Complaint Review: StoresOnline

Yes, the forum is down

I am an active member in the Storesonline Merchant Forum and have posted there over 500 times in the last year. Some of the things I've had to say were negative, but I also try to offer encouragement to other members because I believe this is the spirit in which the forum was created. Had it not been for the Forum, I probably would have given up on my online store.



There has been so much help provided through the posts of the Forum on topics I don't even think Storesonline could handle. And I, too, have offered some technical help from time to time. We all do this freely because we really do want to help each other and see each other succeed. It's in the Forum where I have made friends from all over the world, people who are experiencing the same things I am. We are like a family.



It's the negativity of a few that brings down the rest. And while our Forum does contain a section for Comments, Complaints and Praises, that doesn't mean the other 15 or so categories are not worthwhile.



Silverstar Reporter is singling out one section of a forum as proof that we are "a support group you would find stemming from a Psychiatric Ward or Addiction Treatment Center." This sort of comment is not only in bad form but also very poor taste.



I think that when people from all over the world get together there will always be varying viewpoints on a variety of topics. This is what a forum is all about! But... our forum is much more than a sounding board for complaints against Storesonline.



If Silverstar Reporter spent time in the Forum as he/she says "almost daily" then they would have read the important posts, the educational posts, the posts that have been made to "help other forum members."



It's really too bad for Silverstar Reporter that he/she cannot understand the concept of fellowship or the basic human need to help one another.



The Storesonline Merchant Forum is probably the one tool our merchants need and can really use, that doesn't come with a price tag.



You can't have it both ways. First you say our Forum is "a worthwhile Forum to view if you are trying to develop solid evidence against Storesonline" but then you also say we are "condemning others who feel they have been raped financially by Storesonline." Well I guess you got us there... we are an unbiased forum because we actually allow negative posts but we also try to defend ourselves and Storesonline against those who have tried to attack our Forum. I guess you just proved that we are a worthwhile forum because we have the good sense to allow both sides of the issue to be discussed.



One final thought:



The one thing many merchants don't really see is that Storesonline simply provides website building tools - they don't guarantee you'll make any sales once your site goes live. And that's the rub right there. The workshop was one huge sales pitch cleverly disguised as a workshop and that's what many people are upset about - they think they were sold a bad product when the truth is they were sold the American Dream. A dream is just that - you have to work at it to make it a reality.



Most people want to believe they can "strike it rich" and naturally, when a roomful of people are gathered together there is a sort of buying frenzy stirred up. This was a cleverly designed business tactic and at my workshop I would say at least 75% of those who attended made the purchase.



Do you really believe Storesonline would have sold so many packages to this day if they only offered them online?



There is a ton of competition on the internet; if you want to make a success of your online store you need to "do your homework."

Hello Everyone,



My name is Lawrence and I am the site administrator of the forum mentioned in this post. I'm not sure where we can be considered a "Rip-Off" since the forum is free to join nor is it run by StoresOnline but rather we are a group of SOL customers who have decided to provide help and support to others in the same situation.



No the forum is not open to everyone. It is designed for StoresOnline merchants although it is true there is nothing to prevent a non-merchant from joining.



You make it sound like there is something wrong with giving words of encouragement when someone accomplishes a goal. Didn't your parent's give you words of encouragement whenever you accomplished something new regardless of how big or small? Why do we tell each other we will be successes some day? Because it's possible. I know because my first store is now clearing about $300 - $500 per week profit.



I hesitate to mention the name here as I would not want the search engines to put this site's name and my company name in the same listing but if you check out the forum mention my stores are easily found in my signature and again I am the site administrator.



Is there more complaints than praise in our forum? Yes we acknowledge the shortcomings of StoresOnline and if someone were to ask if I would refer them I most certainly would not because of their lack of help. But the fact remains that many have already made the buying decision by the time they find us and since getting a refund is about as much fun as pulling teeth the least we can do is attempt to help them create a business that will repay their expense and more.



We are hoping that someday (perhaps in vain) that we will be able to get StoresOnline to make fundamental changes needed to their after sales support so they can turn their reputation around. From my experience the actual product has worked wonderfully but learning how to use it to it's full potential has only been achieved through both my fellow forum members help and a lot of trial and error.



Therefore while you may consider StoresOnline and the various incarnations of Imergent a rip-off I do take offense that an independently run forum that takes no money from it's members and gives what I feel to be very solid advice and guidance is being reported here on Ripoff.com