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MSE News: Ban for firms posing as happy customers online

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  • hollydays
    hollydays Posts: 19,812 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    This is why certain hotels on tripadviser always come top.
    I now check american tripadviser instead as that shows the number of articles each reviewer has posted,while the english site doesnt for some unknown reason.
  • John_Gray
    John_Gray Posts: 5,844 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I just stumbled upon this thread, and it is absolutely fantastic! :T:j
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,060 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    edited 25 December 2009 at 8:58PM
    A particular gas and electricity company with over 33,000 part time salesmen are the biggest offenders that I have seen.

    It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't have just about the highest gas and electricity prices in UK!

    This is how one website dealt with this particular company:
    Due to persistent attempts by ********** distributors to tout for business on this community forum - contravening the moneysupermarket.com Community Standards and Terms of Service - this post has now been locked. Touting for business, advertising and marketing tactics will not be tolerated by this community.
    May I respectfully suggest you look for more original means to advertise your business, while checking out the following:
    1. moneysupermarket.com Community Standards.
    2. moneysupermarket.com Community Terms of Service.
    3. Unfair Trading Regulations - Please pay particular attention to 'Section 5: Misleading actions'.
    Many thanks for your kind co-operation...

    Cheers,
    Graeme Delap, Community Editor,
  • Sparhawke
    Sparhawke Posts: 1,420 Forumite
    edited 25 December 2009 at 10:12PM
    It should not only be illegal with a slap on the wrist but a way to take their entire way of doing any kind of business gone forever, internet access...phone...named and shamed....

    Those who have a legitimate business should not have to resort to this kind of practice :(

    For the poster just above, I used to work as one of these door knockers for the utility switchover and really wish they were fully regulated, I refused to lie and cheat therefore never did as well as the "stars" making the money. You are made to feel like a worthless person if you don't cheat and I am sure I could name a few of the companies that their agents worked for and it would be in your list.
    "Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And don't blink. Good Luck" - The Doctor.
  • scotsbob
    scotsbob Posts: 4,632 Forumite
    A good way of dealing with these companies spamming for business is to put a spoiler reply along the lines of "didn't I see this company/product/ criticised on Watchdog recently?"

    All you have done is ask a simple question but any search engines will bring up that question along with the company name.
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,682 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Naming and shaming them would act as a warning to potential customers of the type of outfit they may be dealing with. Forewarned is forearmed.
  • poppy10_2
    poppy10_2 Posts: 6,588 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Cardew wrote: »
    A particular gas and electricity company with over 33,000 part time salesmen are the biggest offenders that I have seen.

    It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't have just about the highest gas and electricity prices in UK!

    This is how one website dealt with this particular company:

    Why block out the company name?

    Utility Warehouse
    poppy10
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,060 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    poppy10 wrote: »
    Why block out the company name?

    Utility Warehouse

    Because it is Martin's directive that this particular firm will only be discussed in a dedicated thread.

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=387161

    His opening post:
    This is a special area for the discussion of Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus). Unfortunately, it has become the topic for heated debate in the past and detracted from the main gas & electricity discussions. Therefore I would like to keep in restricted to just this discussion.

    However due to past experiences some strict rules

    i. All Telecom Plus Distributers must declare it when they post
    ii. All workers or those related to other utility companies must declare it
    iii. There are to be no abusive comments, accusations of fraud.
    iv. Anyone breaking the above rules will be barred first of all from this board, and if they persist from the Chat Forums

    I hate having to be so draconian, yet this problem has lasted for more than a year. So it is time to sort it out.
  • this wouldn't surprised me when i see comments that seam overly ecstatic and the text seam a bit too polished, these are the one's i most think are fake!
    My Signature is MY OWN!!
  • Eco_Miser
    Eco_Miser Posts: 4,851 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Sparhawke wrote: »
    It should not only be illegal with a slap on the wrist but a way to take their entire way of doing any kind of business gone forever, internet access...phone...named and shamed....

    Those who have a legitimate business should not have to resort to this kind of practice :(
    I totally agree ... however before such action is taken the complicity of the company in the practice must be proved. Otherwise it would be too easy to put a rival out of business by posting obvious shills for the rivals business.
    Eco Miser
    Saving money for well over half a century
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