Online Safety

Negotiation: 10 Tips and Tricks; How to Find a Resolution Online

Whenever you find yourself buying, selling, or finding a resolution online, remember these tips to save yourself time, money, and a headache.

  1. Educate yourself.

If you know the value of what it is you are trying to buy or sell, you are in a place where you can approximate how much you can reasonably offer/demand as payment. Coming in with an estimation close to what is the likely outcome will demonstrate both reasonableness and intelligence. When in doubt, Google it.

  1. Check your tone of text.

Communicating online is difficult because there is no vocal tone or facial expressions to attach to a message. People can easily misinterpret something meant in a kind way as rude because of this. Attempt to read your message from different perspectives prior to submission.

  1. Confirm your source.

If you buy/sell something to someone who has bad intentions, it is possible to find yourself in a bad situation—particularly because you have never met some of these people in person. Make sure to read different reviews if they are available, and when you are finished, leave your own review to help people in the future. You can provide a lot of guidance!

  1. Anchor your price.

Although you may find yourself wanting a fair outcome, as a buyer, start a bit lower, and as a seller, start a bit higher. You might find that 1) your price is met or 2) you receive a better deal because it is hard to move too far from an offer/demand once it is made.

  1. Advocate for you.

If something does go wrong, remember your outlets for a resolution. Reach out to online sources if it is a large company with a website. You can use email, social media, and instant messenger to contact. In the end, never underestimate a phone call and lots of patience. If none of these outlets work, there are methods to report sellers/buyers on websites such as Ebay & Amazon. You can report businesses to the Better Business Bureau. Find these outlets and make some noise—the “squeaky wheel” gets the most attention.

  1. Remember your value.

You are a consumer. Whether you are using a platform to sell something or you are buying something. Sometimes these online interactions can go poorly, but remember, companies need you. They need you to use their platforms; they need you to buy their products; they need you to “advertise” and support them, otherwise they will fail to find success. Feel empowered.

  1. Try multiple avenues.

Try to look for what you want from different places. There are many avenues that will price match. If you can show that the product or a comparable product is sold for a different price, then you can often negotiate. If the buyer/seller is unwilling to negotiate, they might not be the best option for you, which leads to number 8.

  1. When in doubt, walk away.

The willingness to walk away is often a very powerful tool. Remember that there will always be another buyer/seller and another product. However, if it is something you really want, bluff. It is okay to mislead in this instance. If you feel that something is “shady,” follow your gut and walk away. You will have more regrets spending money on a product that never comes in the mail or driving to meet a buyer that never shows up, then going with someone/something different. Sometimes it is worth spending a little bit more money or searching a little bit longer for peace of mind.

  1. Push back.

If someone is attempting to bully you into a price, undervalue you, or even convince of an untrue fact about a product, push back. If someone is trying to meet you somewhere you do not feel comfortable with, push back. If you are not getting the resolution you believe you truly deserve, push back. Ask for what you want. The worst that can happen is you create a sour relationship with someone you will likely never see again. Be respectful, but also, say what you want. With all the online revenues, you have lots of options on how to go about finding a resolution; push back with a variety of those and see what will happen.

  1. Justify your stance.

Something might hold more value for you than someone else. Feel free to justify your stance. Let someone know why you believe that this has a particular value. Support it with evidence. Online dispute resolution is an amazing avenue because often, there is an electronic record of the efforts you have taken and the words that have passed between you. Use this. Finally, remember: you are your own best advocate. Empower yourself, and you will find what you are looking for.

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU ISSUES REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON CONSUMER COMPLAINT REPORTING

By: Amy 

This is from the cfpb press release:

“WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) about the Bureau’s public reporting of consumer complaints. The Bureau is seeking comments and information from interested parties on the usefulness of complaint reporting and analysis, as well as specific suggestions or best practices for complaint reporting. This is the sixth in a series of RFIs announced as part of Acting Director Mick Mulvaney’s call for evidence to ensure the Bureau is fulfilling its proper and appropriate functions to best protect consumers. This RFI will provide an opportunity for the public to submit feedback and suggest ways to improve outcomes for both consumers and covered entities. The next RFI in the series will address the Bureau’s rulemaking processes, and will be issued next week.

