That web site is horrible, worse interface ever. It is exactly what I would expect it to be if you had hired a marketing company who came into your boardroom and promised "...and we will setup a social networking website, cause that is all the rage..." and someone agreed because they heard that was "hot", without caring if it is any good or useful. You can tell that no real thought, design, testing, or vision went into it.
I did corporate web sites for over a decade and if someone approached me to start something like this fresh, I'd just tell them to write a facebook add-on and operate a conventional forum. They could have saved a lot of headaches.
I'm sure they'll have some great members, however I don't plan on participating at their site. But if I do I'll certainly join the SCOA Group, as you requested.
In the mean time I need to get this off my chest.
Information provided by all the official representatives of smart from day one has been modest and as I stated in a previous post the lack of information offered by smart USA has been terrible and makes me question the intentions of smartusainsider.com.
The Penske Group has known for a few years this car was special and that we needed to be educated about the car, and surely Mr. Schembri, who spent 11 years at Mercedes in a variety of “marketing” positions and as the vice president of Smart USA, when Smart USA was controlled by DaimlerChrysler, that we all craved and even deserved news about these cars and needed to be kept informed, yet did little to provide basic information or educate us about the cars.
Why wait so long to make an actual effort to contribute to our need for information, if in fact it is a genuine effort on their part?
Again, forums when controlled by their own organizations that offer technical and unbiased information about their products are very helpful.
So in typical fashion, the footer on the smartusainsider.com forum states “Please note that smart USA will not provide vehicle technical assistance or respond to product issue inquiries on this website.”
Nothing news worthy about that statement, as far as I’m concerned!
Then it goes on to say “For an immediate response to vehicle technical questions, product issues, or any complaints, please contact smart USA customer service by email or phone or contact your local dealer directly." Immediate response, they must be joking, right?
As for me smartusainsider.com is nothing more than a great marketing ploy and an economical lead generating resource for the entire Penske Group.
I wish their new site the best, but I think I'll stay with the folks that brought me to the party.
Continue to keep us informed and thanks again SCOA!!
the blogging feature is interesting as are some of the other features, but the forum/discussion board functionality/design is not very conducive to a very large and active community - it's style over substance. there is no way 5,000 users could use that topic/post function on the site now without enduring unbearable pain. IMHO anyway.
I'm guessing that as they grow, they will morph into what most people would consider 'user friendly'.
Just an aside, there are parts of this site that, unless you use it frequently, you can have difficulty with also.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Cabrio
Vette
Today
Linear Mode
