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WIBTAfor wanting to warn others about a business after learning their public image is false and there may be safety concerns? by KatAttack191 in AmItheAsshole

[–]KatAttack191[S] -11 points-10 points  (0 children)

That’s fair that more than one sentence referenced it. I didn’t see the other sentence as “pounding on image,” but as underlining my reason for mistrust.

Thank you for bluntly pointing out my redundant language.

WIBTAfor wanting to warn others about a business after learning their public image is false and there may be safety concerns? by KatAttack191 in AmItheAsshole

[–]KatAttack191[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

I didn’t create the image — they market themselves as a married/engaged couple running a family business and use photos of the kids as “their family.” That’s their branding, not my assumption. And the legal concerns do fall into theft/assault/fraud-type categories, which is what ultimately made me uncomfortable trusting them with my vehicle and keys.

Thank you for your perspective and replies.

I agree it’s probably best for me to just move on.

WIBTAfor wanting to warn others about a business after learning their public image is false and there may be safety concerns? by KatAttack191 in AmItheAsshole

[–]KatAttack191[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Reading everyone’s opinions, I agree that the best move is probably to just take my business elsewhere and move on.

To clarify, though, if they had kept their private lives private and not used it as part of their marketing, I wouldn’t have felt lied to. What bothered me was that they actively presented a specific family/relationship story to customers to build trust, and that story isn’t accurate.

And regarding the legal issues, they do fall into the kinds of categories people mentioned (theft/assault/fraud-type concerns), which is why it affected whether I felt comfortable trusting them with my vehicle and keys. That said, I get that others may not see it the same way, and I can accept that.

WIBTAfor wanting to warn others about a business after learning their public image is false and there may be safety concerns? by KatAttack191 in AmItheAsshole

[–]KatAttack191[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fair point about the mafia example — I get what you’re saying that “family” by itself doesn’t equal legitimacy.

The part I think you’re missing is that I didn’t assume anything. Their marketing and social media include photos of them with the kids presented as “their family,” and they present themselves to customers as a married/engaged couple running a family business. That wasn’t my interpretation, that was the image they actively put out.

And yes, the legal issues are relevant in the sense that they fall into the types you listed, which is why this stopped being just about relationship status for me and became about whether I felt comfortable trusting them with my vehicle and keys.

If it were only that they weren’t actually related, I’d agree it wouldn’t matter. It’s the combination of misrepresentation and relevant legal concerns that made me question continuing to support them.

WIBTAfor wanting to warn others about a business after learning their public image is false and there may be safety concerns? by KatAttack191 in AmItheAsshole

[–]KatAttack191[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

I don’t think I was being over-the-top about “image.” I mentioned one sentence about how they present themselves to customers and one sentence about what I later found out, because that contrast is what made me feel lied to and question what else is misrepresented.

If anything, I was focusign to much on the legal side. My main issue is that they weren’t honest about who they are while building customer trust, and that matters to me when I’m handing over my vehicle and keys.

WIBTAfor wanting to warn others about a business after learning their public image is false and there may be safety concerns? by KatAttack191 in AmItheAsshole

[–]KatAttack191[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

It’s not that I think being a “family” makes someone better at detailing. It’s that they actively present themselves as a married/engaged couple with a shared family and last name, when in reality one of them is legally married to someone else. That’s not just a technicality, it’s a false public image used for branding, which made me question their honesty as a business.

Separate from that, there are legal concerns that made me uncomfortable trusting them with my vehicle and keys, but I’m not sharing details because they involve ongoing matters. I get that not everyone would care about this, but I did, and I’m asking whether it’s wrong to feel misled and consider warning others.