The RFI on complaint reporting is available at:https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_rfi_complaint-reporting_032018.pdf

The CFPB will begin accepting comments once the RFI is printed in the Federal Register, which is expected to occur on March 7. The RFI will be open for comment for 90 days.

The Bureau anticipates issuing RFIs on the following topics in the coming weeks:

  • Rulemaking Processes
  • Bureau Adopted Rules
  • Inherited Rules
  • Guidance and Implementation Support
  • Consumer Education
  • Consumer Inquiries

More information about the call for evidence is available at: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/policy-compliance/notice-opportunities-comment/open-notices/call-for-evidence/

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that helps consumer finance markets work by regularly identifying and addressing outdated, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome regulations; by making rules more effective; by consistently enforcing federal consumer financial law; and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives. For more information, visit consumerfinance.gov.”

The Newhandshake: Online Dispute Resolution and the Future of Consumer Protection

By: Amy 

We used to buy goods and services in person.  We’d introduce ourselves, look each other in the eye, and negotiate the terms of the transaction.  If we thought it was a good deal, we’d seal it with a handshake.  That handshake was more than a kind gesture – it signaled that if any problem arose, both sides were committed to getting it resolved quickly and fairly.  That handshake was our personal trustmark.

Nowadays, it’s harder to close deals with a handshake.  We can buy items from all over the world with just a few swipes on our iPhones, but when problems arise (as they inevitably do) the next step is often unclear.  On the internet it is difficult, if not impossible, to tell the good merchants from the bad merchants, and the processes for resolving disputes are often confusing or hard to find.  Customer service can feel like a runaround (e.g. long hold times, unfair refund policies) and formal redress mechanisms that work in the face-to-face world, like the courts, are generally impractical for online purchases — especially when purchases are low value and cross several legal jurisdictions.

The New Handshake: Online Dispute Resolution and the Future of Consumer Protection focuses on this lack of trust and access to remedies for online transactions.  This groundbreaking book proposes a design for a “New Handshake” for the online world.  This New Handshake uses Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) to provide fast and fair resolutions for low-dollar claims, such as those in most B2C (Business-to-Consumer) contexts.  This revolutionary system is designed to operate independently of the courts, thereby eliminating procedural complexities and choice of law concerns.  Furthermore, it can be integrated directly into the websites where transactions take place. It would provide consumers with free access to remedies, while saving businesses from costs and complexities of court.  The New Handshake aims to rebuild trust in the B2C marketplace, and provide a blueprint for the future of online consumer protection.

This is not your typical “law” or “business” book.  Instead, is a collaborative effort of a business leader and a law professor.   The result is essential reading for:
Online merchants
Payment providers
Customer services
Lawyers
Judges
Law and business students
Consumer advocates
Policy makers
ODR systems designers
The New Handshake can be purchased on the ABA website here:
https://shop.americanbar.org/eBus/Store/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=267464824&term=5100032

Privacy in the Digital Age: Data Tracking and Data Brokers

By: Dylan Sheji

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that the Internet changed everything, because it most certainly did. Almost all of humanity’s combined knowledge can be found on the Internet. Friends and family members that live thousands of miles away from each other can be brought together with a single click. There are billions of websites are out there that Internet users browse daily that have a wide range of utility. But as you browse the Internet, have you noticed that the ads you see on websites are starting to follow you? And that they relate to previous Internet searches or websites you’ve visited? These targeted ads are consequences of data tracking, the analysis of Internet user behavior on websites in order to identify buying intentions or interests. The blog posts I write will discuss data tracking, the companies tracking data, how Internet data is tracked, and methods we consumers can use to push back against the collection of our data. This blog post will discuss the concept of data tracking, the companies that track consumer data, and methods of data tracking.

As I said above, data tracking is the analysis of our Internet behavior in order to target consistently annoying personalized ads at us. Data tracking monitors your Internet activity similar to how your credit report tracks you with regards to your financial history. The companies that collect this information are called data brokers. Data brokers take the information they gather and sell it to other companies, namely advertising and marketing companies, in order to directly appeal and advertise to specific groups of Internet users. This is the reason why ads seem to follow us; companies are getting your Internet data in real time and directly advertising to you.

