TheCellShop.net told Network World that its email trying to bribe customers to submit perfect reviews was “improperly worded” and they “are now offering $5.00 for anybody who leaves a review whether it be good or bad.” [Network World]
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“Improperly worded”…
*adds to growing list of weasel explanations”
you know what is also improperly worded? my ass!
Watch the $5 get “lost in processing” for bad reviews next!
Car dealers sometimes bribe you with a gas card or some other gift, if you fill out the manufacturer survey and leave a 5 star rating for the dealer service. Lame.
In their rebuttal, they claim that the wording of the e-mail did not express what they were trying to accomplish. Let’s review their wording in the e-mail:
“If you have purchased from us before and feel we did a good job, please use the link below and rate us 10/10 and we will give you $5.00 in credit to use for anything on our website.”
so please use the link below AND rate us 10/10 AND we will give you $5.00.
I don’t see any inadvertent mis-wording here. Nothing that can be read two ways.
It sucks getting busted. But when you do get busted, it’s better to just fess up, apologize and move on. They don’t bother doing either. All they claim fault for is miswording the e-mail, not trying to get away with something and then getting busted. And they don’t apologize in their rebuttal.
Improperly worded — that’s corpspeak for “I got my nuts caught in a wringer.”
It also depends on what your definition of “is” is.
Yeah…. busted. Now they are playing cleanup.
When I bought my last car, the local Ford Dealership (Rusty Eck Ford, Wichita, KS) said they could reduce my interest rate by 2% – but only if I agreed to purchase their Extended Warranty and also give them an “Excellent” rating when I completed the survey they were going to mail me.
@snazz: yes it should be “my arse!”
@humphrmi: I tell the same thing to my kids when I catch them screwing up. I get more pissed when they lie to me about doing something wrong; just fess up and deal with the lesser consequences. If you lie, the consequences will only compound.
Their rating went from about about a 7 to a 4 on ResellerRatings, before the company deleted the fraudulent (both good and bad) reviews. They’re back to a 6 now-a full point lower than they started. I’d say this backfired pretty badly.
@ElizabethD: But are they also taking it seriously?