forum thread
Deal Details
Hey everyone,
You've asked how Slickdeals works: who owns us, how deals are picked, and what makes the Frontpage.
Here are straightforward answers from the team, no spin. If you want more detail, we'll keep updating this page.
Who owns Slickdeals?
Slickdeals has been privately owned since it was founded in 1999 by Van Trac. Since 2012, the company has navigated multiple stages of growth and evolution with the support of investors and owners, including Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs. Today, we're still independently operated under private ownership.
Do investors have any say in what merchants you have on your site?
No, none. Our investors have input on overall financial goals such as growth targets, but they don't make any decisions about what merchants or deals appear on Slickdeals. What you see on the site is entirely driven by our internal team and, most importantly, by our community.
Do merchants send you deals to post for them?
We do have a program that lets merchants submit deals for review by our Deal Specialists. It's never pay-to-play. Deal Specialists review every submission and only post offers that meet community standards on price and quality.
Here's how it works: our Deal Specialists review every submission. They'll check if that product (or a similar one) has been posted before and how our members responded. If the data shows members liked it at a certain price but not at another, they'll actually go back to the merchant and ask if they can lower the price. If the merchant can't, we usually pass.
If history shows our members just aren't interested in that product at all, we'll also pass.
Bottom line: we only post something if the team genuinely believes it's a good deal.
If you work with a merchant, does that mean they're guaranteed to go Front Page?
Nope. Front Page is earned, not bought. A deal's popularity (meaning community votes, engagement, and value) determines whether it makes it there, not whether we have a working relationship with the merchant.
What is the difference between a Deal Specialist and a Deal Hunter?
Deal Specialists review deals submitted to us, while Deal Hunters go out and independently find deals across the web.
Why do I see the same merchant often? Can you stop?
We know seeing the same merchant can get old. We feature them when the data shows a strong value for members. If you've had a bad experience, add a comment; your feedback affects what we surface.
We've actually stopped working with certain merchants in the past because of member feedback. Your experiences and opinions directly shape who we feature, so if you're tired of seeing a certain name, let us know why. We do pay attention.
Do you ever bump down a deal because a merchant isn't working with you?
Absolutely not.
Do mods remove posts that criticize merchants you work with?
We actually welcome and encourage honest feedback, even when it's negative. That's part of what makes Slickdeals different: members can speak freely about their experiences.
What we do remove are personal attacks and shills.
Why work with merchants at all?
Just like any other business, we've got bills to pay. We have about 250 employees, servers, infrastructure, and everything else that keeps Slickdeals running.
Some sites throw pop-ups and autoplay ads at you, or put deals behind paywalls. We've always wanted Slickdeals to stay free, open, and user-driven, so working with merchants in specific, limited ways helps make that possible without ruining your browsing experience.
Do staff have secret accounts to influence votes/comments?
Absolutely not. That's a strict no-go.
Our staff are Slickdeals users too and do organically engage with the community. For example, I like and comment on deals with my staff account but it's on items i've actually purchased or know that it's a good value. Whatever we do is labeled Staff, so it's all in the open.
Some staff accounts are used only for testing. For example, a staff account may be used to make sure things display correctly on the site, but those accounts are not used to post, vote, or engage in discussions. Most testing happens in a closed environment anyway, not on the live site.
Ok, what about bots then?
We have Slickdeals Scout. It scans retailers for price drops and posts them. It doesn't vote, comment, or influence rankings.
Why was my political post removed?
We get this one a lot. Our moderators aren't biased toward any political side, they're just enforcing the same rule across the board: Slickdeals isn't a political platform.
We remove political posts because they almost always turn into arguments and derail deal discussions. Speaking from experience (many of us were community members before being staff), it's tough to delete posts you might personally agree with, but it's part of keeping the space on-topic and welcoming.
Why so many Amazon deals?
Yes, you're right, a lot of Amazon deals are posted on our site by both community members and staff. Given the sheer volume of products and promotions Amazon runs, plus how popular they are with our community, it's no surprise those deals make up a big share of our content.
That said, we're always open to more variety. If you're shopping and come across an amazing deal from a merchant or store and you want to share it with our members, please post it!! And if there are merchants or types of products you'd like to see more often, let us know.
You can email us at [email protected] (yes, we know, old school ) or post in the Help Me Find a Deal forum if you're looking for something specific.
