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Boards Deals scam

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  • Registered Users Posts: 43,274 ✭✭✭✭K-9



    I am however defending a friend's reputation who is being accused of "disgraceful behaviour". It's what I'd do for anyone I felt didn't deserve it.

    That's an admirable trait, I'd do the same myself.

    I don't think it is a personal criticism of the staff member, it's a criticism of the policy she or he has to defend. There are outside factors involved here and I appreciate that.

    Mad Men's Don Draper : What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons.



  • Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    (I've forgotten how to be unemotional! :pac:)

    It's a bitch. Try being apolitical too while having a keen interest in politics. ;)


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    I think a certain amount of checking needs to be done before a deal goes live and contracts are signed. Lets say I was part of the sales staff and a company approached me offering a product X. Looks fantastic, deal sounds great based on what they have told me (50% dropped from their RRP). Looking good, I see no reason not to sign them up as they meet my sales criteria. Job done.

    Rather than skipping to the approval section, slot in a little bit of double checking. Even a basic Google or Boards Search (best using Google for that part :P) would have thrown up some serious concerns. Check;

    1) Is this deal really unique to Boardsies? Assuming Boards Deals wants (as they originally described in sales emails I had when they first launched) to offer Boardsies a proper deal and something unique - check to make sure its not just a rehash of a deal that can or has been sold on another deals site.

    2) Deal seems genuine and unique, or, a rehash we have no issue with. Who exactly is the company? Are they genuine? Anybody can setup a website and offer a service, but are they genuine? Any complaints online about the business name, or the trading name? The bean bag deal was approved because it looked good. Likewise this deal we are talking about here. Looked good, got the approval. It was a moment of madness. Sales either offered or was offered a savage deal, and was all set for their cut/commission so signed it up. In the last three cases all it took was a simple look on Google or Boards would have thrown up a basic warning. It would appear any basic form of checking was passed over or there isn't any done.

    3) If an issue is detected - is it resolvable? Is the risk greater than the offer? The bean bag deal looks great, savage deal but the company have an awful reputation online. Any sales person worth their salt would say "Arah, tis grand. We hired extra staff and changed our supplier". But it was more than that. This company has let down hundreds of people with basic customer service and delivery. It wouldn't have taken them long to spot the glaring error or problems to withdraw the deal or quickly move to dispel any concern that may grow after spotting the problem. Deal with customers quickly and efficiently. Yet, still, BoardsDeals just offered a promise from the company despite huge amount of Boardsies really pissed off, a huge amount of non Boardsies hugely pissed off and deals from OTHER sites STILL NOT DELIVERED!!! How in the name of god did a deal go live when their previous deals were still not sorted? Massive let down by Boards Deals and doesn't reflect well on the quality and level of service people expected since the outset.

    The Boards Community don't take **** lightly, and rightfully so. Boards Deals are using us as their marketing or sales pitch, regardless of whether we bother with the Boards Deals site ourselves. They are advertising their deals to us. Boardsies expect a much higher quality and level of service. If Boards Deals isn't interested in offering that, than expect a backlash when you use the users of this site. Ignore it, it will get worse. Deal with it, and deal with it going forward and not just the problem as it arose, and the brand Boards Deals will continue to build and become a strong brand. Otherwise, its set to fail.

    Google might throw it up if not double checking these deal sites. Most of the time deals that are put up are "cross checked" by the users, who in turn (as we have seen over three recent deals) complain to Boards and wonder "Why in the name of sweet women has this been put live?".

    As for Niamh, I have seen many many posts where she is giving 100% great customer service. Fast to reply, friendly and answers any questions. But. She appears to drop her guard a little when things get tough. When people get annoyed and complain.

    Examples?

