I'm quite new to this place, so I don't know the (probably well-known) answer to this question. I thought I saw Group Buys defined in some FAQ somewhere, but I can't find it.

thanks,
gil

 

Gil,

The idea behind a group buy is to use the quantity of people buying a certain product as leverage to get a better price. A vendor is usually willing to negotiate on price if you're buying in bulk. Many of our sponsors host group buys regularly to help bring the cost of products down for our members.

 

What about talk of waiting a long time to get the item? Is that because the items don't ship until every spot in the group buy is filled (if that's how it works)?

thanks,
gil

 

The one downside to group buys is that there may be a delay compared to just purchasing an item separate from a group buy. The people hosting the group buy usually wait until they have a substantial (sometimes all) portion of the total money before they start shipping the product. Also, sometimes a group buy has an end date and it is after the end date that the vendor starts shippping the product.

 

Thanks, Strike. That's something to consider when you're as impatient as I am when it comes to buying new "toys."

gil

 

I provide a tiered discount system for members instead. It eliminates a lot of the problems associated with group buys. Info here...

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...3107#post763107

 

Don't forget that many is not most of the products are coming from Japan. The group buy allows the sponsor to maximize container space thus saving shipping costs vs. only ordering 1 or 2 of an item. Hence the delays, the orders are bundled into one shipment from Japan.

There are good deals to be had but beware of getting caught up in the hysteria.