Do you allow self-promotion?
We draw a hard line between sharing an organically found deal and marketing on behalf of a company. If something feels like an ad instead of a contribution, it's removed. If we find proof that the merchant is posting for themselves, it's removed. If we find out a merchant is voting for themselves or using various accounts to vote for themselves, that account is typically banned and if this has been an ongoing issue with a particular merchant, if they continue despite warnings to stop, they may be banned from being posted on our site.
Thanks
Thanks for sticking with us through all that. And honestly, for caring enough to ask these questions in the first place. Slickdeals has always been about the people who make the community what it is: you all. The feedback, the deal-hunting, the call-outs when we miss something are what keep this place sharp and worth visiting.
We're not perfect, but we're listening. The more open we can be about how things work behind the scenes, the better this community gets for everyone.
If there's something we didn't cover here (or something you think we should talk about next time), don't be shy. Drop it in the forums or email [email protected]. We'll keep the conversation going.
You've asked how Slickdeals works: who owns us, how deals are picked, and what makes the Frontpage.
Here are straightforward answers from the team, no spin. If you want more detail, we'll keep updating this page.
Who owns Slickdeals?
Slickdeals has been privately owned since it was founded in 1999 by Van Trac. Since 2012, the company has navigated multiple stages of growth and evolution with the support of investors and owners, including Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs. Today, we're still independently operated under private ownership.
Do investors have any say in what merchants you have on your site?
No, none. Our investors have input on overall financial goals such as growth targets, but they don't make any decisions about what merchants or deals appear on Slickdeals. What you see on the site is entirely driven by our internal team and, most importantly, by our community.
Do merchants send you deals to post for them?
We do have a program that lets merchants submit deals for review by our Deal Specialists. It's never pay-to-play. Deal Specialists review every submission and only post offers that meet community standards on price and quality.
Here's how it works: our Deal Specialists review every submission. They'll check if that product (or a similar one) has been posted before and how our members responded. If the data shows members liked it at a certain price but not at another, they'll actually go back to the merchant and ask if they can lower the price. If the merchant can't, we usually pass.
If history shows our members just aren't interested in that product at all, we'll also pass.
Bottom line: we only post something if the team genuinely believes it's a good deal.
If you work with a merchant, does that mean they're guaranteed to go Front Page?
Nope. Front Page is earned, not bought. A deal's popularity (meaning community votes, engagement, and value) determines whether it makes it there, not whether we have a working relationship with the merchant.
What is the difference between a Deal Specialist and a Deal Hunter?
Deal Specialists review deals submitted to us, while Deal Hunters go out and independently find deals across the web.
Why do I see the same merchant often? Can you stop?
We know seeing the same merchant can get old. We feature them when the data shows a strong value for members. If you've had a bad experience, add a comment; your feedback affects what we surface.
We've actually stopped working with certain merchants in the past because of member feedback. Your experiences and opinions directly shape who we feature, so if you're tired of seeing a certain name, let us know why. We do pay attention.
Do you ever bump down a deal because a merchant isn't working with you?
Absolutely not.
Do mods remove posts that criticize merchants you work with?
We actually welcome and encourage honest feedback, even when it's negative. That's part of what makes Slickdeals different: members can speak freely about their experiences.
What we do remove are personal attacks and shills.
- ✅ "This merchant never ships on time." — Fair feedback
- ❌ "OP is an idiot" — Harassment, removed
Why work with merchants at all?
Just like any other business, we've got bills to pay. We have about 250 employees, servers, infrastructure, and everything else that keeps Slickdeals running.
Some sites throw pop-ups and autoplay ads at you, or put deals behind paywalls. We've always wanted Slickdeals to stay free, open, and user-driven, so working with merchants in specific, limited ways helps make that possible without ruining your browsing experience.
Do staff have secret accounts to influence votes/comments?
Absolutely not. That's a strict no-go.
Our staff are Slickdeals users too and do organically engage with the community. For example, I like and comment on deals with my staff account but it's on items i've actually purchased or know that it's a good value. Whatever we do is labeled Staff, so it's all in the open.
Some staff accounts are used only for testing. For example, a staff account may be used to make sure things display correctly on the site, but those accounts are not used to post, vote, or engage in discussions. Most testing happens in a closed environment anyway, not on the live site.
