IDEA - What about using OzBargain's power to form an electricity discount group?

• 

  hothed on 28/07/2012 - 18:28

  +1

  Here you go:

  https://www.onebigswitch.com.au/

  Edit: They do power & gas. I signed up with them, took about a month before there was a big enough group to send out an 'offer'. The rates were great. Better than Origin could offer when i was trying to cancel the services.

  They are trying to get enough people to do the same thing with banks.

  Fantastic idea!

• 

  King Tightarse on 28/07/2012 - 19:17

  +3

  OK guess there's nothing new under the sun :p

  Still we really should harness the group power of Ozbargain to approach various companies, not just power.
  Most clubs or groups get decent discounts.
  We have the potential to get some serious buying power, just needs organizing.

• 

  gevidian on 30/07/2012 - 07:49

  There are already those as well - Cudo, Spreets, Groupon, etc.

• 

  Moots on 30/07/2012 - 08:36

  Besides, OBS (OneBigSwitch) has the might of Energy Watch & the publicity in the current media to send thousands flooding there website. I think at OZB we just don't have the potential to exceed what you need for a bulk deal considering it depends state to state.

  Besides, odd's are a vast majority has already used a service like OBS. After all, we are tight asses. You especially. You're King of Tightarses!

• 

  King Tightarse on 30/07/2012 - 09:23

  +1

  What I am thinking of is a little different from the Cudo, Spreets, Groupon concept.
  In those cases companies are usually promoting their goods to the general public to get exposure for their businesses and gain advertising awareness with a nice little earner tucked away for the company doing the promoting.
  If we established an Ozbargain buying group - doesn't have to be utilities, could be anything, we would have the ball in our court and the power to shop around and negotiate, to secure deals for goods/services we the members actively want. Buying power basically.
  We would approach a company and say "we can bring you (1000/2000?) sales you didn't expect yesterday and exposure with some of Australia's canniest shoppers for your product, what kind of deal can you offer?" Then play it against the competitors to slice down the best possible deal.
  Difference is the ball is in our court and we could chase down stuff we actually want. Say a deal a month?
  It works well for most of the professional associations. Just ask a Doctor. They get massive discounts on everything from insurance to house loans courtesy of the AMA.

  Just a thought at this stage, but we have a group and a profile. It seem we should be able to harness that power, the power of Ozbargain in a proactive way.
  What do you guys think?

  • 

    gevidian on 30/07/2012 - 10:46

    +1

    The AMA benefits are not as glorious as you make them out to be (my partner is a doctor). The other specialist medical associations also have their own member benefit deals which are not exceptional either. They are deals negotiated with specific providers and I have found that you can generally get better deals if you are willing to put in the due diligence (which most Ozbarganiers would I think).

    http://ama.com.au/ama-member-benefits

    Your proposal is certainly something worth exploring though and could work in reverse - OzB member could put up items that they would like to buy and if the combined quantity was great enough, perhaps one or more of the companies that posts deals here would offer a deal on the item at a discounted price.

    • 

      King Tightarse on 30/07/2012 - 11:19

      Yes that sounds good too.
      A sort of request/tender situation.

      We have this group of people here, so it would seem like a good idea to harness to buying power of the group in some way.
      Just kicking the can around at this point…

      All ideas/input welcome.