Why Yelp is a horrible website full of fake reviews

By C.M. - November 22nd 2017.

One of the things I have noticed about the website Yelp is that the reviews posted on there are increasingly fake.

And there are several different categories of fake reviews on Yelp.

#1. Fake reviews written by the owner / manager of the company.

These usually emphasize a particular product or service, and while they sound really good, it is pretty obvious the reviews are there to tempt people reading the review into buying the product or service. It is basically just another form of advertising.

#2. Fake reviews written by the company's employees.

Employees are expected to want their company to do well, so they write a nice review but fail to mention that they also work there.

#3. Fake reviews written by competitors.

To make the competing company look bad, obviously. This doesn't really need much explanation. Depending on how much competition there is in a particular field, this could be pretty cutthroat with far more fake reviews being written by competitors.

eg. Imagine 10 companies that all sell "Super Spicy Edible Widgets". If each company then writes 1 positive review about themselves, but 9 negative reviews about all their competitors you will end up with all 10 companies having 9 horrible reviews and only 1 positive review - excluding anything written by actual customers.

#4. Fake reviews written by the employees of competitors.

Same reason as #3.

#5. Fake reviews written by former employees.

If a former employee is angry at their former employer, one way to further burn bridges is to post a negative Yelp review - possibly targeting a manager or co-worker that they despised in an attempt to get that person fired.

#6. Fake reviews written by "Yelp Privateers and Pirates".

I am coining some terminology here... Yelp Privateers and Pirates are hired thugs who either try to make a particular company look good, or try to make a different company look bad. The border between what makes a Privateer and what makes a Pirate is a bit blurry.

• Privateers are hired to post positive reviews, using multiple Yelp accounts.
• Pirates are hired to post negative reviews about competitors.

Often the two can be the same person, but may be using multiple accounts to avoid suspicion.



Brand Reputation Management


From an advertising perspective, a lot of what goes on above falls into the categories of "Marketing Brand Management" or "Brand Reputation Management", and being executed by amateurs who don't actually work in the advertising/marketing industry.

In which case there are some tricks that companies can do to combat negative fake reviews.

#1. Claim the reviewer is a former employee.

If someone posts a really nasty fake review, a company can claim that the person posting the fake review is actually a former employee. It isn't true, but that doesn't matter. Yelp has rules about former employees posting fake reviews, and this is ultimately a quick and easy way for companies to get rid of negative reviews.

#2. There are a variety of ways to flag negative reviews:

• If the post contains false or out of date information.
• If the post is by someone affiliated with the business (employee, business partner, loan shark, etc).
• If the post is from a competitor.
• If the post contains any kind of threats, lewdness or hate speech.
• If the post isn't even about a personal experience.
• If the post is a violation of Yelp's privacy standards (naming the names of employees, etc).
• If the post contains advertising.
• If the post is for a different business.

 Any one of these reasons could be used as grounds to get rid of a negative post.

#3. Report a specific profile.

If a person has only a few reviews and they are all negative, they are probably a fake profile. In this case the whole profile could be reported and deleted. All of their reviews for your company and potentially others could be deleted, all at once.


Conclusions regarding Yelp

It is very easy for companies to manipulate their reputations on Yelp, and to damage the reputations of competitors. The more reputation savvy a person or company is, the more they can take advantage of Yelp's system.

Which ultimately means the more useless and horrible Yelp is as a company itself, because it has become flooded with fake reviews.

Which is why I am giving Yelp one star out of five. For being utterly useless.

6 Ways to Improve Yelp

#1. Add a GPS requirement to Yelp.

Under this new rule, people submitting a Yelp review have to be in the immediate vicinity of the location. This would reduce the number of fake reviews submitted dramatically, and put Yelp Privateers/Pirates out of business.

Or failing that, people who include a GPS component to their Yelp review should have their review "valued more" than reviews that were written a significant distance away or did not list their GPS location at all.

#2. Add a time limit to reviews.

If a review is older than 1 year, it should be deleted. The person who posted the review would need to revisit the location and post a new review.
#3. Algorithms designed to spot fake or suspicious reviews.

