Force Fins forces Rodale's Scuba Diving to pay for scuba equipment ratings scam

Lee Bell <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:
>> So to spend an extra $2K for review gear for each and every issue works
>> out to a per-magazine cost of 13 cents/year, or 2 cents per reader-year.
>
>It's not an extra $2k, is it? Fins are one of many items the company tests.
>They test BCDs, regulators, knives, lights, just about everything you can
>think of related to diving and a lot of things that aren't all that closely
>related.

And yet they don't end up with worthless gear at the end of the test.
Bought at the DM shop discount rate, and then sold off to those at RSD, or
even outside, the costs aren't that steep. (Well, except maybe to find a
sucker for the Mares turkey)

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

"Jason O'Rourke" <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
news:br40fo$15qr$1@agate.berkeley.edu...
> Lee Bell <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:
> >> So to spend an extra $2K for review gear for each and every issue works
> >> out to a per-magazine cost of 13 cents/year, or 2 cents per
reader-year.
> >
> >It's not an extra $2k, is it? Fins are one of many items the company
tests.
> >They test BCDs, regulators, knives, lights, just about everything you can
> >think of related to diving and a lot of things that aren't all that
closely
> >related.
>
> And yet they don't end up with worthless gear at the end of the test.
> Bought at the DM shop discount rate, and then sold off to those at RSD, or
> even outside, the costs aren't that steep. (Well, except maybe to find a
> sucker for the Mares turkey)

Mares is making turkeys now? Wow, do they have a titanium version?

Chris Guynn left this mess on Tue, 09 Dec 2003 15:04:54 GMT for The Way to clean
up:
>
>
>"Jason O'Rourke" <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
>news:br40fo$15qr$1@agate.berkeley.edu...
>> Lee Bell <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:
>> >> So to spend an extra $2K for review gear for each and every issue works
>> >> out to a per-magazine cost of 13 cents/year, or 2 cents per
>reader-year.
>> >
>> >It's not an extra $2k, is it? Fins are one of many items the company
>tests.
>> >They test BCDs, regulators, knives, lights, just about everything you can
>> >think of related to diving and a lot of things that aren't all that
>closely
>> >related.
>>
>> And yet they don't end up with worthless gear at the end of the test.
>> Bought at the DM shop discount rate, and then sold off to those at RSD, or
>> even outside, the costs aren't that steep. (Well, except maybe to find a
>> sucker for the Mares turkey)
>
>Mares is making turkeys now? Wow, do they have a titanium version?

It's only a backplate and wings.

Tao te Carl
"It takes a village to have an idiot." - Carl (c) 2003

(Kudos to Cap'n Jim Wyatt for this link) BEFORE you ask a dumb-ass question
here...http://www.speakeasy.org/~neilco/bart.gif

"de Valois" <devalois@nailedandused.com> wrote in message
news:br57hl01gvc@drn.newsguy.com...
> Chris Guynn left this mess on Tue, 09 Dec 2003 15:04:54 GMT for The Way to
clean
> up:
> >
> >
> >"Jason O'Rourke" <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
> >news:br40fo$15qr$1@agate.berkeley.edu...
> >> Lee Bell <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:
> >> >> So to spend an extra $2K for review gear for each and every issue
works
> >> >> out to a per-magazine cost of 13 cents/year, or 2 cents per
> >reader-year.
> >> >
> >> >It's not an extra $2k, is it? Fins are one of many items the company
> >tests.
> >> >They test BCDs, regulators, knives, lights, just about everything you
can
> >> >think of related to diving and a lot of things that aren't all that
> >closely
> >> >related.
> >>
> >> And yet they don't end up with worthless gear at the end of the test.
> >> Bought at the DM shop discount rate, and then sold off to those at RSD,
or
> >> even outside, the costs aren't that steep. (Well, except maybe to find
a
> >> sucker for the Mares turkey)
> >
> >Mares is making turkeys now? Wow, do they have a titanium version?
>
> It's only a backplate and wings.

How does it taste fried?

>
> Tao te Carl
> "It takes a village to have an idiot." - Carl (c) 2003
>
> (Kudos to Cap'n Jim Wyatt for this link) BEFORE you ask a dumb-ass
question
> here...http://www.speakeasy.org/~neilco/bart.gif
>

Chris Guynn left this mess on Tue, 09 Dec 2003 22:15:59 GMT for The Way to clean
up:
>
>
>"de Valois" <devalois@nailedandused.com> wrote in message
>news:br57hl01gvc@drn.newsguy.com...
>> Chris Guynn left this mess on Tue, 09 Dec 2003 15:04:54 GMT for The Way to
>clean
>> up:
>> >
>> >
>> >"Jason O'Rourke" <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
>> >news:br40fo$15qr$1@agate.berkeley.edu...
>> >> Lee Bell <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:
>> >> >> So to spend an extra $2K for review gear for each and every issue
>works
>> >> >> out to a per-magazine cost of 13 cents/year, or 2 cents per
>> >reader-year.
>> >> >
>> >> >It's not an extra $2k, is it? Fins are one of many items the company
>> >tests.
>> >> >They test BCDs, regulators, knives, lights, just about everything you
>can
>> >> >think of related to diving and a lot of things that aren't all that
>> >closely
>> >> >related.
>> >>
>> >> And yet they don't end up with worthless gear at the end of the test.
>> >> Bought at the DM shop discount rate, and then sold off to those at RSD,
>or
>> >> even outside, the costs aren't that steep. (Well, except maybe to find
>a
>> >> sucker for the Mares turkey)
>> >
>> >Mares is making turkeys now? Wow, do they have a titanium version?
>>
>> It's only a backplate and wings.
>
>How does it taste fried?
>

Like chicken.

