Shady stuff with PC secret shopper dell,maingear,ibuy,HP

[LinusTech]

Same card with same billing address (NOT the office, but my personal address) was used for all systems. Can't have an employee putting $10,000 CAD on their card. Not really appropriate. 

 

We have no reason to think that anyone put 2+2 together for these purchases. 

 

As was pointed out earlier in this thread, Yvonne Ho (not Sebastian) is not an obvious link to LTT for the VAST majority of people. The folks on this forum are an exception. 

 

Also, only the billing department and customer care saw this. Pre-sales did not. 

 

Another thing, there was no obvious tone shift in Maingear, for example once they realized who they were talking to. If we'd noticed we were getting special treatment we'd have called back to get another rep for sure (as it is we dealt with the first rep we talked to for everyone) 

 

PS if Maingear was in on it, don't you think they'd have shipped us a more powerful system? Lol... 

[DrMacintosh]

This is a completely and absolute nothingburger...

[Yoinkerman]

Bud, do you not realize how purchasing works in small businesses?  They don't just give credit cards to everyone

[Bohefus]

I know it's a sale but This Deal from CyberPowerPC on NewEgg looks pretty good (at least for the next 13 hours : ) )

[Ertman]

3 hours ago, not Yvonn said:

first off. Im not a fanboy. I just want fair honest videos. ive always tried to bring to light the shady nature this channel has. its basically an advertiser platform. and Linus is an influencer. but what he doesnt realize. that for the 1 free tv. or 1 free cpu and free hotel rooms. he is the cheapest platform to advertise on. any company that would have to pay mainstream prices for the connection to the 8 million subs would be MILLIONS PER WEEK. Linus is being used.

Maingear confirmed Yvonne was the PURCHASER not the builder. what I dont like is the film telling me Janice bought it. but then Yvonne's name on the invoice. 
especially with credit cards and Janice not being the authorized account holder etc. so how was she allowed to pay for it. Maingear must have asked for the cardholders name 

this is still shady in my OP 
Linus needs to stop with the covert advertising like this. 
he needs to be open with what his channel is. he needs to return every product he reviews. 
he needs to disclose when he gets a free hotel, free limo ride. a free meal
because the way I see it SHADY ASF 

I might even agree with you if you were arguing from a point looking for transparency, which you aren’t.

 

You have a stated position and refuse to acknowledge facts or any reasoning that deviates from your agenda. You are so adamant about it that you continue to argue the same points that can easily be explained but you refuse to even discuss it and stand by your position. Your point isn’t really helped by the choice of your user name. It very much seems agenda oriented.

 

Yvonne being the one billed doesn’t change that Janice was doing the purchasing. The main gear box with the note to the purchaser is normal. Maingear acknowledges that Yvonne isn’t a builder and maingear claim it was an anonymous. People will not recognize the name Yvonne as being Linus’s wife. There is too many people named Yvonne out there. You even argue that you would recognize her name as Yvonne Sebastian, but that wouldn’t be the name used, so that point is sunk as well.

[Dylanc1500]

9 minutes ago, Ertman said:

I might even agree with you if you were arguing from a point looking for transparency, which you aren’t.

 

You have a stated position and refuse to acknowledge facts or any reasoning that deviates from your agenda. You are so adamant about it that you continue to argue the same points that can easily be explained but you refuse to even discuss it and stand by your position.

 

Yvonne being the one billed doesn’t change that Janice was doing the purchasing. The main gear box with the note to the purchaser is normal. Maingear acknowledges that Yvonne isn’t a builder and maingear claim it was an anonymous. People will not recognize the name Yvonne as being Linus’s wife. There is too many people named Yvonne out there. You even argue that you would recognize her name as Yvonne Sebastian, but that wouldn’t be the name used, so that point is sunk as well.

I have had this happen when my now wife tried to buy something from Micro Center with my card. She used her name and they contacted me to confirm she had permission to use my card, (great perk of doing A LOT of business with them). Also some merchants (in the U.S.) commonly ask for I.D. to verify that you are the person on the card.

[imreloadin]

Way to make a mountain out of a molehill OP...All you've done is put your complete lack of understanding on how businesses work on display. The person taking the sales calls isn't the same person who builds the system, does the actual billing, or does the QA on the system before shipping to the customer. Companies have things called "departments" which means that each employee has a specific job function and that is primarily all they do. Also the fact that Yvonne's name is on the MainGear document isn't a surprise as I believe she handles all the finances and procurement for LMG, in other words she is who actually deals with the POs, accounts receivables, and purchasing. This means that it's most likely her company credit card that was used for these transactions as "Janice" isn't the one actually paying for these several gaming PCs...

 

All of this isn't even taking into account the fact that even if an employee somewhere along the chain would have thought about connecting the dots that would make them someone who watches LMG videos which means they would have the knowledge that Linus and team can just build whatever they need and wouldn't have any reason to buy a prebuilt so that information would actually dissuade them from thinking this was actually for them.

[Tristerin]

Im into PCs a bunch...Im into watching Tech Videos, LTT and Jayz are my dudes (that dude from Gamers nexus...I watched one video and between his voice pitch and how many times he adjusted his hair out of his face, I was done lol)....I knew Linus was getting laid but I wasn't sure what her name was.  So Im not sure you can say everyone knows her name (I NOW know). 

 

OP is correct that this should have been a "third party" only transaction to ensure the validity of the Video.  OP is also delirious in thinking Linus shouldn't treat this like a Business LOLOLOL.  If something WAS amiss - its because Capitalism.  He doesn't do this for fun, or the love of making videos.  He may enjoy tech, and get to do what he loves...for Money. 

 

[laserboy6]

On 12/13/2018 at 3:11 PM, geo3 said:

You don't make your employee order stuff for the company with their credit card. And if they used the Linus's or a company card it would have given up the game.  

That's not true. You can easily allow your employees to use their credit card and ask for receipts to submit for reimbursement. The US Government even does this but is not always done with the Government Travel Credit Card. Corporations can and do this as well.

[Canada EH]

On 12/12/2018 at 3:37 AM, not Yvonn said:

Janice

Is that Janice in the first picture?

[Colb]

On 1/14/2019 at 1:25 AM, Canada EH said:

Is that Janice in the first picture?

Yes

[Mooshi]

lol what is this thread? Expecting an employee from any company to use their personal finances for business expenses is ridiculous. Expecting multiple departments to connect dots that, on the grand scheme of things, majority of people wouldn't be aware of to even see them is absurd.

 

Then there is the obvious fraud prevention that if a name doesn't match payment info, it can easily get flagged. Huge difference than say I give my GF my credit card to use at a fast food place over placing an order in her name worth hundreds - thousands.

[dalekphalm]

On 12/12/2018 at 7:07 AM, not Yvonn said:

If I saw a computer order for Yvonne SEBASTIAN IN CANADIA . Id know exactly who that would be going to! 
Thats why Janice was doing the ordering. to stop preferred treatment 

Her name isn't Yvonne Sebastian...

[dalekphalm]

On 1/13/2019 at 8:24 PM, laserboy6 said:

That's not true. You can easily allow your employees to use their credit card and ask for receipts to submit for reimbursement. The US Government even does this but is not always done with the Government Travel Credit Card. Corporations can and do this as well.

You can ask an employee to make purchases and submit a claims expense. But that's not typical for lots of businesses. Most businesses will steer away from that, because it's not fair to employees who - for example - might be living pay cheque to pay cheque and cannot afford to put work expenses on their personal account.

 

Besides, this is for $10,000 worth of PC's. Under no normal circumstances would a regular employee make that kind of purchase for reimbursement.