Quote:
Originally posted by Harv748
Quote: Originally posted by twpd
Trading standards. Good luck. |
Ditto...if they have done you wrong...take 'em to the cleaners (via the CAB or TS) and then once you have proved your point, and you KNOW you are in the right...then tell us the whole story...which will be 100% accurate and negative if need be.
Likewise, if you are proved wrong, I would be interested to hear.
I'm getting the impression more and more that this board is run by DUK et. al.
Is that OK with the webteam?
[Edited on 25-3-2006 by Harv748]
[Edited on 25-3-2006 by Harv748] |
Harv,
As one of the newest members of the Management Team, I can't say that I have noticed any undue influence on the MT from DUK or any of the dealer network.
In my PERSONAL opinion, this club represents a significant number of Ducati enthusiasts, and just the sort of people that anybody whose business has any sort of Ducati based goods or services to offer would want to reach out too. I think this club has got a lot to benefit from close relationships with DUK and the dealer network. However, DUK and the dealer network have also got a lot to gain by maintaining those links, both in terms of potential business, but also listening to the people on this board as a focus group for what Ducati enthusiasts really want, so it should be a healthy, synergistic relationship.
At the same time I would be dismayed if the club was in the pockets of those commercial interests and I, for one, would fight for a close relationship with DUK and the dealers, but a relationship that stayed healthy through COMPLETE independence. An enthusiasts consumer group if you will.
Having stated my case for independence let me just say that I fully understand the webteams caution in removing any defamatory statements involving commercial disputes from the board. The problem comes from the fact that these are emotive issues - the little guy against big business, and we all tend to side with the underdog. Consider that threads like this invariably present just one viewpoint, the dealer or the individual who is involved in the other side of the dispute rarely gets the chance to put their side of the story across, so if there are mitigating circumstances they never get heard. So in sitting as 'jurors' in this case we get to hear the prosecution case, but never allow the defence to speak.
The other thing that tends to happen is that threads like this spark comment from everybody who feels that they have suffered any type of raw deal from anybody else, whether it's connected to the original source of complaint or not. Therefore it drags in people and businesses who were never involved in the case in question and tars them with the same brush (however deservedly or undeservedly that might be).
Because of the nature of these threads it's very easy for them to descend into witch hunts which ultimately don't do anybody any good. As has been pointed out, there are appropriate channels of Citizens Advice Bureau, Trading Standards and Small Claims Courts, as well as campaigning organisations and TV/Radio programs to protect consumers rights if people have a serious claim.
What I do agree with is that once a dispute has been given an impartial and fair hearing by recognised 'authorities' and their judgement has been handed down then we as a club should not shirk away from publishing the complete and truthful facts if asked. My personal opinion is that we have a duty to keep traders honest.
Until that point arrives the club, as an entity cannot take sides regardless of the views of individual members.
24-Mar-2006, 23:10 
Jools
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