Pedal ethics

[niftyprose]

Hello guys, my first post outside the 'gear' forum. I'm keeping this abstract which makes it less fun but less likely to be moderated.

I'm talking about the behaviour of pedalbuilders, which is of course no better than that of the human race in general. But ILF is in a privileged relation to builders. On two occasions this past year, reports of the bad conduct of a maker have turned me away from their product. One was an artisan builder and the other a well-known middleweight. In neither case did the reports make me expect a ripoff -- I just didn't like the way those in question had treated a contemporary.

Am I uniquely snowflakish or are others similarly turned off by what they read here?

[qersty]

you didn't like how a company acted so you don't buy their product; ain't this how things work normally? I don't see how it is an issue when you don't even namedrop them or pull your claims out of nowhere or something

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, everybody has different standards of judging people. What offends me may not offend you. What offends you may not offend me.

Also, a person's personal ethics and business ethics may differ. Sometimes I disagree with one, the other or both. I guess either one could be a reason to avoid a pedal builder (… and I probably have). You could also avoid buying a builder's pedals for something as petty as not liking a builder's personality. (Not saying I'd do that. )

You're not specific in which you're talking about. Your post in general is very vague. Not much to base an opinion on. There's definitely more to the story than you're letting on. Have you been "ripped off"? By two different builders? What exactly does being ripped off constitute here?

[aedes]

I just didn't like the way those in question had treated a contemporary.

I don't understand this. Are you talking about the way builders treated each other?

[niftyprose]

Nope, really not gonna namedrop, sorry if this seems vague and I'll gladly drop the topic if an abstract discussion isn't wanted. But Qersty's response is interesting. It points back to my original query.

As a consumer of, say, chocolate, I'm not much exercised by issues of corporate ethics unless a company pulls something Nestle-like. (Criticism of the Swiss outfit is so prevalent that this doesn't count as a namedrop.) But ILF and similar boards give me a much deeper level of engagement with the actions of builders. To reiterate a point from my original post: I haven't been ripped off by either maker, but I have recd. credible reports of bad behaviour on their parts which put me off their products. If I hadn't been on this board and others like it, I wouldn't have heard the stories.

[Chankgeez]

credible reports of bad behaviour

You need to define "bad behaviour". Otherwise this thread's pretty pointless. Not asking you to name-drop, but people can't opine on something they know nothing about. (Although, that seems to happen all the time anyway.) Without specifics, this situation may just as well be fictional.

[Paul_C]

You choose what to do, I have any number of irrational grudges about things

There's a company in the UK that makes tinned custard. I bought a couple of tins which had light brown flecks in (it's usually a uniform colour) and I messaged them to ask if it was ok to eat. I never got so much as a reply so I've never bought it since

I have never considered buying a JHS pedal because of a few things I read (and because they don't make weird enough pedals to interest me, tbh) and I'd never buy anything by Vertex for lots of reasons.

As long as I'm happy with my choices I don't care what anyone else thinks or does.

[D.o.S.]

I think it's reasonable to be turned off of a builder based on how they conduct themselves.

[Gone Fission]

I don’t have to be personally wronged to blacklist a co or builder. A harm to one of us is a harm to all of us.

[MechaGodzilla]

fuck JHS and danelectro

[Chankgeez]

(and because they don't make weird enough pedals to interest me, tbh)

[$harkToootth]

Am I uniquely snowflakish or are others similarly turned off by what they read here?

TLDR I am soy boy. One company did not 'ethically' wrong but I found them off putting and probably won't get there stuff. Boo hoo!
I'm a snowflake too! What you wrote I "assume" is normal. I know I do it! I've done the inverse too (bought from someone solely cause I like what they're about and because of how they conduct themselves). I'd rather buy from someone who's putting their heart into it, trying to do new stuff, and actually has a personable presence than entitled dick heads. I've only had two really off putting buying experiences and the regret is necessarily I was out funds, but those funds could have been spent on builders who I enjoy and I see where the money actually goes to like RMA, ADD, MASK, MID-FI, and COPILOT (all ace people and great pedals) [the list goes on by the way, these are just people who I own more than 2 pedals from].

My last three pedals have all been Alexander. Always been curious but didn't "need them". He seems like an ace dude so that's what pushed me to get them (two were discounted too... I bought a bunch of stuff directly though).

On another note, I apply this logic to BST. Some stuff, I know I could have gotten cheaper but if I happen to think you're a cool fuzz bro... I'd rather exchange with you

Specific to your question... and this may just be me... but I have literally been 'turned off by what they (I) read here?' by Endangered Audio Research. Again, I'm kind of a tool/chode myself but (and this is not directed at the quality of there product, I'm sure it's great) but they literally posted stuff here I personally found not offensive or bad or anything but... really off putting / alienating. "Slimey" even.

[Eivind August]

Yeah, I don't buy stuff from people I don't like. I guess most people don't, unless they really don't care. But as others have pointed out, you are being overly vague. A more specific idea of what you didn't like would go a long way in creating a more interesting discussion.

Lastly, having your opinions affect your descisions does not sound very "snowflakeish" to me.

[jirodreamsofdank]

credible reports of bad behaviour

You need to define "bad behaviour". Otherwise this thread's pretty pointless.

"Bad behavior" is already defined as something short of ripping people off in the OP. So that's the question - if you know someone's just a jerk or prone to not giving credit for designs or trash-talking unnecessarily, is that enough to get you to not shop with them?

[Chankgeez]

Something short of ripping people off could be lots of different things.