Are Business’ Support Forums Reliable?

Author

Sophie Roussin, Marcel Boucher

Organization

Union des consommateurs

Published

2018

Summary

Business support forums have become a popular and convenient way for consumers to gain unbiased information from peers (as opposed to businesses themselves), seek product support, and offer feedback and suggestions on product/service improvement. However, these forums could potentially leave consumers vulnerable to erroneous information, uncertain use of personal data, and abusive language. The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the advice provided on these forums is reflective of the quality of service received from businesses. To answer this question, Union des consommateurs reviewed the existing literature in order to identify the different types of forums and the kinds of issues that are frequently raised. Next they collected data from these forums, including the terms of use that consumers must agree to when subscribing to the forum. Finally, they studied the existing legislative framework.
On whether consumers were encountering major problems as a result of information received from online forums, the findings of this study were inconclusive. Information collected from the web was largely anecdotal and the survey of various actors did not provide precise information concerning the number and nature of consumer complaints. However, in surveying the terms of use on many of these forums, it was observed that companies generally specify that they assume no responsibility for any comment posted on the forum. This type of disclaimer is prohibited by Canadian consumer protection laws. It is possible that responses from users who identify themselves as linked to the company or as the moderator may be mistaken as responses emanating from the company itself.
The existing legislative framework governing online forums is vague in its application, and appears ill-adapted for this kind of service. It is recommended that moderators take on a more active role in ensuring that information contained on their forums is reliable and accurate. It is also recommended that businesses ensure that a user who is led to their forum, whether through the company website or from a search engine, will be provided with all the informant information about the forum, so that their expectations will not be disappointed.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

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Source: Consumer Policy Research Database