thecellshopnet trying to fluff up their ratings illegally?

[NightHawke]

If you use resellerratings.com to check out companies before doing business with them, don't take any perfect ratings for TheCellShop.net as legitimate. A reader forwarded us the following email that shows they bribe their customers to leave them perfect ratings in exchange for a $5 coupon.

"I've done a little business with this company in the past, thecellshop.net, ordering replacement parts for my Blackberry. Overall, their customer service is pretty good, even though they messed up an order of mine, they made it right in the end without any trouble. But this type of thing seems very dishonest - offering money for a perfect review! They even tell you how to cheat the system so that your order number seems correct to the ratings website.
From: service@thecellshop.net
Date: Thu, May 1, 2008 at 1:06 PM
Subject: We will give you $5 for submitting a review
To: XXXXXXX@gmail.com

Dear Valued Customer,

If you have purchased from us before and feel we did a good job, please use the link below and rate us 10/10 and we will give you $5.00 in credit to use for anything on our website.

Give us a review here:

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/TheCellShop_net

It will ask you for an invoice #, it will start with a 4 and is 7 digits long. If you do not have your invoice # anymore you can enter in 7 random digits with a 4 as the first digit.

After you write the review, please email me at danny@thecellshop.net so I can give you the $5.00 coupon.

Coupon offer: $5.00 off your sub-total. Must order directly from www.thecellshop.net

Thanks for shopping with TheCellShop.net!

danny@thecellshop.net"

Danny, are you saying that it's possible to post a fake review for your company on resellerratings.com with a made-up invoice number? Are you saying any random 7-digit string that begins with a "4" will be accepted? Are you saying it's okay to lie about your company on the site? Danny, this is the Internet—are you insane?

(This was pulled off of theconsumerist.com, word for word.)

Hello,

Thanks for posting. Several other customers have also reported this merchant's violation of our merchant policies.

The merchant email is dated May 1. We notified merchant the same day (May 1) to cease any offer or behavior that violates our policies. Merchant replied on the same day (May 1) that they would comply with our request and our policies. So, we need to see if they violate after May 1.

There have been several reviews removed because of this violation; we will examine their newer reviews.

Let us know if any merchant:

(a) offers gifts, services, money, discounts or any incentive whatsoever in exchange for a positive review;
(b) fails to honor their offer to a customer for submitting a review (reviews must comply with our 16 policies);
(c) asks, coerces, threatens, harasses, bribes, incentivizes, or in any way attempts to influence the changing or removing of a negative review;
(d) solicits reviews from prospective buyers.

Reviews must be submitted by purchase customers only, and in compliance with the 16 policies listed on our terms of use page: http://www.resellerratings.com/terms.pl

If anyone has further violations to report, please email me directly (click my username for my email link), or use our contact form.

[NightHawke]

Originally Posted by Lara RR

Hello,

Thanks for posting. Several other customers have also reported this merchant's violation of our merchant policies.

Their email is dated May 1. The merchant was notified by us on May 1 to cease any offer or behavior that violates our policies. Merchant replied on May 1 that they would
comply with our request and our policies. So we need to see if they violate/d after May 1.

There have been several reviews removed because of this violation; we will examine their newer reviews.

Let us know if any merchant:

(a) offers gifts, services, money, discounts or any incentive whatsoever in exchange for a positive review;
(b) fails to honor their offer to a customer for submitting a review (reviews must comply with our 16 policies);
(c) asks, coerces, threatens, harasses, bribes, incentivizes, or in any way attempts to influence the changing or removing of a negative review;
(d) solicits reviews from prospective buyers.

Reviews must be submitted by purchase customers only, and in compliance with the 16 policies listed on our terms of use page: http://www.resellerratings.com/terms.pl

If anyone has further violations to report, please email me directly (click my username for my email link), or use our contact form.

Thanks Laura *pets your bots*. One problem though is that I lost a week's worth of wages cuz of your fast response.

[nomaxim]

The current BBB report for thecellshop.net gives them a "F" rating.

F We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices.

Complaint Experience
Our complaint history for this company shows the company gave proper consideration to some complaints presented by the Bureau.
Although in some cases the company failed to respond to complaints.

Advertising Review
No question about the truth of this company's advertising has come to our attention.

DBA: thecellshop.net
Address: 2240 Celsius Ave., Unit H
Oxnard,
CA 93030
Primary Phone:
Primary Fax:
Primary Contact:

Website:
http://www.thecellshop.net
Company ID: 92004790
Business Start Date:
BBB Created Record on: 2/27/2008

Nature of Business:
This company offers products and services for cell phones.

The BBB report for D&R Wholesale, Inc. also gives the same rating of "F" at the present time.

For thecellshop.net,DBA: D&R Wholesale, Inc.
Address: 2240 Celsius Ave Ste H
Oxnard,
CA 93030
Primary Phone:
Primary Fax: (805) 478-0825
Primary Contact: Danny Rackow,President

Website:
http://www.thecellshop.net
Company ID: 92003464
Business Start Date: 1/1/2005
BBB Created Record on: 7/3/2007

Nature of Business:
This company’s business is cell phone retail and services.

Whitepages.com gives the current contact info,

D & R Wholesale
work
2240 Celsius Ave
Oxnard, CA 93030-8015
(805) 485-0825