P411 screening process for membership (at least for us customers) is VERY thorough investigation process. Made me VERY nervous as a very private person working for a respected private company. Upside is that providers listed here responding to my private messages, text or phone calls, seem to treat a verified P411 ID as good as 2-3 references they have to search through. Occasionally, LE gets a customer's ID and password but the word spreads fast through the P411 management and providers. My experiences to date lead me to belive the management and all website contacts are paid employees, with the intellegence, and desire to provide their customers (vendors and customers alike) with the best information possible, both informatinal and technical. Technical case-in-point: they once changed the display for information on customers' "favorits" list that lead me to a dead-end when I clicked on the "next" (segment) of my favorites. An email to their help desk had it cleared up in 48 hours with an email from the owner, thanking me for bringing the technical error to their attention and extending my membership for another 6 months. If you're a traveling hobbiest that wants an OK on quick notice at the town you will be in tomorrow or the next day on short notice, membership here is your best bet. It's "down to business" with the best verified info that can be provided from and to vendors and clients alike. Of all of the "Providers" I know that are on P411 and/or ECCIE, all unanimously agreed that they feel very safe with info provided to them by P411.
ECCIE is more social - it's espically fun (for everyone?) to review the various "blogs" like this but they sometimes go awry. Ergo all of the monitors for all of the threads. Lots of customers and vendors vent their emotions abut other members here. Many times, you have to "look quick" before one of them sends a PM to their favorite "montior" to delete or move entries that disturb them. Vendors can make good screening decisions by checking customer's (requestor's) postings, reviews, etc. but I haven't found that there is any consistent management reviews by any "employed" ECCIE personnel. (All observations lead me to belive most "monitors" are volunteers that enjoy spending lots of time here, "monitoring" stuff. I suspect they get a break on their membership fees as compensation for their monitoring activities. Just my suppositions, no offence meant to the management, employees or vounteers on this site.) My opinion here? Have fun with what you read but if you find anything suspect, search for corroborative information if you are not sure.
In summary: The best of both worlds for, vendors and customers alike, is best enjoyed by all with membership in both, frequent "check-ins" and participation as best fits your situation and life style.
How's that for a good, non-comittial opinion????