Who are these companies that are tracking our data? Some are foreign to a majority of consumers while others are names we see every day. For example, Facebook and Twitter, repositories of much of our personal data, are some of the top data brokers. And for good reason: we willingly publish so much information about ourselves on these public platforms, and as their privacy statements make clear, what we share is readily available to the rest of the world, including other data brokers and advertising companies. Facebook further developed it’s utility to advertisers in 2014, when it bought Atlas, an ad server, from Microsoft. Atlas allows marketers to measure consumer data and target consumers across all digital sites, not just limited Facebook, and even across every type of device. Other data broker companies are relatively unknown to the average consumer, for example the largest data broker, Axciom, which collects on average 1,500 pieces of information on more than 200 million Americans. Another such company is eBureau, a company that sells Internet profiles to online marketers complete with a real-time scoring system for about 220 million Americans, so that marketers can sell you exactly what you need when you need it.

Now that you know who is tracking our data and why, how do these sites collect information from their users in the first place? The main method of tracking is through “cookies,” small bits of text that are downloaded to one’s browser as one uses the web. These text files contain small strings of numbers that can be used to identify individual computers. Cookies can come the website the user is visiting, called first-party cookies, or from some other website, called third party cookies. First party cookies used by websites are typically not used for advertising, but to analyze website traffic and figure out who is visiting the site and why in order to increase traffic. Third party cookies are more insidious, and can come from any of the companies I listed above without consumer approval or awareness. Most websites have a variety of third party cookies hidden within them. Facebook and Twitter widgets that one sees on many websites also contain these third party cookies. Cookies lack any personal identifiers and aggregate a user’s tracking data from multiple sites to infer interests. This “aggregated not personal” concept is the reason why these tactics are legal; they are anonymous data bits used for marketing purposes and not to track your credit or finances, which is heavily regulated by the government.

At this point all of this data tracking sounds a little too Big Brother, and though there can be positive benefits to receiving personalized ads for items you may actually really need, the easy dissemination of our data is nonetheless frightening. Fear not consumers, in my next blog post I will go over various methods to prevent data brokers from analyzing your Internet data.

Privacy in the Digital Age: Data Tracking and Data Brokers

By: Dylan Sheji

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that the Internet changed everything, because it most certainly did. Almost all of humanity’s combined knowledge can be found on the Internet. Friends and family members that live thousands of miles away from each other can be brought together with a single click. There are billions of websites are out there that Internet users browse daily that have a wide range of utility. But as you browse the Internet, have you noticed that the ads you see on websites are starting to follow you? And that they relate to previous Internet searches or websites you’ve visited? These targeted ads are consequences of data tracking, the analysis of Internet user behavior on websites in order to identify buying intentions or interests. The blog posts I write will discuss data tracking, the companies tracking data, how Internet data is tracked, and methods we consumers can use to push back against the collection of our data. This blog post will discuss the concept of data tracking, the companies that track consumer data, and methods of data tracking.

As I said above, data tracking is the analysis of our Internet behavior in order to target consistently annoying personalized ads at us. Data tracking monitors your Internet activity similar to how your credit report tracks you with regards to your financial history. The companies that collect this information are called data brokers. Data brokers take the information they gather and sell it to other companies, namely advertising and marketing companies, in order to directly appeal and advertise to specific groups of Internet users. This is the reason why ads seem to follow us; companies are getting your Internet data in real time and directly advertising to you.

Who are these companies that are tracking our data? Some are foreign to a majority of consumers while others are names we see every day. For example, Facebook and Twitter, repositories of much of our personal data, are some of the top data brokers. And for good reason: we willingly publish so much information about ourselves on these public platforms, and as their privacy statements make clear, what we share is readily available to the rest of the world, including other data brokers and advertising companies. Facebook further developed it’s utility to advertisers in 2014, when it bought Atlas, an ad server, from Microsoft. Atlas allows marketers to measure consumer data and target consumers across all digital sites, not just limited Facebook, and even across every type of device. Other data broker companies are relatively unknown to the average consumer, for example the largest data broker, Axciom, which collects on average 1,500 pieces of information on more than 200 million Americans. Another such company is eBureau, a company that sells Internet profiles to online marketers complete with a real-time scoring system for about 220 million Americans, so that marketers can sell you exactly what you need when you need it.