It would not be too difficult in my opinion to design a computer program that looks for fake reviews. All they need to be looking for is:

• An imbalance between positive and negative reviews (eg. a person who only posts negative reviews or a person who only posts positive reviews.
• A person who posts a positive review of one company and a negative review of another company should be flagged as suspicious.

#4. Suspicious reviews should be downgraded.

Pushed further down the list of reviews - and their star rating should only count for half or less than half if they are flagged multiple times.

And if they are flagged 3 times or more for being suspicious, they should be removed entirely.

#5. Banning the accounts and personal IP addresses of individuals caught posting fake reviews.

Once they recognize an account that has too much suspicious activity, they need to be deleted, banned and blocked.

Obviously you would not be blocking IPs from public libraries, Starbucks, or internet cafes, but that is where the GPS requirement comes into place... If GPS location is required, then they won't be able to use public IP locations like libraries, Starbucks or internet cafes anyway.

#6. Video reviews should count for double.

If a customer posts a video of them reviewing the company, it should count for more. At least double in my opinion. Same goes with reviewers who take photos. Their reviews should be valued more, like perhaps 150%.

Final Commentary

Honestly, if Yelp doesn't start making changes to improve the quality and honesty of reviews on their website then people should just stop using Yelp. The website has become bogged down with useless fake reviews, and the more people realize that Yelp is useless, the more people should stop using it.

A 2013 Harvard Business School study determined that 16 percent of Yelp reviews are fake. Four years later, we expect the percentage of fake reviews has gotten higher. Anecdotally, we estimate the number of fake reviews on Yelp is now between 20 to 30%.

Yelp isn't the only company which has problems with fake reviews. eg. Amazon also has severe issues with people posting fake reviews. So this is an issue that effects multiple companies and can be expected to get worse before it gets better.

But if there was a GPS requirement and video/photo reviews were valued more, this could change dramatically the quality of the review system Yelp currently has to one that is held to a higher standard.

Apple: It's good if you like crap

So the video below is by YouTube user Rick Beato - who has purchased a lot of Apple products over the years. Feel free to listen to his rant about why he thinks old Apple products are actually better than new Apple products.




Why I despise all Apple products: Overrated, Overpriced, Incompatible Garbage

By C. M.

To me Apple products were NEVER good, and it was never for a lack of using them.

• My high school used Apple computers. They always had errors.
• My university used Apple computers. They were annoyingly slow and had compatibility problems.
• Several work places over the years used Apple computers. They were very slow to work with. Doing what is normally a simple task would take forever on a Mac.
• My wife has an Apple computer and 2 iPhones. Both of which I find annoyingly slow to use due to bad software design.

And I hated these horrible computers the whole time.

So when iPods, iPhones and iPads eventually came out, I was none too impressed because it was always the same problems.

• Apple was not compatible with anything else - often including other Apple products.
• They were slower to use.
• Could not be modified or personalized as easily.
• More errors.
• Even simple things like using the phone to call people was sometimes beyond products like the iPhone 4 because of design faults.

And to top it all off, Apple products are notoriously overpriced and overrated. eg. You could get equivalent products from other manufacturers (Hewlett Packard for computers, Samsung for cellphones) which had better prices, better reviews, and less problems.

And innovation? Basically non-existent.

True, the iPhone and iPad were the first mass market smartphones and tablets which won popularity - but they were not the first products of this kind. They were actually ripped off from older products that were less popular, but had been innovative ahead of their time.

All Apple did was take innovative products, make a few tiny improvements, slap the Apple logo on it, and then market it.

And to be clear, most of Apple's operating expenses is actually marketing.

They spend very little on innovation.
Their software designs have become increasingly sloppy (as pointed out in the video at the top).
They don't even manufacture their own parts - they farm that out to Samsung and other companies and then hire intermediate factories to assemble the final product.

This is why the new iPhone X is now $999... and yet really doesn't anything new to brag about. It is basically identical to the iPhone 8 with a few minor tweaks.

The biggest change is actually just the price tag.

So look at the huge price jump between the iPhone 8 and the X. It is an extra $300 USD.

So what has changed...?