    - There is a thread about an old deal that hasn't been dealt with, and people on it are complaining she isn't responding (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=76598197 - six weeks. No response)

    - People are expressing concern in the BeanBag thread. She has ignored them all and just responded to the general queries. People are complaining and she has ignored them which is poor. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056518782

    - A personal experience was how I was annoyed that I was charged a much higher upgrade rate in a hotel deal because of the deal. If I was a regular paying customer, the upgrade worked out cheaper. Because I wasn't, I had to pay up a much bigger difference. I raised it on thread, emailed, PMd and it took ages to get a response (think she was away for some of it) and finally got an answer to the PM. I replied and never got a reply back. I gave up because the hotel is lovely, great service and it was a great deal. I just wanted to express concern about it and get it sorted especially for any other deal.

    - She probably could have handled this deal complaint better. I'm putting her response down to misunderstanding the complaint.

    Tbh, one major beef I have with these deals are the time limits being applied. There not very fair. But that's probably not for this topic. It should be a decent deal and a decent time frame.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭IITYWYBMAD


    Totally agree Sully with everything you said. Points 1,2 and 3 are perfect succinct examples. My previous posts were in relation to the way this was handled, not just by Niamh, but by Boards in general, as I do feel that there should be some duty of care to their users, and as has been pointed out, it's the user base of boards.ie that is used in the sales paraphernalia from boardsdeals as a hook.

    Why some admins and others would try to distance the boards.ie site from boardsdeals is both disingenuous and baffling to be honest. I don’t know if people are going out on a limb and ‘making up’ policy as they go along, but I think that a proper method of dealing with issues like this needs to be put in place, and quickly.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    IITYWYBMAD wrote: »
    Totally agree Sully with everything you said. Points 1,2 and 3 are perfect succinct examples. My previous posts were in relation to the way this was handled, not just by Niamh, but by Boards in general, as I do feel that there should be some duty of care to their users, and as has been pointed out, it's the user base of boards.ie that is used in the sales paraphernalia from boardsdeals as a hook.

    Why some admins and others would try to distance the boards.ie site from boardsdeals is both disingenuous and baffling to be honest. I don’t know if people are going out on a limb and ‘making up’ policy as they go along, but I think that a proper method of dealing with issues like this needs to be put in place, and quickly.

    Well the Admins can't do anything here. It's not within their control.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭IITYWYBMAD


    nesf wrote: »
    Well the Admins can't do anything here. It's not within their control.

    I didn't ask the Admins to do anything??

    I'm just saying that the message/way these things are dealt with should be formalised.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    IITYWYBMAD wrote: »
    I didn't ask the Admins to do anything??

    I'm just saying that the message/way these things are dealt with should be formalised.

    They don't get to formalise policy on this is more my point.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    All of the admins and mods don't have a massive say, but they have some say. Through the likes of Darragh and Dav, they helped in many of the business aspects of Boards and helped bring it forward. Plus, Boards Deals was previewed to mods first IIRC.

    But in terms of how Boards Deals is run and how it uses Boards.ie, they haven't a huge amount of power to sway things. They don't own or run that part of the company. The head business that owns Boards, Adverts, BoardsDeals etc. listens to feedback from the community, moderators, admins and staff. If there is enough complaints, I am sure they will change things because it will damage their business interests if they didn't. But nothing else can be done, its not the mods/admins etc. call.

    They would have more say over how Boards.ie is run, over how Boards Deals is run.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭IITYWYBMAD


    nesf wrote: »
    They don't get to formalise policy on this is more my point.
    I appreciate that, but it's not my point.

    My point is that as has been pointed out, it's users of boards.ie (and others) that are having some issues with boardsdeals.ie and how they are dealt with on boards.ie needs to be addressed.

    I don't think that the OP nor his complaint have been dealt with on this site in a manner that would come close to be called good customer service, and I do not blame Niamh on that. It's obvious that no procedures have been put in place to deal with these types of situations either here or on the deals site, and that needs to be addressed imo.

    I'm not asking the admins or those who have/had special access or posting privileges to formalise this or devise a policy on this. That's not under their remit, and probably outside of their capabilities. But what I would suggest, is that a person in the position who can do this, do it, and give the stick wielders the policy and procedures on how to deal with a users complaint here on b.ie.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    IITYWYBMAD wrote: »
    My point is that as has been pointed out, it's users of boards.ie (and others) that are having some issues with boardsdeals.ie and how they are dealt with on boards.ie needs to be addressed.

