Re: Exposing a bad repair shop

[Jay Mackro <jmackro@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 02:14 PM 12/21/98 -0500, Frank <fca@domain.elided> wrote:

>I have struggled this past weekend trying to balance my feeling of
>obligation to warn others as I wish I had been warned, and my hesitance
>to publicly disgrace another person.  I feel nothing for this man but
>disgust and something close to hatred for the financial and emotional
>rape I suffered in his hands, but I wonder if it justifies exposing him
>to humiliation and ridicule.

Frank:

I don't have the answer, but let me offer two thoughts:

1) In your quote above, you note that you wish others had warned you
about the ethics of this repair shop.  Well, if you remain silent on
who has mistreated you, and your car, you are perpetuating the cycle
of not passing on this information.  I would submit that you can
simply report the facts of the matter without necessarily "exposing 
him to humiliation and ridicule".  Of course, if you do chose to
litigate, anything that you post to a newsgroup might impact your 
case (ain't the US "justice" system wonderful?)

2) The custom of this list, like most groups, is to humiliate and
ridicule first, and ask questions later.  Heck, I've seen some 
well-meaning people expend time and effort in writing sincere 
replies, only to get flamed for their troubles.  Not that the 
restraint you are showing is wrong, but it's certainly at an extreme 
end of the polite <---> nasty distribution curve.

Good luck with your car!

Jay Mackro

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