Check a Marine Trader ?

[boristhebold]

Ive been giving this some thought recently having had a few issues with quality of workmanship both recently and historicaly. Which is really bugging me the fact that there is so much difference out there between companies who do a good job and a very poor job either on repairs, fittings or when ordering goods. Looking through past posts of people who have had issues with various companies over the years do members of ribnet feel it may be time that we perhaps create a spreadsheet which details which companies do a great job with examples and which have done a poor job. Perhaps a simple scoring scale from feedback backed up by examples. So at a glance if someone wants say upholstry work done they good browse by catagory and see anyone who has recommended a company and any who have had bead experiences.

Scoring could be done on, value, quality of workmanship, overall satisfaction - would recomend, would not recomend, something simple.

What do you reckon ?

Ribnet admin - is there a simple thing that could be pulled together so that members could add to without too much admin overhead. ?

Of course members would have to restrain them selves from going to town if they submitted a bad experience but if they just stated the facts without the emotional elements then that would be fair.

Something that was searchable would be great.

Even just a sub part of the forum called 'Trader recomendations' and Trader Avoidance' might help.

any thoughts ?

[boristhebold]

and excuse the spelling issues, tablet ipad issue

[Pikey Dave]

'tas been mooted before & didn't get anywhere. It's all subjective & a legal minefield, apparently. I know where you are coming from though. It could run on the lines of Tripadvisor, where you read the comments & take a view based on the fors & againsts. Don't think it will happen though.

[Starovich]

new section for checkatrade, dont think they care about the kind of trade?

[clydeoutboards]

some have facebook pages like us and they now have ratings. I also agree it would be good to have a site where this is done even if it was not rib.net and even more so if they had to say what they charged and what they did for a service.

[Chris Caton]

Originally Posted by clydeoutboards

some have facebook pages like us and they now have ratings. I also agree it would be good to have a site where this is done even if it was not rib.net and even more so if they had to say what they charged and what they did for a service.

+1 and also add comments for excellent advice offered

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by clydeoutboards

some have facebook pages like us and they now have ratings. I also agree it would be good to have a site where this is done even if it was not rib.net and even more so if they had to say what they charged and what they did for a service.

Companies that promote themselves here but don't pay for their Trade Membership generally don't make a great name for themselves though. Please put your house in order!

[Boats&Outboards]

In fairness (and I've said this before) there's many trade members on here that get away with utilising the sales area using standard memberships. One look through should route them out. They are blatant, whereas my bet is the above member has simply let his expire and overlooked renewal.

Edit : just seen who it is, throw him out - only joking

www.BoatsandOutboards4Sale.co.uk

[mick]

On a land rover forum I go on they have a thread called
Dealers & sponsor feedback
which works ok and a lot of the dealers keep an eye on it.

[uncle al]

I was told as an apprentice all them years ago, that you are only as good as your last job, either a brilliant mechanic or a tosser, and the bloke was correct.He also said that " if you are not happy with a job when you have finished it you havent done it properly so do it again" that worked for me all my working years.

[clydeoutboards]

Companies that promote themselves here but don't pay for their Trade Membership generally don't make a great name for themselves though. Please put your house in order!

In fairness John you should maybe put your own house in order before making comments like that. Its not our fault but yours so I look forward to your apology as when I was sent an email re this I said speak to Cammy and the person who sent the email could clearly not be bothered to do it.

In fairness (and I've said this before) there's many trade members on here that get away with utilising the sales area using standard memberships. One look through should route them out. They are blatant, whereas my bet is the above member has simply let his expire and overlooked renewal.

Thanks for the support but what I got was trade membership expired please renew. No mention of where to send the money what the expiry date actually is etc.

re other traders.

They should also make he rules clear i.e. giving advice is just that. Places adds for engine sales which we dont do any more is clearly trade.

So why not make life easier. If you use a trade name, have a link to a business that is related to ribs then you pay the member.

Maybe John could also add where to send the money to as well!

This way it would be easy to be fair and stop trade people posting on here without trade membership!