Now that you know who is tracking our data and why, how do these sites collect information from their users in the first place? The main method of tracking is through “cookies,” small bits of text that are downloaded to one’s browser as one uses the web. These text files contain small strings of numbers that can be used to identify individual computers. Cookies can come the website the user is visiting, called first-party cookies, or from some other website, called third party cookies. First party cookies used by websites are typically not used for advertising, but to analyze website traffic and figure out who is visiting the site and why in order to increase traffic. Third party cookies are more insidious, and can come from any of the companies I listed above without consumer approval or awareness. Most websites have a variety of third party cookies hidden within them. Facebook and Twitter widgets that one sees on many websites also contain these third party cookies. Cookies lack any personal identifiers and aggregate a user’s tracking data from multiple sites to infer interests. This “aggregated not personal” concept is the reason why these tactics are legal; they are anonymous data bits used for marketing purposes and not to track your credit or finances, which is heavily regulated by the government.

At this point all of this data tracking sounds a little too Big Brother, and though there can be positive benefits to receiving personalized ads for items you may actually really need, the easy dissemination of our data is nonetheless frightening. Fear not consumers, in my next blog post I will go over various methods to prevent data brokers from analyzing your Internet data.

Taking Back Our Data: Cutting Down on Data Tracking

By: Dylan Sheji 

In my last blog post, I told you about how data tracking and data brokers operate, and how they are gaining access to your Internet data. Now that you know who is looking at your data and how they are getting it, this blog post will discuss several methods to limit the amount of your data available online for data brokers. These methods range from simple Internet maintenance to downloading third party apps and extensions that inform you what companies are tracking the sites we visit and provide options for stopping this tracking.

The easiest is to delete your browser’s cookies and data every time you finish browsing. To do so, go to your browser’s preferences and go to the “Privacy” section. In this section select either “clear browsing data” or “remove all website data” to remove cookies. Deleting cookies breaks the link between the user and the cookie identifier assigned to the computer. Yet this doesn’t stop the tracking because, upon the next browse, the server will assume a new person has visited the site and re-assign a cookie value. And some cookies can get around deletion entirely. Flash cookies, a newer type of cookie, allows for the “re-spawning” of cookies, which allows companies to reinstate deleted cookies. Still, deleting your cookies and browser data is a helpful method to cut down on tracking and to free up data on your computer.

Browsers also have options to opt out of tracking on the browser. These options are still located in the Preferences > Privacy tabs of the browser. However opting out has limits, and opting out of one company’s data mining doesn’t prevent another company from mining your data. On Google Chrome, you can have Chrome send a “Do Not Track” request with your browsing traffic. On Safari, under “Privacy” options choose to block cookies and other website data from third parties and advertisers and also select “Ask Websites Not to Track Me.” However, as Chrome’s pop up states after selecting “Do Not Track,” a request is sent while browsing. This doesn’t guarantee that tracking will stop, just that a request is sent. Chrome’s “Do Not Track” pop up even states “many websites will still collect your browsing data.” Again despite their limited effectiveness these are the best methods to reduce data collection without using third party programs.

Third party programs are the most effective methods of reducing data tracking. These programs will let you know who is tracking your data and give you options to stop the tracking. The two most effective programs that I found are Ghostery and Disconnect. Ghostery is an extension that allows users to decide which tracking companies to trust and which ones to block, giving users more control over what companies gets their information. When you click on the Ghostery widget on your browser, it will tell you which companies are tracking the site you are on and allow you to shut them off. The only real downside to Ghostery is that users must manually select the trackers they want to block. Because there are hundreds and hundreds of trackers consumers most likely do not know which ones to block. Ghostery compliments this by providing details about the various trackers on each site, so consumers can inform themselves about which tracking companies are present before shutting them off.

Disconnect is similar to Ghostery but acts in an opposite way, automatically shutting down third party trackers that collect and retain data while allowing first party trackers to operate. Disconnect groups trackers into four categories: Advertising, Analytics, Social, and Content. The Content section is not automatically blocked because this could affect what content the webpage you visit shows, but these trackers can also be turned off. By blocking these trackers these apps allow for greater consumer data management and increase browser performance by removing said trackers.

Data tracking has become a profitable and stealthy marketing system that takes advantage of user data to advertise to consumers. With the methods listed above, you the consumer can start to take back control of your private information.