Ok, what about bots then?
We have Slickdeals Scout. It scans retailers for price drops and posts them. It doesn't vote, comment, or influence rankings.
Why was my political post removed?
We get this one a lot. Our moderators aren't biased toward any political side, they're just enforcing the same rule across the board: Slickdeals isn't a political platform.
We remove political posts because they almost always turn into arguments and derail deal discussions. Speaking from experience (many of us were community members before being staff), it's tough to delete posts you might personally agree with, but it's part of keeping the space on-topic and welcoming.
Why so many Amazon deals?
Yes, you're right, a lot of Amazon deals are posted on our site by both community members and staff. Given the sheer volume of products and promotions Amazon runs, plus how popular they are with our community, it's no surprise those deals make up a big share of our content.
That said, we're always open to more variety. If you're shopping and come across an amazing deal from a merchant or store and you want to share it with our members, please post it!! And if there are merchants or types of products you'd like to see more often, let us know.
You can email us at [email protected] (yes, we know, old school ) or post in the Help Me Find a Deal forum if you're looking for something specific.
Do you allow self-promotion?
We draw a hard line between sharing an organically found deal and marketing on behalf of a company. If something feels like an ad instead of a contribution, it's removed. If we find proof that the merchant is posting for themselves, it's removed. If we find out a merchant is voting for themselves or using various accounts to vote for themselves, that account is typically banned and if this has been an ongoing issue with a particular merchant, if they continue despite warnings to stop, they may be banned from being posted on our site.
Thanks
Thanks for sticking with us through all that. And honestly, for caring enough to ask these questions in the first place. Slickdeals has always been about the people who make the community what it is: you all. The feedback, the deal-hunting, the call-outs when we miss something are what keep this place sharp and worth visiting.
We're not perfect, but we're listening. The more open we can be about how things work behind the scenes, the better this community gets for everyone.
If there's something we didn't cover here (or something you think we should talk about next time), don't be shy. Drop it in the forums or email [email protected]. We'll keep the conversation going.
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Hey everyone,
You've asked how Slickdeals works: who owns us, how deals are picked, and what makes the Frontpage.
Here are straightforward answers from the team, no spin. If you want more detail, we'll keep updating this page.
Who owns Slickdeals?
Slickdeals has been privately owned since it was founded in 1999 by Van Trac. Since 2012, the company has navigated multiple stages of growth and evolution with the support of investors and owners, including Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs. Today, we're still independently operated under private ownership.
Do investors have any say in what merchants you have on your site?
No, none. Our investors have input on overall financial goals such as growth targets, but they don't make any decisions about what merchants or deals appear on Slickdeals. What you see on the site is entirely driven by our internal team and, most importantly, by our community.
Do merchants send you deals to post for them?
We do have a program that lets merchants submit deals for review by our Deal Specialists. It's never pay-to-play. Deal Specialists review every submission and only post offers that meet community standards on price and quality.
Here's how it works: our Deal Specialists review every submission. They'll check if that product (or a similar one) has been posted before and how our members responded. If the data shows members liked it at a certain price but not at another, they'll actually go back to the merchant and ask if they can lower the price. If the merchant can't, we usually pass.
If history shows our members just aren't interested in that product at all, we'll also pass.
Bottom line: we only post something if the team genuinely believes it's a good deal.
If you work with a merchant, does that mean they're guaranteed to go Front Page?
Nope. Front Page is earned, not bought. A deal's popularity (meaning community votes, engagement, and value) determines whether it makes it there, not whether we have a working relationship with the merchant.
What is the difference between a Deal Specialist and a Deal Hunter?
Deal Specialists review deals submitted to us, while Deal Hunters go out and independently find deals across the web.
Why do I see the same merchant often? Can you stop?
We know seeing the same merchant can get old. We feature them when the data shows a strong value for members. If you've had a bad experience, add a comment; your feedback affects what we surface.
We've actually stopped working with certain merchants in the past because of member feedback. Your experiences and opinions directly shape who we feature, so if you're tired of seeing a certain name, let us know why. We do pay attention.
Do you ever bump down a deal because a merchant isn't working with you?
Absolutely not.
Do mods remove posts that criticize merchants you work with?
We actually welcome and encourage honest feedback, even when it's negative. That's part of what makes Slickdeals different: members can speak freely about their experiences.