Slightly Bigger Screen Size, Resolution and Ratio

• iPhone X - 5.8-inch 18.5:9 True Tone OLED, 2436 x 1125 pixels (458 ppi), 82.9% screen-to-body ratio
• iPhone 8 - 4.7-inch 16:9 True Tone LCD, 1334 x 750 pixels (326 ppi), 65.6% screen-to-body ratio

Size and Weighs More

• iPhone X - 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) and 174g (6.14 oz)
• iPhone 8 - 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in) and 148g (5.22 oz)

Lightning Port

• iPhone X - Lightning Port compatibility problems.
• iPhone 8 - Lightning Port compatibility problems.

Chipset

• iPhone X - Apple A11 ‘Bionic’ chipset: Six Core CPU, Six Core GPU, producing 2.5 GHz, M11 motion coprocessor, 3GB RAM
• iPhone 8 - Apple A11 ‘Bionic’ chipset: Six Core CPU, Six Core GPU, producing 2.5 GHz, M11 motion coprocessor, 2GB RAM

Release Date

• iPhone X - November 3rd 2017. (2 weeks to go...)
• iPhone 8 - September 22nd 2017. (Almost 1 month ago...)

Price and GB Space

• iPhone X - 64GB ($999), 256GB ($1,149)
• iPhone 8 - 64GB ($699), 256GB ($849)

Trust me, when getting a new cellphone it is worth it to have the extra space. So only morons would buy the 64 GB version.

But ultimately you are paying an extra $300 for ... what? Slightly better screen resolution and size? I suppose if you cannot afford a TV set and you watch movies on your cellphone all the time, it might be worth it...

Meanwhile those of us with brains just go and buy a TV set.

eg. Canadians can currently get a Samsung 50" 4K UHD HDR LED Tizen Smart TV for $799.99 CDN at Best Buy. (Sale ends November 2nd 2017.)

And then just Netflix and Chill.

Is an extra tiny bit of screen size really important to you that you have to pay an extra $300?

Because if it is, just go buy a tablet - or a mini tablet even. They are getting really cheap...

Asides from price the biggest new thing on the iPhone X is that it has a retinal eye scanner, making it more difficult for thieves to open your phone - or making it more difficult for your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend to check if you are cheating on them.

Meanwhile, just for argument's sake... lets see what Samsung is coming out with.


The Samsung Galaxy S8 (already on the market) is:

• The exact same screen size as the iPhone X. (So evidently the iPhone X is copying Samsung.)
• 64 GB in the base model (same thing), but you can get up to 256 GB.
• 4 GB RAM (that is 1 extra GB of RAM more than the iPhone X, and double what the iPhone 8 offers).
• 2960 x 1440 pixels (570 ppi), 18.5:9 ratio (same ratio, but with an extra 112 ppi than the iPhone X)
• Chipset x8 - Exynos 8895 Octa - EMEA Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 (so 8 chips instead of 6 in the iPhone 8 or X) producing 4x2.35 GHz Kryo.
• Micro USB port - compatible with pretty much everything on the market (except Apple phones obviously). 
• Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery. (The iPhone X only has a 2,715 mAh battery.)

And that is the current model that has been available since March 2017. 8 months ago.

So clearly the Samsung S8 is already superior to the iPhone X. More pixels per inch, more RAM, more compatibility, and more battery life. The CPU speeds are comparable.

But above I said "lets see what Samsung is coming out with."

Meaning the future. Not what Samsung released 8 months ago. What we really should be talking about is the...

Samsung S9

Samsung Galaxy S9

• Featuring a retinal scanner - again, so people can cheat on their significant others - but also with the options for facial recognition and fingerprint scanning.
• Probable release date? February 26th or March 2018.
• Snapdragon 845 processor - with 30% more power efficiency than the 835, which increases battery life.
• Boost modem speed by 20% so you can download files from the internet that much faster.
• Base price expected to be $1,049.99. Expect closer to $1,199.99 for the 256 GB version.

A lot of the details of what the S9 will have are unknown at this time.

But what we do know is several things.

1. It will probably be more expensive than the iPhone X.
2. It will be better than the iPhone X (seeing as the S8 is already better).
3. It will provide faster internet.
4. Significantly longer battery life - which will be a huge step forward.

