Setting aside that you've already received a detailed answer to the nature of the research into such companies (or have you not been reading the posts?)

The problems to come are well-flagged: Ritz's own website admits that ground handlers look after its tours, that there are unavoidable shopping stops, and although (like China Focus) rephrased, still pushes for completely rip-off tips.

You continue to support Ritz Tours, apparently, so can we assume that you deny the truth of the description provided by Arizonaroadwarrior, as well as the other research mentioned to you (or, indeed, what's on Ritz' website)? It's not as if there's anything fresh set out here that hasn't been reported before, sometimes admitted to in the Chinese press.

So if you're calling Arizonaroadwarrior a liar, can we hear on what grounds?

Or do you feel the organised attempts to mislead visitors and overcharge them are acceptable in some way? This would seem counter to most people's ideas of honest or reasonable behaviour, so perhaps you could explain why?

Or is it simply, as is so often the case, that having taken the tour you are in denial about having being conned in some way or other?

I have every sympathy for that position as I know hearing after the event that things are not what they same leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, but that practices described to you (and others) are commonplace to organised travel in China, and particularly to the (apparently but not always in reality) cheaper operators.

But we have those still to travel to consider here, who need to know what they would be getting themselves into, and whose needs must take precedence. It may be possible to extract value from these tours by avoiding the cons (although sitting out multiple shopping stops, for instance, nor staring down the pressure for tips doesn't have much appeal) but that certainly won't happen if those cons are not revealed in advance.