Pay up or be shamed..

on the web

[creative craig]

[news.bbc.co.uk...]

Stelios Haji-Ioannou keeps on finding new and surprising ways to keep his business on top :)

Craig

[korkus2000]

Doesn't seem that bad to me as long as he will not publish a picture if the customer contacts him within the 15 day grace period.

[rcjordan]

Naming and shaming has been a collection tool implemented by taxing authorities here in the US for decades (using public records and newspaper delinquency lists, and now moving to the web in many states). It works.

[Liane]

If someone failed to return one of the yachts we charter for 15 days, I would have the BVI police, US Coast guard and Interpol after them!

A photo on the internet is tame and certainly within the limits of sound business practice.

[jackofalltrades]

Its fair play IMHO.

I remember reading Bill Thomsons orginal article on the subject a while back. I have liked most of his work, but in this case Id have to say I though he was wrong.

Granted, its taking it too far if you airbrush in little devil horns on the photos.... ;)

JOAT

[edit_g]

That's what I don't really get. Surely if you don't return the car you're stealing it- or certainly breaking a contract. Why not contact their CC company, the police, call their office phone number and track them down... Those easyrentacars ain't hard to spot. Posting their image on the web seems really tame.

[lorax]

Hmmm... I wonder if I can get my web clients to let me take thier pictures. If they pay on time they get into "Our hall of fame" if they don't they get into our "Wall of shame". ;)

[lazerzubb]

Just found a new business model, i will start a modeling agency, rent a few cars, and overdue them 15 days, and the girls that picked up the cars will be on a website with god knows how many visitors :)

[jackofalltrades]

Shame Whois doesnt take photos - i have a few spammers id like to name and shame.... ;)

[john316]

The practice can be dangerous. A friend of mine was "shamed" for a DUI offense years ago in a large metropolitan newspaper that started a special section. It brought her hundreds of phone calls and several personal visits from rehab clinics, whackos, do-gooders and creeps. She had to move her residence, change phone number and lived in abject fear for months.

After a few of the editorial staff and their family members made the "special section", the program was quietly dropped.

<added>
Legal notices are a bit different in that they don't convey "Here is a list of major low lifes that need a kick in the pants."

[edited by: john316 at 4:04 pm (utc) on Jan. 6, 2003]

[gsmitchell]

john316,

I agree with you that this practice can be dangerous. But in this case where a car is extremely overdue, I do not see a problem with it.

[curlykarl]

:) I like it :) :)

[Liane]

How can this practice be considered dangerous in any way. We are talking about people whom have kept rental cars longer than they had contracted to rent them? That is grand theft auto ... not DUI or any other circumstance.

[GilbertZ]

I say shoot him after 15 days ;) hehehh

[john316]

I guess promoting vigilante behaviour is a good thing.

Most of us probably live in a civilized setting where the laws of the land are sufficient to deal with "issues". If those laws are not good enough, maybe we should conduct business elsewhere.

[Liane]

Most of us probably live in a civilized setting where the laws of the land are sufficient to deal with "issues".

The same laws allow for business owners to protect themselves in ways the law permits. A "wall of shame photo" is permitted. Does that make the business owner a vigilante or uncivilized?

It may be distasteful to you (and myself for that matter),but just because we may not choose to employ such tactics, does not mean others have to live by our choices.