Company Feedback

Saying Goodbye

2009-07-26T14:47:00.001-07:00

It is with deep regret that we inform the readers of the blog that Mark Yannone died on 17 July 2009. Pursuant to his wishes, there will be no memorial or service. Anyone wishing to send letters to the family may send them via email to cherieyannone@aol.com. All notes to the family will be delivered directly.

Google, Blogger

2009-07-17T03:28:00.007-07:00

Google spends inordinate amounts of time finding different ways to display the word "Google" on their home page, but a company whose name is synonymous with "search" still reports search failures that have been awaiting repair for more than three years!From Blogger's Known Issues section:The search field in the navbar does not always find all results. — latest update on Tuesday, September 05,

Google

2009-07-04T21:24:00.003-07:00

Google introduced a new browser named Chrome. The title of its home page, Google Chrome - Download a new browser, would lead you to believe you could download it there, but you can't. Nor can you discover the system requirements for Chrome before deciding to download it.These are screw-ups of basic elements. They would be likely to be fixed rapidly if Google hadn't screwed up in yet another

Google

2009-06-06T18:11:00.008-07:00

The very first Google mystery of the universe I discovered has remained unchanged since I first discovered Google, which was ten minutes after they opened their doors to the world.Here is a snippet from their Corporate Information page that contains their corporate philosophy:Ten things Google has found to be true1. Focus on the user and all else will follow.From its inception, Google has focused

Google

2009-06-06T17:36:00.003-07:00

One of the mysteries of the universe is Google's Gmail. Gmail just doesn't fit with the design principles of the Google User Experience team:Focus on people – their lives, their work, their dreams.Every millisecond counts.Simplicity is powerful.Engage beginners and attract experts.Dare to innovate.Design for the world.Plan for today's and tomorrow's business.Delight the eye without distracting

PayPal

2009-05-13T21:17:00.004-07:00

WARNING! PayPal has begun a new scam. Thirty-six hours after being notified of an order via PayPal, PayPal sent out an e-mail titled "Payment Review Outcome: Cleared, OK to Ship." The body of the message reads as follows:Dear [redacted],We have completed our payment review and have cleared the transaction below. This payment is now eligible for coverage under the Seller Protection Policy.You

AOL

2009-05-09T16:28:00.003-07:00

If AOL's advertising-strangulated browser gets any slower, it'll go backward. AOL's philosophy is obvious: I bought my hardware, software, and bandwidth solely for AOL's convenient delivery of massive amounts of highly irritating advertising to my eyeballs, and I'm to pay a premium for the opportunity to be enraged.Enough!Update 05/11/09: If you, too, are irritated by AOL's ads, tell tech

Bayer, FDA

2009-05-05T10:30:00.002-07:00

Bayer knowingly shipped HIV-contaminated product to Spain, France, and Japan, with the help of the United States Food and Drug Administration.

GoDaddy.com

2009-05-01T21:57:00.005-07:00

Bob, a little more attention to your Web site's user interface and a little less attention to gratuitous sex and annoying marketing would go a long way with your customers and prospects. Your site has evolved over the years, and the result is not as useful as it needs to be. Beef up the usability and you won't have to use so much T&A to sell domain names and Web hosting.Update 05/05/09: Here

Blogger

2009-05-01T21:33:00.002-07:00

Sidebar lists need to be able to contract (-) and expand (+). That would make them much more useful.

Humanscale

2009-05-01T18:31:00.011-07:00

The Humanscale Freedom ChairA swivel-recliner office chair of unparalleled form and function, featuring leading-edge technology that makes adjustment a breeze, the Freedom Chair has a unique counter-balance reclining system that almost eliminates the need for knobs and levers to provide customized body support and freedom of movement.This chair even comes with its own video and interactive

YouTube.com, Adobe

2009-04-30T19:18:00.003-07:00

Another day of messing with Adobe's Flash and YouTube. At the moment I can reach YouTube.com, but I can't log in. It just hangs, inviting me to broadcast myself.Hey, YouTube! Broadcast THIS!More messing with Flash ...Uninstall, reboot, install MSIE version, install Firefox version. A few hours later it all began to work again.Somebody needs a spear in his ear. Barbed, so it won't fall out.

