Tactics and dirty tactics

Whether "dirty tactics" are just "tactics" is a matter of personal opinion, and may equally depend on whose money you are spending. (A point Steve made that I will not expand on as it might look like preaching.)

We are all adult enough to recognise that the world of sales is full of games and tactics. However, what people are describing falls outside generally acceptable professional behaviour in the commercial world; that is why they are remarking on it. Indeed, this is the boundary that turns "tactics" into "dirty tactics".

Subversion of the procurement process is not a victimless event. There are costs to unsuccessful tenderers; innovation, choice and competition is stifled; ultimately, prices rise and people may lose jobs and companies. In addition, there are costs to the purchaser in terms of unnecessary expenditure and damage to brand and reputation.

Of course, the market is an environment of natural selection and you may think that some of these impacts are just the normal effects of market competition. If that is your outlook, then you need to be careful what you wish for as a market that is unregulated and red in tooth and claw would also dispense with the consumer protection rights that allow you to eat wholesome food, purchase safe products and save for a pension. Somehow I suspect that even an experienced "tactician" like yourself has a need for protection from others and would regard behaviour that grossly damaged your interests as dirty tactics…

Your use of a pseudonym clearly indicates that you like protecting yourself. Are you ready to acknowledge that others are similarly entitled to protection from abuse when they go about their lawful business?