Your Facebook Account Doesn’t Have to Die with You

By: Michael Havlik

In a 2014 estimate, there were almost 1.4 billion Facebook users in the world, with 890 million of these users spending an average of 21 minutes per day on Facebook. Even senior citizens, traditionally a demographic slow to adopting online technology, are seeing the value of creating a virtual life on social media. In fact, a recent reportfound that the fastest growing social media demographic is persons 50 years and older. Among all of these users, an estimated 4.75 billion pieces of content are shared daily.

Have you ever wondered what happens to your Facebook account–and all that uploaded content–after you die? Fortunately, recent changes to Facebook’s policy has made death a little less scary.

It has been said that “old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.” Similarly, to fully appreciate Facebook’s new policy, it is worth discussing the alternatives. Consider the widely publicized saga of the Ellsworths family following the death of their son, Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth. Justin, a Marine, died in combat in 2004 while serving in Iraq. After his death, the Ellsworth family wanted to make a memorial of his life by using the e-mails Justin had sent and received while deployed overseas. Yahoo!, the e-mail service provider, denied all requests by the Ellsworth family, citing that it was against their terms-of-service. It was only after a lengthy and costly court battle that Yahoo! gave the family access to Justin’s emails.

Even Facebook’s policy used to be onerous for heirs. In 2012, a family sued Facebook to compel Facebook to give them access to their son’s account. Their son had unexpectedly committed suicide, leaving no note or rationale for the coping family, and the family sought access to help solve the mystery. Even though the family won the lawsuit, Facebook refused to provide the access for some time afterwards.

All of that changed in February of this year (at least for Facebook users). Facebook’s new “Legacy Feature” allows account holders to designate a friend to have certain access after the user passes away. For instance, the legacy contact will be able to pin a post on the decedent’s timeline after death (such as a funeral announcement), respond to new friend requests, or update cover and profile photos. Additionally, users can elect whether they want their legacy contact to be able to download pictures, posts, and videos from their account. And lest you worry about those embarrassing messages with your ex—the legacy contact won’t be able to log in as you or read any private messages.

Alternatively, through this feature, you can tell Facebook to permanently delete your account after death.

Here’s how to designate your legacy contact:

  • From your Facebook profile, click on “Security”
  • Choose “Legacy Contact” at the bottom
  • Enter the name of a Facebook friend as your legacy contact. (Note: an email will be sent to the friend alerting them of their new status)

Does Posting a Legal Notice on your Facebook Wall Protect Your Copyright and Privacy Rights?

By: Michael Havlik 

Earlier this year, anyone actively on Facebook probably saw a resurgence of friends posting a copyright/privacy notice on their wall, addressed to Facebook, and attempting to restrict Facebook’s privacy policies as applied to the user. The message, often full of arcane legalese and citations to various statutes, usually ends with a warning that you, as the user’s friend, remain unprotected unless you perpetuate the message by copy/pasting it to your own wall.

Is there any validity to the message, and any reason why you should post it on your wall? To answer that question, we’ll analyze several of the common claims and citations included in these messages.

(Spoiler alert: as humorously detailed in this video, the message is essentially a hoax, utter nonsense, and has no legal effect whatsoever.)

“I do not give Facebook or any entities associated with Facebook permission to use my pictures, information, or posts, both past and future.”

Facebook’s terms of service state that users “grant [Facebook] a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post.” This is fairly standard language on any social media website. It is binding to all Facebook users, and you cannot modify this “contract” unilaterally by posting a disclaimer on your wall. Coincidently, it is also binding on you regardless whether you’ve read the terms of service or not. If you aren’t comfortable with granting Facebook a license to use your content, you have one option: don’t upload your content on Facebook.

 “I declare that my rights are attached to all my personal data, drawings, paintings, photos, video, texts etc. published on my profile and my page. For commercial use of the foregoing my written consent is required at all times. This places me under the protection of copyright.”

Contrary to the apparent public belief, Facebook does not claim any “copyright” or ownership to any of your personal information that you upload. Also, “my rights are attached…” is meaningless legalese in this context. When this verbiage began circulating several years ago, Facebook released a statement clarifying that “anyone who uses Facebook owns and controls the content and information they post, as stated in our terms. . . . That is our policy, and it always has been.” Indeed, the current terms of service state that “[y]ou own all of the content and information you post on Facebook.”

