splat
My point is that I don't think they really make you more marketable. Not to the better outfits anyway.
easyJet on their website state "that a rating alone is not enough".... you need hours too.
A rating will not help you at BA, they will make you do the course again. And at Britannia too. And most likely at jmc as well in some form.
So, I don't disagree that it MAY help in some places, but remember for all those "successes" you mention....there are a lot of pilots "crying over spilt milk" because they bought a rating and never got a job.
And getting a job is what counts.