Policy on Rebuttal, Comments and Feedback
Removal of Reports/Articles
Policy on Language
Ripped Off Online started in early 2006, when I finally got fed-up with being ripped off and taken advantage of on the Internet and elswhere. I realized that there needed to be more venues for folks to air there feelings and views, as well as expose the rip-offs; scams; schemes; unscrupulous business owners; shady auction sellers and buyers; take-your-money-and-leave-you-hanging websites and of course, bad employers. There\'s probably more than you can count.
There are a few sites like this one; some good, some not so good and one excellent one that is just over-burdened. So, Ripped Off Online is here to share the load and to help expose the negative practices of those who take advantage of honest people like you and me. The more places bad publicity is published, the harder it is for the company or business being reported to circumvent it. Keep in mind too, that for this very reason, negative reports should be carefully considered before being published; we are not here to facilitate undue harm to a company\'s or organization\'s reputation.
Ripped Off Online provides those who have had unfortunate dealings, with a way to fight back. You can remain almost anonymous and not have to worry about reprisals from the accused. Your personal information is always kept private. All you need to sign up is a valid email address.
Read other reports online to learn what goes on and how to fight back; you can learn a lot here. Also, if you have something to share, you are invited to write a report or article that will be viewed by tens of thousands in the Internet community. Mybe you can prevent someone from being "Ripped Off Online!"
Thank you for stopping by and we hope you will become a part of our growing community. Feel free to become a member today.
Guy P.
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Q & A is below the new member instructions.
Account Creation Instructions:
1. When you initially sign up you are sent a confirmation email.
2. You click on the Activation link in the email or paste it into your browser.
3. Our system then confirms your email and activates your membership. You will see a short conformation message.
4. Now, with the "Auto-Generated Password" provided in the confirmation email you must login using your selected username.
5. After your initial login, go to your member area - "My Account" link is at the top of page.
6. At the bottom of the member account page is the password change request. Enter the "Auto-Generated password" from the email into the "Old Password" box and your new password in the other two boxes and make sure to write your password down for reference. Click the "Change Password\' button.
7. Log out
8. You should now be able to login using your username and new password.
Q: I created a new account and received my password, but when I try to login it says the login is invalid. What\'s wrong?
A: After creating your account you must click on the link provided in the confirmation email sent to you. This confirms your email address in our system and activates your membership. Only then can you successfully login using the password and username in the email.
Q: How do I submit an article?
A: First, you will need to create an account using a valid email address. Then login and Click on "Submit a Report." You will then go to the writing area, where you can compose, or paste a pre-written (recommended) article.
Q: Do I have to have an account just to leave feedback?
A: Absolutely! This is one way we keep things on the up-and-up. People are less apt to stop by and leave defamatory feedback on a whim. Creating an account lends some credibility to comments and rebuttal. It also allow us to ban users if they abuse the system.
Q: What is an "Account," exactly?
A: Having an account is just a way for the website to keep track of your status. It makes sure that only those with verified email addresses can post, which in turn adds credability to the reports. Account information is kept strictly confidential and is never released except if required by law.
Q: I submitted an article or rebuttal but I can\'t see it, what\'s wrong?
A: Two things to remember:
- Articles are sometimes first reviewed by the Editor and if accepted can take up to 72 hrs to post.
- If the article was deemed to be in violation of our TOS it may have been deleted (extremely rare).
Q. Can I be notified if someone leaves rebuttal or feedback to my report?
A. Yes. When you are logged in, just click on the "My Account" link at the top and select the Yes button for "Email me about new comments." You will then receive an email whenever someone posts a comment or rebuttal to your report.
Q. The issue I reported has been resolved. How do I remove my report?
A. The report cannot be removed, but can be ammended by the editor if you contact us. If your issue has a positive outcome we can flag the report as resolved. You can also add the ammendment by using the comment feature.
Q: My company has been named in an article and my business is suffering because of it. What can I do?
A: Use the Rebuttal/Comment feature and state the facts! Be open and honest and above all, keep a cool head. If someone has written about you, you need to state what you have done to correct the situation or why the report is wrong. If you and the complainant have reached a resolution you should both contact the Editor and provide the details of the resolution. We can then update the article by adding amendments.
If you feel that an article written about you or your business is just a fabrication, or a mistake, contact us immediately and provide us with the details and we will attempt to contact the author. If contact cannot be made the article may be ammended/flagged in your favor.
Q: I made a mistake in the article I submitted, can I go back and correct it?
A: No. Articles, reports, rebuttle and comments cannot be edited once saved/submitted. If you need to add something, login, go to the report and use the Author Comments feature.
Q: How do I include photos with my report?
A: For security and bandwidth reasons, ROO does not allow uploading photos to our server. You can however, link to photos hosted on your website or photo hosting services like Photobucket. Use the "Link" feature on the toolbar of the article editor; create the text you want for the image, highlight the text, click on the "Insert/Edit Link" button and enter the url of the image in the popup window.
Q: How big can my report be?
A: Reports/Articles can be up to 50,000 characters, which is quite long. There is also a character counter in the report writing tool for your convenience. If you do need more space, just break your article into multiple parts, ie Part 1 and Part 2. You can submit multiple articles; just keep the same title and add Part # to each. "My Report Part 1" and "My Report Part 2" etc.
