Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

This is a suggestion, and one I can not buy into until next year myself due to lay offs this year and my upcoming wedding, but if anyone here is going to order something online please please post it especially if you are going to order and you are falling below a discounted shipping rate such as Saltwater.com's free shipping on orders over 250. Now of course there is a snag here and that is someone is going to have to trust someone with there money in order to place a single order and exceed the discounted payment marker. The best way I see to go about this is to elect an individual who we can agree to trust, and who is willing to take the responsibility as treasurer of an MBRK bank account. That treasurer would have sole access to a bank account, which would obviously need to be a large bank so it spans all the states this community spans, and access to the sole debit card. Members who have agreed to purchase items via the MBRK treasury will then deposit the amount for their purchased item plus tax a day or two before the order is placed. When the order is placed the Treasurer will post the reciept of the transaction or pm it to the purchasing members, and will inform said members as to when the shipment is expected to arrive and then contact, via phone, email, or pm, the purchasing members upon the shipments actual arrival. Of course a waiver and consent form would need to be drafted in case of some mishap out of the treasures hands and barring the treasures ill intent or neglent wrong doing were to happen that they would not be liable for damages to livestock or products or the loss of funds in the event of several circumstances including but not limited to; Member depositing money into a incorrect bank account, or member changing their mind and seeking a refund after the purchase has been made.
I know it seems a little extreme but if we can find someone we trust and actually start ordering in mass like this we could all stand to save alot of money; however I understand trust issues are common among us all especially when the economy is this rough but if we can find that one trusted soul among us and also be able to rest easy knowing someone has their cell phone number, email, and address and all the monetary exchanges are publicy documented...i.e. Member to treasurer:- Did the 50 bucks I deposited go through yet? Treasurer:- Yea got it this morning, I'll order tonight.
then I think it could be done, but its just a long long suggestion from your local insomniac.

Sounds pretty complicated, it's easier just to make friends.

I've met about 6 MBRK members so far, I'm 100% that not a single one would rip me off.

You misunderstand, the precautions are to avoid that in new members more so than trusted friends and to protect an individual treasurer. One person holding an mbrk account makes it easier for everyone to partcipate in mass orders as opposed to you and your 6 friends. The idea is for more casual members to be able to contribute and at the same time be able to save and as far as trusting your 6 friends thats great but I do recall some darker times in MBRK when alot of people were taken in by a very trusted member but that was before your time Neut.