Does web whining work? Private websites with names like ComplaintsBoard.com and PissedConsumer.com have developed an enormous following among consumers who feel cheated by companies. But are these complaint magnets filling an important role in protecting consumer rights or do they merely serve as online bitch sessions?
They're a little bit of both, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) said in a report issued Monday. Researchers for the consumer advocacy group considered about a dozen such sites, before whittling the list down to what it says are the six most popular places to whine online: Complaints.com, My3Cents.com, ComplaintsBoard.com, PissedConsumer.com, ConsumerAffairs.com and RipOffReport.com. All show up in the top 20 listings when a Web user Googles "consumer complaint."
First, the bad news: There appear to be very few happy endings for those who complain.
"There is little evidence that the websites help consumers resolve their complaints," according to the report. That shouldn't be too surprising, given that, "None of the six sites claims to perform this service." But the lack of a clear path towards resolution was cited as a severe shortcoming by Jack Gillis of CFA, who helped write the report. The sites rarely point users toward the right government officials or agencies that could deal directly with companies and get refunds or redress, Gillis said.
On the other hand, there was good news about the web whine hangouts. Consumers in the middle of a dispute can sometimes find useful tips in the complaints of others who have gone before them: ("Try calling Bill in executive assistance. He helped me.") And the repositories of complaints act as cautionary tales for future consumers. In fact, complaint websites are usually more useful to shoppers than to complainers, the report concludes.
Still, Gillis said, consumers who feel ignored by a nemesis company seem to genuinely appreciate the chance to talk about their frustration.
"The large majority of people who post complaints understand fully that this posting is not going to lead to a resolution," he said. "But they are irritated at the company and perhaps want to warn other consumers."
Gillis recommends posting complaints on all six top sites, but said that those who only have time for one should visit my3cents.com. It has the largest number of recent complaints, lists the number of complaints per company, has the best design and offers some help with complaint resolution, he said.
While complaints sites are notoriously one-sided -- rarely do companies chime in with responses, even when they can -- Gillis said that most complaints are surprisingly even-handed, with posters adopting a just-the-facts tone full of dates, times and names. Still, no single report should be taken that seriously, Gillis said.
"People should not assume that any one complaint is valid, but when one sees a large number of complaints of the same kind, that ought to be a red flag," he said.
Complaint sites have other shortcomings. Not surprisingly, they include far more complaints about large companies than small, but make no allowances for that in their compilations. That can unfairly disadvantage large firms. Fourteen of the 21 sellers with the most complaints on My3Cents.com are Fortune 200 companies, for example.
A better way to use complaints for comparison purposes would be to create something like the "complaint ratio" used in the insurance industry, which compares overall complaints to sales figures, he said. (Consumers who want to look up the complaint ratio of a particular firm can visit the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.)
Meanwhile, some of the consumer complaint sites -- which are privately owned, for-profit sites -- engage in tactics that seem strange for people who are used to the nonprofit ways of organizations like Consumers Union. PissedConsumer.com, for example, offers companies targeted by complaints the chance to sign up what the site calls "Reputation Management" for a $5,000 annual fee. For that price, according to the site, businesses can "post rebuttals and monitor their online profile." Popular Consumer Review site Yelp, which was not considered by the CFA, has been dogged by accusations that companies can impact their review ratings by paying for advertising. And RipOffReport.com -- which was included in the survey -- has numerous advertisements on its site proclaiming Cash4Gold is a "Ripoff Report Verified Safe" company, despite numerous news reports alleging that the company has mistreated consumers.
It also appears that complaint sites and their users are under assault. A recent New York Times story detailed an uptick in defamation lawsuits again consumers who complain publicly about companies on the web.
And search engine optimization companies aggressively market their ability to trick search engines into burying negative reviews in their results so other consumers never see them.
Still, many firms are clearly taking web complaints seriously. Comcast has a full-time employee named Frank Eliason who is dedicated to finding and resolving web complaints via a Twitter account named ComcastCares.com.
RED TAPE WRESTLING TIPS
Gillis said there is no evidence of widespread legal action against web complainers, but it's best to be prepared -- legally, that it.
"If people just stick to the facts, the risk of being sued, we believe, is minimal," he said. As the report notes, truth is an effective legal defense. "Avoid what might be interpreted by a court as slander or defamation of character," it says.
Also, while generic complaints sites are often the best place to whine, there are exceptions in some specific industries -- auto complaints are often better placed at CarComplaints.com, for example -- so be sure to look for a site more focused on the target of your complaint.
For example, I recently had an electric window regulator fail on my out-of-warranty 2007 Jeep Liberty -- notice two of the top 6 complaints concern my issue -- and used the site to find out that Chrysler is honoring out-of-warranty claims, as long as the driver follows the proper complaint procedure. That saved me a $500 repair.
