Mark @ Everlast
Advertiser
Everlast did have control over the forum over at welding web. And, it did delete posts. Most of them were unrelated from customer complaints but bashing that flared up just as it did here. That was 90% of the posts. The true customers did have valid issues, when the problems aforementioned sprang up. We became sponsors at that time to give an outlet to customers needing support during that time period when the rash of bad Mosfets came out. Naturally, people that are using their welders aren't going to complain, but customers that either bought units through third party sites or other places were for whatever reason coming directly to the WW site rather than our company. There were other issues at play with another company that was started by a relative of the owner and former employee of Everlast...that all fueled the fire. No one is proud of all of that. But in any company, you have growing pains, and in our case, it was growing UP pains. When I came aboard, around a 1.5 years ago, several things happened. The factory was switched, which I did not make the decision, but did help in getting that done and in other capacities as well. We quit deleting posts, as I requested it myself because it adds fuel to the fire. We dropped sponsorship because we got tired of people saying it was bogus because we had editing powers. Even now people are still saying that over there and we haven't had editing power in a year now. We kicked up our own forum, where I mod it along with another guy in the company. Neither of us delete stuff unless its spam or ****. We try to resolve customer complaints and questions. That is what it is there for. Its been a bonus to us to help customers get a direct line in off hours or for customers with issues or questions. And, finally we got a new and improved, user/customer friendly site to assist customers in getting the product, manuals, service, and any information they might need. Its still in constant development, but we've been told its a customer friendly site. Though it still has some flux to it, it is well received.
Some of the former mods were removed because they let the bashing that was just simply unsupported dog piling go on without reason. They let their personal feelings get in the way. That makes a website responsible legally for stuff that is considered libel and slander. This a former mod for a reason, as is my understanding. I don't know why exactly but the tone has moderated some since. We gave up official support a year ago of the forum. You can check it out. The former "mod" comments came from a time before I came in. He can offer his opinion, and if you look hard enough you'll find similar, offhand comments about any welder brand out there. As you can see, he is not offering any first hand evidence either. The owners of the site were in disagreement as to the nature of the posts with the other mods and agreed that they should be removed. Most of the former mods are not mods anylonger because they did not remain impartial. We did not have "ultimate" authority over the posts. We even had posters coming in claiming to be customers, that were registered under 20 or 30 different names, all creating havoc. Guess what? They weren't even customers. It really does happen, and after I came to work here, I found out the extent of how bad it can get....just because people hate a foreign made product. They will sit at the keypad and anonymously get their kicks from becoming someone they aren't.
Even on our forum site now, even this week, we have traced one so called customers complaint back to email, and names and he isn't a genuine customer and never placed an order. What are we to do? Leave it? Even though we know he isn't a customer? Erase it and have everyone trample us for doing so? Its a no-win situation that we get smeared with regularly. We get people calling us saying they bought a unit from us and want us to warranty it, and when we get it back, its not even our unit, its from another company.
Gathier has made the best assessment I believe. Rude and off topic threads would very well be removed. I asked the mod to monitor the thread when the posts began to get rude and inflammatory. I have no editing power, and everyone can report bad posts just as I did. But I have no further communication from him other than "I'll keep it checked" or idea what was done. For all I know he removed some of mine.
Some of the former mods were removed because they let the bashing that was just simply unsupported dog piling go on without reason. They let their personal feelings get in the way. That makes a website responsible legally for stuff that is considered libel and slander. This a former mod for a reason, as is my understanding. I don't know why exactly but the tone has moderated some since. We gave up official support a year ago of the forum. You can check it out. The former "mod" comments came from a time before I came in. He can offer his opinion, and if you look hard enough you'll find similar, offhand comments about any welder brand out there. As you can see, he is not offering any first hand evidence either. The owners of the site were in disagreement as to the nature of the posts with the other mods and agreed that they should be removed. Most of the former mods are not mods anylonger because they did not remain impartial. We did not have "ultimate" authority over the posts. We even had posters coming in claiming to be customers, that were registered under 20 or 30 different names, all creating havoc. Guess what? They weren't even customers. It really does happen, and after I came to work here, I found out the extent of how bad it can get....just because people hate a foreign made product. They will sit at the keypad and anonymously get their kicks from becoming someone they aren't.
Even on our forum site now, even this week, we have traced one so called customers complaint back to email, and names and he isn't a genuine customer and never placed an order. What are we to do? Leave it? Even though we know he isn't a customer? Erase it and have everyone trample us for doing so? Its a no-win situation that we get smeared with regularly. We get people calling us saying they bought a unit from us and want us to warranty it, and when we get it back, its not even our unit, its from another company.
Gathier has made the best assessment I believe. Rude and off topic threads would very well be removed. I asked the mod to monitor the thread when the posts began to get rude and inflammatory. I have no editing power, and everyone can report bad posts just as I did. But I have no further communication from him other than "I'll keep it checked" or idea what was done. For all I know he removed some of mine.
