I don't see this as a no-win situation. They got bad pet store advice that will harm or kill their tortoise, and we give them the right info that will help them and keep their tortoise alive and healthy. Is it frustrating, overwhelming or discouraging? Sure it is.
Yes, it is discouraging.
I wonder how many of them come, get overwhelmed, and don't come back. I know that will always be the case for some but I think I can decrease the number by telling brand new members "Hey, go fix your lights, humidity, and temps and get them stable. Until then, just stick to this <insert very very short> list of foods. Don't worry about finding dandelions in the dead of winter/next to the Love Canal/Brooklyn."
Man, I would have done anything to have a mentor like MarkW, YvonneG, Will, cdmay, or any of two dozen more of the members here on this forum. Holy cow! Type in a question and BOOM!
Things have certainly changed for the better. Here is the answer I got to my very first post about the tortoise I found, in the desert tortoise forum:
That is a russian tortoise.
BOOM!