    Sure, and I agree there should be a better system in place for dealing with the community. However, aiming your post at the Admins, Mods or similar is doing it wrong which is what I'm saying. At best they can make polite suggestions about this kind of thing, they don't have control here.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 144 ✭✭Boards Deals: Emma


    Firstly thanks to everyone for contributing to this thread; after coming back from a few days off, it doesn't make for entirely comfortable reading, but it does show that people care deeply about the community and about Boards and BoardsDeals.

    Gordon and I are looking into the issues raised in this thread at the moment and we'll hopefully come back with an update later today.

    Thanks Emma


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 202 ✭✭Commissioner Gordon


    Hi Folks,

    We'll come back to you in the morning on this one. Two reasons; firstly we just want to clarify a couple of things with the merchant in question, and secondly it's getting late and we'd like to have someone here to answer any follow-on questions.

    Thanks, g


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    Hi Folks,

    We'll come back to you in the morning on this one. Two reasons; firstly we just want to clarify a couple of things with the merchant in question, and secondly it's getting late and we'd like to have someone here to answer any follow-on questions.

    Thanks, g

    It's late, so there might not be an answer to this, but from that post it seems as if only the initial feedback is going to be addressed.

    Are you, or anyone apart from an ex-employee, planning to give any feedback on the wider issues brought up in this thread?

    Namely, why is Boardsdeals.ie getting involved in an increasing number of dodgy deals for dodgy products from dodgy companies?

    Why is the good name of Boards.ie being sullied in this fashion?

    Is there, or is there not, an inherent link between an entity names Boards.ie and one named Boardsdeals.ie? It's apparent that Boardsdeals.ie is using the Boards link in it's name and operation to further it's commercial clout, that's fair enough, but when it reflects badly on the Boards community, that cannot be a good thing.

    Can the Admin speak as one voice and stop misleading the userbase by saying that Boardsdeals.ie and Boards.ie aren't linked?


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,339 Mod ✭✭✭✭LoLth


    Des wrote: »
    Can the Admin speak as one voice and stop misleading the userbase by saying that Boardsdeals.ie and Boards.ie aren't linked?

    Do you want an admin to respond or have you already determined that if we say they arent linked then we're misleading people deliberately?

    I'm an admin.

    I have absolutely no sway in how boardsdeals.ie is run.

    I have absolutely no responsibility for the performance or content of boardsdeals.ie

    To me, boardsdeals.ie does not equal boards.ie and so, from an admin perspective they arent linked.

    From a boards.ie employee perspective things might be different but you'll have to address them for an answer to that.

    Feedback here (in this feedback forum) for boardsdeals is only actionable if someone from boardsdeals reads it or its brought to their attention by someone from boards. sort of the same as feedback on boards about the cornershop in Finglas is only responded to if the owner of the corner shop is made aware of it or reads it himself during the quite times. to be honest, I dont think feedback for boardsdeals should be here but I may have missed that memo (RL, busy busy lately)

    Perhaps what's needed is a "talk to" forum for boardsdeals for feedback to:

    a. make the distinction clearer between boards.ie admins and boardsdeals.ie admins

    b. highlight consumer queries to boardsdeals staff so they dont get jumbled in among the product announcements? (announcement forum, discussion forum, feedback/experience forum , help forum)

    c. show more distinction between boards and boardsdeals ie: forum for talking, merchant for selling stuff.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,840 ✭✭✭Dav


    There seems to be a lot of confusion between the structure of the company and the site, so I want to step in and clear this up now.

    Boards.ie Limited is the company that provides the Boards.ie platform (i.e. this site) and operates BoardsDeals.ie. They are 2 entirely different "businesses" for want of a better word and the only time they interact is via the Boards Deals Forum. As it happens, there is very little overlap between people who are members of Boards.ie and people who are subscribers to the BoardsDeals newsletters. Each of these businesses has it's own team of people to make it tick and we share our tech team.

    Gordon is the COO of Boards.ie Ltd - he runs the company.