What we do remove are personal attacks and shills.
Why work with merchants at all?
Just like any other business, we've got bills to pay. We have about 250 employees, servers, infrastructure, and everything else that keeps Slickdeals running.
Some sites throw pop-ups and autoplay ads at you, or put deals behind paywalls. We've always wanted Slickdeals to stay free, open, and user-driven, so working with merchants in specific, limited ways helps make that possible without ruining your browsing experience.
Do staff have secret accounts to influence votes/comments?
Absolutely not. That's a strict no-go.
Our staff are Slickdeals users too and do organically engage with the community. For example, I like and comment on deals with my staff account but it's on items i've actually purchased or know that it's a good value. Whatever we do is labeled Staff, so it's all in the open.
Some staff accounts are used only for testing. For example, a staff account may be used to make sure things display correctly on the site, but those accounts are not used to post, vote, or engage in discussions. Most testing happens in a closed environment anyway, not on the live site.
Ok, what about bots then?
We have Slickdeals Scout. It scans retailers for price drops and posts them. It doesn't vote, comment, or influence rankings.
Why was my political post removed?
We get this one a lot. Our moderators aren't biased toward any political side, they're just enforcing the same rule across the board: Slickdeals isn't a political platform.
We remove political posts because they almost always turn into arguments and derail deal discussions. Speaking from experience (many of us were community members before being staff), it's tough to delete posts you might personally agree with, but it's part of keeping the space on-topic and welcoming.
Why so many Amazon deals?
Yes, you're right, a lot of Amazon deals are posted on our site by both community members and staff. Given the sheer volume of products and promotions Amazon runs, plus how popular they are with our community, it's no surprise those deals make up a big share of our content.
That said, we're always open to more variety. If you're shopping and come across an amazing deal from a merchant or store and you want to share it with our members, please post it!! And if there are merchants or types of products you'd like to see more often, let us know.
You can email us at [email protected] (yes, we know, old school ) or post in the Help Me Find a Deal forum if you're looking for something specific.
Do you allow self-promotion?
We draw a hard line between sharing an organically found deal and marketing on behalf of a company. If something feels like an ad instead of a contribution, it's removed. If we find proof that the merchant is posting for themselves, it's removed. If we find out a merchant is voting for themselves or using various accounts to vote for themselves, that account is typically banned and if this has been an ongoing issue with a particular merchant, if they continue despite warnings to stop, they may be banned from being posted on our site.
Thanks
Thanks for sticking with us through all that. And honestly, for caring enough to ask these questions in the first place. Slickdeals has always been about the people who make the community what it is: you all. The feedback, the deal-hunting, the call-outs when we miss something are what keep this place sharp and worth visiting.
We're not perfect, but we're listening. The more open we can be about how things work behind the scenes, the better this community gets for everyone.
If there's something we didn't cover here (or something you think we should talk about next time), don't be shy. Drop it in the forums or email [email protected]. We'll keep the conversation going.
You've asked how Slickdeals works: who owns us, how deals are picked, and what makes the Frontpage.
Here are straightforward answers from the team, no spin. If you want more detail, we'll keep updating this page.
Who owns Slickdeals?
Slickdeals has been privately owned since it was founded in 1999 by Van Trac. Since 2012, the company has navigated multiple stages of growth and evolution with the support of investors and owners, including Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs. Today, we're still independently operated under private ownership.
Do investors have any say in what merchants you have on your site?
No, none. Our investors have input on overall financial goals such as growth targets, but they don't make any decisions about what merchants or deals appear on Slickdeals. What you see on the site is entirely driven by our internal team and, most importantly, by our community.
Do merchants send you deals to post for them?
We do have a program that lets merchants submit deals for review by our Deal Specialists. It's never pay-to-play. Deal Specialists review every submission and only post offers that meet community standards on price and quality.
Here's how it works: our Deal Specialists review every submission. They'll check if that product (or a similar one) has been posted before and how our members responded. If the data shows members liked it at a certain price but not at another, they'll actually go back to the merchant and ask if they can lower the price. If the merchant can't, we usually pass.
If history shows our members just aren't interested in that product at all, we'll also pass.
Bottom line: we only post something if the team genuinely believes it's a good deal.
If you work with a merchant, does that mean they're guaranteed to go Front Page?