And therein lies the problem with the whole Apple Vs Samsung rivalry. They are always trying to one up each other, but Samsung is increasingly winning.

Just look at the iPhone 8 / X for example. The S8 came out back in March 2017 and it took Apple 7 months to come out with the iPhone 8 (a clearly inferior product) and then they are rushing to market the iPhone X before Christmas (which is also still an inferior product, just not as bad as the 8).

So why should anyone buy somebody an inferior product as a Christmas gift?

Or better yet, why not wait? Just wait for the S9 to come out in February/March 2018 and then get it as a birthday gift or whatever instead. Because it will clearly be a superior product.

Which explains why Samsung will be able to charge an extra $50 USD for it.

Sigh.

Years ago we posted about the iPhone 4: Apple doesn't make the iPhone.

During the post we explained how most of the iPhone was made by other companies, like Samsung. The actual cost of the components to make it was a mere $178 USD.

So a good question now is, what does the components of an iPhone X or Samsung S9 actually cost?

It is an important question, but I am willing to bet it is less than $200 USD for both. They just jack up the price and sell it for $999 or $1200.

Which makes you realize that most of what they are doing is marketing. Marketing and claims about how wonderful their product is.

It makes me wonder what would happen if someone came out with a No Name Brand cellphone.

Spend zero on marketing, but design it, use Android as an operating system, and then sell it for a mere $333. Less than one third the price of an iPhone X or a Samsung S9, but with all the power, performance, screeen resolution, etc.

And don't sell it in Best Buy or electronics stores... sell it in grocery stores. Which means every time people go to buy food they see a sleekly designed smartphone that is affordable and does everything you expect a smartphone to do. A seemingly basic model that has comparable performance.

It would not be a status symbol like Apple or Samsung have become. It would be a phone that works, is inexpensive, and there is no fuss about company rivalry or status.

That would be a welcome change actually.

Toronto Compound Bow Repairman

So where is the best place to get your compound bow repaired in Toronto?

Honestly... there isn't very many places.

#1. Bass Pro in Vaughan Mills

If you don't mind traveling all the way to Vaughan (just south of Canada's Wonderland), Bass Pro does offer a variety of repairs and tuning - but be prepared for several things.

• They will try to sell you a new compound bow.
• They will claim your bow is beyond repair or;
• They will claim it is "too expensive to repair" (this can sometimes be true).
• If your bow is really old - vintage - they might simply refuse to repair it because it is so hard to find parts.
• They will charge you an arm and a leg for repairs.

Now we have talked about Bass Pro in Vaughan before and it is certainly a good fun place to go shopping. But going there for repairs? Not so much. Expect to be spending at least $100 if someone dryfired your compound bow.

#2. Al Flaherty's Outdoor Store at 2066 Dufferin Street

More known as a hunting and fishing store, Al Flaherty's Outdoor Store also services compound bows and crossbows. However, it is more conveniently in York/Toronto and not way out in Vaughan.

However, just like Bass Pro expect the repairman at Al Flaherty's to:

• Try to sell you a new compound bow.
• Say your bow is beyond repair.
• Say it is more expensive to repair it than to just a buy a new bow.
• Refuse to repair your vintage compound bow.
• Be really expensive.

So yeah. More convenient perhaps, but really more of the same isn't it?

#3. ProjectGridless.ca Compound Bow Repairman in Toronto

I am getting to a point obviously.

ProjectGridless.ca is a website run by a guy in East York/Toronto. He makes his owns bows, his own bowstrings, repairs bows, repairs compound bows (both vintage and modern compound bows), he collects bows, and he even makes "Frankenstein Compound Bows" by mixing and matching parts from different broken bows.

He also buys broken bows to salvage their parts, so he can then repair other bows.

So unlike the others mentioned above, he will not try to sell you a new bow - because he doesn't sell new bows (although he does sometimes have old bows for sale).

Is your bow truly beyond repair? Maybe. Won't know until you ask someone who is willing to actually TRY repairing it.

Will it be more expensive to repair? Less likely, because he only charges $30 per hour for his services - which is comparatively cheaper to what you will find at Bass Pro or Al Flaherty's.