Dave

[mick]

Originally Posted by uncle al

I was told as an apprentice all them years ago, that you are only as good as your last job, either a brilliant mechanic or a tosser, and the bloke was correct.He also said that " if you are not happy with a job when you have finished it you havent done it properly so do it again" that worked for me all my working years.

I agree word of mouth is the best thing hence the need for its own thread

[kerny]

The idea is good but what about people posting lies about a company to make them look bad for reasons of their own. Some company's have been ruined by wrongfull reviews about them on social websites.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by kerny

The idea is good but what about people posting lies about a company to make them look bad for reasons of their own. Some company's have been ruined by wrongfull reviews about them on social websites.

My point exactly, people tend to complain more than they praise.

[chris.moody]

If an individual posts lies about a company then the company can surely file a claim for Libel / Slander (I can never remember which is written and which is verbal) against that individual.

I'm in favour of a "gooduns" and "baduns" (maybe not call it that) thread.

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by clydeoutboards

In fairness John you should maybe put your own house in order before making comments like that. Its not our fault but yours so I look forward to your apology as when I was sent an email re this I said speak to Cammy and the person who sent the email could clearly not be bothered to do it.

Dave, that's a pretty feeble excuse. You speak to Cammy, you work with him. It's your responsibility to pay your Trade Membership, not anyone else's.

You renew your Trade Member in exactly the same was as you did originally. Just go to this page:
http://www.rib.net/forum/payments.php

The information isn't hard to find. If you go to the About RIBnet | Site Help & Announcements section, you'll see a sticky thread at the top of the page called RIBnet supporters and Trade members

It's not difficult. Please do not post again until you have done it.

Thanks

[chris.moody]

Does anyone have any objections to me starting a Good Marine Traders thread ?

[kerny]

Originally Posted by chris.moody

If an individual posts lies about a company then the company can surely file a claim for Libel / Slander .

Easier said than done, I watched a tv program about a guest house owner who was almost ruined because she charged a couple for damaging some bed sheets (they were scrotes btw) they posted utter lies about how they were treated on one of these recomendation websites which lost the owner customers over a long period of time.

People read it then tend to believe it rather than take the risk.

[willk]

Originally Posted by chris.moody

Does anyone have any objections to me starting a Good Marine Traders thread ?

There are lots of individual threads about good marine suppliers on here. I think they are a good idea. However, a formal long term thread might be difficult to police for "shill" posters as I think it would prove irresistible to them - I have enough on my hands currently chasing up dealers who pretend to be satisfied clients of their own company. You can include chasing up dealers who will do/say anything to avoid paying their fee to RIBnet and ignore repeated requests to regularise their situation AND be rude about it to boot. Not sure I'd bring my motor to one of them either...

[Poly]

Originally Posted by boristhebold

Ribnet admin - is there a simple thing that could be pulled together so that members could add to without too much admin overhead. ?

what like the search tool?

Of course members would have to restrain them selves from going to town if they submitted a bad experience but if they just stated the facts without the emotional elements then that would be fair.

I think even this thread shows that this won't happen!

Even just a sub part of the forum called 'Trader recomendations' and Trader Avoidance' might help.

the problem is Uncle Al is right:

Originally Posted by uncle al

that you are only as good as your last job,

We've seen people here over the years who had a great reputation who suddenly ran into some issues. Search the forum, start a new thread to get recent info - but at the end of the day you'll need to make your own mind up. Of course if you get great service then come back and share that experience.

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

In fairness (and I've said this before) there's many trade members on here that get away with utilising the sales area using standard memberships.

I think we've said it before - if you think someone is taking the piss report them. I'm not aware of people breaking the rules and being ignored.

Originally Posted by chris.moody

Does anyone have any objections to me starting a Good Marine Traders thread ?

You can - but Admins may want to add a warning at the top. I suspect you will find it becomes less useful the more gets added to it. Is it really helpful to know who the best engine dealer on the Clyde is if you are in the Solent. Am I really likely to take a boat to Hampshire for a tube repair etc... If it is 20 pages long and someone finds a recommendation for XYZ on p3 will they keep reading to p17 and 18 where people say "gone really down hill?"