Nope. Front Page is earned, not bought. A deal's popularity (meaning community votes, engagement, and value) determines whether it makes it there, not whether we have a working relationship with the merchant.
What is the difference between a Deal Specialist and a Deal Hunter?
Deal Specialists review deals submitted to us, while Deal Hunters go out and independently find deals across the web.
Why do I see the same merchant often? Can you stop?
We know seeing the same merchant can get old. We feature them when the data shows a strong value for members. If you've had a bad experience, add a comment; your feedback affects what we surface.
We've actually stopped working with certain merchants in the past because of member feedback. Your experiences and opinions directly shape who we feature, so if you're tired of seeing a certain name, let us know why. We do pay attention.
Do you ever bump down a deal because a merchant isn't working with you?
Absolutely not.
Do mods remove posts that criticize merchants you work with?
We actually welcome and encourage honest feedback, even when it's negative. That's part of what makes Slickdeals different: members can speak freely about their experiences.
What we do remove are personal attacks and shills.
- ✅ "This merchant never ships on time." — Fair feedback
- ❌ "OP is an idiot" — Harassment, removed
Why work with merchants at all?
Just like any other business, we've got bills to pay. We have about 250 employees, servers, infrastructure, and everything else that keeps Slickdeals running.
Some sites throw pop-ups and autoplay ads at you, or put deals behind paywalls. We've always wanted Slickdeals to stay free, open, and user-driven, so working with merchants in specific, limited ways helps make that possible without ruining your browsing experience.
Do staff have secret accounts to influence votes/comments?
Absolutely not. That's a strict no-go.
Our staff are Slickdeals users too and do organically engage with the community. For example, I like and comment on deals with my staff account but it's on items i've actually purchased or know that it's a good value. Whatever we do is labeled Staff, so it's all in the open.
Some staff accounts are used only for testing. For example, a staff account may be used to make sure things display correctly on the site, but those accounts are not used to post, vote, or engage in discussions. Most testing happens in a closed environment anyway, not on the live site.
Ok, what about bots then?
We have Slickdeals Scout. It scans retailers for price drops and posts them. It doesn't vote, comment, or influence rankings.
Why was my political post removed?
We get this one a lot. Our moderators aren't biased toward any political side, they're just enforcing the same rule across the board: Slickdeals isn't a political platform.
We remove political posts because they almost always turn into arguments and derail deal discussions. Speaking from experience (many of us were community members before being staff), it's tough to delete posts you might personally agree with, but it's part of keeping the space on-topic and welcoming.
Why so many Amazon deals?
Yes, you're right, a lot of Amazon deals are posted on our site by both community members and staff. Given the sheer volume of products and promotions Amazon runs, plus how popular they are with our community, it's no surprise those deals make up a big share of our content.
That said, we're always open to more variety. If you're shopping and come across an amazing deal from a merchant or store and you want to share it with our members, please post it!! And if there are merchants or types of products you'd like to see more often, let us know.
You can email us at [email protected] (yes, we know, old school ) or post in the Help Me Find a Deal forum if you're looking for something specific.
Do you allow self-promotion?
We draw a hard line between sharing an organically found deal and marketing on behalf of a company. If something feels like an ad instead of a contribution, it's removed. If we find proof that the merchant is posting for themselves, it's removed. If we find out a merchant is voting for themselves or using various accounts to vote for themselves, that account is typically banned and if this has been an ongoing issue with a particular merchant, if they continue despite warnings to stop, they may be banned from being posted on our site.
Thanks
Thanks for sticking with us through all that. And honestly, for caring enough to ask these questions in the first place. Slickdeals has always been about the people who make the community what it is: you all. The feedback, the deal-hunting, the call-outs when we miss something are what keep this place sharp and worth visiting.
We're not perfect, but we're listening. The more open we can be about how things work behind the scenes, the better this community gets for everyone.
If there's something we didn't cover here (or something you think we should talk about next time), don't be shy. Drop it in the forums or email [email protected]. We'll keep the conversation going.
