Our values

Elliott is an advocacy site that empowers consumers to solve their service problems and helps those who can’t. It promotes honesty, fairness and respect between companies and customers.

For companies

Honesty means that the price a company displays should be the price its customers pay — no tricks. Customers have the right to know what’s included — and not included — when an offer is initially made.

Fairness means no incomprehensible one-sided contracts drafted by expensive lawyers. Terms and conditions must be written in plain language and they should apply equally to a customer and a company.

Respect means companies should treat their customers as they would want to be treated. There’s no excuse for bad service, even when customers receive a discount.

For consumers

Honesty means customers should never take advantage of a company, even when the business is unethical or greedy. They have an obligation to educate themselves to the best of their ability before they buy.

Fairness means giving the system a chance before complaining. We believe that by working within the system, responsible consumers can ask for and receive a just resolution to any service problem.

Respect means treating employees as they would want to be treated. Selfish and entitled consumers poison the marketplace, driving up prices and tempting companies to adopt customer-hostile policies.

Our causes

Here’s a short list of what we’re fighting for.

Treating customers with dignity and respect. Companies should treat their customers as they would want to be treated — with kindness, respect and dignity. And that should be reciprocated with respect and loyalty by their customers. Programs that attempt to manipulate this natural relationship between companies and customers, such as loyalty programs, hurt everyone in the long term.

Ending deceptive advertising. Consumers want products to do what they promised — no more, no less. When a company advertises something but doesn’t deliver, we have a problem.

Encouraging more choices. Mergers and acquisitions are never better for customers — ever. What’s more, I’ve never spoken with a customer who demanded two competitors merge. Simply put, mergers are bad for consumers. The more choices, the better.

Stopping “gotcha” contracts. Companies often create contracts that give their customers zero rights while allowing them to do whatever they please. These so-called “adhesion” contracts are universally hated by their consumers.

Scrapping junk fees. Customers hate surprises. So when you sell a product but then force someone to pay extra to make it work, that’s an unwanted junk fee. “Free” smartphone apps are the worst. You have to make an in-app payment to unlock the functionality. Come on.

Keeping your personal information private. People hate — hate! — seeing their personal information shared with a third party without their consent. Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it right. It’s an invasion of privacy and a breach of trust.

Removing opt-in traps. When companies pre-check the “subscribe” button to send you offers or automatically renew your subscription annually, that’s wrong. Customers should always have a choice about what they buy and when.

Got a cause you’d like to add to this list? Send us an email.

 

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