Hi, I'm new to the discussion side of TER so please bare with me...
I recently had a bad experience and was ripped off by a touring provider (BTW, the closest metro area to me is DC)...I posted my experience on another board but did not post the provider's name at the suggestion of the board Mod (she actually exposed herself by responding to the thread and later said I told everyone who she was...LOL). When she found out she tried to trash me on the board as well as posting all types of info about me (nothing really harmful) but nonetheless personal stuff(). People began responding to my post in support of me and she emailed me twice using vulgar language but I ignored it...
Several board members suggested she refund me some of my deposit, to which she said she would on the board, she still hasn't. At this point I thought everything was cool but the next day the entire thread was taken down by the Mod even though I violated none of the board policies. He hasn't given me an explanation but I did come to find out from another board member that the Mod or someone else was offered a "freebie" if they took the post down.
So here I am now... I'm not naive, I wasn't expecting her to refund anything to begin with.... I was had, plain and simple, I've learned from my mistakes but I want to make sure she doesn't to it to someone else... does anyone have suggestions as to where I should post my experience (i.e. on this board, do a ripoff review, etc)? Thanks in advance and I appreciate any help. Art
You might also post a rip-off warning on your local board. Don't be abusive, just simply say Warning, watch out for this provider, and offer a link to your review.
George Constansa, its your buddy -- Cosmo, from the TV sitcom show Sienfeld...
Kidding aside Art, it seems to me that you got taken to the cleaners. There are growing number of providers who are using the Web as a means to dupe unsuspecting hobbyist.
I would encourage you to do the following:
i. Contact the website where you saw this provider's post. Tell them about your experience. More likely than not, they will ask the provider to provide proper identification. Failing which they will remove the ad. If they receive a number of complaints they will stop running the ads of this provider permanently.
ii. Post a review about the provider on as many boards as you can. Include as many details as you can. If she used her actual picture, download it for yourself. This way when you peruse thruough ads, you can cross-reference.
Unfortunately, there is NO recourse for getting your money. At times, I too get the sense that some review boards tend to favor/support the providers. They create a huge stink when someone want to post a "rip-off" review.
There is no fail safe process. The best way to connect would be through a personal referral from a friend or something along those lines.
Reviews are the next best thing ...but, keep in mind that these maybe tainted. There have been numerous instances where providers have had their friends, or family post reviews... In which case, what you read maynot be what you get ;-(. Don't get me wrong, there are good providers out there, but they are tough to find.
You had a bad experience, and it is helpful to all us of to know about it, to avoid being had or taken to the cleaners as well. I'm from the DC area too and also travel widely. I would naturally like to know the details, to avoid her personally. TER has a whole section where RIPOFF Reviews are also listed chronologically. You can read some of those to get an idea of how much detail to post. It takes a little while before reviews go up here. Thanks for speaking out. TBD is very bad about covering up such incidents. I encourage you to enjoy TER, discuss, and post. Click on that little envelope up there and send me as much information as you care to pass along. Thank you. Been there too. [email protected]
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