Community Voting
Deal
Score
+112
Good Deal
Bad Deal
Community Reviews
Slickdeals is presented as a community driven deal site that still surfaces useful bargains, but the strongest theme is frustration with how Front Page, voting, and moderation work. Front Page placement is described as vote led, then reviewed for rarity, price history, and interest, yet several deals are seen as inflated, late, or ordinary. The thumbs system is defended as a way to avoid endless arguments, but anonymous downvotes, vague spam flags, and possible abuse keep drawing criticism. Classic view, filters, and better transparency are recurring asks, along with cleaner handling of staff posts, promoted tags, and ad blocker issues.
Deal hunters who want to understand Front Page selection, because votes, rarity, price history, and interest are used to judge placement.
Members who want to follow moderation and voting rules, because staff can review abuse, ban shills, and explain why certain posts are removed.
Shoppers who want to filter out specific merchants or staff-posted deals, because the site offers store filters and personalization controls.
Members who prefer Classic view, because it hides individual post votes and makes browsing comments feel less manipulated.
Members who expect anonymous comment votes to show voter names, because individual thumbs-up and thumbs-down stay hidden to reduce retaliation.
Shoppers who need every Front Page deal to be timely, because hot deals can be front-paged after they expire or go out of stock.
People who rely on the mobile app for smooth browsing, because the Android app has felt subpar even on a flagship phone.
Deal posters who want every thread to stay untouched, because editors may rewrite front-page writeups into standardized summaries that omit original pros and cons.
Common Questions (5)
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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214 Comments
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I tried the new version of the app for a few days. The scrolling does seem smoother compared to previous versions of the app. However, browsing the site in a mobile browser still feels significantly smoother overall. I do appreciate the effort to enhance the app and the progress that's been made.
Then maybe don't have 85% of the deals being posted by Staff.
When I see a deal thread posted by staff for some no-name garbage that is Front Page at +10 but has 0 comments, it's pretty obviously spam / shill activity.
You claim that deals get posted that you think are good - but then one of your staff members posts 10 new threads in 8 minutes. And you expect us to believe that they're not being pulled from a queue of 'approved' advertisements to try to sneak by your users.
We don't believe you.
I will again try to call attention to this feature request: https://slickdeals.net/f/18413563-feature-request-filter-deal-threads-to-exclude-sd-staff-posts
Let's do a quick search for 'vancasso' deal threads: https://slickdeals.net/newsearch.php?forumchoice%5B%5D=4&forumchoice%5B%5D=9&forumchoice%5B%5D=10&fo...
OMG - 100% of those threads are started by Staffers. What are the odds of that??
I am speaking about the Deal Hunters. who post the majority of deals. I will just come out and say the part you don't believe, because it is true. It is day one hour one training material when we train new Deal Hunters. Our #1 priority is providing the community with great deals, regardless from what store they come. Some stores have an affiliate program, some don't. That doesn't matter. What matters to us is deals.
IF there is an affiliate relationship with a merchant, we (Slickdeals) only would get a small share of the deal IF it has sales. So spending our time posting non-deals doesn't get us anywhere. 0% of $0 is still $0. Each staff member decides what they do or do not post. The only "skin in the game" is posting something the community likes. Because if we don't, there are folks like yourself that quickly call us out on it.
Many Deal Hunters or other Staff members (especially Deal Editors) were community members before becoming staff. I was one of them. I posted on the forums for 2yrs before I was hired, and have been staff for 14yrs. So many people won't remember this.
The staff member who posts 10 threads in 8 minutes is likely phoinix. Phoinix is amazing at Amazon, and no, there is no queue of paid deals to post from. They were also a community member for years before being staff.
The way Deal Hunters source deals varies from Deal Hunter to Deal Hunter. Phoinix sources them differently and much more efficiently. It is their own method. I would LOVE IT if all Deal Hunters sourced deals this efficiently, and we work towards that goal. For instance, my cadence is probably closer to one deal per hour when I am deal hunting.
As for vancasso (or others that are similar): We sometimes communicate with merchants to get prices to Slickdeals standards, and then post them if we feel the deal will do well. In this case, it was Navy-Wife working with the merchant or brand (or finding deals in the wild), and Navy-Wife was also a community member before becoming staff.
I also (with the help of my colleagues) trained many of the newer Deal Hunters, some of which applied for the job vs being a community member first. These people have to learn from scratch, and as a result we have built tools and techniques to help them discover and identify deals faster. Sometimes they are still learning too. Sometimes they make mistakes.
