Internet Bully.

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Whitney Houston back at it.

Internet Bully.

09/01/2009

If you're a dooce reader - you know of her recent washing machine saga. She bought a machine, it broke, she Twittered about it, all sorts of people got cah-razy mean and start spewing at her that she's a big bully.

This is why I can relate, and I don't necessarily agree that she's a bully.

I have a small blog. I have a small "following." Last year I blogged (B.T. Before Twitter) about my toddler being told to "Shut The Fuck Up" by a car salesman.

Why? Because It Happened. I am a blogger, and we do this, we blog about life experiences, good, bad and exceptionally bad.

The internet's blogs are the modern-day housewife's telephone chain. Gossip spreads fast.

After the dealership's management read my blog the shit hit the fan. (It doesn't take much to find someone. One simple Google, and BOOM.)

This resulted in the dealership receiving a rash of phone calls and DEATH THREATS because of my sharing the experience On The Internet.

I was called a bully, too, for telling the internet about what happened. How dare I tell anyone to manipulate the dealership! (Like I thought THAT. FAR. AHEAD? Please.)

I was handed a piece of paper, and DEMANDED to NEVER, EVER!! speak of this event EVER!! again, and "sign here." I did, because I was SCARED OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND. But, I left out the pertinent words they asked me to write out, and I didn't see any lawyers around, and I wanted to go home.

I don't know what they thought I was planning to do, but apparently I was a threat. They begged me to shut up.

Blogs have serious influence sometimes, for good or bad. It's not like I was out to take down one of the largest used sales businesses in my area, only to share a customer experience, much like any product review, but this time, it went awry.

How did it end? Well, a negative rating on the Better Biz Bureau, a car trade. even though I should have WALKED AWAY from "the deal," and not let them buy me off.

"Response Details: We have worked this out they got the vehicle. And they were makeing things up in order to exstort our business into giving them what ever they wanted. The gm never sword near her child and thats all we have to say about the matter. However we did appoligize for the problems and misunderstanding this cutomer had."

"BBB processed a total of 74 complaint(s) (It was 23! last September.) about this business in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total 74 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months, 47 were closed in the last 12 months."

These complaints:

regarding Advertising Issues

regarding Contract Issues

regarding Credit, Billing or Collection Issues

regarding Customer Service Issues

5		regarding Failure to provide promised assistance or support for products or services
1		regarding Failure to respond to phone calls or written requests for assistance or support
6		regarding Inappropriate behavior by customer service personnel