Shopping Discussion

Racist Roofing Company! Boycott! (Mister and Mister)

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  • Sep 30th, 2009 4:34 pm
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Aug 16, 2007
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MrDisco wrote: ok am i the only one who has a problem with the original intent of this thread?

we only have one side of a story where the other party isn't here to defend themselves. that apparently is enough to post their name and number and allow their reputation to be sullied (and from the flaming pitchfork crowd, an invitation to pranks or worse).

even if we assume the op doesn't have any malicious intent, what is really to stop anyone from making up stories and posting it here for public consumption? what if an unscrupulous competitor did the same? wouldn't be too difficult to come up with a plausible story and unleash it on the RFD crowd.

i'm quite shocked a mod would go along with this unsubstantiated slander.
+1111111 I'd put money on the OP or someone the OP knows having an interest in a competitor company to this. It just doesn't make sense. You can easily say "no we're not quoting right now" or something like that, or just hang up.

I highly doubt it went down this way, if at all

(to prove the damage: http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&source=hp&q ... 104527101b)
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May 27, 2007
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matdwyer wrote: +1111111 I'd put money on the OP or someone the OP knows having an interest in a competitor company to this. It just doesn't make sense. You can easily say "no we're not quoting right now" or something like that, or just hang up.

I highly doubt it went down this way, if at all

(to prove the damage: http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&source=hp&q ... 104527101b)

lol this thread is #1 search result on Google?
oh my...

if the OP is correct, i dont agree with what the roofing company did.
but perhaps like others have said, they might have had bad experiences before and they want to avoid it, but i guess the way they delivered the message came out wrong.
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Oct 20, 2001
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matdwyer wrote: +1111111 I'd put money on the OP or someone the OP knows having an interest in a competitor company to this. It just doesn't make sense. You can easily say "no we're not quoting right now" or something like that, or just hang up.
If I had a roofing company, my last worry would be about competition from a no-name fly-by-night roofing company that advertises using lawn signs (which may not even have the company name on them anyway), when there is =&search_text=roofing&location[description]=mississauga%2Contario]LOTS more real competition out there.

And while the response may not make sense to you, I know my fellow brown folks well enough to know that the OP's story is unfortunately very plausible. Many immigrant contractors target their own ethnic community first and foremost. Assuming the OP's story is true (and I've seen no reason to believe it's not), "Mister and Mister" just happened to be more blunt about how he chooses customers.
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Rehan wrote: If I had a roofing company, my last worry would be about competition from a no-name fly-by-night roofing company that advertises using lawn signs (which may not even have the company name on them anyway), when there is =&search_text=roofing&location[description]=mississauga%2Contario]LOTS more real competition out there.

And while the response may not make sense to you, I know my fellow brown folks well enough to know that the OP's story is unfortunately very plausible. Many immigrant contractors target their own ethnic community first and foremost. Assuming the OP's story is true (and I've seen no reason to believe it's not), "Mister and Mister" just happened to be more blunt about how he chooses customers.
While I agree with you that in a business like roofing or lawn maintenance or driveway paving or anything like that that smear tactics would likely not be needed... but it just doesn't make sense to me - if a customer comes to me, and I don't want them (for any reason), then I just say no (or quote them ridiculously high). Why would he make a comment like that rather than just hanging up the phone?

(I suppose the easy answer is: He's a racist! lol)
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Dec 23, 2008
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cooolway wrote: There are two types of Chinese people that I've met; white-washed Chinese and the non-white-washed Chinese.
The white-washed Chinese spend their money wisely and are not cheap.

The latter, however, are VERY CHEAP.

And another thing, how can you blame that guy? We all judge base on our experiences. My sister wear a headscarf and she is quite diligent on how she interacts with other people so that they won't give people who wear headscarf a bad name.
I've only seen one kind of cooolway. The cooolway kind of cooolway. However, cooolway has only seen two types out of the many Chinese people that he has seen. :p
matdwyer wrote: While I agree with you that in a business like roofing or lawn maintenance or driveway paving or anything like that that smear tactics would likely not be needed... but it just doesn't make sense to me - if a customer comes to me, and I don't want them (for any reason), then I just say no (or quote them ridiculously high). Why would he make a comment like that rather than just hanging up the phone?

(I suppose the easy answer is: He's a racist! lol)
Racism never makes sense... :(

There are good Indian people and bad Indian people, just like all other races. :)
There are so many scam moving companies (check out Homestars.ca) - they will ultimately earn less money, but they do it anyway.
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Oct 20, 2001
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All the posts not directly related to the Shopping Discussion have been removed. Please keep the rest of this thread on topic.
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Apr 23, 2004
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Hi there,

Yeah, I sort of have an issue with the roof company, they were all French speaking, but they have good referals. Though, the workers that did the actual roof are really good what they do, but the managers/owners are total asses. Sad, really...

