This is a tremendous idea, and one that I feel will allow DBG to grow it's vendor base with extremely high quality, reputable vendors, including some who are currently private, but have additional capacity for "high quality", discreet customers. That being said, it is absolutely imperative that the integrity of this section be maintained, and that we do not "hook up" non-VIP members with vendor information from this area of the board. I won't speak for my fellow Mod Squad members, nor any vendors they may choose to introduce to this newly created area of DBG, but speaking only for myself, I am acquainted with several private vendors who are long established in athlete and entertainer circles, and who would be extremely strong additions to our vendor roles. I am, at the present time, discussing how they might bring their offerings to a select group of members who are well established and proven. Anyway, my point is, as I continue discussions with these private vendors, I will propose to them that as a matter of standard operating procedure, that they ask for and obtain the screen name of any new customer originating from DBG, and then verify that they are in fact VIP members through the moderator and administrative staff. I will also be recommending that they also implement a "one name / one shipping address" policy per member / user name, in an effort to avoid the sharing of these restricted vendor's information with non-VIP's who then use someone else's user name for verification purposes.
In any event, the primary reason for these comments is to drive home the importance of absolute discretion in this section. Speaking again regarding the vendors I am acquainted with, they do NOT "need" more customers, and have been quite successful operating privately for a number of years. Should any shenanigans or attempts to execute "work arounds" to our stated vendor terms and policies become a recurring event, these vendors will absolutely NOT hesitate to cut ties with us and go back to their present method of operation. Point being, the idea here is to build a significant and valuable benefit for our most well established and trusted members, and it's imperative that the rules, and the wishes of these high caliber vendors, be honored and upheld without exception.
I apologize if I am coming across as somewhat harsh, or if this reads like a lecture. My intent is to make certain that everyone has a firm understanding of what we're trying to accomplish here, and what will be required to build, and more importantly, keep this valuable resource for our VIP level members. Thanks for understanding, and for your discretion.
Jewy
