"Many of us talk on a regular basis and know what is going on long before the general public."



Maybe issues of this nature could be brought up in this new section so the general public (consumers) could be more informed about the manufacturer and vendors they give their money to. If a vendor is in the "know" about something about to go down he/she could share this info with fellow OSOers.

John

I believe it would be helpful to have a place to go to for research before you deal with a particular vendor. However I would recommend including not only problems but also good business practices. I don't mean a 6 paragraph love letter, just a few comments about knowledge, price, shipping, returns, accuracy of information and general helpfulness. With information, both good and bad, you can make a decision on whether you want to do business with the vendor. This should, as Chris suggested, be ONLY first hand information. I don't have much time for things such as, "I heard "or "someone told me". It shouldn't take long to figure out who is customer friendly and who is not.
Jay

In theory the idea is great. In practice it would be difficult and time consuming for someone to moderate a grievances forum or vendor rating system. Is there really that much bad business out there that the masses need a forum dedicated to warning others & helping to resolve their problems? I think Chris Sunkin said it best in the Trick thread that when someone has a good experience with a vendor they go on with life as usual and won't likely bother to comment. IMO, if such a forum were to be established it would likely reflect all the bad business dealings and very little good. Don't forget about the possibility of chasing OSO advertisers away b/c they might feel the forum is too lop sided in favor of bashing one's reputation.

Maybe we should get into the habit of saying something good when someone does something out of the ordinary instead of rushing to saying your an a**hole when someone does something unacceptable. Were to ones that make the system lopsided. Just an idea--