Dealing with unhanded tactics of competition

patman99

They do say a picture speaks a thousand words, so a few high quality images of his fish will do more to convince people what a decent standard they are kept in and that he really can 'walk the walk as well as talk the talk'.

coupleuk

You are in BUSINESS - report her and report her now.

The alternative is you try to compete with someone who isn't playing by the rules - she is not registered and is not paying tax/NI/vat etc.

YOU are the only ones who stand to lose unless you all operate on a level playing field.

Competition is good, but must be fair.

On the forum side, register an alias on her forum (don't forget the alias email account too). Make a couple of general posts about fish keeping (from a customers angle) and after a few days just ask if anyone can recommend a supplier in your general area. After receiving some replies, make another post to ask if anyone has used YOUR business (still using the alias). IF she is slandering/libelling you, she will then PM you and drop herself in it. If she does, get a solicitor and do something about it.

Don't just sit back and be nice about this - YOUR business is at risk here.

skater_kat

just to say you can be on DLA and work full time or run a business. there is no need to report this person for that reason.

texranger

patman99 wrote: »

Op, is there any way you or your partner can anonymously sign up to the forum she runs and print-off all of the defamatory comments she has made regarding you partner's business ?. These could well be her undoing. Comments posted about people/companies on the web come under libel, so if they are made with the deliberate intent to damage trade, then your partner may well be able to clean her out if he so wishes.

be prepared to spend a lot on a libel case.

fairyclicks

skater_kat wrote: »

just to say you can be on DLA and work full time or run a business. there is no need to report this person for that reason.

Thanks for that, Its actually the fact that she is on DLA because of a severe back injury yet can perfectly lift heavy boxes of fish and go horse riding regularly that is the issue rather than her running the 'business'.

Also that she is not registered with inland revenue yet has been running her 'non existent' business for 5 years.......

What is it they say, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones??? Its so frustrating that we are trying our best to do everything legally and above board and people like this have the cheek to say we are running an illegal business

As a good friend of mine says, Karma is a wonderful thing