What industry is dodgier than most people realize?

RedTie

I recently learned that Yelp are basically blackmailing companies to pay them for good reviews.

Someone even made a documentary on it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2dkJctUDIs

It's extortion and I found it very surprising.


What other industries are dodgier than most people realize? It can be one you worked in or maybe one you're just aware of.

I'm sure certain chinese take-aways, certain restaurants etc must have some awful behind the scenes practices. I haven't ordered a chinese in years after the last one tasted like rubber covered in curry sauce.

RedTie

RedTie wrote: »

................


What other industries are dodgier than most people realize?..............

Non main dealers within a few miles of RedCow.
(second hand car sales)

ScumLord

RedTie wrote: »

I'm sure certain chinese take-aways, certain restaurants etc must have some awful behind the scenes practices. I haven't ordered a chinese in years after the last one tasted like rubber covered in curry sauce.

I'd say Chinese's aren't all that bad, mainly because everything is frozen out of a packet. It's not quality food by any means but it's probably had every preservative thrown at it for shelf life, the same as you'd get in any fast food place.

RedTie

Augeo wrote: »

Non main dealers within a few miles of RedCow.

Car dealers?

Moore Street dealers?

Heroin dealers?

osarusan

English Language School business.

Often a cash business for both students paying and teachers being paid. Little protection for students or teachers.

Very little regulation or widely accepted accreditation, until recently, then a few of the dodgier places started going out of business.

Potential for customers to just buy visas into the country is a serious one. I personally know of a school that was offered a quarter of a million quid if they'd accept a certain number of 'students' and then mark them present every day, falsify test results and so on, even though the students wouldn't ever be coming to school.

Bunny Colvin

ScumLord wrote: »

I'd say Chinese's aren't all that bad, mainly because everything is frozen out of a packet. It's not quality food by any means but it's probably had every preservative thrown at it for shelf life, the same as you'd get in any fast food place.

That and the inspections that are carried out.

My local one is excellent.

greencap

The waste management business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyvUFmm3h54

ToddyDoody

I'll go with nightclubs and the adulterated alcohol phenomenon.

http://www.thejournal.ie/fake-alcohol-warning-3287852-Mar2017/

5rtytry56

The Gaming Software Industry: If you do a good bit of digging here on boards, there is a story about how a programmer developed a GAA sport simulation. The same programmer was sorry they ever began the project in the first place.

Model Trains. I won't say why, I'd have a lynch mob against me.

looksee

Estate agents.

KERSPLAT!

5rtytry56 wrote: »

The Gaming Software Industry: If you do a good bit of digging here on boards, there is a story about how a programmer developed a GAA sport simulation. The same programmer was sorry they ever began the project in the first place.

Model Trains. I won't say why, I'd have a lynch mob against me.

Trainspotting?

seanrambo87

Roads, ie resurfacing, maintenance and the traffic management game. Some fairly dodgy practices going on re the big companies. Money and workers rights etc.

RedTie

RedTie wrote: »

Car dealers?

Moore Street dealers?

Heroin dealers?

Apologies, 2nd hand car dealers in that area.

5rtytry56

osarusan wrote: »

School business.

In General. Quite a prevelance of such businesses giving out 'qualifications' of questionable merit.

Zillah

seanrambo87 wrote: »

Roads, ie resurfacing, maintenance and the traffic management game. Some fairly dodgy practices going on re the big companies. Money and workers rights etc.

I can believe it considering the state of some new works done recently. Lumps, holes and uneven surfaces in brand new tarmac. I wonder how much tax payer money they're given to half-ass it, head home, and leave it like that to annoy people for the next twenty years.

ScumLord

seanrambo87 wrote: »

Roads, ie resurfacing, maintenance and the traffic management game. Some fairly dodgy practices going on re the big companies. Money and workers rights etc.

Public works are full of all sorts of dodgy dealings. Hiding left over tarmac, general waste, "it'll be grand" approach to safety and efficiency. Of course the government do nothing but encourage that kind of behaviour with their rules and the people doing the bad stuff would only get in trouble if they tried to do the right thing.

5rtytry56

Curriculum Vitae preparation industry.