    Emma is the Sales & Marketing Manager of BoardsDeals - basically the boss for Boards Deals. On her team are Rebecca, Jenny and Stevan on Sales and Niamh and Eva on Customer Service. You may also have noticed that the BoardsDeals team who post on Boards are listed as Verified Reps and not Employees on their accounts to help make the distinction between the teams.

    I'm Community Manager which puts me on top of the food chain for the Boards.ie Platform and Nicola works with me. We both work with outside world business and internal Boards.ie issues, which is where the Admins, CMods and Mods come into the structure. They don't run Boards.ie Ltd, but do run the Boards.ie Platform and can, through me, request assistance from the company if/when it's needed.

    Tech Team (since I don't want to leave anyone out) are assigned work based on priorities of each of the 2 businesses in the company and that's decided by Gordon and Paddy (the tech team leader) and their manager Ciaran.

    I hope that clears some of these issues up - I'm finding it both confusing and concerning that anyone could think the Admins have any part of how BoardsDeals operates.

    Gordon will be back tomorrow (he's just left for the evening) to address both the feedback on this specific issue and on BoardsDeals in general, as I said, I just wanted to make a post clarifying our structure. As a suggestion, I think it's probably best that we keep all future BoardsDeals feedback to their forum as this forum is for Feedback on the Boards.ie Platform, not the company, but I'll run that by all involved before deciding.


  • Registered Users Posts: 35,523 ✭✭✭✭Gordon


    That's the better looking, more charming, not quite as quirky and funny as me yet puntastic all the same Commissioner Gordon, by the way. I am Gordon, the original, but in no way less cool & rockin'..


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    Gordon wrote: »
    That's the better looking, more charming, not quite as quirky and funny as me yet puntastic all the same Commissioner Gordon, by the way. I am Gordon, the original, but in no way less cool & rockin'..
    Someone's got a complex.:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,583 ✭✭✭✭TheZohanS


    The problem I can see here is : boards.ie > Biz > Consumer > Bargain Alerts >Boards Deals

    The boards.ie site is where these boardsdeals are posted so naturally one would assume the boards.ie Admin and Mod team would deal with any issues as this site is under their remit.

    One would not expect Dav, the Admin team or any of the mods to have any control over boardsdeals.ie as it is a separate site.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    TheZohan wrote: »
    The problem I can see here is : boards.ie > Biz > Consumer > Bargain Alerts >Boards Deals

    The boards.ie site is where these boardsdeals are posted so naturally one would assume the boards.ie Admin and Mod team would deal with any issues as this site is under their remit.

    One would not expect Dav, the Admin team or any of the mods to have any control over boardsdeals.ie as it is a separate site.

    ...and Boardsdeals.ie is a (separate) business that is using years and years of goodwill towards Boards.ie to further it's commercial interests.

    That goodwill which has been created, in no small part, by each and every Boards.ie user. It doesn't matter a jot if 10%, 20% or 70% of Boardsdeals.ie subscribers/customers are also Boards.ie users, Boardsdeals.ie is (ab)using the name and reputation of Boards.ie and it's users.


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,339 Mod ✭✭✭✭LoLth


    lucyfur09 wrote: »
    Someone's got a complex.:D

    never thought I'd hear the words "Gordon" and "complex" in the one sentence :)



    @Des, while I can see your point of view, I have to say that I think you're being a bit harsh. The latest issue of the bracelet was hardly a deliberate action by boardsdeals to con the users of boards, same for the bean bag thing. IMHO, they are making discounted offers available to their customers and their due diligence seems to have failed on a vast minority of deals offered (I could throw in a caveat emptor but thats besides the point). Yes, boardsdeals.ie does gain a lot of commercial clout from the boards.ie brand and yes, they have a responsibility not to bring boards.ie into disrepute. IMHO , for the most part, they have succeeded in doing this. (ab)use implies a deliberate machination or ploy and I honestly dont think that applies in this scenario. I would suggest we wait for Commissioner Gordon to come back with a response before making up our minds one way or the other.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 41,926 ✭✭✭✭_blank_


    You are correct LoLth, I am not suggesting that Boardedeals is setting out to con anyone, I want to make that clear, I don't believe there was a scam on the Boardsdeals side of this, of course I don't. They have "Boards" in their name, I trust them :) More than I'd trust any other company, actually.

