HHVA Vendor Seal of Approval

[Gore Galore]

The HHVA will soon be awarding its Seal of Approval to industry vendors who have proven quality and reliability in their products and service. If you have had positive experiences with a specific vendor, please reply to this thread to help the HHVA determine which vendors exhibit a consistent level of excellence.
They do not have to be HHVA members. They just had to take care of business in a professional manner, provided you with quality products, and did it in the time frame promised.

Your positive input will be much appreciated.

[Spookyfinder]

Unit 70- What I consider the BEST animations and THE best service in the entire industry... leaving other companies with MUCH to catch up on!

Virgil- Wide variety of music, top quality, the BEST service!

Mini (LED) Spotlight- Set the standard for LED haunt lighting with it's mini LED lights and continues to have some of the best service in the biz when it comes to lighting!

RedCrow Designs- Offering top quality websites/graphic design for the industries BEST price... a def. force to be rekoned with!

Hauntworld Magizine- Best service, great/educational articles, best prices, continued/reliable prints, etc. etc. This IS the industry's mag!

Ghostride Productions- Very nice assortment of products for a reasonable price, not to mention very nice service... leaves NOTHING to be desired!

Oak Island- Continues to create haunted inovations and has amazing service for the right prices!

That's all I got now... -Tyler

[Darkblood]

I've only used a few vendors over the last year and I also agree with what Tyler has said about them:

Virgil-Great music and great service!

Hauntworld-I just signed my haunt up for HHA this past week and got my issue of HW #19 (Awesome, by the way) and membership stuff today! Great service!

ReDCroW Designs-I'm so impressed by their sites and logos that we're currently working out a deal to do our site. No matter the budget or desires they're willing to work with you. Great people and great service hands down!

Dreamscape Studios-Bought a few of their flickering lanterns for the haunt. Nice people to deal with and great product!

Kirk

[Bill Schnell]

In my opinion, Unit 70 and Oak Island are the best 2 vendors that we have dealt with, both in product and customer service.

[N2SPOOKINU]

Choice#1) Unit 70 has the best bodies and products I have found. Bo and brady are great to work with and have a fantastic product. Although contacting them lately to place an order has been a chore.

Choice #2) Oak island has inovative ideas and quality products.

Choice#3) Distortions they do a great job and they make great products.

Choice#4) Fright Props the Boo boxes make animation EASY!
Thats just a few I can think of off the top of my head.
And for C.G.I. effects Hollow 3D. David is a great guy that gives you what you ask for.

[scareshack]

Monster Guts has some great products and pricing, but there costumer service is by far top notch!

[Raycliff Manor]

Wow! Where do I begin? There are so many great vendors. I'm going to do my best to list a comprehensive list, but I know I'll inevitably forget someone. I may have to reply to this thread later with additional vendor names. The following are vendors who have provided us outstanding products and service:

Minispotlight.com

Creative Visions / Haunt Visions

SPFX Masks

Shulltronix

Ghost Ride Productions

Extremetix / ClickNPrint Tickets

Virgil Music

Midnight Syndicate

Dental Distortions

Morris Costumes

As we all celebrate the holiday season, the entire Raycliff Manor Fright Team would like to take the time to let the haunt Vendors know how much we appreciate the support you’ve shown to us in 2008. Without vendors such as you, we could not deliver the quality show we are able to provide our guests. Your participation in our business has helped to guarantee our continued success!

Happy Holidays!

Kel

[drfrightner]

I think all vendors should get an approval rating or a seal no one should be excluded... however proving you don't deserve it, or constant problems you could pull the seal with everything being listed on your website.

There is NO company in this industry and I mean NOT ONE that hasn't had problems we all have. So its unfair to pick on one company or another just because they have recently had some problems where as in the past they had no problems, or as of right this second they are not having any problems.

AND NO I'm not speaking of one specific company, because I know there just isn't a company that has never had a problem. If you start a program like this everyone should gain this approval and then outline in detail what are the steps that can result in the approval being removed and it can't some petty complaint.

BBB has this program and maybe following their rules and guidlines could lead to your own guidlines.

I think starting this could land you in some serious hot water, and maybe even being sued by one or more vendors. You must draft a detailed outline of all the guidlelines of how you earn the seal, how you lose it, how to resolve outstanding complaints, what constitutes a legit complaint and more. I think you are opening up a MAJOR bag of worms here... lots of work, and a lot of unhappy people errr vendors. I can see now every single crum of a complaint will be filled and its another vendor who determines if its a legit...basically another competitor. See the issue there?

If you do something like this you must have an independent team... not a vendor to determine such.

Lets go one step further here as well... what about all of those deadbeat buyers, who don't pay vendors, or make false claims against vendors, or people who try to destroy someones reputation without much or any cause.

Overall I think the merits of this idea are good, but in the end this could end up with several peolple in court, and or a lot of outright arguements.

Larry

[Gore Galore]

Larry,
thanks for the show of concern.
But not to worry.
We have it under control.
We are defining the program as we speak and have several haunt owners as part of the selection committee.

[drfrightner]

Kevin,

Thats the point I don't think its up to you and or a handful buyers to determine who is or isn't a good vendor. I'll give you a list right now who I think is a horrible vendor, but someone else will say just the opposite.

Its not for you or a handfull of haunt owners to decide.

I think someone might sue you over this...some vendor who might think you are trying to blackball them.