“…Unless you post this message on your wall, anyone can infringe on your right to privacy once you post to this site.”

This is false. To the contrary, the public can only access the content that you don’t protect using Facebook’s privacy controls.

“NOTE: Facebook is now a public entity. All members must post a note like this. If you do not publish this statement at least once you tacitly allowing the use of your photos, as well as information contained in the profile status updates.”

True, Facebook went public on May 18, 2012. This only means, however, that anyone can now buy and sell its shares on a public market exchange; being a public entity doesn’t change anything under applicable privacy laws. Also true: by using Facebook, you have affirmatively (albeit tacitly) agreed to be bound by the website’s terms of service agreement. This “contract” states that you agree to give Facebook a license to all your information that you upload. Think of this as the price of admission.

“The violation of privacy can be punished by law (pursuant to the UCC and Rome Statute).” Or the alternative, a reference to the “Berne Convention.”

Although the “UCC,” “Rome Statute,” and “Berne Convention” are all real laws, they have nothing to do with internet privacy. The “UCC” is short for the “Uniform Commercial Code,” a set of standardized laws that all states have enacted to govern commercial activity. These laws generally deal with the sale of goods, not privacy rights. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was adopted in 1998 and deal with international crimes against humanity, genocide, and the like. Similarly, the Berne convention, though a real law, is inapplicable in this context.

Using Social Media to Improve the Consumer Complaint Process

By: Braden Johnson 

Our social media driven culture is used to posting, sharing, Tweeting, chatting, pinning, blogging, and Skyping – with friends and strangers alike. But, in the past decade, businesses have emerged as a new player in the social media hierarchy. This has given consumers new tools for reaching out to businesses, and has created a whole new type of online customer service.

Consider an airline passenger who, on a long flight, was frustrated when the television screen in front of him was not working. From his phone, he wrote a short Twitter message to JetBlue, the airline on which he was flying, to describe the problem. Before his plane landed, representatives from JetBlue issued a personal response, apologizing for the problem and offering him a $15 credit on his next flight.

This story serves as a great example of the power of social media to reach companies. There are several advantages to this new system. First, social media platforms provide a forum where consumers and businesses can correspond directly. Neither party has to wait until the other is available, which means no waiting on hold and no missed callbacks. Not only does this make the process more convenient for consumers, it benefits businesses by simplifying the complaint resolution process and saving time. Noting these benefits, many companies have started training customer service representatives to respond to social media complaints.

Second, the consumer’s compliant — and the company’s response — are visible to millions of internet users. This creates a virtual handbook of consumer Q&A, where consumers can learn from the resolutions provided for prior customers. More importantly, it also puts pressure on companies to respond fairly to customer concerns. Observers can also see the time that elapsed between complaint and resolution. This can help customers get an idea of how long the process should take, and keeps the business accountable to its consumers for its response time. Companies who do not help their consumers in a fair and timely way risk offending their customer base.

Consumers can use this new approach with relative ease. Twitter and Facebook, the two most common social media forums for customer complaints, offer free accounts. To sign up, all the user needs to provide is a name, birthday, and an email address. After joining, consumers can use the search bar to find the company they wish to speak to, and then type a simple message. The next step is to wait, and follow any instructions that the company provides in its reply. After a few days, if no one responds, the consumer should try other contact methods like email or telephone.

Just because the process is easy does not mean it is foolproof. In fact, some consumers who have posted complaints on social media have later been sued by the company for harassment, defamation, or libel. MyConsumerTips already has a blog (link here) describing how to avoid those lawsuits, but the key takeaway is: use good judgement. Don’t lie, don’t exaggerate, and don’t be malicious. For serious complaints, the consumer may consider contacting the state attorney general’s office or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau instead.

There are some other drawbacks to social media complaints. First, a response is not guaranteed, and it may not come in the timeline that you expect. Second, social media is a bad forum for some types of questions. Imagine Tweeting to Ikea for help putting a bookcase together. The conversation might take hundreds of back-and-forth messages, which would overrun the company’s Twitter page.

Questions which require personal information are also bad for social media. Imagine posting a question on your bank’s Facebook page, asking whether your recent foreclosure has impacted your line of credit. Not only have you broadcast your recent foreclosure to millions of strangers, the bank will probably need more information (at a minimum, your account number) in order to fully answer your question. You should never give out personal information on social media sites.

