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[Nora_Lenderbee]

Lazyman, making money isn't bad. Satire isn't bad. But offering to sell your endorsement is a direct and clear violation of Prosper TOS.

And your post wasn't satire by any definition. You were serious, even if you were doing it simply to raise a point. Furthermore, doing sleazy things to prove a point tends to fail of effect and just make the doer look bad. That's why you are getting so much flack here. BTW, i reported your blog post to Prosper. It isn't funny.

[cubbiesnextyr]

By this "kind of behavior" you mean writing about Prosper's flaws?  If that's a "suspendable" action, I'd be curious to learn why.

Actually, Prosper reserves the right to suspend your account for any reason at all, or no reason.  They've suspended accounts for less (PMing lenders to tell them about Prosper's OWN forums, links to prospers.org, putting up listings they deemed weren't serious - even if they were, etc).

[Mtnchick]

OK, so he's admitted he's working for P-----r and they are ALLOWING this kind of crap? I'd say "unbelievable" but at this point, nothing P-----r does seems to make any sense.

[Cushie]

I take Prosper's silence as approval.  Yay!  My endorsement is officially for sale.  Since it isn't worth much contact me and well negotiate.

(THAT is satire)

[Caladia]

OK, so he's admitted he's working for P-----r and they are ALLOWING this kind of crap? I'd say "unbelievable" but at this point, nothing P-----r does seems to make any sense.

A while back on the old forums, there was a GL ("Share Something Positive Today") who was having her borrowers take out a loan on Prosper in order to pay a $3500 fee for a "Debt Relief Program" that she was involved in.  The Debt Relief Program was a scam, clearly designed to target elderly, uneducated people and squeeze money from them, without offering much, if anything, in return.  Once her borrowers got the Prosper loan (the GL would bid on the loan), they would pay the fee, and she would get a commission.  In addition to being just all-around sleazy, it did violate Prosper's TOS, because in return for her bid, she got a commission.  (Link to thread:  http://www.prosperreport.com/prosper/forums/archive/threads/5/3/5321.0.HTM)


We reported the GL multiple times.  Prosper informed us that there was no TOS violation, and allowed the GL to continue the practice.  It was another indication, among many, that Prosper was willing to align itself with sleazy scam artists in order to make a short-term buck, ignoring the long term effects on its reputation and integrity as a company.

[Mtnchick]

We reported the GL multiple times.  Prosper informed us that there was no TOS violation, and allowed the GL to continue the practice.  It was another indication, among many, that Prosper was willing to align itself with sleazy scam artists in order to make a short-term buck, ignoring the long term effects on its reputation and integrity as a company.

There was another one where a GL was offering discounts off his fishing camp vacations if people went through his group to get a loan. Again, reported and was told it was OK. Yet Ira gets banned for sending out emails with links to P-----r's own forums. 

Too bad "f-dcompany.com" is no longer up and running.

[Cushie]

Wonder how much f-dco domain is?

[lazymanandmoney]

Lazyman, making money isn't bad. Satire isn't bad. But offering to sell your endorsement is a direct and clear violation of Prosper TOS.

And your post wasn't satire by any definition. You were serious, even if you were doing it simply to raise a point. Furthermore, doing sleazy things to prove a point tends to fail of effect and just make the doer look bad. That's why you are getting so much flack here. BTW, i reported your blog post to Prosper. It isn't funny.

"OFFERING to sell your endorsement is a direct and clear violation of Prosper TOS." - You sure that offering is, or is it the act of doing it?  You reference "doing" here and fail to realize that I've just written about it, not done it.  If someone writes about how to hack a piece a webserver software, it's far different than actually hacking it.

How can one know if I was serious or not?  It's the beauty of the English language.  See my post about budgeting for a tank (referenced earlier in this forum) or snowforting an emergency fund.  One could look at either one of those posts and think that I was entirely serious.  Here's a hint, neither of them are.

I'm sure that Prosper already has seen my blog post.  Thanks for your concern.  It wasn't meant to be funny, so that might be why it wasn't.

By this "kind of behavior" you mean writing about Prosper's flaws?  If that's a "suspendable" action, I'd be curious to learn why.

Actually, Prosper reserves the right to suspend your account for any reason at all, or no reason.  They've suspended accounts for less (PMing lenders to tell them about Prosper's OWN forums, links to prospers.org, putting up listings they deemed weren't serious - even if they were, etc).

These seem like they are on Prosper's own websites and properties.  If Prosper does suspend me, then they can buy out my loans, close my accounts, and give me the cash.  I don't see how they'd legally be allowed to keep my money.  If that's the action they feel they have to take, then they'll do it.

OK, so he's admitted he's working for P-----r and they are ALLOWING this kind of crap? I'd say "unbelievable" but at this point, nothing P-----r does seems to make any sense.

Wait, Prosper is swear now.  So is this p------s.org?  Hiliarious!

I'm a freelance writer, which means that I submit writing and they compensate me if they want to use it.  I'm not on their payroll or anything of that nature.  They aren't ALLOWING anything, because they have no control over what I write on my own website.  Furthermore, it's not crap.

Not the difference between what is mentioned here with GL... they did the scam and gained money from it.  I'm pointing out a potential scam, knowing full well than several high-ups at Prosper will read it.  It's like going to a bank and saying, you've got a security breach right here.  What are the odds that I'm going to go right through the same security breach I just told them about?  Of course that would be stupid and if I tried it I deserve to be caught.  The simple act of saying that I might walk through that security breach is not a security breach itself.