    But this is now the third situation I've seen where less than reputable companies have been allowed to piggyback on the Boards name and use it for nefarious purposes, in my opinion, and I don't like that.

    you talk about the due dilligence not working in these specific instances - fair enough, but I think if these instances are happening (three times now) then there is no due dilligence procedure. Or if there is one, it is not robust enough.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15,914 ✭✭✭✭tbh


    LoLth wrote: »
    . (ab)use implies a deliberate machination or ploy

    Look if I beat my son deliberately, that's abuse. Its also abuse, however if I don't feed him cause I'm lazy or incompetent. That's certainly not a dig at the bd staff who I'm sure want the best for everyone and are doing their best, but the boards brand is as easily damaged by omission as it is by commission

    There is no boards deals without boards
    There was a boards for 15 years without boards deals

    Boards needs to protect its reputation. If boards deals is bringing both brands down then action is needed even if the staff there are the soundest people in the world


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭RoundyMooney


    I reckon Lolth's idea of a Talk To subforum, akin to the others is a good idea. We all know it's joined at the hip to boards.ie, if it were not, there would be little point in the name, or the explicit association with the boards.ie collective in the first place.

    But there would be no harm in formalising the link-as we have reps here with the normal custom titles (the illustrious Commissioner included, kinda!) I'm surprised this wasn't done from the outset.

    It seems to have fallen into a middle ground between the adverts.ie presence here, and that of, say, Electric Ireland, most likely in order to promote it among the readership here, but without a proper resolution forum for where problems arise.

    No reason why there can't be both; Boards Deals, with one subforum for Experiences and one for Support?


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Apologies if I'm missing something and maybe I'm picking it up wrong, but I'm kinda seeing the positives here...

    How many Boardsdeals have gone through since the inception of this separate company*? Probably 100's. I don't know but I assume it's quite a large figure? 3 crappy/dodgy deals seems like a pretty tiny figure to me set against that. Plus those three deals were jumped on and outed by the community, so the biggest check and balance of all, the community of users ability to deal with this has clearly worked.

    That's pretty cool IMHO. Even if tomorrow Daft drafted in trained monkeys to work the levers, the community would note and call for the guff to be deleted PDQ.





    *I do agree with others on this point, it may be technically separate, but unlike Adverts.ie, it's namechecking this community to it's advantage.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭RoundyMooney


    I said this the last time, but the brand loyalty and feedback (whatever way it is phrased), that emanates from boardsies whenever something like this comes up would be the envy of any other business entity.

    It's like a free customer focus group. One that can express itself, and one that actually cares about the outcome.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭User Friendly


    Wibbs wrote: »
    How many Boardsdeals have gone through since the inception of this separate company*? Probably 100's. I don't know but I assume it's quite a large figure? 3 crappy/dodgy deals seems like a pretty tiny figure to me set against that. Plus those three deals were jumped on and outed by the community, so the biggest check and balance of all, the community of users ability to deal with this has clearly worked.
    Erm......... there have been a lot more than 3 crappy deals wibbs,a lot more.Take a look at the expired deals,surely you could pick a few out of them.

    I saw a recent deal,this one
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=76424067&postcount=1

    i didnt buy it,as the 1st thing i noticed when i clicked the link was there was no landline,just a mobile phone on the web page,i then tried to view the place on google street view but it wasnt there,so i thought id leave it,it didnt look right to me,it may well be legit,probably is but just didnt want to take a chance.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,583 ✭✭✭✭TheZohanS


    Erm......... there have been a lot more than 3 crappy deals wibbs,a lot more.Take a look at the expired deals,surely you could pick a few out of them.

    I saw a recent deal,this one
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=76424067&postcount=1

    i didnt buy it,as the 1st thing i noticed when i clicked the link was there was no landline,just a mobile phone on the web page,i then tried to view the place on google street view but it wasnt there,so i thought id leave it,it didnt look right to me,it may well be legit,probably is but just didnt want to take a chance.

