an excellent way to find stuff. That time ended sometime in the 80s. To me it's unfathomable that the cost/benefit of them would meet even the most liberal of cost analysis. Heck, I suspect it'd be cheaper to simply send a new computer with the website pre-loaded to anyone who uses a catalog now....

[Dan Barlow]

I just love getting all this junk mail , It gives me something to recycle. Makes me feel like I'm doing my part . They as re enabling me to be a better person . Maybe I should go down to harbor freight and buy something as a than you. ( sarcasm button pushed )

[squirrel]

maybe you could tell the companies involved, they could do something about it. We can only commiserate.

[RockJustRock]

In my experience too much junk mail from a business is a bad sign. They put their people to work on the mail list when they SHOULD be busy filling orders.

[Russell]

I wish the cable / Internet companies would do this it would be so much cheaper. Even the one that I sent a check to every month sends me junk mail.

[SuperBuickGuy]

maybe you could tell the companies involved, they could do something about it. We can only commiserate.

without the freebie request, I've tried - all it neted me was more fliers. that said, never underestimate the power these forums have to change attitudes....

[squirrel]

Have fun!

[Gateclyve Photographic]

I grew up with J.C. Whitney & Co.(Warshawsky) catalogs, so I kind of miss 'em. I built a lot of imaginary hot rods as a kid out of the JCW ad books. Now I get plenty of mail from Speedway Motors, JEGS and Summit . . . probably not bad advertising for them because some ideas take awhile to percolate.

[Gateclyve Photographic]

Harbor Freight and Northern Tool have also probably made back the money they've "invested" on me in direct mail solicitations . . . .

[silver_bullet]

I grew up with J.C. Whitney & Co.(Warshawsky) catalogs, so I kind of miss 'em. I built a lot of imaginary hot rods as a kid out of the JCW ad books. Now I get plenty of mail from Speedway Motors, JEGS and Summit . . . probably not bad advertising for them because some ideas take awhile to percolate.

We're probably showing our age just a bit.....

[RockJustRock]

J.C. Whitney's prices have gone up a bit.....

http://www.jcwhitney.com/details/DNJ/Engine_Rebuild_Kit/DNJEK1100DM.html#plpslot2

[Gateclyve Photographic]

But the real problems with the modern, moved-to-the-suburbs, post-Roy Warshawsky "J.C. Whitney" are:

1. That they just don't have the big selection of cool (and/or sketchy)l stuff they used to have (e.g. cruiser skirts, generic car club plaques,,100 styles of wheel covers, large selections of fiberglass body parts and hood scoops, "Wlinky" the Cat, the huge early Ford and VW sections . . . ) They don't even seem to have J.C.Whitney bumper stickers anymore!



2. The big, splashy, generic photo ads they use now in their downsized virtual catalogs just don't have the charm or the time-sucking capacity of the small drawn illustrations, breathless ad copy, and fine-print application lists of the old catalogs. (The "legendary" paper catalogs are no longer published)

We no longer print our legendary catalog. But hey! You can still view our most popular products in our electronic version of the catalog.

(Electronics . . . could be a tad more hazardous in the ol' "reading room" than paper . . . Just sayin')

3. How can they claim "everything automotive" when their speed equipment selection is worse than JEGs, Summit and other mail order houses. All of their stuff in a "brick-and-mortar" store wouldn't even make for a decent Pep Boys.

4. Their website doesn't seem to take up the slack . . . .