I don't think there are ANY VENDORS who haven't had problems. We hear complaints all the time so what does that mean those people are right and some vendor is wrong, or that the person making the complaint makes a vendor no good? Every situation has different circumstances, therefore makes it very hard for you, or anyone else not involved to judge.

Like I said I think ALL vendors should gain any seal of approval and let them earn the right to lose it... that is the only fair way to do it.

I know myself personally will not give an ounce of credence to such a list, I will judge for myself who can be trusted and who can not. I read what people say on this boards, or what people say to me in private, and I know what the vendors themselves say. I make my own judgements, although its nice to have information but if I'm a vendor and I end up on your blackball list, I'm thinking those people will be highly upset.

Larry

[swampboy]

Kevin,

I think its great that vendors are trying to get together and establish standards for doing business. Yes, it could be abused and if it is, then your association won't be around for long and I'm sure you know that and have no intention of it becoming like that.

I can still buy whatever from whomever but it will nice to see if they have a good reputation from your group.

I wouldn't assume that vendors without your seal are bad, but rather, those with your seal have proven themselves to multiple buyers, multiple times to be quality vendors and that will hopefully give me some sense of confidence buying from them.

[stafford]

Opinions

I gotta go with Larry on this one. I'd be careful.

If you're going to create some type of pseudo-BBB for the haunted house community, I think you're selection criteria looks kinda speculative, and a bit suspect.

If I'm not mistaken (haven't researched) the BBB allows anyone to join, whether or not their allowed to stay members I think depends on their track record from that point forward. If a business isn't a member of the BBB, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are a bad company, they may just not want to join.

Also, the BBB acts as a forum, sort of...you can call the BBB and make a bad report against any business, then if someone calls to check on that business, the BBB will tell them if there has been reports about that business.

This might be a better format, since then it's up to customers to report how they feel (much like what is already done here on the boards), and then up to prospective customers whether or not they trust those reports.

This also leaves everything in terms of people's opinions, which are just opinons, not potentially libelous or slanderous. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and can state it publicly as long as it's their opinion. Like "I think XYZ Haunt Vendor has great products, and ABC Haunt Vendor's product stinks, I don't like it at all" But not ok is, "XYZ Haunt Vendor's products will make your haunted house the safest in the world, but ABC Haunt Vendor's products contain dangerous chemicals that will harm your customers" Unfortunately, I see "XYZ Haunt Vendor has the HHVA Seal of Approval but ABC Haunt Vendor does not" is probably a bit too close to the latter of my examples.

To give someone your stamp of approval, based on some suggestions here on this forum, probably not a good idea.

I respect what you're trying to do, fully, and believe that peoples opinions of different vendors products definitely has a place in a public forum, where it is organized, indexed, and easlily accessed. That's a valuable tool for consumers.

If you haven't already, I'd talk to an attorney.

Chris

[Gore Galore]

We seriously appreciate everyone's input on this.
We are still developing the program and will think long and hard about how it is designed. We don't want any vendor to feel slighted or left out. Everyone will have access to it.
It really is about their "Track record".

But we will consider all thoughts discussed here on the design of the program. If anything, we want to help everyone's business, not hurt them.

[drfrightner]

Kevin,

I don't think for a minute you want to hurt any vendor that is why I'm offering you my thoughts and opinions. As I said before some peoples track records might be great for one stretch then bad for another then good again. Things happen to everyone, its really about what you are committed to making happen right now or in the future.

Again the only fair way to handle something like this is to tell people errr vedors what the criteria is for earning them or losing them and let everyone start off on the same playing field.

I don't think this is a bad idea, in fact its simply additionally information someone can use to help make a purchase decision however I don't want to see another boiled over war about this down the road from a miffed vendor based on some buyers comments. There are ALWAYS two sides to every story even if one person story is less accurate than the other.

Lastly, as we also know some people make mountains out of a mole hill or they make things into an unsolveable situation. I can only see down the road some buyer thinks a vendor shouldn't have it and rips on you for not taking it away, blah, blah with this you just put yourself in the cross hairs. I just don't want to see that happen.

I support ALL vendors and want ALL vendors to work out any problems they have peacefully! I don't think any vendor is out to ON PURPOSE screw anyone! It just happens sometimes and some vendors are better about it than others...we've found that many times. LOL

Whats

Larry

[drfrightner]

Kevin,

I don't think for a minute you want to hurt any vendor that is why I'm offering you my thoughts and opinions. As I said before some peoples track records might be great for one stretch then bad for another then good again. Things happen to everyone, its really about what you are committed to making happen right now or in the future.

Again the only fair way to handle something like this is to tell people errr vedors what the criteria is for earning them or losing them and let everyone start off on the same playing field.

I don't think this is a bad idea, in fact its simply additionally information someone can use to help make a purchase decision however I don't want to see another boiled over war about this down the road from a miffed vendor based on some buyers comments. There are ALWAYS two sides to every story even if one person story is less accurate than the other.

Lastly, as we also know some people make mountains out of a mole hill or they make things into an unsolveable situation. I can only see down the road some buyer thinks a vendor shouldn't have it and rips on you for not taking it away, blah, blah with this you just put yourself in the cross hairs. I just don't want to see that happen.

I support ALL vendors and want ALL vendors to work out any problems they have peacefully! I don't think any vendor is out to ON PURPOSE screw anyone! It just happens sometimes and some vendors are better about it than others...we've found that many times. LOL

Whats interesting

Larry