Car owners researching products/upgrades for possible purchase presumably would like access to as much information as possible about both the products and the tuners/vendors offering the products, so that they can make a fully informed and educated decision about which products to purchase, and which tuners/vendors to do business with. This includes both positive information and negative information. However, the disclosure and discussion of negative information about vendors/tuners is a slippery slope, fraught with danger for everyone involved. We have seen it countless times on this forum. Someone discloses a negative experience or fact about a particular tuner, and a s**t storm ensues. As a result, many are reluctant to share negative experiences. They remained tight lipped, while others make the same mistakes with the subject vendors/tuners. On the other hand, some negative posts are excessively contentious (guilty), have ulterior motives and/or unfairly attack a particular tuner/vendor, and are counter-productive to a harmonious forum.

Do we, as patrons of this fine forum, want ALL the facts about the vendors/tuners who are soliciting our business and offering us products? Do we want all the data, so that we can individually determine what is relevant and what is not? Or, do we want the data to be filtered, and negative information restricted, so as to retain an amicable, harmonious environment? If a 6Speed member comes across information about a particular vendor (e.g., accusations of wrongdoing, Better Business Bureau complaints, etc.), should they post the information for other 6Speed members to individually evaluate, or should they conceal the data and allow 6Speed members to patronize the particular vendor/tuner without the benefit of all available data? Does it depend on the type of information, or the source of the data? Personal experiences vs. third party anecdotes? Public records vs. internet accusations?

This thread is not about any particular vendor/tuner, so please refrain from referencing particular tuners/vendors in your responses.

Regards,

Craig

 

Do we want ALL the facts? YES! The good, the bad and the ugly. As long as its factual. For newbies, just make sure you consider the source of the comment or review before jumping to conclusions.

 

Of course Craig. But as you know when your tuner builds you a car and it has problems and you post negative threads; good luck getting your issues resolved.

Every tuner has ****ed up!

 

Craig,
this is a board.. and as civil as it is compared to other boards... I doubt you will ever get the truth to come out... I know that every tuner on this board is guilty of various hidden facts and or claims, etc.... some make up for it and some do not... Any profit driven company will have it's share of "dirty business".

 

There's always three sides to every story... When we hear stories about a customer's experience, we need to all remember that one. Just today I found that I had made a huge oversight in doing work on my car... I could have ingested something thru the passenger side turbo. Some asshat could very easily have jumped on it and said "Another UMW car goes BOOM"... Never mind the fact that it has everything to do with my oversight and nothing to do with any vendor associated with the parts on my car...

There are a bunch of folks on this site that are happy with their respective mods/tunes. There are some who aren't... I think some of it is personality conflict, some is people over-extending financially and then realizing they're in over their heads, and some of it is mis-understanding. A few instances are just plain bad business.

That's my $.02!
Mike

 

If we could just get a thread critical of a site sponsor to last more than a few hours without getting locked, that would be a start.

In response to the actual question, of course we want all the data (as I'm sure you know), but your ulterior point about objectivity and interrater reliability is the key issue. At present, we have as much risk of people unfairly aggrandizing a tuner as we do demeaning them. I say level the playing field, allow everything to be printed, and caveat emptor. We can't really alleviate the burden of due diligence from a potential customer, so an unfiltered data stream is a better starting point.

 

I thought this board was to share "our" experiences good and bad.
All of course taken for what it is worth and possibly with a grain of salt.
Certainly if someone has a positive experience about something by all means please share it so we may think about it if it applies to us and may be try it.
On the other hand if someone tries X or tries to do Y and it doesnt work would be nice to know so as we may learn from others mistakes.
I have learned a tremendous amount of mostly good and useful info from this board. I cant recall off hand a bunch of bad things I have learned or bad tuners to say away from to me it has actually been mostly positive, if that is because things have been censored or removed than I would certainly cry foul.
Let's keep this forum open to what us the guys who own and drive the cars think feel and do, what we find that works or what we dont.
That's not to say that professional input or advise is not wanted again that is what makes this place so great as well.
Also I certainly think it is a good place for vendors to mention new items that they have or good deals they are offering for our cars, again a bonus of this forum, so still all good.
I think isolated bad results happen to anyone (ask the malpractice lawyers) but are usually certainly not intentional and should be taken for what they are worth.
We can do without personal attacks, we are not children.

So I say bare all!!

 

agreed. too bad these online forums often put the bureaucracy of vendors and their concerns ahead of the members' desire to get all the truth.


arent you supposed to be getting us a certain picture?

 

Although I'm a firm believer in putting things out in the open...I feel that too often, an issue is brought before the court of public opinion before the person with the complaint has given the vendor, seller, or whomever.....a chance to iron out the problem privately.

Common courtesy and good business practices should dictate that you handle the issue quietly and privately one-on-one with the involved party BEFORE you throw the issue into the public light. It's awfully easy to incinerate a fellow's business or personal reputation with a hasty remark that can often be quietly resolved to the benefit of both parties and leave reputations intact. Sometimes these forums can get to the point of a cyber lynching party without knowing both sides of the story. Reputations and credibility take a long time to build, and very little to tear down. Give the other guy the benefit of a little time to try to make it right first. You always have the option of going public if the other party sticks it to you.

 

That is great summary . Forum is a very important and powerfull passer on of experiences and should be respected . Nothing wrong with healthy( as in well intentioned) discussion.I think the point of assasinating vendor as a way of getting leverage in dispute is unseemly and wrong-if it is premature.

 

I think if a person wants to mod, they should do the homework. By all means I think that they should ask the opinions and experiences of fellow 6speeder’s.

 

I can't think of another post that crystallizes the issue as eloquently as this one. My only regret is that I didn't write it.

 

yes.