so hot cash is back and its worse

[steventangent]

This is unfortunate, but I'd just be happy of they'd crack down on the practice of letting one person buy every copy of an exclusive record - at least within a couple of weeks of the release date.

[bowserhound]

The flipper aspect was part of it, also cause people were just flat out abusing the codes. It's pretty simple, it's not some big conspiracy.

 

 

HT could just create unique codes that can be used one time only.  It's not rocket science.

[isavedlatin54]

who cares? Really though, i mean like sure it sucks but not really. We all had a good run with this, ive gotten so many discounts from HT its about time I start paying full price for at least a few LP's.

[scottheisel]

The flipper aspect was part of it, also cause people were just flat out abusing the codes. It's pretty simple, it's not some big conspiracy.

 

 

That's exactly what someone involved in a big conspiracy would say.

[isavedlatin54]

That's exactly what someone involved in a big conspiracy would say.

 

 

perhaps a YOUTH conspiracy?!

 

 

womp womp.

 

 

for that bad joke, I am buying records from you in the near future.

[chutterhanban]

For some reason you just like to argue with me. I'll bite on this one.

 

First of all I did not approve of the codes being posted here but its not like if I was like "Aww come on guys, dont do that" it would have stopped anything haha. Thats just silly to think that would have changed anything. Even if they did get take down after a while they were already out there and pretty easy to find. Acting like its my fault the codes were being posted on here and allowed to stay up on the board causing vinyl to be excluded from Hot Cash is just weird. You obviously have some sort of issue with me and/or HT and take every chance you get to make some uninformed comment about whatever you think is happening. Keep on doing it if it makes you feel better, I guess. You seem to really not like the store at all so I'm not really sure why you even care haha.

 

Travis, I think the major question isn't "Why didn't you stop us?" ...it's "Why didn't HT just make unique download codes?" By changing that simple thing and making download codes "one-time-use," all the people who actually earned Hot Cash would be able to spend it on what they actually want to buy from your store. Does that make sense?

[elgato48]

There's a few of you that "get it".

People were abusing the codes like crazy to buy vinyl. Mainly due to this message board. Of course that wasnt going to last forever.

Vinyl has been removed from the Hot Cash promotions going forward.

I haven't been posting here as much just cause my workload has greatly increased lately at the office so I just dont have the time to be on here as much as I was. I still read most stuff on the board, I'm not "hiding" from anything going on here. I just dont feel the need to comment every time someone says something about HT.

You all got some great deals for a while but those crazy sales have ended. There will still be plenty of rad HT vinyl exclusives coming, you're just gonna have to pay full price for them now! Crazy, I know...

Also, Mike Trout got fat

[donttchange]

I think I might be alone in thinking this, but without hot cash, records might hang out in inventory long enough to hit clearance. Hasn't been anything good put to clearance in awhile because everything sells out.

[chutterhanban]

I think I might be alone in thinking this, but without hot cash, records might hang out in inventory long enough to hit clearance. Hasn't been anything good put to clearance in awhile because everything sells out.

 

true. vurry good point.

[JayAreEss]

I think I might be alone in thinking this, but without hot cash, records might hang out in inventory long enough to hit clearance. Hasn't been anything good put to clearance in awhile because everything sells out.

But there is a flip side to that. Hot Cash allowed me and everyone else to get the stuff that was like "ehhh, I kinda want that record, but not for $20 plus $5 shipping"

Now most of that stuff is gonna sit there for awhile...

[donttchange]

Think about what you just said. You'll get it eventually.

[Guest johneedeformed]

HT could just create unique codes that can be used one time only.  It's not rocket science.

 

This.

[Guest johneedeformed]

There shouldn't have been a need to go so far as to remove vinyl entirely. For one, unique codes would have prevented people from posting codes online and allowing people access who didn't earn it. Part of the fine print in the original Hot Cash program was that in order to USE the hot cash coupons you had to have the receipt of the purchase that the coupon was earned with. Somehow this little tidbit was not enforced... 

 

If someone is going to spend a lot of money on full price records to earn hot cash then why not reward that customer by letting them purchase more at a discount. They brought you lots of business before. But when the company allows random people to use codes without having receipts of prior purchases and then turns around and tries to blame/punish the loyal customers, it seems illogical and unfair.

[saxonviolons]

I think this just reiterates the point that Hot Topic can sell all the crappy merchandise in their store for 50% off and still make a profit, while apparently if they offer 50% off on vinyl records they don't. 

 

Just goes to show how crappy and cheap everything in their store is.

 

Really no reason for me to ever step into HT again unless they have a limited exclusive press that I can't get anywhere else. 

[collectivemike]

Travis, I think the major question isn't "Why didn't you stop us?" ...it's "Why didn't HT just make unique download codes?" By changing that simple thing and making download codes "one-time-use," all the people who actually earned Hot Cash would be able to spend it on what they actually want to buy from your store. Does that make sense?

 

Travis isn't the person to ask about this. You want the marketing/promotions department at HT, not the vinyl buyer.

[dreamover]

so now they tell you that your coupon won't be good for vinyl, even though everyone assumed that would happen, and people are still pissed off? just don't shop there. what's the big deal? am i missing something?