But if you find something that is not a deal, show the OP where it is less. Claiming they are shilling or spamming doesn't help the community constructively, in my opinion.
This was a writeup I did some time ago on how to determine if something is a deal.
And here are my recent threads, and how the were found (sadly many died very fast so they did not get frontpage, and as you suggest our deals get spammed/shilled). Our goal is of course to get them to frontpage, because that means they are community approved. But my recent batting record here for frontpage kinda sucks. But can you tell me which of these aren't actual deals and, if they are not deals, why? Or did I post deals as I should, and they just died early or never got votes?
I said this before, the sites actions speak louder than any words they want to message about themselves.
MSRP is tricky. Firstly, it is a "made up" number by merchants or manufacturers anyway. It is a rare case indeed if we judge if something is a deal based on the msrp. I would say the only place it might help A LITTLE is apparel, shoes, some housewares. But even then, it isnt the discount off msrp that we are using, but it is the cue to look deeper to discover a material difference in the item. For sheets, linen is more expensive than cotton, cotton is more expensive blends, and blends are more expensive than microfiber.
And lots of times, merchants have different ones listed in different places. The Samsonite deal I posted a couple days ago had 2 different ones for different colors. Were either correct? Were any correct? It was a bundle, so heck if I know.
Amazon will have a prior sale price, a "typical price", or an msrp. Which is the one to choose?
So the key is to educate yourself on identifying a deal without relying on the msrp. As in this post I mentioned above. This is how we do things.
are you two still getting that?
I am speaking about the Deal Hunters. who post the majority of deals. I will just come out and say the part you don't believe, because it is true. It is day one hour one training material when we train new Deal Hunters. Our #1 priority is providing the community with great deals, regardless from what store they come. Some stores have an affiliate program, some don't. That doesn't matter. What matters to us is deals.
IF there is an affiliate relationship with a merchant, we (Slickdeals) only would get a small share of the deal IF it has sales. So spending our time posting non-deals doesn't get us anywhere. 0% of $0 is still $0. Each staff member decides what they do or do not post. The only "skin in the game" is posting something the community likes. Because if we don't, there are folks like yourself that quickly call us out on it.
Many Deal Hunters or other Staff members (especially Deal Editors) were community members before becoming staff. I was one of them. I posted on the forums for 2yrs before I was hired, and have been staff for 14yrs. So many people won't remember this.
The staff member who posts 10 threads in 8 minutes is likely phoinix. Phoinix is amazing at Amazon, and no, there is no queue of paid deals to post from. They were also a community member for years before being staff.
The way Deal Hunters source deals varies from Deal Hunter to Deal Hunter. Phoinix sources them differently and much more efficiently. It is their own method. I would LOVE IT if all Deal Hunters sourced deals this efficiently, and we work towards that goal. For instance, my cadence is probably closer to one deal per hour when I am deal hunting.
As for vancasso (or others that are similar): We sometimes communicate with merchants to get prices to Slickdeals standards, and then post them if we feel the deal will do well. In this case, it was Navy-Wife working with the merchant or brand (or finding deals in the wild), and Navy-Wife was also a community member before becoming staff.
I also (with the help of my colleagues) trained many of the newer Deal Hunters, some of which applied for the job vs being a community member first. These people have to learn from scratch, and as a result we have built tools and techniques to help them discover and identify deals faster. Sometimes they are still learning too. Sometimes they make mistakes.
But if you find something that is not a deal, show the OP where it is less. Claiming they are shilling or spamming doesn't help the community constructively, in my opinion.
This was a writeup I did some time ago on how to determine if something is a deal.
And here are my recent threads, and how the were found (sadly many died very fast so they did not get frontpage, and as you suggest our deals get spammed/shilled). Our goal is of course to get them to frontpage, because that means they are community approved. But my recent batting record here for frontpage kinda sucks. But can you tell me which of these aren't actual deals and, if they are not deals, why? Or did I post deals as I should, and they just died early or never got votes?