Noting the obvious benefits of social media customer service, some industry analysts believe that it will displace email and telephone as the primary means for consumer complaints. Whether or not that occurs, consumers who follow the tips outlined above may find that reaching out via social media is faster, easier, and more successful than other means. Happy Tweeting!

Making and Saving Money in the Sharing Economy, Part II

By: Otto Hanson 

This article is the second in a two-part series on this topic.  To see the whole story, please start with Making and Saving Money in the Sharing Economy, Part I.

Airbnb.com

What is it? A web and smart phone app that connects people with extra sleeping quarters to those in need of a place to sleep for short periods. On Airbnb.com you can rent anything from a couch to a castle, from a basement to a bedroom.

What should I look out for? Like Uber and Lyft, make sure that your insurance provider knows what you’re up to and that your renter’s or home-owner’s insurance policy covers you and your guests. Airbnb does offer a $1 million host guarantee, which protects hosts from theft or damage to property caused by a guest. Also like Uber and Lyft, always pay attention to reviews left by others. Also, Airbnb will verify user’s IDs, making sure that a person is who they say they are and that they can be located if needed. Always look for the “Verified ID” badge on a user’s profile.

Finally, as a host, you should always pay attention to local laws and regulations regarding zoning, occupancy restrictions, licensing requirements and taxes. Many municipalities forbid short-term rentals, others require that hosts collect and remit lodging taxes to city governments.  In Boulder, CO, for example, short term rentals in residential units may violate zoning restrictions, licensing requirements, and short term lodging taxation requirements.  However, for the time being, the City of Boulder has publicly announced that it will not be enforcing these regulations against short term rentals.   Always call you local government office to find out if you can offer short term rentals from your home.

 

DogVacay.com

What is it? A platform connecting people with pets to people willing to look after pets.

What do I need to become a pet-sitter? Smart phone or camera + computer; love of pets; and a home that lets you take in pets or transportation to and from the pet-owner’s home (some pet owners prefer their pets stay at home).

How much are people making? The average nightly rate per pet is around $30. When you’re starting out on any sharing economy platform, it’s usually wise to offer low prices until you’ve been reviewed by a few people. Once you’ve got some reviews you can always raise your prices!

 

TaskRabbit.com

What is it? A platform connecting people who need odd jobs done to people who can do those jobs. This is especially exciting in Boulder / Denver because very few “taskers” are listed.

What do I need to become a tasker? Access to the website or smart phone app, time to do tasks, a relatively clean background check (TaskRabbit.com requires this) and a client-focused attitude.

How much are people making? The average hourly rate is around $25, but varies greatly depending on the type of task and the experience / reviews of the tasker.

 

RelayRides.com

What is it? A platform connecting people who need to rent a car to people who are willing to rent out their car. This is also exciting in Boulder because we have a large volume of tourists visiting the city, and very few cars available on the site. Want to rent out your bike instead? Try Spinlister.com.

What do I need to become a tasker? Access to the website or smart phone app, a reliable car, and a strong insurance policy. Note that RelayRides may insure your vehicle for certain liabilities, and renters have the option of purchasing additional coverage through RelayRides.

How much are people making? Depending on the make, model, and condition of your car, you could rent it out for anywhere from $15 to a few hundred dollars a day.

 

General notes on becoming a provider on sharing platforms

When you become a provider of any type of resource, product, or service, you essentially become a business owner. Your customers will have basic expectations about the quality of the product or service they receive. Those expectations may be based on what you’ve promised on your profile or listing, or based on general, reasonable expectations in the field. No matter where the expectations come from, your success will depend on meeting and exceeding customer’s expectations.

Customers will leave reviews about their experience with you. If those reviews are positive, you are likely to get more business, if they’re negative, you may never get another customer on that platform. You cannot simply delete a profile and start from scratch – once you start on any of these platforms, you’re stuck with any reviews you get for life.

Next, as someone providing a product or service in exchange for money, you have a heightened responsibility to make sure that what you’re providing is safe. Always think of safety first, and never put your customer or their property in dangerous situations.

Finally, always be sure that the laws in your jurisdiction do not forbid whatever you’re doing, and remember that you will probably have to pay taxes on any income.