My mind got running on something with the latest "this shop is dodgy" thread and the mod's trying to keep things under control.

Maybe a separate repairer rating section on the forum could be a good addition ???

Think like ebay feedback, except:
- No comments at all - just votes
- Each registered user can either vote a shop as plus or minus. No double dipping, but they can change their mind later (as a result of a bad experience say)
- No visibility of individual plus's or minus's - just a shop's overall score
- All shops have a minimum and starting score of zero
- Repairers/Shops opt-in... they have to notify the forum that "yes, I'm happy for my shop to be included'' with a list along the lines of "These shops have opted out" is visible.

With a system like that the results should be:
- you'd basically get a ranked list of VW shops around the place
- the opt-in and opt-out list is a visible "I'm proud of my work" type of indicator
- shops that have been around longer and people have had good experiences with would naturally have higher scores (i.e. recommended)
- shops that have issues would be down closer to zero
- likewise newer shops would be down closer to zero

Because you can't see how long a shop has been around, or how they got their score (+20 would appear the same as +40-20 ) then effectively no shop is being bad-mouthed/defamed.

The only conclusion anyone can make is that they're not being strongly recommended.

Just an idea, and maybe it's too risky for the forum to have, or too much work to get running right or whatever... but it could also be a neat solution to the age old "what shops are there that people can recommend" questions that pop up and the threads that result.

Great idea Dave, might need a number of votes entered tally.

could be an option but could also see it going badly with one person creating multiple accounts and destroying a rating.

'cept I dont believe our software would support something like that ^^^

yes would be a good idea

don't think too many people would create special accounts just to vote ??

most people only get vocal with bad experiences!!!
Every shop has had at least one bad day and thats the day we will all hear about!!!!
Think there would also be a bit of conflict of intrest going on too. Mechanics bagging others while talking themselves up!!!! Gets abit boring