He collects vintage bows and compound bows, like the two shown further below from his personal collection. So his willingness to repair vintage compound bows is going to be higher when you consider that this guy is a fan of restoring vintage bows.

So who do you think will offer the best price, the best value and the best results when it comes to compound bow repair? Our recommendation is that you visit http://www.projectgridless.ca/p/compound-bow-repairs-in-toronto.html to find out.

1970 Model T Jennings next to a 1973 Black Hawk Chief Scout.

History Note

The compound bow was invented / patented in 1966 by H. W. Allen Jr., who then partnered up with Tom Jennings to create the first commercial compound bow in 1969.

Game and Hobby Zone at 2 Bloor St West, Toronto = Racist Owner

Years ago I witnessed the owner/manager of "Game and Hobby Zone" located at 2 Bloor St West, Toronto doing something racist.

He told a black customer to "step aside" so that he could serve white customers instead.

The black customer and the manager then got into a huge argument, which I watched - and should have recorded on my phone, but it was already low on battery.

I did later go back and take the following photo of the manager, on the right, with one of his staff on the left.

Ever since that incident I have boycotted Game and Hobby Zone - for multiple reasons, not just because the owner is racist.

• The products in the store are overpriced. You can find the same products elsewhere for much better prices.
• The shelves are crammed and disorganized.
• The service is sub par. Not helpful.

In contrast there are other stores that make more sense to spend my money at.

Here are a few of my favourites:

• 401 Games
• Hairy Tarantula
• Face to Face Games
• EB Games
• Meeplemart
• Strategy Games
• Mastermind Toys
• The Sword and Board
• Toys R Us

My point is there are plenty of other locations to buy the same products... but with better service, better prices, and you are not financially supporting a racist bigot.

Wooden Figurines Nativity Scene

Details Behind The Figures

If you like figurines on the shelves and tables in your home, then consider the numerous options from the Willow Tree collection. These are detailed figurines in a variety of designs. You can find the collectibles online or in specialty stores. Sometimes, retail stores will carry a select few of them. You can usually find the figurines more during the holiday season as many people enjoy giving them as gifts.

When you look at a figurine, you'll see an authentic stamp of Susan Lordi's name. The name is usually located on the bottom of the figurine. If you don't see the name, then it's likely not an authentic piece. There will also be a date with the name, which is when the figure was entered into the collection. You can usually tell if a figurine is authentic by looking at it as the pieces have a distinct look, but the name and date offer verification. Most of the pieces are of a mother and a child or of children. There is a nativity set that includes the wisemen, a stable, a baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary and all the other components of the Bible story. You can find angels holding harps, animals or other items. There are figures of couples hugging, couples with a baby, animals, and children in various positions.

One of the things that you'll notice about the Willow Tree figures is that there aren't any faces painted on the people. This is a detail that is intentionally left out, bringing more character to the pieces in the collection so that you focus more on the message and the feelings that the pieces bring. Each figure is etched with details that include flowers on dresses, wrinkles on clothing and indentations in the hair. These aspects give the figures life instead of the pieces being plain and simple with straight lines. You can purchase the figures to give to family and friends or to keep for yourself. They are an idea for a newlywed couple or a couple who has had a baby. The figures are also used for familial events, such as an anniversary or the passing of a family member.

Canada Archery Online - Company Review

Review by C. M.

So I recently ordered a new bow from a different company that I have never done business with before. The company in question was "Canada Archery Online", which is based in Toronto.

I opted to do business with the company for several reasons.

#1. They sold a particular brand of bow that I was having difficulty finding at other local stores.

They had the riser I was looking for: http://www.canadaarcheryonline.ca/risers/

And the limbs I was looking for: http://www.canadaarcheryonline.ca/limbs/

So I got the products I was looking for and I am happy with the products. That is not what I am reviewing today, but having a good selection of products is certainly a bonus.

Note - When visiting their website make sure you go to canadaarcheryonline.ca instead of .com. The .com doesn't really go anywhere.

#2. They provide hand delivery.

That is right, they deliver. Just like ordering a pizza.