Tao te Carl
"It takes a village to have an idiot." - Carl (c) 2003

(Kudos to Cap'n Jim Wyatt for this link) BEFORE you ask a dumb-ass question
here...http://www.speakeasy.org/~neilco/bart.gif

"de Valois" <devalois@nailedandused.com> wrote in message
news:br7b1e028od@drn.newsguy.com...
> Chris Guynn left this mess on Tue, 09 Dec 2003 22:15:59 GMT for The Way to
clean
> up:
> >
> >
> >"de Valois" <devalois@nailedandused.com> wrote in message
> >news:br57hl01gvc@drn.newsguy.com...
> >> Chris Guynn left this mess on Tue, 09 Dec 2003 15:04:54 GMT for The Way
to
> >clean
> >> up:
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >"Jason O'Rourke" <jor@soda.csua.berkeley.edu> wrote in message
> >> >news:br40fo$15qr$1@agate.berkeley.edu...
> >> >> Lee Bell <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:
> >> >> >> So to spend an extra $2K for review gear for each and every issue
> >works
> >> >> >> out to a per-magazine cost of 13 cents/year, or 2 cents per
> >> >reader-year.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >It's not an extra $2k, is it? Fins are one of many items the
company
> >> >tests.
> >> >> >They test BCDs, regulators, knives, lights, just about everything
you
> >can
> >> >> >think of related to diving and a lot of things that aren't all that
> >> >closely
> >> >> >related.
> >> >>
> >> >> And yet they don't end up with worthless gear at the end of the
test.
> >> >> Bought at the DM shop discount rate, and then sold off to those at
RSD,
> >or
> >> >> even outside, the costs aren't that steep. (Well, except maybe to
find
> >a
> >> >> sucker for the Mares turkey)
> >> >
> >> >Mares is making turkeys now? Wow, do they have a titanium version?

> >>
> >> It's only a backplate and wings.
> >
> >How does it taste fried?
> >
>
> Like chicken.

<In my best homer simpson impression>Mmmmm... chicken...</end impression>

>
> Tao te Carl
> "It takes a village to have an idiot." - Carl (c) 2003
>
> (Kudos to Cap'n Jim Wyatt for this link) BEFORE you ask a dumb-ass
question
> here...http://www.speakeasy.org/~neilco/bart.gif
>

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:

> " H. Huntzinger" wrote
>
> > Afterall, if every Tom, Dick and Harry with a webpage (a public presence
> > as an independent, unbiased evaluator), the world's manufacturers would
> > clearly go out of business providing free 'evaluation' goods to all of
> > them, instead of making each of these businesses pay their own way.
>
> This does not wash. The fact is, products that are highly rated by any
> testing agency sell better than those that are not. It is not at all clear
> that the world's manufacturers would suffer any adverse financial effect at
> all. What is clear is that those that submitted the best products would
> gain market share at the expense of those that could not, or would not
> compete. I don't see the downside.

I agree with the upsides of "free advertising", but all advertising is
subject to the laws of diminishing returns.

My point was that if you have an oversaturation of reviewers who want a
free sample, a manufacturer is going to go broke sending out freebies
that will never generate enough return to pay for themselves.



> > So to spend an extra $2K for review gear for each and every issue works
> > out to a per-magazine cost of 13 cents/year, or 2 cents per reader-year.
>
> It's not an extra $2k, is it? Fins are one of many items the company tests.
> They test BCDs, regulators, knives, lights, just about everything you can
> think of related to diving and a lot of things that aren't all that closely
> related.

It was $2K/month, and while I did base this based on a fin test, it
wasn't my intent to claim this as "THE" correct number.

My point is that after you distribute whatever additional cost you want
to use across the subcription base, you end up with a small number.

A small number that is negligible, particularly in the context of the
relevent customer demographics (Rodale's Scuba Diving readers' average
household income is $120,000 per year). When the potential individual
consumer share cost is extremely negligible and easily absorbed, all of
the publisher's excuses for not buying the gear is lame.



-hh

" H. Huntzinger" <{NOSPAM-rm_to_reply}rec-scuba@huntzinger.com> wrote in
message
news:{NOSPAM-rm_to_reply}rec-scuba-AC2EBD.08182211122003@news-east.ash.giganews.com...

> A small number that is negligible, particularly in the context of the
> relevent customer demographics (Rodale's Scuba Diving readers' average
> household income is $120,000 per year). When the potential individual
> consumer share cost is extremely negligible and easily absorbed, all of
> the publisher's excuses for not buying the gear is lame.

The *Equipment Test* issues are the highest rack sellers each year (kind of
like SI's Swim Suit issue, though obviously not at those production levels).
One would think any added cost to purchase the equipment to be tested would
be covered, at minimum, a number of times over by the uptick in rack sales
and resulting advertisement price points.