Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the point of this site?
A. "Anywhere, USA" describes how, no matter where you travel these days, many of the places to shop are the same. From Applebees to Walmart, chain's are slowly eroding the culture and uniqueness of our cities and communities. The only force powerful enough to stem the tide is the community. Take a minute to support your independently owned shop by spending there or providing feedback here. There are many stores that may deserve to go out of business, but let's help keep the good ones open. Please read Why Buy Indie? for a more in depth discussion.Top..
Q. How can I help?
A. There are so many ways! First, please suggest any stores in your area that are independently owned (not a chain store) and have less than 5 locations. Also, please provide constructive feedback on any shops that you have been to. The number one reason people go to chains is that they *know* what to expect. Your participation here will help level the field. If you are a store owner, please consider allowing me to put some flyers in your store to help spread the word. Top..
Q. Why is registration required?
A. At first we did not require registration, but a few people started abusing the system by voting (both up and down) multiple times. We also had a lot of negative comments towards a few places but did not know whether it was truly the community or simply one or two people. Lastly, spammers suck.Top..
Q. What is karma used for?
A. Well, nothing much at this point. We've temporarily put your karma on hold.. don't worry though, it's safe and eagerly looking forward to hanging out with you again. Top..
Q. I have moderation points, what do I do with them?
A. You can rate the usefulness of your fellow posters. Rate their comments +1 or -1 depending on how accurate or useful it is. Like Karma.. mod points will be back.Top..
Q. What are tags?
A. Tags are like keywords or labels that you can add to a store to make it easier to find later. You can tag a store with words like "brunch" and then later on if you are looking for places to grab brunch you can just click on that tag and get all places that have been tagged that way.
Tags are usually one word and singular. i.e. bar not bars. Also if you want to use a two word tag, simply enclose it in quotes like "dry cleaning" Top..
Q. Do you sell the information you collect?
A. Absolutely not! Not that we don't think you're interesting or anything so don't take it personally, ok? Top..
Q. How much do you charge to list a store?
A. Absolutely nothing. Independent stores are listed for free. Non-independent stores will not be listed. Top..
Q. Will that change?
A. No! There is no intention to EVER charge to be listed here.Top..
Q. I am a musician and have no address.. just a website. Can I be listed?
A. Unfortunately not. This site does promote musicians, but we require that you have a physical address to be listed in the database. Artists should all check out Etsy.
Q. I have a company but no physical store since my primary sales channel in the Internet. Can I be listed?
A. At this time, unfortunately no. The Internet is a wonderful equalizer and I'm sure you'll do just fine with all the resources available to you. Likewise, if your business caters to other businesses as a primary means of revenue you are also not eligible at this time. The core function of BuyIndie is to put the consumer in touch with businesses who require local patronage to survive.
Q. What do you consider an independent store?
A. Any store that has less than 5 locations is considered independent.Top..
Q. I own a Subway franchise, can I get listed?
A. Sorry, No. If you need help converting to become a true independent business contact Main Streets or a similar organization in your area.Top..
Q. How can I have a store removed from your index?
A. We are sorry you want to delist, but if you really would like to be removed, send us an email requesting removal. If you are the owner, we will promptly comply. Top..
Q. What happened to the local events?
A. We've temporarily suspended our Events listings. Maybe we'll bring them back if shop owners express interest.
Q. Who designed your fantastic logo?
A. Eric Palmerlee was nice enough to give us a special rate to design the logo. You can even sport it on your very own t-shirt! Top..
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