Well, to be more specific they provide delivery to specific locations in Toronto, Brampton, Guelph and Montreal. The locations are:

Peel Archery Club
107 Nuggett Ct,
Brampton, Ontario
L6T 5A9

Battle Sports
26 Ashwarren Rd,
Toronto, Ontario
M3J 1Z5

The Royal Garrison
28 Essex Street
Guelph, ON
N1H 4L7

Seton Park Archery Range (aka, The Toronto Archery Range)
Don Mills Road and Gateway Blvd
Toronto, Ontario

Sports de Combat
5335 Ave Casgrain
Montreal, Quebec

So I ordered 3 sets of limbs, 1 riser, and arranged to have everything picked up at the Toronto Archery Range. That way, if I wanted to, I could just begin shooting right away.

In the far future maybe they could deliver everything via drone? Just like Amazon keeps promising.

But wouldn't that be nice, if you could just have things delivered like you would a pizza?

Take for example Pizza Pizza - a local pizza place that is very popular in Toronto. They have a $3.75 delivery charge.

What if, in the future, Pizza Pizza delivered via drone and the cost of delivery was FREE?

After all, think of all the pizzas a company could delivery using drones - eliminating the need for delivery people - and you only need the people who stick the pizza inside the drone (presumably the same people who hand the pizza to the delivery person) and possibly one person to service the drones regularly.

Many other types of businesses could follow this drone model too, replacing a variety of people:

• Package Couriers - like the DHL guy that showed up earlier today to delivery some archery gloves to me.
• Bicycle Couriers
• Any kind of food delivery service - including "Meals on Wheels".
• Mail carriers from the Post Office.

Right now the company Uber is planning to replace much of the world's taxi industry with flying drones that can deliver people from point A to point B. They already have started with self driving taxis in Pittsburgh, so eventually their goal is to replace the taxi industry entirely with self driving cars and flying drones.

Uber hopes to have their flying drone system known as "Elevate" up and running before 2026.

Uber also recently released self driving trucks, hoping to replace the truck driving industry with computer automation.

Still I must say, back to the company "Canada Archery Online", having the products I ordered delivered by a person who can smile, answer questions, and is wearing a "Canada Archery Online" t-shirt is a bonus. I would still prefer humans doing the deliveries on a regular basis.

Which brings me back to Pizza Pizza's $3.75 delivery charge. That is a pretty reasonable fee. I could see many other industries opting for a similar fee just so you can have a human deliver a product.

Because sometimes drones and robots simply won't be able to do the job.

eg. My apartment buzzer is broken. I had to leave the DHL guy a note saying to call my cellphone number. Which he did. A drone would not know they had to do that, although I suppose they could be programmed to notify me via text message.

Any number of things could potentially come up while doing a job. What if the package arrives, but it is damaged? Will the drone be able to direct me to where to ask for a refund? Maybe not.

Anyway, back on topic...

One of the things about Canada Archery Online is that they don't really have a bricks and mortar store where you can browse. Everything is online and then they just deliver to the locations mentioned above.

Which works for me, especially when I already know the products I want to order and I don't need to see them in person. Someone who doesn't know what they want however... it might be a bit like trying on shoes. That is a good time to be in an actual store where you can learn more about the product before you buy it.

Just wait though... the shoe salesman will be gone. Gone and replaced by a robot like the "Salesbot" Pepper.

Pepper the Salesbot

Bidding on eBay Antiques

By C. M. - August 31st 2017.

For the past three years I have been making a habit of buying antiques off of eBay and I have learned a number of things both about bidding on eBay and about myself.