    I've actually dealt with petshoponline.ie before, fantastic company to deal with, always had my order delivered next day too.

    What I'd be more worried about is the feedback on the expired deals. Lots of complaints, menus being different to what's being advertised, hotels etc saying they're booked out as soon as they hear the words "boards deals" only to miraculously have room when one poster had his g/f ring up. But most annoying is the lack of response from the the boardsdeals staff, and when they do respond it's "we'll pass on the feedback to xyz" and that's it. That's not good customer service.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    Had that problem with one hotel - called and told that all Boards Deals rooms were booked out but if I wanted to pay, I could. Got it sorted and was able to book another date after saying it to Niamh I think it was. But yeah, lot of that going on.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭RoundyMooney


    Sully wrote: »
    Had that problem with one hotel - called and told that all Boards Deals rooms were booked out but if I wanted to pay, I could. Got it sorted and was able to book another date after saying it to Niamh I think it was. But yeah, lot of that going on.

    That's pretty much the gombeenism I referred to earlier. Hard for deals to combat that, bar, as I said, not taking them on the next time.

    What these people need to realise is, it's a double edged sword. Sure, you might get a hundred willing punters (mostly in Dublin-yes guys, you *do* need to work on that!), but all you need to do is piss off ten of them...

    I read your thread, and some others in a similiar vein, and you and others were treated in an offhand, and grasping manner by the establishment.

    Leaving aside those who try and use a voucher after its expiry (which is not quite the same as a gift voucher-the offer is for a limited time, usually specified), one probable outcome is that people will, having gone to the trouble of getting there, pay the extra or settle for the substandard product. I'm referring to the hospitality trade here, for the sake of argument. So the client gets their pound of flesh, and the deals site gets their commission-which based on feedback from a car valeting guy, is in percentage terms, quite substantial.

    And then the customers go home, whether they partake of the service, or choose not to. And complain. And long may they do so, as that is only right and proper. This in turn chips away at, not only the establishment in question, but in a more direct and collective way, at boards deals, as that is where they will vent their concerns.

    Taking it cumulatively, who loses the most? Applying high standards of quality control *at the point of sale* from a boards deals perspective should be paramount. Otherwise we're into a call centre mentality of targets for the sake of targets, a short term mentality basically. The brand should be paramount-it is what will carry the whole idea forward in the long term.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭Tragedy


    Seriously? THAT'S what you come back with?

    I'm the ex Communications Manager of this site. I worked here over two years. I was one of the people who helped Boards Deals launch on the site. I helped them get up and running and worked with Dav and Niamh on the forum and how it would work. I worked with most of the admins and moderators to help get processes in place for dealing with things. For you to claim that there's something "fishy" about me posting in a thread about Boards.ie, about processes, about customer service (a passion of mine) and about ex-colleagues and friends of mine is not only strange, but a little bit sad.
    No, there isn't something fishy about you posting in this thread - there's something fishy about someone who is 'passionate about customer service' doing his utmost to condone poor/non existent customer service in a frankly ridiculous manner. Your post wasn't balanced, it wasn't tempered, it was an attempted whitewash. Yes I find it fishy when you post what reads like a slavering defense of this Boards Deal and their reaction to it. I don't believe you have any connection with Distilled Media Group, but I do think you're defending friends and ex co-workers rather than posting as a neutral party.


    I completely accept that. There should be checking, but by who? The sales person who sells the deal? The person who puts up the deal? Who? Say, for example, it's the person who posts the deal. So they get the deal to go live and then google and find there's a problem, so must go back to the sales person who has sold the deal and got the signed contract and say it can't happen who then has to go back to the client and say it's not happening, after they tell their manager that they'll do so.