RedTie

5rtytry56 wrote: »

The Gaming Software Industry: If you do a good bit of digging here on boards, there is a story about how a programmer developed a GAA sport simulation. The same programmer was sorry they ever began the project in the first place.

Sounds interesting. What's the TLDR on that?

WhiteMemento9

Online payment processors. Moneybookers, PayPal etc. They are essentially financial institutions that don't need to operate within the same restrictions that apply to banks. There was a thread on reddit detailing peoples horror stories with PayPal yesterday.

RedTie

looksee wrote: »

Estate agents.

I think everyone realizes they're a shower of fúcks.

5rtytry56

RedTie wrote: »

Sounds interesting. What's the TLDR on that?

I've been slapped before by the mods for posting links. Go on .. role up your sleeves and don't be a snowflake.

RedTie

WhiteMemento9 wrote: »

Online payment processors. Moneybookers, PayPal etc. They are essentially financial institutions that don't need to operate within the same restrictions that apply to banks. There was a thread on reddit detailing peoples horror stories with PayPal yesterday.

Got a link handy? I use PayPal quite a bit and never had an issue.

Cheerful Spring

Broadband providers. If poor countries can have FTTH services for half the price, what can't we. Prices can often be 2x or 4x times more in Ireland compared to other countries.

5rtytry56

eBay

conorhal

Zillah wrote: »

I can believe it considering the state of some new works done recently. Lumps, holes and uneven surfaces in brand new tarmac. I wonder how much tax payer money they're given to half-ass it, head home, and leave it like that to annoy people for the next twenty years.

As far as I can see, EVERYTHING that goes out to tender from the public sector is treated as a cash cow. I've worked on a couple of government contracts in the IT sector and it really opened my eyes to how our money gets spent.
Government agencies are clueless and get bilked for 2 to 3 times the amount they need to spend by 'consultants' who deliver needlessly complex, expensive barely functional solutions to do very basic things.
Never trust consultants in general. They're like ticks, they bury themselves in your skin, suck your blood and won't let go until they bleed you dry or you burn them off.

seanrambo87

Zillah wrote: »

I can believe it considering the state of some new works done recently. Lumps, holes and uneven surfaces in brand new tarmac. I wonder how much tax payer money they're given to half-ass it, head home, and leave it like that to annoy people for the next twenty years.

In fairness alot of that is bad planning, a company who is subbing work off the Co.Co. come and resurface a road then a couple of months later another company comes along to do civil works i.e. water, fiber optics etc and so the road is badly patched and in sh1te for the next ten years and then it's rinse wash repeat.:mad::mad:

RustyNut

Employment agencies. Take a percentage of workers wages and all their rights.

The care sector. We have already seen how a service for those with disabilities up in Mayo was found to be abusive towards its clients. There is huge possibility for a certain type of person to take advantage of their position and abuse the vulnerable people in their care. It's also at times an incredibly stressful working environment which can create a kind of "I'm at the end of my tether" mentality where those being looked after cease to be human in the "carers" eyes.

Stonedpilot

Banking. Rotten to the core. Lies and embellishment left right and centre to get money from ya. Mortgage = death grip in Latin.

Ticket websites. Viagogo have agreement to get "allocations" from promoters like 20% of tickets to charge €500 for a €50 ticket promoter gets like 50% of this. Great doumentary on it called the great ticket scam on youtube.. The staff in Limerick treated like dirt and are encouraged to lie lie lie lie and lie some more. No doubt viagogo and stubhub will get plenty of tickets to any sold out show.

Chinese takeaways. Youd never eat their spare ribs again if you seen the meat before its "treated"!.

seanrambo87

Agreed scumlord and conorhal, there is an obscene amount of money being washed down the drain. It's all done with a smile and a wink and it p1sses me off no end to watch how our tax money is being spent.

While we're at it, the civil service in general is appalling, obscene money being spent on top tier wages and pensions and all off the back of the private sector workers. I do not include essential services in this I reckon they should be paid more, however this is probably not the right place to vent about it.

5rtytry56

The Game Console HARDWARE industry. Examples like the Atari Jaguar and Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo 3D.
Why has nobody replied to my thread here on the Ataribox? Why?
Grrr...

Harry Palmr

Phone/repair shops are largely a front for drugs and prostitution I hear...

