Is there too much icing on the cake?
Certain aspects of goods being sold on the forum are troubling to me and some friends who have purchased items advertised
It appears that negative comments posted about an advertised product are hastily deleted and a warning sent to the poster suggesting that future "infringements" will not be tolerated.
A seller advertises an item for sale, but neglects to mention that it is an out of date unit. While it still works, to restore it to an up-to-date spec would incur substantial expense. Other forum members, not being aware of this shortcoming, promote the product assuming it is the latest itertion of the product
Equipment that is designed by the manufacturer to be installed by a technician with knowledge of the product is sometimes advertised. It may be well and good that the seller was able to successfully install the product, but it does not mean that all forum members will have the expertise to re-install it themselves. Our DIY skills vary tremendously, as has been my own experience fixing equipment that has been improperly installed or with parts missing. Just because the instruction booklet accompanying the device does not recommend a professional installer, this does not mean this stipulation should be ignored
Pointers towards an unflattering review for a particular product disappear from the list of posts
If a reader spots a product being sold and has had a negative experience with it, either as a user or from the dealer or person selling it, why should he not be permitted to share this experience? Likewise, if the unit is available in various versions and this is not made clear in the advert, this should be pointed out. The buyer might not know about this, or be unable to find out. We are not all accomplished Google detectives. Obviously we don't need to read a post saying an item is poor just because he used it in an inappropriate manner. Surely the potential buyer should figure out this by himself, not just having the information denied to him since the post has been deleted? If in doubt, he can always ask for an opinion. There are many who are willing to express an opinion on anything at all. There are many examples of products being expected to perform way above their design criteria either due to ignorance of the user or believing advertised promises that do not materialise. A well-known falsehood is to over-specify the power output of an amplifier or else couch the wording and specification in ambiguous language
This type of censorship should not be occurring in my opinion. Readers need to have all the facts before them prior to making an informed decision, often requiring an outlay of several thousand Rand. Surely they are sufficiently experienced in translating expressed opinions, whether positive or negative, and determining by themselves whether of not the product offered is exactly what they want?
While is is grand to promote trade and sales, accurate information should be made available to prospective purchasers, whether it be complimentary or not. Not everything has bells and whistles attached
Certain aspects of goods being sold on the forum are troubling to me and some friends who have purchased items advertised
It appears that negative comments posted about an advertised product are hastily deleted and a warning sent to the poster suggesting that future "infringements" will not be tolerated.
A seller advertises an item for sale, but neglects to mention that it is an out of date unit. While it still works, to restore it to an up-to-date spec would incur substantial expense. Other forum members, not being aware of this shortcoming, promote the product assuming it is the latest itertion of the product
Equipment that is designed by the manufacturer to be installed by a technician with knowledge of the product is sometimes advertised. It may be well and good that the seller was able to successfully install the product, but it does not mean that all forum members will have the expertise to re-install it themselves. Our DIY skills vary tremendously, as has been my own experience fixing equipment that has been improperly installed or with parts missing. Just because the instruction booklet accompanying the device does not recommend a professional installer, this does not mean this stipulation should be ignored
Pointers towards an unflattering review for a particular product disappear from the list of posts
If a reader spots a product being sold and has had a negative experience with it, either as a user or from the dealer or person selling it, why should he not be permitted to share this experience? Likewise, if the unit is available in various versions and this is not made clear in the advert, this should be pointed out. The buyer might not know about this, or be unable to find out. We are not all accomplished Google detectives. Obviously we don't need to read a post saying an item is poor just because he used it in an inappropriate manner. Surely the potential buyer should figure out this by himself, not just having the information denied to him since the post has been deleted? If in doubt, he can always ask for an opinion. There are many who are willing to express an opinion on anything at all. There are many examples of products being expected to perform way above their design criteria either due to ignorance of the user or believing advertised promises that do not materialise. A well-known falsehood is to over-specify the power output of an amplifier or else couch the wording and specification in ambiguous language
This type of censorship should not be occurring in my opinion. Readers need to have all the facts before them prior to making an informed decision, often requiring an outlay of several thousand Rand. Surely they are sufficiently experienced in translating expressed opinions, whether positive or negative, and determining by themselves whether of not the product offered is exactly what they want?
While is is grand to promote trade and sales, accurate information should be made available to prospective purchasers, whether it be complimentary or not. Not everything has bells and whistles attached
