Well maybe it shows how some MERB users behave ...
That's the thing. There are so many trolls on this platform that are coming to ruin provider's reputations, and shills that make people not trust reviews. Right now for indies, it feels like even a few pages of good reviews isn't enough to get you clients consistently. You have to have new reviews all the time to prove your worth. No matter what, as a provider, it feels scary to have such a fragile reputation that can easily be affected by certain comments..
Some members clearly don't use this platform as it's intended to be used. I've seen clients bring out a conflict in the open on a review thread or on a lounge thread multiple times, sort of like a ''call out'', ironically.. The thing is that often others lack the context, and they are just assuming they know what happened, or they trust whatever that other person said blindly, without hearing the other side of the story. Some people are just here to make others look bad and get into arguments, which isn't the same as a healthy and respectful debate.
I understand that people want anonymity on a forum like this, for obvious reasons, but at the same time, a lot of users build a reputation themselves among others and their ideas are trusted more because they post more often and have a certain distinct personality. These users will be booked more easily because we know their opinion will be believed. If a person like this makes a fake account, they could start posting a bunch of nonsense or say things they won't have to be accountable for.
Some providers are just a few clients away from not being able to pay their rent. Or if their reputation sinks, they will be out of work for a while. This isn't like a stable job that guarantees an income for an extended amount of time, or like other types of freelance work.. (usually most freelance workers are allowed to advertise their services out in the open, for instance, and what they're offering is a lot less controversial)