YouTube.com,Firefox, Adobe, Macromedia, Mozilla, Microsoft, Google

2009-04-29T17:32:00.010-07:00

To provide feedback to YouTube, you can join a forum. Maybe someone from Google/YouTube will read it.To join a forum one must sign in to YouTube. So you sign in.Then you go to the forum. To post on the forum, one must join the group. So you click on "join."No luck. To join the group, one must sign in to YouTube. So you sign in, go to the forum, try to join the group, and fail because you

Cafepress

2009-03-27T03:01:00.000-07:00

CafePress.com is effectively closed to new bumperstickers because the maximum image height is locked at 1.17 inches. The developers were notified 15 hours ago and have done nothing to fix it.

Skype.com

2009-03-24T16:41:00.002-07:00

Before you download Skype ..."If you still don’t find an answer, you can contact customer support from the Submit support request link on the bottom of the next page."What next page? There is no next page and no way to reach them. Beware. They are as isolated and unresponsive as ever.

Twitter.com

2009-03-22T23:45:00.005-07:00

Compile a complete glossary of Twitter commands, switches, and options and put it on the main menu. You would think this would be fundamental, especially when users are asking for one and other users have tried unsuccessfully to provide one on their own sites.Update 05/17/09: After a second e-mail to Twitter, Twitter support sent back another list of useless links, blowing me off and completely

Technology Review

2009-03-22T23:45:00.001-07:00

When making videosUse a tripod.Eliminate background noise (wind, conventioneers, bystanders).Use a good microphone that picks up the intended sound only (no crackles).Speak loudly enough and slowly enough to be heard and understood (force yourself).Don't make distracting movements.Use a still background.

Gate.com

2009-03-18T14:48:00.007-07:00

Gate's performance continues to deteriorate. Their advertised 99.99 percent uptime is a joke.Nine hours have passed without FTP capability, and all they know is that "it is a global issue, and the administrators are working on it."Bullshit. They will go out of business.Update 04/05/09: No improvement. Gate's technical support is located in Bulgaria. Sometimes they answer their 24x7 phone and

Amazon.com

2009-03-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Is it any wonder the clicks are so much higher than the orders!I just tried to buy a book from Amazon and almost gave up. And I'm an Amazon store owner with 30 years of computer experience who has been on the Internet since it started.I had to log in twice. The first time, because I couldn't see anything else I could do on the page. I had to select the destination twice. I couldn't find the "

Blogger

2009-03-02T16:58:00.004-07:00

Blogger's poll widget can produce an unnecessary and unwanted scrollbar. To get rid of it, expand the widgets, and search for the word "poll" in your blog's HTML code. Look for these two lines:

Swap the two lines to solve the scrollbar probem:

Trilegiant Corporation

2009-01-17T18:54:00.002-07:00

I filed this complaint with the Office of the Attorney General of Texas today.Corporate OfficesWells Fargo420 Montgomery StSan Francisco, CA 94104Dear Sirs:I received my new debit card on Saturday, January 10, 2009. This is a Visa debit card through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Richmond Office, 700 Jackson St, Richmond, TX 77469. I was told in writing to activate my card by calling Wells Fargo at (

Wells Fargo Bank

2009-01-17T18:49:00.003-07:00

Cox

2009-01-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

The following first-hand account describes the experience of a Wal-Mart customer in Scottsdale, Arizona, whose Dell laptop had a dead-on-arrival E-drive:Got it back from Dell repair in Houston. Good news: E-drive now works. Bad news: Was on the phone for three hours yesterday with Cox, Dell (twice), and Linksys (twice).I couldn't get the damn thing to connect wirelessly with my Linksys router.

