View MassDrop pages without logging in

[pushcx]

I've been reading the ErgoDox threads and folks are always complaining that they can't see them without logging in. It's really stupid and annoying of MassDrop, but they did leave a workaround: add

Code: [Select]

?mode=guest_open to the end of your URL.

Compare: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/ergodox
with: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/ergodox?mode=guest_open

[damorgue]

Have Massdrop themselves stated this? They got pretty pissed last time someone came up with a workaround and threw around threats.

[vun]

Have Massdrop themselves stated this? They got pretty pissed last time someone came up with a workaround and threw around threats.

Just curious; why would they even want to prevent people from viewing it without logging in? Are they trying to force people to sign up?

[SeriouSSpotS]

Must be...

[damorgue]

Yes, that is exactly what they responded with. You have to agree to their pretty terrible TOS. The only reason they are allowed to sell under retail is because they can consider themselves a closed community if they require you to sign up.

[JPG]

They once told me that it's important for them because of the deals most company have with big retailers that say they can even the price of any competitor.

For example, if Best Buy sells a keyboard X at 100$ and massdrop offer it at 70$, then Best Buy has to sell it at 70$ is someone finds this deal, but if you long on massdrop with an account and accept the fact that it's a group buy and that you can't use this price to compare elsewhere, then it's all good for everyone. If they don't do that, the suppliers won't make deals with massdrop.

[pushcx]

Have Massdrop themselves stated this? They got pretty pissed last time someone came up with a workaround and threw around threats.

Massdrop made it - that's not some clever workaround, that's a feature of their system. I noticed it from some thread here or on Deskthority, when I happened to click a link and get a page with info instead of the homepage. (It's how I knew there was even a mass buy going on for the ErgoDox, every other time I just assumed it was some informational page and closed it.) Google turns up dozens of links to massdrop using "mode=guest_open", so they passed it out someplace.

I don't see anything in their terms about not linking to them, *shrug* If anybody here is from Massdrop and wants me to delete that post, let me know and I can. But, uh... why did you add the feature if you didn't want people to use it?