A SL Better Business Bureau?

Reading a few posts in here it seems there is a need for such a service sadly. Putting up a poll and let's hear comments. Let me get one point out of the way now.

YES IT IS A FORUM VIOLATION TO MENTION NAMES!

ok with that argument aside if we really wanted this could we mention names, businesses, etc. What could this SLBBB do to spread information, pressure bad businesses, etc.

In short, this has been brought up every few months since like, version 1.1.

It's essentially unenforcable, sadly.

LF

Not saying its neccesarily a bad idea.... but yes, its been discussed in the past.

Check these:

Civil Society

Guidelines for a moderation authority for ethical sales - the Better Business Bureau

A Better Business Bureau?

What about a site like this one ... www.resellerratings.com

Its not a BBB per say, but it does allow people to rate stores and post feedback, as well as let store owners have their say on negative feedback. Kinda like an Ebay-esqe feeback system.

Obviously ResellerRatings is for IT purchases, but let me tell you, I don't buy anything from an online IT store without checking with that site first. It not 100% accurate of course, you can have a bad expereince with a good store, but its a good starting place.

Just an idea.

Brendan

Unfortunately, the TOS probably prevents your standard BBB from operating, but what about reviving R.A.T.E?

It was voluntary to join, and people could bring complaints against the members of RATE, if a complaint turns out to be legitimate, then the seller has to either resolve it, or have their membership revoked.

-Adam

That might be the tricky part.

Well according to my information couldn't you IN WORLD (not here) post on a notecard a list of information about various companies or indviduals (yes named) running businsses in SL. The good, the bad, and the WTF! Post information about common scams in SL, etc. To my knowledge in the forums you can't mention names. Nothing says you can't in world. I mean I look ad heard about IGE this, Ginko that, Ansche this, and babies buying dont's and I swear it's a recording of a conversation I had less then a week before the topics started. Maybe that way if people want to hear the bad AND the good there is a place...cause frankly....if this place is sick with it's rank and negativity.

After all in the long run knowledge is power.

Can we have a better customer bureau as well?

I'd like the ability to complain about customers.

You can on eBay!

Also, as someone who has several thousand rating points on eBay and a 100% feedback rating, let me tell you - it works like a damn.

Customers never rate me badly and I never give bad service. And it's not because either of us are good people, it's because we have to.

ok I will do it... I will find a way to set this up in world and on the web, any customer complaints that you have you can send them to me in a notecard, I will pick 5 people (or 5 volunteers) to invesitage the claim, if we feel it is a valid claim, their business/name and the complaint/s will be posted, hows that sound? I have more time than anything now adays lol
Edit to add: no personal complaints will be allowed, this is for business only

It sounds awful

We already have something like that on SLExchange and it is a freaking nightmare.

No, if you want to do something, do something like eBay.

It works very very well.

However, it should be slightly more difficult to leave negative feedback if you get a 100% refund.

It's critical that you can complain about customers, because you get these twits who will complain about anything and everything.

There has to be some kind of push back on them.

well blaze thats why I said it would be investigated, I or someone else will talk the business owner and get thier side as well

Well, I'm not sure anyone wants to submit to an investigation.

I think leaving it as a personal negotiation between customer and vendor is often the best.

I mean, why not just do an eBay feedback type system on your website? I'll happily donate some PHP code to it.

I just can't see a system working unless the customer felt as much pain as the vendor does for complaining.

Dont you have to buy something from that person before it can be posted on ebay? I am not sure how it would work in SL

Why not have it so business people send an email everytime a customer buys something?

If we do that then we are "Sensual Certified" or whatever.

I'd participate in that as long as customers had to be sensual certified as well. I'd also like for them to have 10 or more feedback before they can leave a negative feedback rating.

In a perfect world to, the payment could be made through you. You could even take 1% or something off the top for transaction costs.

I'd happily participate in something like that. A lot of people don't buy things because they're scared. i'm sure if I had a way to offer them payment protection they'd go ahead and buy it.

Also, you can't really investigate.

What if someone purposely destroyed an object before transfering it to you for investigation?

I guess you could do a sting operation.

That's an interesting idea. Though, might be a tad time consuming.

Lets think about it a bit more get some more suggestions, see how many people are willing or interested in participating, and this would certainly be a free service as a protection to the community.

an investigation would be with the buyer and seller, not just the buyers word.

How about a sting operation?

After someone gets X number of complaints you will do a sting operation on that persons product.

Even more cool, in order to complain you need to donate 10% of the cost of the item in order to set the guy up for a 'sting'.

You could even display how many warnings someone has gotten so they know that they need to start being nice to all their customers as they're about to get 'stinged'.

I deal with customers the way I like to be dealt with. The Golden Rule. If a customer has a problem with my service or creation I would expect them to IM me about it. 99% of issues can be resolved patiently and satisfactorially.

But I will say this, when a "Better Business Bureau" show's up on my land questioning my business practices..I will laugh in their faces at their audacity and summarily boot them from my sim *g*

Next thing will be the "Morality Police" fgs.

Give me a break!!

But what if they pose as a customer so that you don't know who they are?

Again I think we should not focus on the negative though and offer the good as well. Places that have only negative comments I blow off as a rant page.

I find positive worse than negative, actually.

People can lie infinitely about something positively with no blowback.

Sellor documentation? I would not be so mad at a company if:
A) The documentation said don't do it and it was logical. No "Don't drive my car or I can't be held responsible if it does not work"

B) It is not a repeat complaint. Sometimes a problem just comes from listening to those "Broken records".

I'd comment, but 13 of the first 20 messages in this thread said:

"This message is hidden because (John Doe) is on your ignore list."

so I'm wary of jumping into something I've not read!

R.A.T.E., if I recall correctly, started its decline due to factors involving alcohol...

But if anyone does want to do this, I'm there. I might even volunteer to code/host the associated web site. (might) The company I owned was a member of the BBB and BBBOnline for several years, so I'm somewhat familiar with how they work. Sadly, one of the few times I ever had a bad experience with a company - pulling money from my bank account without permission - that company was the local BBB branch