This is a sample
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This page was updated on: 5-24-09
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Consumer reporting sites like RippedOffOnline.com are beginning to get a bad reputation and it is because some businesses and individuals would rather attempt to discredit a website than bow to angry consumers. Reporting sites like ROO serve a valuable purpose; we allow people to post their experiences and exercise there First Amendment rights.
In this country, everyone has the right to speak out against corrupt and deceitful businesses and individuals. I get really annoyed when someone says that our site content is untrue and false. But it does tell me that we are doing our job; allowing people to speak freely. We do not write the comments and reports here, but we do commend those who do. We never, ever edit reports or comments except to censor foul language or block information that could cause physical harm to a person or is a security threat to our great country.
Consumers of today mold the world of business and finance more than ever. Bad businesses are starting to see that the Internet is not a good place to be if they are not playing fair; they will get reported!
Are there false and unfair reports out there? No doubt, there are. There always have been - everywhere. But they are far outnumbered by real reports that tell stories of how rip offs and scams destroy lives and finances. Without sites like ROO the consumer would be at the mercy of bad businesses, thieves and other low-lives.
Truth is, a business cannot exist, or a person be well known without someone saying something bad about them at some point - even if the business or person conducts themselves in an exemplary fashion. But you will notice that the companies and individuals who are on the up-and-up will respond to negative publicity with a positive attitude, feedback and useful information – lending credibility, whereas bad businesses and individuals will lash out and try to discredit the reporter or the website, thus exposing themselves as foolish and untrustworthy.
The key here is for the consumer to use reporting sites as just another tool to investigate who is really legitimate and has the consumers’ best interests in mind. Reporting sites do not normally investigate the correctness or voracity of any report, that’s not our job or charter; our job is to provide you with the information to investigate and make a decision for yourself, by allowing consumers to post freely, their information and real-world experiences.
So, when you run into a site that says RippedOffOnline and/or consumer reporting sites are scams, you must consider that those sites do not want you to see the big picture and are likely run by someone who has been reported at some time and is ticked off about it.
ED
Send comments to us using our contact form:
http://www.rippedoffonline.com/art/contacts.html
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Thank you.
The contact form has been transmitted to the ROO Moderator to verify the communication is a valid attempt to resolve a complaint report. If all is in order, the form will be forwarded to the intended recipient for consideration. No further action is required from you at this point. You will be notified if and when there is a reply.
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Don\'t know who to trust? ROO is assembling a list of merchants and vendors that have been graded as "Verified Safe." This means you can expect truthful and ethical dealings with the companies and their customer support. As always, please read any disclaimers that ANY vendor or merchant has as they outline their terms of service and sales.
Our Trusted List:
Vitamin World
For the best suppliments and vitamins.
Diamond Hotel Reservations
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Merchant Accounts For Businesses
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Use the custom search engine to scour the internet for you specific search term. This service provides additional resources for you to locate answers.
','page_metakeyword_websearch':'','page_metadescr_websearch':'','page_metakeyword_contact_us':'','page_metadescr_contact_us':'','field_state_5':'Contested','page_title_reporting_writing_tips':'Report and Comment Writing Tips','page_content_reporting_writing_tips':'Writing an Effective Report
If you really want to write an effective report you need to read this and let it sink in - also, count to ten and take a few deep breaths. If while writing you find yourself getting angry - stop writing! Take a few minutes to compose yourself and start where you left off. You will not make much positive influence if your report is spewing anger and uncontrolled emotion. Clear thought and a calm mind will prevail, and will keep you out of trouble.
Collect Your Facts.
Write down your thoughts on paper and try to prioritize them. Gather your evidence and use the facts to support your statment. When you start your report use your notes as you go.
Report Title
Please title your report with the company name and or product that you are reporting. This make it easier to find in the index and through the search engines.
Report Body
Tell your story as it happened. Try not to overstate things or exagerrate the facts; the more precise your report is the better it will work for you. If you have receipts, state that fact, if you have eamils state that too. You can even quote the other party\'s emails and correspondence. Be sure to not write anything that is untrue or that can be used against you. Remember, you want a positive response from the reported party. Rather than inflame, try to resolve.
After Your Report is Published
Notify the company that you have filed a report against them on this website. Tell them that if they aggree to resolve the situation the report will be marked as resolved by both parties. Advise them that they can write a rebuttal if they wish. A rebuttal may be a pubic apology and a promise to make things right, or they may try to turn the table.
If a company refuses to work with you, report them immediately to the Better Business Bureau. Feel free to contact the ROO Editor using our contact form and ask for advice. Someone will be happy to work with you to help resolve the issue, if at all possible.
If You Succeed or Need to Follow Up
If you manage to resolve things with the company, absolutely follow-up with us so the report can be maked appropriately. This way the company will not have a bad complaint against them anymore. The complaint will still be on our site but it will be marked by the Editor as resolved, unresolved, in mediation, etc.
ROO as an Advocate
Roo will try at all times to work with you; this site is all about the consumer and their treatment by businesses. But please use the reporting feature of this site as your first step. If a company refuses to work with you, let us know and we\'ll go from there.
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