Linksys

2009-01-17T17:09:00.002-07:00

Dell

2009-01-17T17:09:00.001-07:00

Wal-Mart

2009-01-17T16:57:00.003-07:00

PayPal

2009-01-17T16:44:00.002-07:00

In order to qualify for so-called "seller protection" on orders exceeding $250, PayPal requires an adult signature on the proof of delivery.In order to get an adult signature, some carriers (like UPS) require the buyer's phone number.PayPal does not require a phone number when a buyer places an order exceeding $250, so the first thing a vendor must do when receiving an order via PayPal is e-mail

American Express

2009-01-17T14:43:00.005-07:00

American Express allows its cardholders to falsely claim three times per year that the purchases they made were unauthorized. At the very least, the funds for those sales are confiscated for 90 days and then returned to the vendor. At worst, American Express simply denies the payment, and the vendor loses the full amount of the sale. This is theft. It must be prosecuted to the full extent of

PayPal

2009-01-16T07:27:00.002-07:00

PayPal

2009-01-15T16:10:00.005-07:00

PayPal cannot be trusted to conduct business honestly. This company makes no attempt to resolve cases of theft from a vendor.Vendors, beware.See what others have discovered about PayPal.

Amazon.com

2008-11-26T20:48:00.003-07:00

I have given Amazon.com plenty of feedback about their dizzying, unnavigable, error-laden site, but they don't know how to receive feedback. Like many companies, they become defensive, and they try to provide unwanted answers or incorrect replies while ignoring the need to create fundamental solutions.Part of the problem is that the people we interact with are trained in government schools,

Gate.com

2008-11-17T12:01:00.003-07:00

Expect long, irritating hold times for tech support and nowhere near the 99.9 percent uptime they advertise. Their servers are made of chewing gum and used duct tape, held together with recycled shoe laces from India. To keep these servers from escaping in self-defense, they are held down with large stones. Consider GoDaddy.com instead.

HP

2008-11-09T17:44:00.002-07:00

I followed the 204-page manual to troubleshoot what was ailing the HP 5L PCL printer. I spent about four or five hours on it. I took it apart, finding all the hidden tabs, all well-documented in the manual. I finally reached the heater element, which the codes on the LEDs indicated was likely stuffed. It is a part still available from the printer underworld but costs about $70, delivered.I

AOL

2008-11-06T09:50:00.002-07:00

AOL has broken its browser. It's now the slowest browser I own.The only reason anyone would keep an AOL account is for the nicely programmed e-mail client, but AOL has screwed with that too, and they have ruined it. There was a time when the e-mail interface didn't contain advertising. Then they added highly distracting flash banners that are almost always moving. AOL users had a workaround

Qwest

2008-11-06T09:38:00.002-07:00

Being in the telephone service business, Qwest should be on the leading edge in telephone etiquette. But no. When Qwest puts a caller on hold, Qwest considers that a prime opportunity to pummel the caller with useless, unsolicited yammering about just about anything they can think of. Meanwhile, the caller is trying to use that time to get some useful work done, but Qwest insists on pounding

CafePress

2008-11-06T09:31:00.002-07:00

Like most Americans who attended government schools, the people in the "support" department of CafePress have no idea how customer feedback works.When a customer offers feedback about a part of a Web site that doesn't work as intended, that is not a cue to make excuses for Web site defects or to produce lame, insincere apologies and useless, off-topic, invalid, or equally defective

Google

2008-09-03T00:34:00.002-07:00

Google has released the beta version of its new whiz-bang browser called Chrome. At the moment it requires Windows Vista or XP. The user feedback form is hidden here, almost as if they don't want to hear from anyone.

CitiBank

2008-08-31T01:06:00.003-07:00

California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that he has reached a settlement with Citibank after a three-year investigation into the company's use of an illegal "account sweeping" program to take more than $14 million from its customers, mostly poor people and the recently deceased, from 1992 to 2003.According to one Citibank executive, "Stealing from our customers is a business

Paramount Pictures

2008-08-30T09:42:00.003-07:00

Paramount Pictures couldn't find someone to build or review a Web site for them for this movie who knew the difference between "your" and "you're." Evidently, no one in the last 18 months has been able to tell them about their screw-up.America's teachers should be ashamed of themselves. They're pitiful.