• The bidding can sometimes get crazy.
• I really need to avoid anything where the bidding goes crazy, and so I have learned to set a maximum amount I am willing to bid.
• While there is a wide variety of antiques and collectibles to choose from on eBay, I generally prefer to stick to the older items that are in really good condition.
• I have learned that I need to set a limit for how many antiques / $$$ I am willing to spend in a given year. This way I don't end up spending a ridiculous amount on antiques each year.
• I also restrict myself to buying antiques at one time of the year, typically July to September. If I manage to get my purchases done by the end of August, that is a good thing.
• It is wise to restrict yourself and set limits.
• Always check to make sure they actually deliver to Canada. Some Americans refuse to ship to Canada.
• The shipping price might be more if they are shipping from the USA to Canada, so confirm the price.
• When possible, try to bid on products that are already in Canada. Makes the whole shipping thing easier.
• Plus I prefer to spend my dollars on Canadians when possible. Keeps the wealth in Canada.
• Sometimes you can get a sweet deal because nobody else bids on a particular item.
• Check out the option to Buy Now. Sometimes you can get pretty good deals there too.
• If making an offer for a Buy Now item I will sometimes bid $5 or $10 less than they are asking.
• If the seller suddenly ups the price of shipping "for no good reason" and it is suddenly a different price that what the courier quoted, something is fishy and you should cancel your order/payment.
• Watch Lists are handy for tracking the bids of multiple items that are similar so you can see how high the bidding goes and decide if you even want to bid at all.
• Never bid on something you don't actually want. I haven't made this mistake yet thankfully.
• Never bid on something until after you confirmed they do ship to Canada and the cost of shipping to Canada.
• You can always change your mind and refuse to pay. The item will go to the next highest bidder.

One of these days I am going to teach my mother how to sell her old records on eBay - the old records she never listens to that is. Some of them she does actually listen to regularly. At which point I should mention my parents also has numerous other antiques in the barn she could sell too.

If she learned how to do that it would give her a new hobby to do in her old age. ;)

Plus it would help to get rid of "old junk" and clutter that is in the shed, garage, barn, basement, attic and so forth. Some of it she will no doubt keep for sentimental reasons, but others... why not sell it?

And the same goes to you, the readers, do you have old stuff you don't really need you could sell?

I know I have a few things I do not need. Various books, comic books, a stamp collection, a coin collection... I imagine some of them could fetch a pretty penny.

One of these days I should sell such things. Just as soon as I find the time.

Donna Dolphy Hair Salon, Yorkville Toronto

A few weeks ago, I was preparing for my wedding and decided it was time to seek the expertise of a professional hair stylist for a haircut. Normally, I would have my hair cut by friends, so the idea of entrusting my hair to a stranger made me a bit apprehensive. Seeking recommendations, a friend suggested Donna Dolphy's Hair Salon, a highly regarded stylist with one of the top salons in Canada. This endorsement gave me confidence, so I decided to place my trust (and my hair) in her capable hands.

Upon arriving at the salon, I chose not to mention that my wedding was just a few days away. Throughout most of the appointment, Donna remained unaware of the significance of the haircut. However, I did explain my fear of having my hair cut by someone I didn't know, and any lingering concerns were quickly dispelled by Donna's exceptional level of service, professionalism, and friendly demeanor.

Having previously only had haircuts from friends or my mother during my childhood, experiencing the warmth and expertise of a true professional allowed me to relax and fully enjoy the experience, which felt akin to a spa visit.

It wasn't until near the end of the haircut that I finally revealed my impending wedding to Donna, and she responded with genuine excitement. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

It was clear that Donna truly loves her work; she took delight in "playing" with my hair. At times, it almost felt like being a living Barbie doll as she skillfully shaped and styled my hair. Our conversation even ventured into the artistic realm, discussing the sculptural nature of hair—an enjoyable topic for me, having studied painting and sculpture at York University.

On a different note, my wedding went off without a hitch. While one typically anticipates something going awry on such occasions, the only minor mishap was having an abundance of food at the reception, leaving many guests pleasantly stuffed. It was a relatively minor issue to encounter. Moreover, my hair looked fantastic in all the photos, bringing me great satisfaction.

Oh and just a bonus... Celebrities like Drake sometimes go to Donna. So you never know who you might meet.

Below: Donna Dolphy with Drake.

 

 

Buying Things Off Facebook = Bad Idea / Waste of Time

While I like the idea of buying something off Facebook from a friend, buying things from STRANGERS on Facebook is actually problematic.

The concept seems like a good one. Someone has an used product they want to sell or even trade and they are looking for other people on Facebook to sell or trade to. But actually doing so sometimes comes with problems.