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They're a little bit of both, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) said in a report issued Monday. Researchers for the consumer advocacy group considered about a dozen such sites, before whittling the list down to what it says are the six most popular places to whine online: Complaints.com, My3Cents.com, ComplaintsBoard.com, PissedConsumer.com, ConsumerAffairs.com and RipOffReport.com. All show up in the top 20 listings when a Web user Googles "consumer complaint."
First, the bad news: There appear to be very few happy endings for those who complain.
"There is little evidence that the websites help consumers resolve their complaints," according to the report. That shouldn't be too surprising, given that, "None of the six sites claims to perform this service." But the lack of a clear path towards resolution was cited as a severe shortcoming by Jack Gillis of CFA, who helped write the report. The sites rarely point users toward the right government officials or agencies that could deal directly with companies and get refunds or redress, Gillis said.
On the other hand, there was good news about the web whine hangouts. Consumers in the middle of a dispute can sometimes find useful tips in the complaints of others who have gone before them: ("Try calling Bill in executive assistance. He helped me.") And the repositories of complaints act as cautionary tales for future consumers. In fact, complaint websites are usually more useful to shoppers than to complainers, the report concludes.
Click to help other consumers
Still, Gillis said, consumers who feel ignored by a nemesis company seem to genuinely appreciate the chance to talk about their frustration.
"The large majority of people who post complaints understand fully that this posting is not going to lead to a resolution," he said. "But they are irritated at the company and perhaps want to warn other consumers."
Gillis recommends posting complaints on all six top sites, but said that those who only have time for one should visit my3cents.com. It has the largest number of recent complaints, lists the number of complaints per company, has the best design and offers some help with complaint resolution, he said.
While complaints sites are notoriously one-sided -- rarely do companies chime in with responses, even when they can -- Gillis said that most complaints are surprisingly even-handed, with posters adopting a just-the-facts tone full of dates, times and names. Still, no single report should be taken that seriously, Gillis said.
"People should not assume that any one complaint is valid, but when one sees a large number of complaints of the same kind, that ought to be a red flag," he said.
Complaint sites have other shortcomings. Not surprisingly, they include far more complaints about large companies than small, but make no allowances for that in their compilations. That can unfairly disadvantage large firms. Fourteen of the 21 sellers with the most complaints on My3Cents.com are Fortune 200 companies, for example.
A better way to use complaints for comparison purposes would be to create something like the "complaint ratio" used in the insurance industry, which compares overall complaints to sales figures, he said. (Consumers who want to look up the complaint ratio of a particular firm can visit the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.)
HerbboxMeanwhile, some of the consumer complaint sites -- which are privately owned, for-profit sites -- engage in tactics that seem strange for people who are used to the nonprofit ways of organizations like Consumers Union. PissedConsumer.com, for example, offers companies targeted by complaints the chance to sign up what the site calls "Reputation Management" for a $5,000 annual fee. For that price, according to the site, businesses can "post rebuttals and monitor their online profile." Popular Consumer Review site Yelp, which was not considered by the CFA, has been dogged by accusations that companies can impact their review ratings by paying for advertising. And RipOffReport.com -- which was included in the survey -- has numerous advertisements on its site proclaiming Cash4Gold is a "Ripoff Report Verified Safe" company, despite numerous news reports alleging that the company has mistreated consumers.
It also appears that complaint sites and their users are under assault. A recent New York Times story detailed an uptick in defamation lawsuits again consumers who complain publicly about companies on the web.
And search engine optimization companies aggressively market their ability to trick search engines into burying negative reviews in their results so other consumers never see them.
Still, many firms are clearly taking web complaints seriously. Comcast has a full-time employee named Frank Eliason who is dedicated to finding and resolving web complaints via a Twitter account named ComcastCares.com.
RED TAPE WRESTLING TIPS
Gillis said there is no evidence of widespread legal action against web complainers, but it's best to be prepared -- legally, that it.
"If people just stick to the facts, the risk of being sued, we believe, is minimal," he said. As the report notes, truth is an effective legal defense. "Avoid what might be interpreted by a court as slander or defamation of character," it says.
Also, while generic complaints sites are often the best place to whine, there are exceptions in some specific industries -- auto complaints are often better placed at CarComplaints.com, for example -- so be sure to look for a site more focused on the target of your complaint.
For example, I recently had an electric window regulator fail on my out-of-warranty 2007 Jeep Liberty -- notice two of the top 6 complaints concern my issue -- and used the site to find out that Chrysler is honoring out-of-warranty claims, as long as the driver follows the proper complaint procedure. That saved me a $500 repair.
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