Ju Leon...
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Oct 19, 2006
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grappos13 wrote: i believe the OP is getting over emotional over this...

as a white guy, should i start a thread on every store in pacific mall?

white guy goes to buy electronics or something from a store in pacfific mall.. he gets quoted say $100...chinese person goes in.. they can get the item for $70....isint that pure racist?

i remember i tried this theory when i was a kid... i believe in 1998 i went to get my PS1 modded at pacific mall and we did the experiment.. i went, by myself with my PS1 and asked two different stores the price to mod it... one store told me $65.. another told me $60...both said it would take like 1-2 hours...i said ok thanks and went outside... gave my ps1 to one of my buddies, who is chinese... he went to the same two stores... one store told him $35 and 5 burnt games..the other store said $30 and 5 burnt games and that it would be done in 10-15 min... so i waited outside for like 15 min.. he came back with my ps1 modded, 5 copied games, and gave me $35 back....

isint that just pure racism there? i just laughed it off and basically said that if i ever want anything from pacific mall, i need to bring a chinese person with me..
Another Ignorant Dude...That's just how Pacific mall do business, even Asian get different prices...

The funny thing is a lot of Asians get ripoff too because they think Asian can get better deals from other Asian. But too bad the other Asian knows this too...

FYI, I got a more expensive quote than my white co-worker for auto parts at an asian own store...

Store owners at Pacific mall will charge you more if they think you don't know the price...that's all. At least the store was willing to do business with you.

however, on the other hand this roofing company is out right racist...
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Oct 19, 2006
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I wonder if the owner will be shot in the head if he does that to the "Brothers"
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Hi there,

You know, you could post a review of this roof company whatever there is a place to post a review. That's what you should do. Let the world know about your experience and hopefully doing that will make them lose alot of business. Though, gonna have to re-write that OP message a bit more clearer. :) Hell, even the YellowPages.ca have some sort of review system, too. It is in their ads on TV...

Ju Leon...
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Mar 24, 2006
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Nic0tine wrote: and chinese people arn't racist?

i went into pacmall with a friend of mine who is chinese (mandarin)

i was told one price for a set of rims, he was told a considerably lower price.

the joys of being a gwai lo....
that's not really racist, just because the store want more money from non-chinese :twisted: you can call it dishonest business but not racist in this case.....but yeah, racist does exist in every races

With the OP's story, the roof company should have offered a high price to avoid the racist comment
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Dec 11, 2005
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hehehaha wrote: that's not really racist, just because the store want more money from non-chinese :twisted: you can call it dishonest business but not racist in this case....
Charging different prices based on race is basically the definition of racism....
To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. -- E. E. Cummings
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inferno_gn wrote: Hi there,

You know, you could post a review of this roof company whatever there is a place to post a review. That's what you should do. Let the world know about your experience and hopefully doing that will make them lose alot of business. Though, gonna have to re-write that OP message a bit more clearer. :) Hell, even the YellowPages.ca have some sort of review system, too. It is in their ads on TV...

Ju Leon...
This site is good to post bad service etc http://www.ripoffreport.com/

CBC Consumer Life http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/
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Sep 27, 2004
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brunes wrote: Charging different prices based on race is basically the definition of racism....
Yup and if you go to pmall "they" pull this crap all the time.
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switchblade baby wrote: Wow. Most people on this thread are really not taking this seriously at all. If that roofing company said something along the lines of, "Oh, you're black? We don't want you business." People would be up in arms. No one would have the balls to reply with, "Oh, that's understandable. Black people are poor therefore it's okay if a company wants to avoid them in case they can't pay the fees."

Are you guys kidding me? Just because this is racism towards Asians, it's okay?
Personally i don't give a crap because i dont need a roofer. I just find it amusing at times on RFD.. people are all ethical when it comes to certain practices, but aren't when they can save a dollar somewhere else.


another thing i find amusing is that the original creator posted the company name & phone number. Do you know how many lurkers here are probably racist that will give them business because they ARE racist?


Remember, good or bad, just as long as someone's talking about a company they're getting free promotion.
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brunes wrote: Charging different prices based on race is basically the definition of racism....
In Pacific Mall do vendors do it because they think they can squeeze more money from non chinese, or because they don't want non chinese around?
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May 1, 2007
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It's not acceptable to say that because people of race 1 was racist to people of race 2 that it's ok to be racist to other people of race 1. In other words, how does being ripped off in P mall (due to racism, because they think white people should pay more, or that chinese people are cheapos and won't pay full price and that it's better to make some money then none) makes it acceptable for a roofer to deny service to a person due to race??
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I don't understand what I'm reading. Are people justifying racism by saying that the group being victimized is a racist group?

It's simple. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Get some sense.
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FerrisB wrote: In Pacific Mall do vendors do it because they think they can squeeze more money from non chinese, or because they don't want non chinese around?
Isn't that exactly what the roofer is doing? I think the two situations are actually pretty similar. Of course neither one is right but good or bad they're both business decisions.

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