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Originally Posted by GGG
There have always been reviews:
Guidebooks for travel
Zagats for restaurants
BBB
Consumer reports
Message boards and blogs have been around with reviews since at least 96.
In what ways do you think are reasonable in which a customer to seek advice on where to purchase something?
So if I say ask on Calgary puck for a roofer and someone tells me about there 1 star experience do you object to that? It creates a permanent searchable 1 star review of a company and will likely make me not use that business.
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Hey, I get it. People are not interested in hearing about the complaints of business owners on this topic. CP has made that abundantly clear.
If you can't see the difference between a guidebook that is professionally curated with a view to objectivity versus malicious and ignorant reviews, nothing I say will convince you.
If you can't see the difference between a book maybe only a couple of thousand of people would ever see - and see just one time as they read - compared to an amateur and subjective review permanently visible every single time a business is searched using the largest search engine humanity has ever known then, again, what can I say?
If you can't see the difference between polling acquaintances for specific information in a way that sort of expires and fizzles into the ether after the information is exchanged versus a permanent branding on the virtual storefront of shop with a potential audience of millions...is there anything I could say that would lead you to empathize with my position?
If you won't acknowledge that guidebooks and professional reviews are updated to stay current with the contemporary experience a customer can expect versus years-old reviews that a business can't shed no matter how irrelevant they are compared to when they were written, it seems as though I'm wasting my breath trying to explain it to you.
I am optimistic the tides will turn at some point. I mean, I was reading the reviews on 'Play it Again Sports' last night because I had to Google the address to drop some stuff off. Here are some highlights of the reviews this poor business is facing (these are all one star, by the way):
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Once again they don’t have room to take anything and there was nothing in the size we wanted. Maybe staff just couldn’t care less.
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I mean, they sell used stuff. If they don't have your size, it's because the stock just doesn't exist. That's the nature of shopping at a used store. Why is it their fault and why do they deserve a one-star review? That review has been dragging them down for three years. Fighting the good fight, Darin Dunlop!
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Shae was very rude and dictator-like with poor customer service. It's a shame because I've purchased lots from Play It Again over the years. I explained I am medically exempt and when he said I have to leave or put a mask on
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You're offended and one-starred them because they wouldn't accommodate your made-up medical exemption in the middle of a pandemic? GFY. And named a specific employee? I hate that so much. Jordan Denis - the reviewer - was a total jerk for doing that and for leaving that up for A YEAR so far.
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Was really disappointed with the amount of credit they were offering for my brand new skates. I had only wore them 3 times and they retail at $200. They offered me $28. They also didn't have a variety of sizes of the items I was looking for. Trying to be more conscious and shop second hand but my experience made it very difficult to do so.
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Yes, they tell you up front. We'll give you 30% of what we can sell them for. You will get more money selling privately. How could somebody not understand they have so much overhead to pay for, they're taking the risk of holding your inventory - which may or may not sell - and your item is in
used condition. What does $200 have to do with it? Nope, I don't care about all that. One star.
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Went in to buy a pair of used skates for my girlfriend. We found a pair that fit her. I saw the price and thought the price was wrong. The skates were very well used, there wasn't much for a blade, the hardware was all rusted. Overall the skate was in poor condition and wasn't even a well recognized brand.
I asked the counter if by chance they could give me a better price on the skate or possibly they labeled it wrong. The young guy at the counter laughed and said no. Also said that it was a supply and demand thing. ( I laughed about that as the kid telling me this probably doesn't know the concept of supply and demand).
Anyway I drove to Canadian tire and bought her a brand new pair for 39.99. I won't be coming back for any of my sporting needs.
I'm sure it's a great store but my experience wasn't the best.
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lol, this one the owner actually replied to. The skates this guy was trying to buy were really high quality albeit well worn. Instead, he went and bought some cheap POS skates. But nah, the low rating remains.
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I agree with Migs, absolute rubbish place, was going to buy my 2 kids skates. What a rip off. Cross the street to sport chek. Good prices, great choices, comes with warranty and friendly service. People who don't know any better do business at play it again and will get taken to the cleaners.
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Nobody.
Nobody is taking you to the cleaners at fataing Play it Again Sports. How could you not expect to get less than you could get on Kijiji and pay a little more than you'd pay on Kijiji. Are these people brain dead? How are they allowed to review a business when they don't even understand the model? Very typical of reviewers. It's ignorance.
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Every time we have attempted to trade in sports equipment we have been told they won't take it. Regardless of the time of year! Too frustrated to deal with them anymore.
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Maybe you're not taking your stuff in at the right time of year or maybe it's not of a quality they can sell. I think they know their business better than you. But nope, this dope leaves one star. Four years ago. And this poor company is still saddled with this idiot's review.
They did have some good reviews, though. Here's one:
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Staff were ready to help. They sized my little girl's foot, then checked for used skates in her size before offering new ones. Free sharpening done while we waited so it was truly a one-stop shop. A great experience and a location I highly recommend!
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Except that prick left four stars for that glowing review.
And then some three-star reviews:
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Very limited selection on bicycles and extremely over priced for used equipment.
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Like, no recognition that A. they're not a bike store. B. bikes during Covid have been hard to find. C. they're at the mercy of the stock people bring in to consign/sell. They got a bad review because somebody didn't understand the store or the business model. I can't imagine the frustration for the owners of this place.
So why am I optimistic? Well, I don't think change is going to come fast enough for my liking, but I think conversations like this will help people understand these platforms are just meant to benefit the tech companies, they cost businesses, and reviewers have just become to picky and too mean. I think this will eventually lead to reviewing people somehow, and when they do it will suddenly activate all your empathy chips, which are apparently malfunctioning right now.
