Hellopeter.com - more than meets the eye.

[Dave A]

I wonder how much DataPro would have to pay to be allowed to respond via the same media vehicle?

As an aside, I'm staggered at just how much a serious lawsuit costs nowadays.

[Chatmaster]

We were tearing our hair out with DataPro – a young Gary Sweidan instructed his team to supply us with nothing more than a box. “It’s not our job to help you …”. Strange, but true.

The irony of this is that Datapro is most probably one of the largest and best hosting companies in the country. If I need something from them the response is normally HUGE and things were sorted immediately, they constantly walked that extra mile for me. Besides that, what company will tell you, it is not their job if it is? This is sickening from a person of Peter's stature and I do not believe this statement for one second.

[duncan drennan]

Now I found this fascinating, Telkom is no loger a company that responds, which has resulted in it jumping to the top of the

This was the bit that surprised me,

Telkom often appeared at the top of the complaints list before becoming a company who responds – which involves an annual fee and safeguards companies from appearing on this list.

Well, I suppose it makes sense, if you are a "company who responds" then you won't appear on the companies who don't respond list.

Having a look at the site again there are two lists, top complimented company that responds, and top complaint company who does not respond.

Two missing lists there, top complaint company that does respond, and top complimented company that does not respond. Essentially the companies that do respond are shielded in a way from direct bad publicity.

Seems to defeat the purpose a bit - if you suck, you suck, whether you respond or not. Surely paying an annual fee should not keep you out of the spotlight?

[apropos]

I have used Hellopeter 10 times now, all with great results from the companies. Yes they WERE all companies that do respond (big corps) but if you take the leaque the likes of Vodacom, Edgars, MTN etc run, it is correct to claim that a fee of R60K is fair. It's a drop in their budget bucket, for the use of a great site like Hellopeter.

For the smaller companies, I agree with bullfrog-you are small and therefor it is WRONG for someone to even go and complain about you! Smaller companies are supposed to be so service related nowadays, they probably deserve the negative publicity they might receive on Hellopeter.

I do have a problem with companies that misuse the system i.e. Amazing Vouchers and deserve to be "blacklisted" on Hellopeter. Surely Dave would "ban" or "blacklist" me if I had to misuse this forum/site?


The FACT remains that Hellopeter was established to assist the CONSUMER before making any decisions on a new purchase i.e. 3G or Nokia or Webmail. So convenient to search the site, and make your (rightfully yours) informed decision before acting upon it. Companies that want to stay in the kitchen, has to pay the price to handle the heat.

I also see many "unknown" companies listed as "newest companies that respond". Surely they did'nt cough up R13K for that? Hellopeter has never come across to me as a company/website/service provider that acts unfair or
unapproachable.

I will continue to use Hellopeter, because I sometimes enjoy the way the bigger corps themselves when they get that complaint. And no I did not only complain. I have a healthy 4 compliments vs 6 complaints sitting on Hellopeter. And it felt good to give those compliments, because those companies really deserved it....

It is time us consumers stand together, and stop eating the the world tries to feed us everyday. It is a form of "de-sensitising" us from good proper fair value-for-money service and product we deserve.

[Dave A]

Welcome apropos. And thank you for your views.

I think your post highlights why this is a dilemma.

Hellopeter works! It produces results for consumers where traditional methods have failed. But is that as a result of the fact that companies have to pay fees to respond? Or as a result of the prospect of negative publicity?

How many companies that are listed as "Companies who do not respond" would in fact respond, and even service the consumer, but for the matter of a fee to Peter Cheales for the privilege?

And is the option of being able to respond a privilege - or a right?

For the consumer to insist that a business should pay a fee to respond is essentially vindictive, and does not contribute to them getting their complaint addressed.

[Chatmaster]

My biggest issue with HP is the fact that he offers no value to businesses. Blackmailing them to respond doesn't mean he adds value. The number of Small to Medium business far outnumber the bigger businesses that can afford to pay the fees, and probably do get some value out of PR. The fact that consumers can state anything they like and a busines has to pay to respond is a flaw and will stay that way for as long as his business model stays the way it is.

[Marq]

Smaller companies are supposed to be so service related nowadays, they probably deserve the negative publicity they might receive on Hellopeter.

Oh Really?

The FACT remains that Hellopeter was established to assist the CONSUMER before making any decisions on a new purchase

Oh Really

Nothing wrong with Hellopeter

Oh Really?

I also see many "unknown" companies listed as "newest companies that respond".

Gosh!!!

Welcome to hellopeter?

[apropos]

Thank you Dave for the welcome. And Chatmaster for your input.

I think that companies may choose to pay for the priviledge to join Hellopeter, and that they will add value to their PR by having access to:

1. Registration and set up

1. Email Notification : Immediate notification by email each time hellopeter.com receives a comment bearing your name in the Supplier panel.

1. Customer's Contact Details: Each comment is submitted with a user name. Companies Who Respond receive name, email and telephone number of customer.

1. SMS Notification: In addition to the email notification you have the option to receive a FREE sms on your cell phone alerting you to comments on the site.

1. Supplier's Response: The right to reply. Each time a comment is made about your company, you have the right to respond on the site and contact the customer directly.

1. Update Response: The facility to respond in more detail to existing comments when new information comes to hand.

1. Hyperlink your Company Website: By supplying a hyperlink next to your company's name, users can click through to your own website.

1. Customer Feedback: Users are asked to rate your response to their comments 36 hours after posting a comment.

1. Newsflashes: Home page publicity for your company. Special offers, discounts, announcements may all be publicised.

And after all, this being a forum, I actually went and swotted a bit on the Hellopeter website (so that I could add more valuable input to this discussion than "Oh Really" this and "Oh Really" that) and noticed the following regarding the fees:

http://www.hellopeter.com/comp_subscription.asp.
PLEASE NOTE: there is an annual registration, set-up and admin. fee payable by EVERY Company Who Responds. The annual fee is R315.00 excl. VAT. Companies are also charged an Annual Response Fee according to the number of comments made about them. Companies with less than 4 comments pay NO Annual Response Fee.

Lovely to see that it is even affordable for a small company like mine, and that this at last destroys all rumors and false allegations on the "fees" previously speculated about.

The way I see it, fraud, misuse and abuse by the companies and their staff in question which has resulted in the removal of their profiles from the Hellopeter site, has re-labled the "every action has a consequence" law of life as "blackmailing".

[Dave A]

Is there a package deal where I as a company can respond to a complaint at the same fee rate as a consumer pays to lay a complaint?

Without all the bells and whistles, of course.

[Chatmaster]

apropos, Peter should put you on his payroll, lol. Seriously I have a serious issue with the business model. He cannot charge business any money for responding, what is the service in that? I mean surely his add revenue alone makes him a handy profit each month! As a consumer I would rather know for a fact that the business I am complaining about can respond, regardless of payment! How can I be sure that my complaint will be looked at, unless I do not care and simply want to damage their business... And how many complaints are made because the consumer messed up something but still want a freebie? How easy is it to view HP as a blackmailing strategy to get it your way regardless of your own guilt or mistake? Some companies will clear the issue simply to avoid bad publicity imo.