Planetfeedback Consumer Reviews

There is a website called PlanetFeedback (PFB), whose purpose is to allow people to sign up for accounts, and write letters that are forwarded to companies and posted publicly online. One feature of the site is that members can make comments on the letters, much like other consumer feedback sites.

Wow, one should be careful before venturing into this website for what is to follow. One example of several is a person who wrote about a handle that was ripped off their screen door by the FedEx delivery person. That person later returned after a complaint was filed, and said he would repair it. More than three weeks passed, and despite several calls for an update on the situation, promised returned calls and visits to the home were not made. So the fellow posts a complaint on PFB.

What ensued is nothing short of ruthless criticism, with no regard for the fact that a FedEx employee allegedly admitted they did the damage and then later recanted, and the victim remains uncompensated over 3 weeks later for the $15 damage.

Here is a sampling of the comments that members posted: 1."You aren't that loyal to get upset over $15." 2. "The man admitted he made a mistake, came back and even offered to repair it. This is overkill. You said yourself it was $15. Good Lord, I hope you never damage someone else's property!" 3. "What is the world coming to? You have the hardware. Fix it and move on to something more meaningful."

I've read that PFB had a moderator who ran a tight ship, and controlled posts to retard this kind of activity. That policy must have changed because it appears that anything goes. I'm very happy I participate in forums where this kind of behavior isn't allowed.

(Update) They continue to pile on - a long time member just chimed in with: "So consider it a cost of owning a home: Making a repair/replacement because something FINALLY broke and it's just the FedEx guy's dumb
luck that it was him. If I visited your home and the handle just came off in my hand simply for trying to open a door, I'd not replace it -- it'd be on YOU."

And then others showed support for this helpful comment with: 1. "Thank you n/m." 2. "Unless superman is now working for FedEx, you are exactly right." Evidently these people were there and saw the door - maybe they are neighbors or something.

(Second update) Here, a member that has already batted the OP over the head piles on more insults and ignores completely that FedEx and the employee said they would repair the problem: "If you are a homeowner and $15 is going to break you, it's time to move. Part of owning a house is maintaining it. If they can't afford $15 what about when the heater breaks, the hot water tank goes, the toilet clogs up?"

I have been an active member of consumer feedback style websites for years. I will try to keep this short, but have to apologize up front what is sure to be a somewhat longer letter of explanation. I have found several websites helpful in the mutual exchange of information between individuals and business. I have always been of the belief that a business, receiving funds from a customer, is only obligated to give what is promised to the customer. That is to say, just because the customer is transferring funds to a business, does not mean the business is in the requirement to do any thing more than what they originally promise.

Now to get into the heart of my own 3 cents. Planetfeedback.com, a separate service from my3cents.com, is structured to claim that they are an open forum to feedback. A consumer can post both complaints and compliments to an organization. Others are then allowed to post their comments in an effort to create an open discussion, both good and bad to these comments.

Recently, the posting on the site got more and more negative. To monitor this, management of the site asked certain users of the site to moderate these discussions. The only result this had was allowing the name-calling to become rancid. These same users, were themselves the ones calling names. Within about two weeks, the use of moderators was withdrawn, but their name-calling did not. Throughout the site, out and out profanity was being used in order to give supposed "constructive" feedback to customers and other posters.

Many regular users were stating things like “Cry-Baby, Dick, Pissing, Coward” and several other terms I'd rather not use. The most surprising of this profanity came directly from the management of the website. This didn't seem like a proper way to conduct a website like this. When this same information was posted, within this same way, to the management of the website, this letter and any other posts were deleted from site. No further information was given, only that the account to post this information was removed.

To resolve this, I would like an apology from this website and an explanation of why this occurred, when all other posts using such inappropriate posts were left untouched. Planetfeedback should then not allow name-calling or other vulgarities on their site, only constructive feedback; even if this means reprimanding some of the regular users of this site. If they continue to allow these actions to continue, editing proper feedback on the site, more consumers will stray away from their site and find other sites acting more professional.