Harry Palmr

Re government/public sector contracts - no shock to learn that jobsireland is in the news again.

http://www.google.ie/url?q=https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2017/0707/888417-recruitment-website-government/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwiPqZjrqvfUAhVHL8AKHdf7DJAQqQIIEygAMAA&usg=AFQjCNEKCNCh-n7cA0qm6nxNEctHRdyskg

RedTie

5rtytry56 wrote: »

The Game Console HARDWARE industry. Examples like the Atari Jaguar and Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo 3D.
Why has nobody replied to my thread here on the Ataribox? Why?
Grrr...

This is the second post in this thread regarding about the Gaming industry that doesnt tell us a whole lot at all.

Care to elaborate?

marklazarcovic

Insurance

4068ac1elhodqr

5rtytry56 wrote: »

The Game Console HARDWARE industry.

This is simply planned obsolescence in a fast moving competitive industry.

If your next console hasn't got 4k VR and 360 Atmos sound capabilities it will quickly loose it's value.

4068ac1elhodqr

Those stupid speakers that constantly record everything you say for 'convince'.

If you feel the need to constantly add things to a shopping list, here's an idea: pen & notepaper.
If you need to know the weather look out the window.

RedTie

Francis Scary Southerner wrote: »

This is simply planned obsolescence in a fast moving competitive industry.

If your next console hasn't got 4k VR and 360 Atmos sound capabilities it will quickly loose it's value.

Speaking of planned obsolescence. If you own an Apple device you should try hold out updating your iOS for as long as possible. Most updates completely fúck up older devices.

Source: updated my Ipad 2 and it slowed it down, It's still usable but I'll never update an Apple device again.

Drumpot

Charities . .

foxy farmer

Going by recent scandals and revelations I'd say the charity industry has a few skeletons in the closet.

begbysback

Librarians - I've seen them snigger when paying overdue fees

foxy farmer

Drumpot wrote: »

Charities . .

Great minds think alike.
Beat me to it by a minute.

whisky_galore

seanrambo87 wrote: »

Agreed scumlord and conorhal, there is an obscene amount of money being washed down the drain. It's all done with a smile and a wink and it p1sses me off no end to watch how our tax money is being spent.

While we're at it, the civil service in general is appalling, obscene money being spent on top tier wages and pensions and all off the back of the private sector workers. I do not include essential services in this I reckon they should be paid more, however this is probably not the right place to vent about it.

Scraping along near the bottom....

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/irish-civil-service-ranks-close-to-bottom-in-review-of-31-countries-796794.html

studdlymurphy

Dodge ball bitches

gizmo81

Rickshaw Driving

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/exclusive-rickshaw-drivers-selling-weed-cocaine-and-pills-while-working-in-city-centre-35232697.html

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/conviction-of-brazilian-rickshaw-driver-for-drug-dealing-prompts-warning-by-judge-796720.html

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057104504

nice_guy80

Management Companies in apartment and housing complexes

so many of them controlled by the original developer

seamus

Augeo wrote: »

Apologies, 2nd hand car dealers in that area.

Second-hand car dealers in general, never mind in that area.

That's not to say they're all dodgy, but they amount of them that are fronts that launder drug money, that clock cars, that take in stolen vehicles, would blow your mind.

Even the respectable ones are routinely involved in sales trickery around cash prices and trade-ins to hide income from the tax man. That's why the cash price is cheaper and why when you trade in your car, it'll appear for sale in some other dealership on the other side of the city next week.

Skylinehead

Stonedpilot wrote: »

Banking. Rotten to the core. Lies and embellishment left right and centre to get money from ya. Mortgage = death grip in Latin.

Yeah but who doesn't realise that banking is dodgy?

223vmax

Solicitors/Barristers.

TallGlass

I'd say em lads that buy your old cloths are fairly dodge.

diomed

RedTie wrote: »

I'm sure certain chinese take-aways, certain restaurants etc must have some awful behind the scenes practices. I haven't ordered a chinese in years after the last one tasted like rubber covered in curry sauce.

I was in my local Chinese takeaway in Stillorgan yesterday.
Two food inspectors were getting into their paper overalls and caps before going into the kitchen.
I'm sure all food businesses are inspected regularly. If they were not well run they would be closed.

I've been a customer for 35 years and never had a problem.