This applies to, and is posted at, the review sections for the following websites:
cocomartini.com, bukmall.com, saanjhi.com, 8ookstore.com, collegexpres.com and textsociety.com
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!" ~ Sir Walter Scott
Here's a tale of disappointed students to tug at your heartstrings. Or perhaps not...
From Sandy D:
"Don't order from this company! I placed my order 4 weeks ago when site said 7-10 day delivery. I received a shipping confirmation only after 3 angry emails. Impossible to find contact information on site. Of course, my bank was charged immediately, so I can't stop payment." 2/8/2010 Review of cocomartini.com
Sandy D then becomes Mecky C:
From Mecky C:
"Don't order from bukmall.com! I placed my order 4 weeks ago when site said 7-10 day delivery. I received a shipping confirmation only after 3 angry emails. Impossible to find contact information on site. Of course, my bank was charged immediately, so I can't stop payment" 7/20/2010 Review of bukmall.com
Mecky C then morphs into "David Parker" to post on Reseller Ratings:
"Don't order from bukmall.com bookstore! I placed my order 4 weeks ago when site said 7-10 day delivery. I received a shipping confirmation only after 3 angry emails. Impossible to find contact information on site. Of course, my bank was charged immediately, so I can't stop payment."
David Parker (the late Mecky C) then posts, on Reseller Ratings:
"don't buy college textbooks from this website http://www.saanjhi.com/ never get any replies, communication. Never receive the textbooks. Cheating"
David Parker then becomes Jeff C, of whom more in a moment, and goes over to Sitejabber, posting:
"don't buy college textbooks from this website http://www.saanjhi.com/ never get any replies, communication. Never receive the textbooks. Cheating" 7/3/2010 Review of saanjhi.com
Jeff C then channels the late Mecky C:
From Jeff C:
"Don't order from 8ookstore.com bookstore! I placed my order 4 weeks ago when site said 7-10 day delivery. I received a shipping confirmation only after 3 angry emails. Impossible to find contact information on site. Of course, my bank was charged immediately, so I can't stop payment." 7/25/2010 Review of Bookstore.com
Meanwhile we have another dual personality here...
From Brian W:
"I had an AWFUL experience with cocomartini.com too. Ordered books in January, never got them. Five months later they still refused to resend or refund my money. Customer service was INCREDIBLY RUDE. Accused me of lying and wouldn't answer my questions. WORST ONLINE SHOPPING I'VE EVER DONE!" 7/2/2010 Review of cocomartini.com
And
From David P:
"I had an AWFUL experience with 8ookstore.com. Ordered books in January, never got them. Five months later they still refused to resend or refund my money. Customer service was INCREDIBLY RUDE. Accused me of lying and wouldn't answer my questions. WORST ONLINE SHOPPING I'VE EVER DONE!" 7/22/2010 Review of 8ookstore.com
David then has a sex-change into "ellakoon", who I believe is 'Ella K' here at Sitejabber, and is also found at ResellerRatings.com:
"7/21/10 12:58 AM
I had an AWFUL experience with ErgodeBooks.com. Ordered books in January, never got them. Five months later they still refused to resend or refund my money. Customer service was INCREDIBLY RUDE. Accused me of lying and wouldn't answer my questions. WORST ONLINE SHOPPING I'VE EVER DONE!"
And there are more of these people:
From Ann O:
"ME TOO! I BOUGHT A BOOK FROM THIS WEB SITE A WEEK AGO AND AND STILL DIDN'T GET MY BOOK, AND I SENT TWO MESSAGES TO THEM AND GET NO REPLY. DID YOU GUYS GET YOU BOOK NOW?" 2/8/2010 Review of collegexpres.com
And back comes Jeff C:
"ME TOO! I BOUGHT A BOOK FROM THIS WEB SITE A WEEK AGO AND AND STILL DIDN'T GET MY BOOK, AND I SENT TWO MESSAGES TO THEM AND GET NO REPLY. DID YOU GUYS GET YOU BOOK NOW?" 7/8/2010 Review of textsociety.com
What does this tell us, aside from the obvious fact that SiteJabber ought to be paying me to expose this stuff?
It tells us that certain people believe that review sites such as this one really do influence their readers.
Otherwise, these people wouldn't bother with all this. Which means we're having an effect, which is great to know. But it also means they think we're all stupid, or unobservant, or that none of us care enough to root out the phoney reviewers and their often-obvious phony reviews. I think they're wrong.
It needs people to decide not to leave it to someone else, but to get involved, and give something back to the community, which isn't always easy, but it would be worthwhile and I have a feeling it will come, sooner or later.
Meanwhile, I'd definitely recommend you proceed with caution before using any of these student book sites, and especially if they are in China or India or some other foreign country. There's nothing necessarily bad about trading with a foreign country, but do remember that you've probably got little or nothing by way of a guarantee or a chance to send anything back, and you probably have about an equal chance, or less, of getting a refund if things go wrong. Or goods don't arrive. We know the Chinese are notorious for, how shall we say, a very distinctly Chinese way of doing business, and you should know what I mean by that. If you don't, you should probably not buy anything from there. But take care to at least make sure you know, if it's at all possible, what country you're buying from. And please let me or any of the top reviewers here know, if you stumble across a similar bunch of hoaxes.