Rant about reviews
 

First off i would like to say that i think this site is a excellent source of information with lots of good people who like to help.

But i have a problem with the reviews that we are allowed to post up.

I have read many post of people who have had problems with vendors and people only to have the post locked or deleted.

I have been a member for over a year and when i need something or information this is the first place i look.

I believe if people could post up reviews of their experiences people would know who they could use and who they could not.

I read a thread last night about someone having issues about buying frags and the way they were shipped but we cannot say who it was or what happened.

We are only allowed to put up positive reviews, If that is the case how do we warn others of the negative stuff that goes on.

I am out $1400.00 for equipment that was ordered because nobody could warn me. And i have no way of warning others. I really doubt that i will see the money or product seeing how this has been almost 5 months now.And i know that i am not the only one.

If this post is inappropriate please let me know how i am suppose to get my point across. I mean no disrespect.

I would just like to know how we as consumers are suppose to know who is a good vendor and who is not if we cannot post up what has really happened to us.

Hope somebody can give me some insight.

Keith

Keith, it has caused fights, threats of legal action and numerous other issues over the years. We've decided that we just cant deal with the problems it generates. We're just all doing this on our own time so that everyone has a place to get good technical advice and chat with other reefers in the hobby. I know the benefit of saying "Store X is a ripoff, they took all my money and gave me nothing", but we just can't manage the fallout from these posts.
Then there are the others. Store Y sucks. No it doesn't. Yes it does. Goes on for pages. That is not the purpose of the board. We try to be as good as we can within scope of what we can manage, and we, as a group that staff the board, decided we do not have time to manage this type of posting.
Sorry, it's the best we can do with what we've got.

i feel the same way. i finally took the plunge and ordered online for frags only to receive a completely dead shipment. the shipment was replaced and then 2 more pieces from that one are dead and i have still to get my money back for those pieces. this really ****ed me off because i have been so nervous for ordering online and now this happened.

Here's the best we can do.

If you're about to order something online and you're suffering from anxiety, post asking for PMs of others experiences. If you get 50 PM replies from other members saying don't order from the place you're thinking of, then you have an answer. Eventually the stores that screw people will either change, or go away.

If i go asking for PMs do you think people will just start posting in the thread and have it locked down?

Keith

Just wondering, has an eBay type rating system ever been considered? There could be different categories for each vendor on a scale from 1 - 5. Categories could be Quality, Service, Communication....etc. Perhaps a poll for each vendor?

Exactly the right thing to do imo...

People will pm you if they feel strongly, both positively & negatively, about the store you're inquiring about.

If people start posting comments instead of keeping it in pm's then Mod's will delete the offending posts & maybe lock the thread.

And even if the thread is locked down, people can still pm you.

Simple.

VFX.

.

Very good comprimise... I know I send a lot more PMs than I post. If I were a vendor I would be more concerned about the PMs than the open forum.

Scott

Reviews
 

Hi Keith and Colin, I have been a member for a while and watched the discussions over this topic . Frustrating as it is to not be able to 'warn ' others , I think the administrators have it dead right and do a remarkable job of keeping this site civilised and free from rants and unnacceptable content.
There are always two sides to every conflict and Brad clearly highlights some of the possible complications arising from trying to mediate. It is a no win situation for Canreef.

As I see it we have some excellent sponsors and plenty of positive feedback so maybe the way to go is to use this facility. ( I have no connection with any sponsor !!)

Sorry you seem to have had an unfortunate experience...............

................Dave

I know it would be nice to have reviews but I think it is best done in private through PM as suggested and not in the open... this topic has been discussed many a time as well.....

I love coming to this site way above any other reefing site on the web for the simple fact that it is sooooo laid back here... I do more reading then posting but the reason I stay here is that there is almost a cozy feel to this place.....some of the other bulletin boards where they have forums set up specifically for rating people you have bought/sold to/from get out of control and the bashing starts followed shortly there after by threats of law suites etc etc... It is a whole lot of drama that I would rather do without on my home site....makes for an intimidating environment... and from reading any of those vendor reviews it is all a bunch of he said she said were nothing is really accomplished.... "You suck as a seller!"
"OHHHH REALLY!!? Well you suck as a buyer!"
"OHHHH REALLLY!!!!? WELL your momma!!!"
"MY MOMMA!? Now you just gone done it!!! I'm calling the police!"
"WELL I AM SUEING!!!"

Etc etc....

That is my two cents.....FWIW