MSE News: Ban for firms posing as happy customers online

NeverInDebt

This is why I am more likely to trust a establied user on forums etc than someone who signed up the last few days posting positive feedback, often you can even find same user on other sites too saying same thing

Even web sites that suppose to give feedback for trades people or hotels etc are not immune to fake reviews

eBayaddict_2

hollydays wrote: »

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.

Don't you mean British site? Sorry, I'm Welsh and it really gets me when people say English when things are British- sorry.

kevanf1

I'd like to know if there is a site whereby I can shame a company. I won't do it here as I don't know what the legal aspects are but, a few months ago we had absolutely apalling service from an online electrical 'white goods' appliance seller. There are already some very similar cases to our own online where this company has been shamed. There's also some very suspicious 'praising' reports that are totally at odds with our (and others) experiences.

euchrid

Reaper wrote: »

You ought to name and shame them.

I agree - we need to know who these disreputible firms are.

whyme

Name and shame....

Alan_M_2

At the risk of being accused of resurrecting an old thread (look at my post count) I'd like to re open this debate.

I've spent a lot of time posting on this site, specifically providing information for posters on the DIY forum about granite and quartz kitchen worktops (it's my business). I've always been open about who I am and what I do. Yet lately I've been reported for "Abusing" the forum and asked to no longer provide recommendations for companies to help the posters.

Here's the problem, MSE has now grown to a level that it is a commercial enterprise, as such it attracts business people and will do so increasingly. Some of those business people are open about who they are and others not so...How do you police that?

The problem with running a forum, which by it's very nature is a place to ask for help and advice with the best case scenario that a "professional" posts help and advice. If you start to alienate the professionals who come to provide this advice where does that leave you?

So MSE, how would you like business people to behave? I thought by being open and transparent I would be acting in the spirit of the forum, however that seems to have backfired, as by being open I'm accused of touting for business.

It's time to address this issue otherwise you propagate the issue this thread was started to discuss.

poppy10_2

Alan_M wrote: »

The problem with running a forum, which by it's very nature is a place to ask for help and advice with the best case scenario that a "professional" posts help and advice. If you start to alienate the professionals who come to provide this advice where does that leave you?

This isn't intended to be a forum for professional advice. It's primarily a consumer forum, by consumers for consumers.

On the Mortgages board, all professional mortgage brokers have to abide by the MSE code of conduct, and carry a disclaimer signature to all their posts:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=325378

Perhaps something similar could be instituted for other professionals wanting to offer advice?

BargainGalore

Alan M you have also touted for buisness in the past and also previous promoted it via your signature which abuse removed

Its fine giving advice but its not fine when you then promote your buisness or post referrals as you have done below in 3 posts

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=23697249&postcount=2
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=23097795&postcount=5
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=19927709&postcount=7

http://www.extxxxxx.co.uk/index.php?a=atstone (your referral I believe)

PS reported those links to abuse

Sparhawke

Although it seems that Alan is getting around the rules or at least sidestepping them by your arguments it does raise an interesting point...

If a company I own for example does have the cheapest price and best service I am not allowed to mention it...and instead have to mention some other company just because it is more famous and "officially" MSE recognised?

If a company is doing a deal for a fair price then it should be mentioned, regardless of whether it is owned by the poster and let the readers decide, if it is not the cheapest then others will make sure people know.

There is such a point that gets reached that in the drive to make this a forum for consumers you end up destroying the very thing you are trying to protect by not allowing people to tell people that they have the lowest prices around if they don't happen to be a bloated supermarket, oh wait...didn't I mention this somewhere else on this forum a while back?

I know the issue is that Martin doesn't want companies randomly posting spam all over the place just for advertisement and I agree with his stance having fought the fight against spambots myself...but why make allowances for Amazon, Tesco, Asda and all the rest to get mentioned and try to kill off all the littler stores that cannot hope to compete with the constant advertising of them here in the forums?

If one shop is not allowed to be mentioned simply because no one has heard of it then none should be.

poppy10_2

Sparhawke wrote: »

If a company I own for example does have the cheapest price and best service I am not allowed to mention it...and instead have to mention some other company just because it is more famous and "officially" MSE recognised?

You don't have to mention any other company. Just don't spam a company that you own. You have a vested interest and cannot provide an impartial opinion.

If your company is as good as you say it is and it does indeed have the cheapest price and best service, then other consumers who have used it will be singing its praises for you.

When I am browsing MSE and looking for advice, I want to see what other consumers have used themselves and would recommend from their experience, not what a business owner thinks of his own business.