Why are Americans so thick!!!!

MiserlyMartin

Here we go another well thought out American bashing thread. Is this a new sport here in England nowadays?

You are jolly lucky that they think a lot better of us Brits than you do of them.

There are definately as many other 'thick' people in the rest of the world, especially here. Also Indian call centres, providing 'service' instead of UK call centres. eg 118..... Now they are 'thick'...

charlie12

justpaper wrote:

on ebay some american bidded and won a E800 samsung i was selling, But i even stated UK only auction, and i pointed out that the phone wouldnt work over in the u.s anyway.

If you're getting bids from Americans on UK-only items, there's an easy way to stop that. You can block bids from users in countries that you don't ship to.

Look under seller preferences, buyer requirements, then enable "block buyers who Are registered in countries to which I don't post".

Tojo_Ralph

MiserlyMartin wrote:

Here we go another well thought out American bashing thread. Is this a new sport here in England nowadays?

Far be it from me to point out to you that posters on this thread are from various parts of the UNITED KINGDOM :rolleyes:

MiserlyMartin

Sorry! Bad use of the the word England. Though I hope you lot up there in bonnie Scotland (or indeed Ireland or Wales) aren't abusing the yanks either ¬!

Luis

The stupidest (and when I got over it - funniest) American D'oh auction I did was for a book.

First he bid, then sent me a panic email saying he didn't mean to bid as it was a UK auction. I pointed out it said 'will post worldwide', and that the P&P quote was UK only, and I would quote him a US rate if he liked.

He said OK, won the auction, paid well - off the book went. Phew, thinks I - finally a US auction goes well.......

Then I get an email saying he is unhappy with the book as it is '90% covered in writing', but has given me positive feedback. Eh? Firstly, i thought books were meant to have writing in them, and if he meant scrawling - blatant lie!

So, emailed back saying 'post it back for a refund'.

Got email back - wait for it, best bit coming up......... apparently he bought the same book twice - one from me and one from someone else!!!! And the other book was in better condition so he didn't want mine. BUT didn't want a refund as 'it is only a few dollars' (about $20).

Mad!

inatomato

C'mon people - don't let's get antsy about our yank cousins. True, many of them aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer - but in my experience on ebay I have come across some staggeringly stoopid people from all over our fair planet. I have dealt with US/UK buyers who are articulate and sensible with excellent grammar skills. I suppose it depends on the product in certain circumstances. Say you were selling Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - chances are you'd get an intelligent buyer. If you're selling hooky DVD's of the tractor-pull playoffs - I think you already know your target audience! By the way, it's not 'racist' to not like the yanks - they are not a race. They are predominantly European, African and Hispanic (unless you count those pesky injuns spoiling the party )

Miserly Martin:

Thickos in the Indian call centres? Isn't that a bit generalist? Most call centres operate on call response times (x calls handled per hour) and their workers are powerless to help you unless it's on the script they read from. This is no accident - it's designed to provide the veneer of 'service' whilst giving none. If it were a white anglo-saxon student/working mum/ some other poor sod trying to do an honest day's work - it'd be the same thing. The Indian workers are only trying to do what call centre workers everywhere are trying to do - feed themselves and/or their families. It's not healthy to have a pop just because they irritate you - do something constructive like writing to the company HQ to complain, or attending shareholders' meetings.

Just my two (euro) cents'...

Happy_saver_4

Let's not upset all Americans by clarifying not all Americans are 'Yanks'.

To be a Yank you must from north of the "Mason - Dixon" line. This line divided the boundaries of Maryland and Pennsylvania .It was the border between the free states and the slave states in the first half of the eighteenth century, or the border between the Union states and the Confederate states during the American Civil War.

Therefore, it is very insulting to call somebody a 'yank' whose family has always lived south of this line and probably fought the 'yankees'.

I lived in the southern US for a few years and the majority are extremely good, helpful and kind people; even if some are lacking in education whilst others are rocket scientists.

So please don't insult my southern US friends.

inatomato

Happy_Saver:

The English use 'yanks' as a generic and non-disparaging name for anyone born in the USA. I believe the more educated amongst us are aware that it does not apply to all US citizens. From YourDictionary.com:

American:

Of or relating to the United States of America or its people, language, or culture.

Of or relating to North or South America, the West Indies, or the Western Hemisphere.

Of or relating to any of the Native American peoples.

Indigenous to North or South America. Used of plants and animals.

So we can't even call you Americans as an exclusive term

...also, I believe it was called the Mason-Dixon line.

inatomato

Apologies, HS - by the time I'd submitted my response, you'd corrected the typo.

Happy_saver_4

Hi Jesus............

Sorry I didn't make clear that:-

I'm British, born and bred. I just lived there for a few years.

I wanted to put the record straight so our American friends didn't think that the 'Brits' are also all stupid and didn't know what a 'Yank' is.