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Cameras Online? How The Shysters Work
earlylate writes "How do certain photo and electronics dealers thrive despite widely-circulated warnings by unhappy customers? According to a new investigative website "many apparently separate and competing dealers are actually jointly owned and run" and "go to great lengths to conceal their locations and management." Further, some comparison-shopping sites "are in effect marketing partners with their affiliates," the very dealers they rate. There's a contest based on the suspicious "flood of similar, glowing reviews some dealers receive," as well as links to several sources of information and advice for the careful online shopper."
A shyster is an unscrupulous lawyer. How did shyster get to mean shady digital camera salesman?
Well, since there dosn't seem to be any lawyers left that have scruples, and we couldn't lose usage of such a cool word as shyster, we've just added one more definition.
Soko
"Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm." - Anonymous
Mod me down if you must, but the inference that two 'foreigners' at different stores were in cahoots against the shopper - only evidenced by one's use of a walkie-talkie and a language the shopper didn't understand - smacks of racism. I could be wrong, but that's certainly what it seems like based on what was posted.
While it's possible that both stores were owned and operated by the same person, there's nothing wrong with this. And there's nothing wrong with a store clerk using a walkie-talkie to get a price check on an item, even if the person he's getting a price check from is at a different store location.
I do agree that it was much easier in years past for stores that sell high-priced items to fudge pricing. Now that people are able to do their own research online instead of having to trust colleagues, drive around, or make innumerable phone calls, stores are less able to play games like that.
Web 2.0 == Giant Blogspam Circle Jerk
The other problem is their bizarre scoring criteria. Let's face it: their evaluations tend to have a left-of-center leaning. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing when they're advocating mandatory safety requirements for cars, or lobbying for more consumer-friendly laws. However, it is a bad thing when they score down an otherwise ideal home theater because it draws more power at low volume than another, or when they rank one coffee over another because they disapprove of the way our government treats the farmers in the country of origin.
Sure, I just invented those examples. However, if you've closely read their reviews for a long time, you'll start noticing a lot of similar subjective grading. I want a magazine that's like Consumer Reports, but which leaves political and economic concerns (beyond the price of the product) out of the equation.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
It is one of the many reasons their cultures are total failures, with recent population growth allowed purely due to technology invented in Europe.
Care of explain how exactly is your culture any better??? I believe you are from US and you have the biggest liar at the topmost position and that too mostly because of family connections. How is that for a reality check?