Posting warnings about crooked people in the marine industry?

Probably an appropriate question, but kind of odd to post it on Christmas morning.

"Crooked fraudulent" is seldom appropriate terminology for a forum like this. If one asks about surveyors in an area it is generally fine to post that you do not recommend a specific one based on a poor experience. It's also fine to comment in general about a bad experience without mentioning the specific surveyor and sometimes even to go further with an experience. However, "Crooked Fraudulent" accusations are those you should take to courts or law enforcement. Those are very serious charges and beyond those of just giving poor service and rarely are they provable but, if they are, a public forum isn't the place to do so. As an added comment, using such terms in social media or a public forum or even a review site can subject you to personal liability and risk. Better just to stick with absolute facts, not inflammatory terms. And, if a law has been broken in your opinion, then seek retribution in the appropriate way.

Frankly, before I'd do so, I'd get advice from an attorney. When you start running such an ad, you put yourself at serious legal risk. I also think an ad crosses the line from wanting to advise people to vengeful and vindictive. At that point, it starts to say more about you than it does about the surveyor.

You're wanting to destroy a business at this point and that has real legal consequences. It crosses beyond freedom of speech. Ask the lady in Dallas who launched a social media campaign against her wedding photographer. The photographer sued and won $1.08 million in the defamation lawsuit.

Crooked and fraudulent are words that can't be proven on a forum, just in a court of law, and until someone has been found guilty in a court of law of being crooked and fraudulent, using such terms is a very dangerous thing. Must be very careful to state only provable fact and otherwise make it clear other things are just opinions. Fraudulent is not an "opinion" type word, but a legal term.

I personally doubt that you have any evidence of fraud. You probably have a survey where the surveyor didn't do an adequate job. That happens all the time, but unless you have proof that the surveyor didn't do a survey and still charged you for one, didn't even go to the boat, then you don't likely have fraud.

You really need to rethink your entire approach to this. Any ad or post you make will be a reflection on yourself. Why not have a short consultation with a lawyer and see if you have a legal case? Otherwise, take your own blame for a poor choice of surveyor and be more careful next time.

This is the second forum I see your post. Be very careful. Listen to the advice above.

No, posted there as Mattie69 from Sausalito. Or did he change it after you pointed it out?

I hope not. I hope the op calms down, breathes a bit, then posts coherent well thought through posts without using names and drops his thoughts of ads.

I smell a scorned woman....... Been bit by one or two. You really fine tune your red flags after that....

You think a scorned man is any different? I don't.

They surveyor question is always a tricky one. You have to look at what he signed up for, what the contract states and what his stated exceptions are.

IMO they are there to capture known or obvious issues, some can go to deeper levels than others, but basically give an overall ESTIMATE of Sea worthiness. They are not experts in everything and can’t be expected to be as such. If they don’t have access to everything or can’t rip apart a boat (,on your dime) to get to remote areas, they can not comment on what they can’t see.

If you want an expert opinion on an engine, a structure, a generator, an electrical system, a paint/finish system, hire a expert in those particular fields as well as a marine surveyor. The Survey report is necessary for Insurance/banking purposes and a general hit list at time of purchase, but what are your expectations, especially if the boat in question may be quite old or fairly unknown and built in limited numbers, something one would consider “obscure”?

Take a look at the money - a surveyor gets a fixed (small) fee that is usually no where near the broker(s) commission or the sellers price or the yard bill for the hit list work and everyone wants to point the finger at the lowest guy on that financial totem pole. What’s wrong with that picture?

Hmm, you have a point. How about: "Angry ex...." ?

Again, this may well be a character assassination mission for other reasons.

The OP has posted well before, not getting too much love from this tough crowd.

Everyone just take a deep breath and relax. Merry Christmas