How to kill an internet business

I came across this on a motorcycle forum I belong to. You have to skim thru most of the thread to really get the impact of how things can multiply like tribbles once they get going on the internet. I think it ended up with an audience of more than several hundred thousand viewers.

CLICK HERE

*Link shortened by Sasha... please take a minute to read #5 of CPF's Posting Policies.

Ya thats bad.

Man, the word spreads really fast. I remember a thread here at CPF about the knucklehead that took the cobra for a spin.

So do I, Tiktok22. This guy got himself in way over his head in the old and smelly septic tank (and full).

Internet Forums are the same as Word Of Mouth Advertising.

Well it is simple. I had my small internet business few years back selling my own camera bags. I would do backflips to please the customer. I closed down due to rise in import duties but I guess the good deeds I did were not forgotten since now I still get an email here and there if I have such and such bag. What I could never understand is this: it takes 5 min to make it right but some people would rather tell lies and deceptions that take 100 times longer and leave bad taste. But you know what? Screw this guy. This entire affair should have been over after one phonecall. But the seller chose the long route and got nailed with bad fame. Good riddance.

I thought he was going to talk about Hi-tech Flashlights and Titanium knives /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

LOL, that's EXACTLY what I thought also!

Great reading.

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Stingray said:
I think it ended up with an audience of more than several hundred thousand viewers.

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Wow! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif 145,518 views and counting.

Wow! Almost as entertaining as Goncz :0
Tom

Incredible, especially when you think it simply couldn't have happened ten years ago. A frightening example of the power of the Internet.

Although Will has undoubtedly dug his own very deep hole (and dived headlong into it), I'm not sure if it represents an example of raw Consumer Power or pure Mob Mentality. Excellent reading though, took me well over an hour to get all the way through it.

They used to say that every customer would tell ten others what they thought of your business. How times change.

Mob Mentality is an apt description, and it is rather chilling just how many people jumped on the bandwagon. Did the seller make some major "mistakes?" No doubt in my mind. Could he, should he have handled the matter differently? Absolutely. But I have to remind myself that he is human.

In regards to the deal itself, I have to assume (perhaps wrongly) that the buyer realized he was taking risks buying "damaged goods," but he decided that the deal was "worth it." Don't get me wrong--the buyer had some legitimate expectations that were not met by the seller.

All in all, I think the responses to this incident have gotten way out of control. For me, it also brings to mind two words...caveat emptor!

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Absolutely. But I have to remind myself that he is human.

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So is the innocent person who otherwise may have very well lost over $3000 of his hard earned money to this uncaring crook.

Guess which one I have more sympathy for?

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In regards to the deal itself, I have to assume (perhaps wrongly) that the buyer realized he was taking risks buying "damaged goods," but he decided that the deal was "worth it." Don't get me wrong--the buyer had some legitimate expectations that were not met by the seller.


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Like it didn't look like he was going to see any goods at all, damaged or otherwise, until the "mob" stepped in.

Many crooks take full advantage of the fact that proving fraud (especially interstate fraud) to say nothing of getting an enforceable judgement is something the average consumer is just not capable of. Hence, they normally get away with it while the consumer is chided with a sympathetic "caveat emptor." Its good to finally see one of these slimeballs get some old fashioned word of mouth consumer justice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Reading all that off my monitor has almost certainley damaged my retina's - gonna need even brighter lights now. Silly ole Will, appears somewhat young, as for Kurt, he lost his composure a little near the end - i think he NEEDS that weekend away he's just embarked on!

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TOB9595 said:
Wow! Almost as entertaining as Goncz :0
Tom

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Thar's what I was gonna say. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

I can't believe the thread's that long. I wonder when it will end. There definately is a mob mentality there. I know the guy is a bad businessman, but making threats of violence, and such? Geez.....It's entertaining to read, but I'm glad CPF isn't like that. Everyone here seems to be a little better mannered than that.

looks like a huge pissing contest with a bunch of me too's
looks like the seller didnt explain clearly enough the condition of the bike and while doing the buyer a favor by not shipping worthless parts that would cost a bunch to ship he got the buyer ticked off due to it being less than pictured.