Sorry forgot that I hadn't replied to this.
Roger, whilst I appreciate your idea, as others have pointed out, it's not in IceInSpace's interest to promote this sort of system about retailer comments/feedback.
We all want a place to be able to talk about our experiences with vendors - both good and bad. Sometimes it's to vent, sometimes to warn others, sometimes to encourage others (where your experience was a good one).
The TOS does allow for talk about vendors - but it warns that you should be specific in your experiences, and avoid generalisations such as "don't buy from these guys, they're dodgy" etc.
Vendors very rarely get to post a "right of reply" when something bad is said about them, so that's why IIS has to be careful about what we allow the members to say about vendors. Vendors will rightly want to protect their reputation and protect their business - that could mean threatening to take action against the original poster, or against IIS.
Noone wants to see "he-said/she-said" arguments between vendors and buyers on the site. It's not good for anyone.
In a lot of cases, it's miscommunication (or lack of communication) that gets people upset. For example, people complaining that they ordered something online and didn't receive it, or didn't receive any confirmation, etc. The best solution is always
pick up the phone and talk to them. Most problems can be sorted out very easily without having negative comments posted on IIS.
There is a list of vendors on the
IceInSpace Links page (Equipment & Where to Buy), however I know it's not completely up-to-date and doesn't contain the full list of Aussie retailers. I'm happy to update it if someone sends me a list?
Thanks for your thoughts Roger.