Folks that behave poorly in business to potential customers and go
after customer are MUCH worse off in the long run, even if they do
manage to silence someone.
Instead they immediately threaten you.
Gee, that will win praise on the net real fast.

They **** and moan about one of two post then threaten someone who
will then tell everyone about it while if the company had just gone
about their business, that little post in some obscure mailing list
about some plants would not have been noticed but by coming out after
the customer, this really brings the fight out for everyone to see and
the court of public opinion will weigh very heavily against the
business, not the consumer.

Now MOST businesses understand this, some fruitcakes evidently do not.
But it's okay, they hurt themselves the worse.

Some actually end up in Bankruptcy court and file Ch 7 or Ch 11.
I know one such case.

Too bad they cannot come forward and discuss things like bad service
issues, science behind the product and convienice, address the folks
that are skeptics or at least beat the skeptics in a
debate/discussion.

This is much better business approach and wins more sales than the
legal billy club.

They do not have time to discuss the product/service but these same
companies have the time to call their lawyers and sue consumers,
gather evidence?

I would gladly buy from SeaChem, Marineland, and other companies that
talk to hobbyist and give details. They do not threaten the customer
if the customer does not like it.
They spend less time/energy etc on legal issues and more on good
service and doing things for customers that win loylaty. It's cheaper
to simply give something away than to sue someone. It's a better
investment.

SeaChem made a number of things that were controvesial, but they won
folks over slowly with good service and supporting the hobby.

If they have a critic they try everything to solve the issue and have
sent replacement products to those with issues at no cost etc.
This is good business ense and a much better investment in the long
term than threats.

Business to business uissues are different but you never go after a
customer, you always try and work it out with them.

Got a critic and don't like what they said?

Get off your butt and defend it and not with lawyers.
If it works you need to know why it works and explain it enough to
make sense to the consumer.

Your selling something that requires this approach in sales
By not doing that, it makes the consumer both paranoid/suspicious and
also the mere fact that you threaten instead of discussing gives a
horrid taste in ANY consumer's mouth.

The web is a big place and the court of public opinion weighs very
heavily here, you will not win in business using your approach, that I
do know.

Most successful companies really do not waste their time or energy of
such stupid notions as to go after a consumer. It's bad business.

Going after a customer cost a great deal and takes a long time, even
for legal hobbyist and they always lose in the end.
I'd much rather take any cost/profits etc and use it to build the
business rather than defending what one person said on a long
forgotton post.

The nastygram post from these companies are used against the companies
in the court of public opinion on the web for all to see. That's the
worse thing you can do as a company.

The company only discredits themself by avoiding a discussion and
threatening the consumers.

Compliments are one of the best investments a copmpnmay can make to
consumers, legal threats to consumers are some of the worse.

Say , "Yes, good points dear consumer...." then go to explain an
answer....it's easier than talking about law.

Regards,
Tom Barr