    (I'm not making this up - it is what would happen)
    Who cares? Why are you making convoluted excuses for BD not checking? They're selling consumers deals, it's up to them to fact check. You keep making excuses for why they don't.
    (I worked in procurement for a year, I can assure you that it isn't the norm to not make even the most rudimentary checks about both the business you wish to deal with and the product you wish to sell. Keep protesting otherwise though!)
    So the company then has to respond. Say, for example, with the Beanbag case the company was told and their response was "Ah yes, but we promise that we'll have everything done this month. We've hired a hundred extra people to help us" - what does the sales person do? Say "Ah no, no deal until it's sorted?"
    He says "Customers are still waiting three months on for their bean bags, if they still can't fulfill current orders how can they fulfill new ones?"
    Seems quite elementary, but yet again someone passionate about 'customer service' is attempted to make excuses for none.
    I agree the process is not helping in cases like these but I'm also interested in what the solution could be.
    A)Check business partners
    B)Check products




    Big difference between excusing something (which I'm really really not) and explaining something (which I'm trying to do). Don't shoot the messenger.
    If you're not intending to excuse things and are genuinely trying to explain instead, you really need to read back over your posts because it's certainly not coming across that way.


    Not even a little bit. If you had dealt with as many solicitors letters and emails as I did (I helped write the current Terms of Use, for example), or seen as many reported posts as I did, or dealt with the same problems, you'd know what the legal system in this country is like. No better link I can offer you than this news story from today, albeit about a different case and sites http://irishexaminer.com/ireland/injunctions-against-facebook-google-180520.html

    I'm regularly on the radio advising on cases like this and explaining how people need to be careful what they post. I keep very up to date with Irish legislation on it. So, am I being hysterical in suggesting that you should be careful about what you post about someone in case they lose their job or their reputation is damaged because of it - no. I'm telling you the truth.
    What? I said "I've seen Niamh acting poorly in several threads and her behaviour in the Shamballa thread was disgraceful".
    Why should I be careful about posting that? She did behave disgracefully in that thread, and I have seen her behave poorly in other threads. Also, you must not read much news if you think "disgraceful" and "behaving poorly" are legally actionable.


    Why would you though? All of the above is easily checkable.



    Ha. I'm posting under my own name. Google me to see who I am or what I do. I'd be fairly well known by some people around these parts. I don't work for Boards Deals. I do know the people who worked there, because I worked there.



    That was only that one time.



    You're not saying any of those though so that's fine.
    So you're not disagreeing with me, after defending Niamh using may as a weaselly way of making a damaging statement about competitors products? And after rewriting what she wrote to make it less damaging/definitive? Noice!



    I agree with none of those things. But here's the thing - this is a constructive way of pointing them out and offers a way of solving the problem or resolving the issue - something some of the other posts (not by you) didn't do.
    Well, you've either excused or defending all those things you now 'don't agree with. Funny way of disagreeing that.
    I did ask you in that post



    You didn't reply.
    It seems quite simple? Boards Deals do what every other company does and fact check who and what they do business with/in.


    There you go with "hysterical" again. No.
    Then don't get hysterical.
    There was no "imho". You stated it as fact. I asked you for evidence to back it up. You didn't supply it.
    Yes there was an imho. Otherwise critics of every kind would be being sued left right and centre for libel and damages. It was obviously my opinion, since I was stating it. I assume you know the difference between facts and opinions.

    Opinion: Skyrim is a terrible game
    Fact: Skyrim is a game about dragons

    Opinion: Paul O'Connell played poorly in the last Munster game.
    Fact: Munster are a Rugby team.

    I also don't feel the need to back up niamhs acting poorly in other threads, considering I've already linked two (bean bag & bracelet). I've already explained at far too much length why I find her behaviour on the bracelet thread repugnant and disgraceful. What exactly are you looking for?

    You know, people often ask me if I miss working on this site. I just point them to threads like this as reply.
    That's nice. You come on the thread, defend and make excuses for everything, get hysterical(and yes, you did get hysterical, and your latest post attempting to defend it is even more hysterical) because I said I've seen Niamh act poorly in a few other threads and then point people to threads like this as a reply to something others ask you?

    If so, you might not be giving them the answer you think you are Darragh.

    btw I'd urge people to check the bean boy and the bracelet thread again. Been more people posting with more bad experiences.


This discussion has been closed.
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