Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Entwood on 10 September 2007, 20:08:06
-
Having just obtained a TC via the autobahnstormers route it has left me slightly intrigued ....
ABS have TC status as a club, obviously recognised by Vauxhall, and they have 335 registered users on the web site, and just under 2000 members .. going by my membership number.
OOF don't have Trade Club status but have 1600 registered members....
Now common sense says the only difference, membership wise, is that ABS charge £20 a year to join, and OOF is free, surely this is not the reason OOF is not recognised by Vauxhall ?? (I am assuming here that Vx have been asked at some point)
I appreciate that there may be some reason that is not for the public domain, or it has been discussed at length before and I just can't find it, in which case please just lock/delete this thread, however if there is a reason that can be given out I would love to know why OOF is not Vx/TC recognised.
:-/
-
It will be no surprise to find that this has been discussed more than once! ;D
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1159631161
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1180261631
In a nutshell, OOF is to allow friendly interaction and free exchange of information between like minded people with a view to maintaining and repairing cars at minimal or best available costs. If we were to go down a similar route to ABS then there needs the formal things such as constitution, treasurer, accounts, secretary, meetings, AGM's etc etc which, in line with the initial reasons for the formation of the forum, would be counter productive.
The advantage would perhaps be the allocation of a Trade Card but, given the hoops required to jump through and the red tape that comes with it, does not require to happen.
Another well known internet VX car forum has been seeking such status for two years now and its still not even on the radar, let alone imminent..... ;)
-
Thanks for that ... I has assumed it was a well discussed area, but I still can't find it !!
I guess then that VX require full "club" status with all the bits you mention.... which as you say .. would defeat the purpose of the site.
Shame but there you go ... ABS has my £20 ... I have their TC .. and if I want to read about Lotus Carltons or Monzas I know where to look - Hardly seen an Omega question !!!!
:)
Edit : Thanks for adding those links ... answers all the questions .... now if only I could learn to use the search mode properly .. :(
-
Any Vauxhall club that wants to have official recognition need to be approved by the VBOA (vauxhall, bedford owners association) they oversee all the Vauxhall clubs and in the past have taken away on clubs status after one show where there was a roitous show of behavour.
VBOA will consider applications from any club so long as they have been up and running for at least 12 months and have a subscription system for members, they also look at the other clubs who are in the VBOA, if there is one already that caters for the same group of cars then it may be a little harder to get recognition.
once the club is a mamber of the VBOA Vauxhall will issue the club with a trade club number