Scottsdale man aims to help consumers take on big corporations

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - A Scottsdale man is aiming to help consumers take on big corporations.

After losing his job due to the fall in the economy, Robert Doner was sitting at his kitchen table when he says an idea popped into his mind.

“I had been sending out resumes non-stop, thinking how I could land on my feet and thing was, I had my own issues, but nobody would listen,” said Doner while sitting next to his laptop computer.

The 57-year-old began learning about the Internet and social networking websites, then decided to launch his own website.

“We have a group of investors, filled out all the paperwork, created a limited liability company and launched groubal.com to help consumers,” said Doner.

Doner says his website is meant to bring consumers together who have a complaint against a big company that’s going unnoticed.

“I want to be sure that the consumer’s voice is heard,” said Doner. “This (website) is giving them a showcase and a platform to be able to air their frustrations and their problems on corporate America.”

According to Doner, a user is able to start a petition or complaint by posting it on the website and find out if other consumers share the same problems with a particular company.

“One voice or one individual is only going to get heard so loud throughout America,” said Doner. “By bringing all of the complaints together, that’s what creates the power, the noise and the volume loud enough for corporate America to really listen.”

Groubal.com is only a month old and thus far most of the complaints involve cell phone contracts, coffee prices and moving companies.

“There’s no cost whatsoever and most importantly we don’t sell any product or service on groubal.com,” said Doner.

Doner says when a complaint gets big enough and once the thread or petition is verified, he plans to take the messages directly to the company involved.

“Its for everyone, no matter their age, it's to hold these big corporations accountable rather than listening to a complaint and moving on without resolving a consumer’s issue,” said Doner.