Two recent incidents have caused me to swear off any more attempts to buy things off Facebook. In the future I will be sticking with Amazon, eBay, Craigslist and similar websites.

THE FIRST INCIDENT

A woman was looking to give away a baby feeding pillow designed for newborns. I wanted to get it for my wife, but I was so busy and the women lived further away so picking it up was going to be difficult.

Ultimately there ended up being delays and the woman ended up giving it to someone else. By the time I was able to go over there and get it, she informed me it was already gone. Fortunately I did not have to waste a trip.

Instead my wife ended up getting a near identical pillow from a store near us that sells used goods for babies and toddlers (Once Upon A Child, located at 1386 Bayview Toronto).

It wasn't free, it was $10, but that was still a very good price compared to the $50 to $70 the pillow costs at regular stores. Buying it an actual store ended up saving time and transportation money, so I am happy with the result and don't mind that it wasn't free.

THE SECOND INCIDENT

A guy named Guillermo Aristizabal posted a Korean SKB horsebow for sale, plus 18 arrows, assorted arrowheads and all his archery gear. And he was asking $200 for it.

Which frankly was a really good deal.

So I immediately contacted Guillermo Aristizabal and arranged to pick up the bow and everything ASAP.

I got off work early on a Thursday, I send him two messages (one via Facebook and a 2nd to his phone) both telling him my ETA, traveled for an hour to North York to a suburban neighbourhood and was only a few minutes from his home when I get a text from him...

The jackass had sold it to someone else just minutes earlier. He knew I was almost there. He knew I was en route and had been for almost an hour.

So... context. I spent $6 on travel expenses to get there and back via public transit.

It was very hot and humid outside and his home was 20 minutes walk from the nearest subway.

He knew I was on my way and what time I would be arriving.

But the jackass apparently did not think, did not have the sense of etiquette to warn me that someone else might beat me to it and that I was wasting time, effort and money to get there in a hurry.

What a ****ing ***hole.

So I had to turn around and walk back to the subway in the heat and humidity, having completely wasted two hours of my afternoon that I could have spent doing something productive.

CONCLUSIONS

After the second incident I basically determined there would not be a 3rd time. There is no way I am buying anything (or trying to buy anything) from a stranger off Facebook ever again.

A friend or family member, certainly.

And the reason why is because a friend or family member would never waste my time like that. A stranger has no bond of friendship or kinship, which binds them to be nice to their friends or kin.

A stranger is also not a company. They have no reason to observe any kind of customer service to protect their reputation.

This is why I have chosen to use Guillermo Aristizabal's name on here. The guy is an ***hole for wasting my time, money and effort. If he knew someone else was on their way to pick up the equipment he should have told me in advance and I would have known not to waste my time.

And time is more valuable than money typically. I personally value my time at $40 per hour, which is the rate I charge my clients usually. So wasting two hours of my time, plus $6 travel expenses, means he wasted $86 worth of my time/money. To say nothing of the heat and humidity.

An ***hole like Guillermo Aristizabal deserves to have a bad reputation, just like a company selling things and having horrible customer service deserves to have a bad reputation.

So if you are buying stuff online, via Facebook for example, don't buy anything from people with a bad reputation. They are probably just going to waste your time/money. Sadly there are no websites, to my knowledge, that track the reputation of people. There probably should be.

And that my friend is some valuable consumer advice.

At least on eBay there is a seller reputation number, out of 100, which tracks feedback from buyers. The best sellers have 100% all the time and try really hard to keep it at 100.

So now I am going to go browse bows on eBay. At least they deliver. At least they don't waste your time/money outside in the heat and humidity. And frankly the fact that they track a seller's reputation is a breath of fresh air in comparison.

Uber, the First Ride

Took Uber for the very first time today because of an emergency at home.

Honestly, Uber was arguably easier and simpler than taking a taxi and I was overall impressed. I would definitely do it again.

The Taxi Industry clearly needs to step up their game if they are planning to compete because the simplicity and ease of use of calling an Uber with an app, not having to deal with directions, the Uber driver taking the route you want them to take... so much simpler and ideal. And automatic payments means, wow. Get in, go, get out. Done.

Impressed*