[jewfro]

so now they tell you that your coupon won't be good for vinyl, even though everyone assumed that would happen, and people are still pissed off? just don't shop there. what's the big deal? am i missing something?

 

actually i assumed they would take the vinyl down online again, allow it only in stores like last time, or actually assign unique codes.  they have customers who shop there only for vinyl and when they're going to do a promotion they should figure out a way to satisfy everyone.

[dreamover]

they should figure out a way to satisfy everyone.

 

if only...

[steventangent]

Just goes to show how crappy and cheap everything in their store is.

In fairness, it's a mall clothing store. Notorious for huge markup. Hot Topic isn't unique in this. They have overhead to cover.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that vinyl records are probably among the lowest-margin products in the store, along with CDs.

[firefoxUSSR]

In fairness, it's a mall clothing store. Notorious for huge markup. Hot Topic isn't unique in this. They have overhead to cover.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that vinyl records are probably among the lowest-margin products in the store, along with CDs.

 

Personally I think they're wasting their time with pressing records.  Why not just have a MP3 coupon and an album jacket/poster.

[steventangent]

May as well.

[Guest]

YOU FUCKING CAPITALIST PIGS. HOW DARE YOU EXCLUDE RECORDS FROM YOUR STORE PROMOTION? THIS OPPRESSION WILL NOT STAND. WE, THE RECORD HUNGRY PUBLIC, WILL OVERTHROW YOU TYRANTS AND A RAIN OF HOT CASH WILL FLOW FOR ALL, FREE TO PURCHASE VINYL, WHETHER IT BE IN FORM OF RECORDED MUSIC OR PANTS! NO REASONING OR LIMITED VARIANTS OR REPRESSES OF BLINK-182 ALBUMS CAN QUELL OUR FURY NOW! WE WILL STOP YOU! THESE DAYS ARE OURS! FEAR US, HOT TOPIC! WE ARE YOUR WORST ENEMY!

[jerseydave77]

Why am I surprised this is still at the top of the board? 

 

It's over people. It was a nice way to get cheap vinyl but it's over. I remember when Scott made that code thread and Travis' first reaction was "Really?"

 

We got greedy - it seemed to be working when it was buried in other threads but having a space solely dedicated to the sharing of codes was too much. I look at all the new traffic being driven by the Lillingtons Box Set thread. I bet that HT Thread was doing the same during every sale. It would appear in google searches, we made it too easy for those offsite to use VC as a resource. 

 

My last Hot Cash purchase will forever be the Rites of Spring 10" so I went out on a high note. 

[mindovermatter]

As much as I would like to believe that some of the gripers in this thread have been spending TONS of money at HT acquiring hundreds of physical Hot Cash coupons it's just not true.  There are less than 100 vinyl titles available on HT.com right now (and even less in any stores), and some of those titles have been there for quite a while.

 

You think a little too highly about the vinyl market because we are all submerged in it...for the rest of the world, we don't amount to a hill of beans, and this is simply a move to protect a little bit of profit so that hopefully there are more than 100 titles to choose from in the future.  I - for one - am okay with that.

 

...and before anyone tries to crucify me, I would like to point out that in the Blink thread, everyone is totally cool with $RC raking in over $10K in profit per vinyl release that they are working on so we should maybe lose the double standard just because there is maybe a little more "street cred" in hating on a mall retailer.

[chutterhanban]

Travis isn't the person to ask about this. You want the marketing/promotions department at HT, not the vinyl buyer.

Yeah, you're right--didn't think about that. But still, he's the closest to an answerer we'd actually be able to get a hold of. Just curious.

 

In fairness, it's a mall clothing store. Notorious for huge markup. Hot Topic isn't unique in this. They have overhead to cover.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that vinyl records are probably among the lowest-margin products in the store, along with CDs.

You don't have to guess, just ask the 10 people in this thread who have pressed records themselves. Depending on the quantity, you're even more right.

 

Why am I surprised this is still at the top of the board? 

 

It's over people. It was a nice way to get cheap vinyl but it's over. I remember when Scott made that code thread and Travis' first reaction was "Really?"

 

We got greedy - it seemed to be working when it was buried in other threads but having a space solely dedicated to the sharing of codes was too much. I look at all the new traffic being driven by the Lillingtons Box Set thread. I bet that HT Thread was doing the same during every sale. It would appear in google searches, we made it too easy for those offsite to use VC as a resource. 

 

My last Hot Cash purchase will forever be the Rites of Spring 10" so I went out on a high note. 

Good point as usual, jerseydave, and you're mostly right. But all you're doing a really great job of answering a question that isn't being asked anymore. We're idiots if we didn't see it coming or if we think we should keep getting to operate under the old Hot Cash model.

 

THERE IS ONLY ONE QUESTION HERE FOLKS (and it's not even a question, because it's already been decided). EVERYTHING ELSE IS CUT AND DRY.

-- Why didn't HT just make unique download codes? That's it. Then we wouldn't have had the opportunity to be greedy little kids and ruin it for ourselves. Still our fault, but it never should've gotten to that. Eh? Am I right? Come on! Logic anywhere?