Well Llna77 you are staying strong. Keep it up. This thread has some legs and Hundreds of Thousands of people are now aware.
Scuba Schools of America/Rusty Berry
- Thread starter Lina77
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This thread has been quite illuminating! I also went to check out the BBB reviews. VERY interesting that in just the last few days, since this thread popped up, there have been several new reviews. The negative ones you can pretty much tell who wrote them - the people posting in this thread about their own experiences. Then right after theirs are all these new positive ones which seem to be directly addressing the negative reviews. They smell suspiciously like "friends of the shop".
And now there's a new one from someone telling almost exactly the same story as Lina77 and sneighbor - I can't tell if that new reviewer is someone who's been posting on this thread, but it's an awfully similar story. Hmmm....
I read the new BBB review. Sounds like a result of this thread. I believe the OP started this thread to draw some of Rusty's victims out of the woodwork and it may be working. I also noticed that some of the reviews criticizing SSA have been removed. I don't know if Rusty is lurking here, but he is obviously aware of the activity at BBB. He needs to realize that you can only jerk people around for so long before it comes back at 'ya.
And not too surprising that the story is similar. If I remember correctly, I think I overheard Rusty say that he recruited something like 30 to 60 new victims...errrr...students at the show where I met him. I'm guessing he uses the same tactics and scripts on everyone. Maybe some don't catch on. or some are too embarrassed to admit they've been had. Or some may have more money than sense and just go along with it.
Edit: Oh, and the review by David W.....OMG! he could raise crops with that story it's so full of BS.
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OP
Lina77
Registered
Leejnd
Contributor
Lina, was your BBB review removed? sneighbor, did you post one? I wonder what criteria is used by the BBB to remove reviews. There are a couple of the positive ones on there that look pretty obviously (to me at least) like friends of the company. Why are they leaving those, but removing negative ones from customers?
Very strange. Anyway, I would agree that it sounds like the most recent one (from HessieD) was a result of this thread. It even mentions Scubaboard. And it appears to be a new, very similar complaint, because the dollar amounts are different. All pretty damning for SSA...
Where's HessieD? Let's hear from you!
Very strange. Anyway, I would agree that it sounds like the most recent one (from HessieD) was a result of this thread. It even mentions Scubaboard. And it appears to be a new, very similar complaint, because the dollar amounts are different. All pretty damning for SSA...
Where's HessieD? Let's hear from you!
formula1mb@aol.com
Contributor
It might be that they're only temporarily removed. I'm thinking it might be like a credit report where you can contest an item and while it's being reviewed----the item is temporarily removed.
Well Lina77, hopefully, far fewer people will "go in there". This outdated and intimidating model of
sales is a disgrace, it turns off people to diving with such a sour taste that they tell others, we all lose.
There are plenty of good diving folks around and I hope you find some of them. The independent instructors are, often, a very good way to start.
sales is a disgrace, it turns off people to diving with such a sour taste that they tell others, we all lose.
There are plenty of good diving folks around and I hope you find some of them. The independent instructors are, often, a very good way to start.
Ok, so I'm lazy and don't feel like searching for the BBB reviews. Anyone got links?
formula1mb@aol.com
Contributor
Funny reading this thread. I remember meeting him at the Long Beach show and definitely had a bit of the creepy, cult like vibe where he was almost too friendly and welcoming-----always telling you what you wanted to hear like he's your best friend.
It's amazing people still try to pull this s*** in this day and age when you have all these online resources where it's only a matter of time before being exposed.
It's amazing people still try to pull this s*** in this day and age when you have all these online resources where it's only a matter of time before being exposed.
Leejnd
Contributor
OP
Lina77
Registered
Lina, was your BBB review removed? sneighbor, did you post one? I wonder what criteria is used by the BBB to remove reviews. There are a couple of the positive ones on there that look pretty obviously (to me at least) like friends of the company. Why are they leaving those, but removing negative ones from customers?
Very strange. Anyway, I would agree that it sounds like the most recent one (from HessieD) was a result of this thread. It even mentions Scubaboard. And it appears to be a new, very similar complaint, because the dollar amounts are different. All pretty damning for SSA...
Where's HessieD? Let's hear from you!
Yes, mine was removed because I still have a pending complaint. However, a friend of mine had hers removed even after she verified to BBB that she had dealings with the company. They removed it last week pending verification, she sent the information they requested, it was reposted and now it's gone again. She's pissed and already emailed the guy at BBB who asked her to authenticate who she was.
My account was suspended for an unknown reason and I can't wait to call them tomorrow and really let them have it. I couldn't even review because of the pending complaint and they still suspended my account.
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