USVI-On-Line

RickG wrote:Ha!

There are a couple of pseudonyms out there with only one person behind them. Shills rather piss me off, but the real influencers like sweet Pia always know who's playing games.

If this was who I think it is they can rest on their own merits and don't need to pump.

Cheers, RickG

Excellent point, RickG! Thanks.

I am going to let this one go. I do believe that Pia's message to him was one that got the point across and that pointing out the name would serve no purpose.

He didn't cause harm to anyone but himself and was just trying to drum up some business. It was not a smart way to do it, but no harm, no foul.

wow, if this is leading to the villa/owner I think I'm surprised.

Just a quick comment and then I am moving on.

It is a shame that people resort to trying to trick people to get interest in their villas. This is certainly not the first time that this has happened and I am sure that it will happen again.

There are many ways to market your villa or business and they may even include joining a VI travel community and participating in such a way that let's people know that you are a member that is willing to be an active particpant and not just an advertisement.

I would rather give my money(when it works with my plans) to the folks here that contribute to all the discussions and not just the ones that benefit them.

Thanks, Pia, (I think) for giving me the credit. I really didn't intend to bust the poor guy's chops if he was being honest. So after reading his post, I simply asked if he'd sold his villa and posted the 06 link where he said he was the owner. The thread was removed quickly by TA after a few more comments.
He's now been properly spanked and, hopefully, this will end his game and this topic.

I don't get it. I really don't get the big deal. There are probably a bunch of villa owners, seudo or otherwise lurking, posting, promoting. Heck, I know I would. I'd probably have 3/4 names on each board, the good guy, bad guy, info guy, etc. I'd promote the heck out of my villa, especially in this economic atmosphere. Somebody above said the post was a "trick". Every commercial you watch, TV, billboard, et al, is a trick. Would you really eat that deliciouse tripple Whopper w/4,000 calories for lunch?
It was removed when found out. Let the poor guy try to make money in this down season. It's all good mon, relax.

p.s. you are all so proud of yourselves. Um, ok.

Promoting your villa is one thing - pretending to be someone you are not is something else entirely.

DELETED

Jorge wrote:

jdw wrote:Promoting your villa is one thing - pretending to be someone you are not is something else entirely.

Amen Amen Amen. I feel so much better. I am woman trapped in a mans ugly body. I'm out! Whoopee! I feel so free!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that you all know, I must tell the wife.

Capt. John, you sure you're not getting a tad concerned?

Let the flaming begin...

Hey Pia, (love ya), I'm not a villa owner.... yet.

Hmmm,

If I recall, about 10 months or so ago, one of your "community" was extremely pleased because a certain South Shore villa owner went out of his way to make sure that said member did not lose his deposit due to the member cancelling his reservation. The community member was very gracious in acknowledging that the Villa Owner had done him a solid, and the rest of the Fairness Police were effusive in there praise of this heroic act.

I can only speak for myself when I say that those of you can barely contain your "Gothcha gene" should contemplate the number of times that they have waxed poetically about there own favorite villa, car rental, private taxi, water taxi, in-villa caterer, or boat charter, that it is not that big a deal and that faced with the current state of the economy, any of you would surely find a creative way to get the word out that they have a vacancy that needs filling.

In fact, it did happen on another board, the villa is an advertiser on this board, and if the villa fit your needs, price range, and dates, you would be posting a "Live Trip Report" from the deck of this beautiful home.

My Disclaimer. I do not own a villa on St John, I am not related even distantly to this Owner,have never met him, and I have never stayed there. I visited it shortly after it was completed because I was thinking of building a Villa, and wanted to see what more than 2 years of construction would get me.

If I may weigh in. A lot of folks do, rent or buy things referenced on this board because we all feel that the experiences people have with the things we do, rent or buy are indeed genuine.

I often recommend products that I find invaluable on island: Buffs, Keens, E-Bags Mother Lode Bag, Frederic Fekkai Hair Bandana lotion, Bens bug spray, Kipling packpacks, akona snorkel gear etc. As a result others on this board have purchased those items as well-- because they were highly and GENUINELY recommended. I don't work for any of these companies, I don't sell anything and I don't benefit in any way from recommending these products. Essentially we're like a Consumer Reports or a Rick Steve's Guide-- only FREE!

These endorsements by me are GENUINE and if they weren't and someone followed a suggestion that I made only to find that my review or recommendation is without merit I would quickly lose credibility with my forum family. Therefore I only recommend those things that matter to me and that I tuly think are worth recommending.

It's the same reason I buy church cookbooks. No self respecting member of a church would dare put anything less than their best, most fail-proof recipe in that book, lest he or she be embarrassed by the way a dish turns out.

I think what we can all agree we are against is ASTROTURFING
(see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing )

If we allow folks to Atsrotruf on this board then we have to think twice about ANY recommendations made on this board and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we don't want to have to do that.

We want to take folks at their word here. This BB is unusual in that respect. It's fairly harmonious for all of these reasons and it's why this board is so well respected for the free advice we give.

I completely respect folks like STJ Ruth who walk the walk and talk the talk. She is the ultimate public relations master. She partcipates and engages with us and NEVER mentions a product unless someone asks. In fact I can't remember a time that she pitched STJ Spice -- A FANTASTIC STORE BY THE WAY (GENUINE ENDORSEMENT!). But because of that and her relationships with people on the board we ALL go to her place and spend tons of money.

It's taken years for her to build a genuine reputation amongst her customers and friends on this board-- she's planted real GRASS (not the funny kind of course).

But when someone comes in and tries to lay down crappy ASTROTURF -- well I for one don't take too kindly to that and I think the reaction that you're seeing here is a result of that.

We know times are hard, but take the time to engage in a genuine way and you'll get more loyal custoemrs and business than you can shake a stick at!

Founding Member of the USVIOLBB MEMBERS AGAINST ASTROTURFING (UMAA)