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Isn't this what lawyers are for? Seems like he's just spinning his wheels trying to get through at the customer support level.

by hoten 4y ago

lin83 4y ago
Hiring lawyers is probably going to cost more than the 7000 dollars taken from him. Large companies probably spend that much on their legal teams per hour.
- ShakataGaNai 4y ago
  100% this is the problem with our current legal system. The little guy is going to have to pay, by the hour, for a lawyer. Where as shopify has, I'm sure, an entire team on the payroll. It costs shopify, in effect, nothing to battle this until the heat death of the universe (or the little guy runs out of money, which ever comes first)
- bawolff 4y ago
  IANAL, but shopify is a canadian company not american, so if the seller wins wouldn't they also get legal fees - which makes it harder to bury them under legal fees? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_rule_(attorney%27s_fees) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_rule_(attorney%27s_f...
webmobdev 4y ago
I don't get this logic - why shouldn't he express his anger, frustration and annoyances with shopify publicly? If I was in his position I would do the same too, whether it gets me some response from Shopify or not. Even if I hired lawyers, I would still prefer to tell the public about shitty customer service, especially if it costs me money and time.
- hoten 4y ago
  I think we both agree that complaining in public is cathartic. However, it isn't always the most productive nor protective (of your own emotional state) option available. If that is realized at all, it typically is only with hindsight.
  - SZJX 4y ago
    From several cases we’ve seen here on HN so far, it seems to be a quite effective strategy for finally getting through to somebody at that tech behemoth and having your problem swiftly resolved (even if you may say that “theoretically” this shouldn’t be how it works in a society perfectly based on contracts and on the rule of law, depending on your viewpoint). Much better than directly starting a lawsuit, no?
  - xmodem 4y ago
    Just from personal experience, on more than one occasion, I've spent hours on hold with a company getting nowhere, fired off a couple of quick tweets, and the issue has been fixed in 10 minutes. I have about 300 followers. Is it a guarantee? Absolutely not. But it can work, and if the amount of money involved is too small to make involving lawyers worthwhile, it's often your only remaining option. How else would you suggest handling the situation of needing to recover $7000 that a company owes you but they refuse to acknowledge your existence?

Isn't this what lawyers are for? Seems like he's just spinning his wheels trying to get through at the customer support level.

by hoten 4y ago

Isn't this what lawyers are for? Seems like he's just spinning his wheels trying to get through at the customer support level.

lin83 4y ago

Hiring lawyers is probably going to cost more than the 7000 dollars taken from him. Large companies probably spend that much on their legal teams per hour.

ShakataGaNai 4y ago
100% this is the problem with our current legal system. The little guy is going to have to pay, by the hour, for a lawyer. Where as shopify has, I'm sure, an entire team on the payroll. It costs shopify, in effect, nothing to battle this until the heat death of the universe (or the little guy runs out of money, which ever comes first)
bawolff 4y ago
IANAL, but shopify is a canadian company not american, so if the seller wins wouldn't they also get legal fees - which makes it harder to bury them under legal fees? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_rule_(attorney%27s_fees) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_rule_(attorney%27s_f...

webmobdev 4y ago

I don't get this logic - why shouldn't he express his anger, frustration and annoyances with shopify publicly? If I was in his position I would do the same too, whether it gets me some response from Shopify or not. Even if I hired lawyers, I would still prefer to tell the public about shitty customer service, especially if it costs me money and time.

hoten 4y ago
I think we both agree that complaining in public is cathartic. However, it isn't always the most productive nor protective (of your own emotional state) option available. If that is realized at all, it typically is only with hindsight.
- SZJX 4y ago
  From several cases we’ve seen here on HN so far, it seems to be a quite effective strategy for finally getting through to somebody at that tech behemoth and having your problem swiftly resolved (even if you may say that “theoretically” this shouldn’t be how it works in a society perfectly based on contracts and on the rule of law, depending on your viewpoint). Much better than directly starting a lawsuit, no?
- xmodem 4y ago
  Just from personal experience, on more than one occasion, I've spent hours on hold with a company getting nowhere, fired off a couple of quick tweets, and the issue has been fixed in 10 minutes. I have about 300 followers. Is it a guarantee? Absolutely not. But it can work, and if the amount of money involved is too small to make involving lawyers worthwhile, it's often your only remaining option. How else would you suggest handling the situation of needing to recover $7000 that a company owes you but they refuse to acknowledge your existence?