Prohibiting "slandering" of vendors as part of TOS

[OneClick]

Not sure where to post this. I’ve been biting my tongue for a while now, foreseeing myself getting flamed and the thread quickly closed, but I have to ask...

Is there a way we can somehow prohibit threads and posts about vendors “failing to...” or producing “another unhappy customer”? If you actually read these threads, it seems like ALL of them involve unrealistic expectations, overreactions, and a vendor trying to make things right.

I know some of you will think this takes the “free speech” out of the forum, or actually hurts customer service by not allowing consumers to be informed about vendor “x”. But I think it would be best to eliminate any ambiguity by simply prohibiting these (sometimes bias) comments out altogether.

Personally, I want to be informed of any sleazy vendor that steals or cheats. But I honestly believe we do not have any of these. If so, I missed them. And this definitely does not describe any of the vendors I dealt with or read negative posts about.

Cottage vendors provide great customer service and exceptional products...at a cost. They’re not going to ship like Amazon. They may have a problem with emails or phones causing a lack of communication since they don’t have 20 IT guys. A “big event” in their lives will have a much larger impact than a company with 30 other equal employees who are able to pick up the slack. Or just a simple and honest oversight.

I can go on and on. I’m not sticking up for anyone specific here. I am simply stating the obvious and hoping everyone will be able to relax and be patient without the public slandering. If it has to become part of the TOS and therefore more work for the moderators (sorry!), then so be it.

Just an idea

[Klaussinator]

Well said, and I fully agree!

I believe that many new members here on HF are used to the crap thrown around openly on most other forums, and therefore haven't realized yet that we are in a class of our own in terms of character, respect, and mutual encouragement. Not suggesting I have the perfect solution, but I will say that I believe it needs to be quelled rather than fed, and that's something we can all play a part in.

-Klauss

[humer91]

I agree 100%. I too have a problem when people try to force unrealistic expectations on our cottage vendors and when they aren't met, lash out.

Edit* a recent exchange in the vendor forums would have been better handled through PMs or direct contact between the customer and the vendor but the customer decided to make it public and attack one of the vendors. When i was looking around to purchase stuff, had i seen what he had written i very well might have been influenced and not made the purchase I made...and that would have been a terrible mistake, depriving me of a great piece of equipment and losing the vendor a nice profit. Newer, less educated (in regards to how great our cottage vendors are) members only need to see one flaming thread of hate to possibly sour them on a vendor, without even knowing any better.

[OneClick]

I agree 100%. I too have a problem when people try to force unrealistic expectations on our cottage vendors and when they aren't met, lash out.

I'll add, they are certainly free to lash out, but that should be done between the customer and vendor via phone or e-mail. Not for the whole world to see where all the facts may not be present and can easily be read out of context.

[2ply]

Unfortunately we've got a few folks that like to stir things up for the fun of it.

[Firesong]

The nice thing is those threads almost always end with follow up posts of 'contact the vendor' have you contacted... Etc. So anyone reading the original vent also hears that and the almost always positive follow up.

[Zilla]

I totally support our cottage venders here 100% and i dont think flaming should be allowed, but if people are having the same issues over and oner with the same vender then others have the right to know so that when they are deciding where to spend thier money they will know what to expect. Freedom of speech is important and there are way too many great venders on here and honest reviews help everyone know who they are.
We are all adults here and we all should have the right to make informed decisions,, !

[OneClick]

I totally support our cottage venders here 100% and i dont think flaming should be allowed, but if people are having the same issues over and oner with the same vender then others have the right to know so that when they are deciding where to spend thier money they will know what to expect. Freedom of speech is important and there are way too many great venders on here and honest reviews help everyone know who they are.

I totally understand that. We don't want to play favorites, only allowing positive reviews. That's wrong. But if you look at all these complaints, they are, in my opinion, always overexaggerated. Rethinking this, I guess it's a gray area with no perfect solution.

I personally don't recall any specific problems happening over and over, other than people not receiving items when they expected. But in that case, call the vendor. It's not like most of this stuff is in stock just sitting on a shelf. For some reason people became afraid of the phone in the past 10 years and just won't do it!

[lilricky]

Unfortunately we've got a few folks that like to stir things up for the fun of it.

You're right there! There is also someone on the Facebook page that likes to insult our cottage industry as a whole, don't know his HF name, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was stirring things up here as well. Perhaps if there were some sort of "Did you find this review helpful" poll in the thread with a overly negative score hiding the thread.

[Otter1]

While I don't like reading these threads either, I do not feel they hurt the vendor's reputations. This is primarily due to, as several pointed out, the fact the fact many say my experiences have been great, contact the vendor".

I believe it's mostly newer members (but I haven't and won't try to verify this), and with our guidance, they usually come around.