- 20" Samsonite Omni Hardside Luggage w/ Spinner Wheels + 10-Piece Accessory Kit $79 + Free Shipping+34 on frontpage, found using keywords on google
- 17-Oz OLLY Revive Body Wash (Nerolidew) $4.75 w/ S&S + Free Shipping w/ Prime or on $35+ +4, NOT frontpage, found using a tool another Deal Hunter built
- 44-Count Dunkin' Original Blend Medium Roast Keurig K-Cup Coffee Pods $14.96 + Free Shipping w/ Walm... +1, NOT frontpage, found using keywords on google, and it wound up being regional
- Columbia Men's PFG Tamiami II Short Sleeve Shirt (sail) $18.00 + Free Shipping w/ Prime or on $35+ +1, NOT frontpage, found using a tool another Deal Hunter built
- Pancellent Rechargeable Mini Handheld 3-Pressure Mode Personal Portable Travel Bidet $9.90 + Free Sh... +0, NOT frontpage, found using a tool another Deal Hunter built
- 5-Cup Cuisinart Soho 5 Hot or Over Ice Coffeemaker (Truffle) $9.90 + Free Shipping +6, NOT frontpage, found when I searched VIP outlet on ebay after other deals were posted
- Wrangler: Extra 30% Off Sale Apparel: Men's Hooded Shirt Jacket $12.60 & More + Free Shipping +26 on frontpage, found using keywords on google
- Hoka Men's Bondi 9 Shoes (2 colors) $126 + Free Shipping +5 NOT frontpage, google keywords
- 17.5" JanSport Big Student 15" Laptop Backpack (various) $16.99 + Free Shipping +4 NOT frontpage, found jusr browsing Bullseye Deals on ebay, I love their stuff!
- Hoka Men's, Women's or Kids' Select Sale Shoes or Apparel 15% Off + 10% Off + Free Shipping +9 NOT frontpage, found using google keywords and then finding discounts to stack
- The list goes on...
Hi Kairi,MSRP is tricky. Firstly, it is a "made up" number by merchants or manufacturers anyway. It is a rare case indeed if we judge if something is a deal based on the msrp. I would say the only place it might help A LITTLE is apparel, shoes, some housewares. But even then, it isnt the discount off msrp that we are using, but it is the cue to look deeper to discover a material difference in the item. For sheets, linen is more expensive than cotton, cotton is more expensive blends, and blends are more expensive than microfiber.
And lots of times, merchants have different ones listed in different places. The Samsonite deal I posted a couple days ago had 2 different ones for different colors. Were either correct? Were any correct? It was a bundle, so heck if I know.
Amazon will have a prior sale price, a "typical price", or an msrp. Which is the one to choose?
So the key is to educate yourself on identifying a deal without relying on the msrp. As in this post I mentioned above. This is how we do things.
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I can't help being irked a bit when this point is repeatedly emphasized because it doesn't serve as a rational justification of staff sincerity. One can hope that past ties would instill a sense of honor and a duty to do right by the community, but that's by no means a guarantee. The motivations and incentives immediately change when the reward for posting deals transitions from rep points to potential monetization. Sure, it's likely more beneficial to staff up with community members than outsiders, but making the change introduces a potential but unavoidable conflict of interest.
Why all the knives? More ads for knives than video cards, tents, whatever. Why all the knives?
Example: today (4/22), 6 knife deals on one page of "Front Page Deals", typical. NOT chef or cooking knives, but commando and hunting knives, almost 10 percent of today's deals. ??
* Also, we have a sub-forum for Site Questions, Issues, or Suggestions
https://slickdeals.net/forums/forumdisplay.ph
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As a frequent poster in HD, I must say, the downvoting system leaves a lot to be desired.
The same member can go and downvote the same poster 5 or 10 times in a row. However, giving rep points is limited to one every so often "must spread it around" message. Limit the # of poor merchant reputation votes by same member, this is where spamming is most frequent. I've had issues where I post 5 Walgreens posts in one AM and all 5 are voted 'poor merchant' likely by the same person. When I mod alert for abuse, I'm told it's legit voting. OK.....
Category "OTHER" downvote should require a reason. If there is a legit issue with the deal that the OP or SD can address, at least give a reason. OTHER can be anything, including just I don't like the person posting the deal. Otherwise, do away with the category totally because it is simply too vague.
Chronic downvoting across the site by same members should be addressed, ie, limited to 5 or 10 dv's a day. Otherwise it's trolling to not like that many deals, and people will be more selective/focused on what's truly a crappy deal.
The downvoting set up has been the same for ages, it's outdated and in many cases counterproductive to deals and poster morale.
Thank you for considering this feedback.
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