Why do they do it?

[Soner]

I have so many times come across TC companies giving out business cards with their website address and email account - which in fact do not exist. I know this as I check, only to find out that the domain names have not even been purchased. What is the point? Once, I had sent out emails to an accountant which of course he had not received because his stated email account did not exist even though he had this printed on his business cards. Where is the logic in this? In my opinion if gives off a bad impression of that company.

Anyone needing a professional website with email accounts, contact me: info@kibkom.com

[kaiserphil]

It gives us a bad impression Soner, but TC logic doesn't work like that, does it?

They think it looks good, and will fool people.

[Soner]

My advice is if you are a business and can not afford £10 per year, do not give out fake web and email addresses, get yourself a free Hotmail/Gmail account. Although it is unprofessional for a business, at least you can be contacted.

Time to wake up and get with the times. You wouldn't put a fake tel number on your business cards as you know you would not get any calls....it's the same thing with email!

[teg17]

Quite right Soner but I would further suggest that if you can't afford the 10 pounds a year rather get out of business altogether.

[Marions]

I too don't understand it. It is all to do with ego and 'face' but they stupidly don't realise that some of us can see through it all. They can't get any business by pretending to have/be something they are not, so I cannot understand why they do it. Obviously one could NEVER trust someone handing out a business card that is fake, so what the heck can they help to achieve.

But saldy, one has also found that a gentleman's agreement is that no longer. Get a quote- shake hands, and be ripped off! What happened to honesty, and integrity???

Or as someone said to me recently "we have out lived our generation." - an inference that not enough people have high standards these days. Makes the world a much sadder place.

And yes, if you cannot afford the £10 for a web site, or get yourself a free e mail address, then you should think twice as to whether you could possibly run a business or should be. But rogues and thieves do not apply logic!

[Soner]

was not really pointing to rogue traders, but legit companies that have been established for years... makes no sense to me, and is very annoying.

[Marions]

well, if established for years,they must have done a lot of wool pulling over a lot of eyes!

[Philoz]

To be fair to TC's
I have been ripped off by British ex pats here far more times than TC's (and I'm British!).
Here's how it works-

If you are a trades person from the UK but have been made bankrupt,because you were rubbish at running a business, or are generally incompetent,or are on the run from the police, so you set up an 'English speaking' business here.

And if you are fortunate to speak English and Turkish you get local workman to work for you for peanuts,and then charge ex pats big money,creaming off the rest for yourself.

If you are a 'Retiree' and don't speak Turkish you are attracted to these 'British ' tradesmen because that is something that you trust and are familiar with.


They then proceed to rip you off blind,like they did to people in the UK(that's why they are here).

They poor TC buggers that work for them are getting a fraction of what the punters are paying.

Took me a while to work it out but believe me it's rife here.

In answer to Soners original post-yes there are some dodgy TC's, but in my experience Soner , there are plenty of Brits leeching off the goodwill of hard working honest TC's

[Soner]

Slightly off topic, what I am asking is why do businesses give out fake email and web addresses. As to getting ripped off, don't go there, I am a BBC (British Born Cypriot) and get ripped off most of the time - the accent is a giveaway, but you just live and learn. On the other hand there are many that are fair and honest, just hard to find, but a pleasure when you do find them.

[Philoz]

Soner- yes, sorry I went slightly off topic, and I know what you mean about the dodgy business cards.
I agree that there is no point in creating a 'pretend' business.
Also I was sticking up for TC's.

[Soner]

Why? They can be just as bad. Same the World over....there are good people and there are bad.

[Sandman]

Philoz - you are quite right !!!