[bamalucky]

Lol,you WISH Prosper would buy back your loans.Don't we all.

What did RL say? Care to share?

[Mtnchick]

 The simple act of saying that I might walk through that security breach is not a security breach itself.

Tell ya what - make a public post on how to breach security at a major bank, credit card company, ANY OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTION that runs itself like a professional business. Then go in and tell them about the post and you aren't GOING to do it, but you just wanted to publicly SHOW that it could be done. Let us know how that turns out. (Hint: you will more than likely be arrested. You will FOR SURE not be paid for your posting.........).

[Xenon481]

Lazyman, making money isn't bad. Satire isn't bad. But offering to sell your endorsement is a direct and clear violation of Prosper TOS.

And your post wasn't satire by any definition. You were serious, even if you were doing it simply to raise a point. Furthermore, doing sleazy things to prove a point tends to fail of effect and just make the doer look bad. That's why you are getting so much flack here. BTW, i reported your blog post to Prosper. It isn't funny.

"OFFERING to sell your endorsement is a direct and clear violation of Prosper TOS." - You sure that offering is, or is it the act of doing it?  You reference "doing" here and fail to realize that I've just written about it, not done it.

You should read the TOS as I pointed out early on in this thread (I will bold it for you):

The LRA is plain as day on this topic.  What you are doing violates your lender agreement with Prosper.

13. Prohibited Activities. You agree that you will not do the following, in connection with any listings, bids, loans or other transactions involving or potentially involving Prosper:

. . .

b.Charge, or attempt to charge, any Prosper borrower any fee in exchange for your agreement to bid on a borrower's listing, or propose or agree to accept any fee, bonus, additional interest, kickback, or thing of value of any kind, in exchange for your agreement to bid on a borrower's listing;

[Staneslav]

a

[Shenandoah]

"OFFERING to sell your endorsement is a direct and clear violation of Prosper TOS." - You sure that offering is, or is it the act of doing it?  You reference "doing" here and fail to realize that I've just written about it, not done it.  If someone writes about how to hack a piece a webserver software, it's far different than actually hacking it.

Writing about how to hack a piece of a webserver software is fine.  Making an offer to hack a piece of webserver software in exchange for money is not.
Writing about problems with Prosper is fine.  Making an offer to do something against TOS in exchange for money is not.

If Prosper does suspend me, then they can buy out my loans, close my accounts, and give me the cash.  I don't see how they'd legally be allowed to keep my money.

That's not how it works.  Plenty of people have been suspended - ask them.
Prosper would not "keep" your money.  Your money was distributed to the borrowers you bid on.  You'll get repaid as the borrowers repay, whether your account is suspended or not.

Wait, Prosper is swear now.  So is this p------s.org?  Hiliarious!

You apparently missed the episode where Prosper did a global search and replace on their own site, changing Prosper to -------.  When you see that, it's in reference to Prosper's own mistake.

[Caladia]

Wait, Prosper is swear now.  So is this p------s.org?  Hiliarious!

Slight tangent here... if you're going to blog about Prosper, it might help you to know some of the history of the site.  When Prosper was first established, many early-adopters started groups and named those groups something to do with Prosper.  Prosper seemed fine with that.  This was back when Prosper was encouraging people to start Groups on Prosper as a small business.  People genuinely expected to earn money from the work and marketing efforts they put into their Prosper "businesses." 

Then one day, out of the clear blue sky, Prosper made a rule outlawing the use of its name, even in Prosper-related groups, and deleted the word Prosper from the group names both on the site and in the URLs, replacing it with a series of dashes.  Overnight, with no warning, Group Leaders discovered that their groups' names had been changed to "-------."  Imagine if you had, say, a "Dream Dinners" franchise in Chicago and you woke up one morning to discover that the company had come by and painted over the sign in front of your business and changed your webpage to "----- -------, Chicago" so no one could find it in internet searches.

To show displeasure with the way Prosper handled the change, many forum participants began referring to Prosper with the series of dashes the company used when it made the changes to group names, and the tradition stuck. 

(EDIT:  Ah, I see Shenandoah beat me to it, and much more succinctly!)

[Mtnchick]

Wait, Prosper is swear now.  So is this p------s.org?  Hiliarious!

Slight tangent here... if you're going to blog about Prosper, it might help you to know some of the history of the site.  When Prosper was first established, many early-adopters started groups and named those groups something to do with Prosper.  Prosper seemed fine with that.  This was back when Prosper was encouraging people to start Groups on Prosper as a small business.  People genuinely expected to earn money from the work and marketing efforts they put into their Prosper "businesses." 

Then one day, out of the clear blue sky, Prosper made a rule outlawing the use of its name, even in Prosper-related groups, and deleted the word Prosper from the group names both on the site and in the URLs, replacing it with a series of dashes.  Overnight, with no warning, Group Leaders discovered that their groups' names had been changed to "-------."  Imagine if you had, say, a "Dream Dinners" franchise in Chicago and you woke up one morning to discover that the company had come by and painted over the sign in front of your business and changed your webpage to "----- -------, Chicago" so no one could find it in internet searches.

To show displeasure with the way Prosper handled the change, many forum participants began referring to Prosper with the series of dashes the company used when it made the changes to group names, and the tradition stuck. 

(EDIT:  Ah, I see Shenandoah beat me to it, and much more succinctly!)

It was priceless when they did it in their own forums and made links to RML posts useless.