Chris Voss of The Chris Voss Show, a nationally recognized social media (#18 on Forbes) expert documented a “Goon Squad” on his blog.
Team Leader Nance Larson (@nancelarson) and leaders Chris Sandys (@usafa_93) and Gareth Davies (@me_gareth) gooned it up when one of their customers was sharing social media posts that they didn’t approve of.
How did they do this? Pretty much like Chris Voss discussed in his blogs.
Over 5 posts on my blogs I documented issues with Empire Avenue, from their rogue volunteers, running a “wall of shame” on Brands, attacking Brands reputations online, not answering complaints, having a “goon squad” of endorsed volunteers attacking customers who complained, refusing to discipline internally thereby encouraging more attacks on Brands, etc. What I witnessed was the worst travesty in the annals of customer service I have ever seen. After a month of private discussions with EA to change things, I went public. Only then did they begin to change, but the attacks on me and others grew by their “goon squad.” In the end, I went to EA’s Angel Investor and EA had to shut down its Chat Room and Chat Mod “goons squad.” EA shamelessly has never apologized or produced it damning chat logs as promised by their CEO. This is one of those posts, you can read the rest by Search in the upper right for ‘Empire.’ Don’t play EA or if you do save your REAL money.
A company is responsible for overseeing its reps and volunteers that are endorsed and sanctioned by the company, in making sure they are in line with a Company code of conduct. Let me ask you something, if you were to go into Walmart or Nordstoms, make a complaint with Customer Service would you expect or allow yourself to continually be attacked and bullied by their Company volunteer staff? Then over a month it continues and gets worse the more you complain? I’m warning everyone with no question to avoid Empire Avenue. If your Brand comes under the ire of one of their rogue Chat Mods, Empire Avenue can’t protect the bashing of your Brand and doesn’t seem to care in my opinion. I’m telling people to run from this company, keep your money or ask for a refund. This is a perfect example of a social media fail everyone should be blogging about and making lesson plans on!
Chris Sandys began tweeting vague allegations of the customers being a “sock puppet”.
http://twitter.com/USAFA_93/status/513831785906860032
http://twitter.com/USAFA_93/status/513837153173123073
http://twitter.com/USAFA_93/status/513831785906860032
A sockpuppet is an online identity used for purposes of deception. The term, a reference to the manipulation of a simple hand puppet made from a sock, originally referred to a false identity assumed by a member of an Internet community who spoke to, or about, themselves while pretending to be another person.[1] The term now includes other misleading uses of online identities, such as those created to praise, defend or support a person or organization,[2] or to circumvent a suspension or ban from a website. A significant difference between the use of a pseudonym[3] and the creation of a sockpuppet is that the sockpuppet poses as an independent third-party unaffiliated with the puppeteer. Many online communities attempt to block sockpuppets.
He tweeted to the victim, Empire Avenue itself and to Gareth Davies.
Gareth Davies has a history of doxing customers of Empire Avenue’s and issuing violent threats.
The victim inquired in the forums, but received no official response from moderators, admins or team leaders.
Gareth, who is known to “rampage” is otherwise happy to be complimented for scaring his intended targets.
Nance Larson, who has publically lied about her position of authority on Twitter, kicked the victim out of a forum he had joined, and otherwise paid $100.00 to have access to.
The forum was opened for leaders and others to work in and was to be run by Robby Ball.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/messages/archived/robbyba
Despite the rules being clearly stated at forum opening, Nance Larson was free to attack others in this new, off the record forum established when the admins suddenly limited the posting in the established “Leaders” forum.
Nance suddenly took over, and abused her authority.
Imagine being abused by a company you are a customer of for what you shared online.
By the way, Empire Avenue has rules (apparently not enforeced on Nance, about tweeting false information.)
Nance misstates her own affiliation with Empire Avenue on Twitter.
The abuse of their own customers is astonishing.
https://twitter.com/NanceLarson/status/478154522649698304
Team Leader Nance Larson, as a person of authority is one of the primary abusers of customers at Empire Avenue.
Until Kred cleans up the leaders and leadership and comes to grip what has been done on Empire Avenue it’s best to avoid the whole game.
What was advertised and sold to the Leaders of Empire Avenue?
Running the game. Not the ability to be abused by Nance Larson and others.
https://twitter.com/DigitalKeith/status/615610077014134784
Reportedly “goon squad” typescan DM people on EmpireKred that have them blocked. I have heard this from more than one customer of Empire Avenue’s.
When will EmpireKred act to stop these attacks on their own customers?
Does EmpireKred value the privacy and safety of their customers?
And why did Empire Avenue allow Keith Gill to run false content through their missions system?
Abuse by the “Goon Squad” triggered a CA DoJ inquiry into Twitter and the San Francisco DA’s office twice opened files.
No response from Empire Avenue higher ups or EmpireKred as to why this extreme abuse was allowed to occur.
Keithis irrelevant in this, as it doesn’t matter who is doing the abusing, just that it clearly happens at EmpireKred to their own customers.
I do….
The SF DA’s office immediately reopened their file after whatever bullshit Keith Gill reported on or about 1/8/2015.
It should be noted that part of Twitter’s ToS is to agree to local courts and laws. In this case, that’s California.
Other customers noted the threats and intimidation, Empire Avenue simply wanted that “off the record” and is willing to abuse their own customers to try to accomplish that.
WanderinPoet 