Western Digital Corporation

2008-08-15T16:32:00.004-07:00

One of the world's largest hard drive manufacturers and retailers, Western Digital Corporation, lists drives on its Web site that it no longer stocks, without marking them as "out of stock." They prefer to let their Web site's visitors wonder how to buy the drives they are advertising.Repeated emails and calls to the company produce illiterate responses that one might expect from a company that

CitiBank

2008-08-02T08:48:00.002-07:00

Another satisfied customer:"I called CitiBank yesterday to find out why I hadn't received a credit card statement. The rep asked me for my password. I responded that I've had a CitiBank credit card for over a decade and have never been asked for a password -- and that I've never requested a password. Then I said that all I wanted to know is when the statements were mailed. She responded that

AOL

2008-08-02T07:09:00.004-07:00

Like many companies that outsource their tech support and customer service, AOL continues to hire people with poor English language skills, including Americans. As a result, useful feedback from the customer is most likely to be met with misunderstanding and argument from AOL personnel. Here is a recent example:AOL customers who want to update their software would typically go to this page,

SiteMeter

2008-08-02T06:55:00.002-07:00

On Friday, August 1, Web sites that use SiteMeter's page counters began to be inaccessible with Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE). Removing the SiteMeter code from those sites fixed the problem.Firefox 3.0.1 could access those sites that MSIE could not.

Google, Blogger

2008-08-01T04:03:00.004-07:00

Google has suddenly begun locking blogs, threatening to delete them if they are judged to be "spam blogs." Blog owners are advised to defend their blogs and are locked out for days at a time until Google can evaluate the blogs. Have you been looking for one more good reason to abandon Blogger? There you have it. What an outrage!Meanwhile Blogger is trying to get people to add to the body of

YouTube.com, Adobe, Macromedia, Mozilla

2008-07-11T05:39:00.003-07:00

YouTube videos have a nasty habit of locking up at two seconds and refusing to play back despite a successful download. Among YouTube's suggested fixes is to add YouTube.com to our trusted sites in our firewalls. I have found that to be unsuccessful.The culprit appears to be version 9 of Adobe's $3.4 billion Macromedia Flash Player. You would think that something that cost $3,400 million would

Yahoo, ATT

2008-07-01T21:19:00.022-07:00

Dear God in heaven! I have never seen anything like this. Abandon your Yahoo accounts immediately.This is the eighth day of daily attempts to solve this problem. I have called AT&T, SBC Global, SNET, and Yahoo many times. I have e-mailed Yahoo many times. Here are the responses:AT&T: Call Yahoo.SBC Global: There's no problem here.SNET: There's no problem here.Yahoo: Call Yahoo Account

Skype.com

2008-06-25T14:45:00.004-07:00

1. MARK TO SKYPE.COM TECH SUPPORTYour Web site contains no updating information.Some software must be uninstalled before updates can be installed. Other software does not. I can't find any information about Skype's requirements.2. SKYPE TECH SUPPORT TO MARKThank you for contacting Skype Support.To use Skype on your new computer simply install Skype there and log in with your existing username

Gate.com

2008-06-19T09:56:00.002-07:00

Avoid Gate.com like the plague.Service is atrocious. I have been on hold for as long as three hours. Hold times of one hour are common. Server failures are common.

Weblogs.com

2008-06-07T20:10:00.002-07:00

User Not Currently ActiveAs the days turn to weeksand the weeks turn to years,call after phone callfalls on deaf ears.Logins are impossible,though hundreds have tried.Yeah, said tech support,We'll get back to you, they cried.Not good enough, says I.Redouble your efforts, says me.I'm not taking no for an answer,As you'll eventually see.Fix your problems at onceand spare all the shame.Avoid the

Adobe

2008-05-24T12:19:00.002-07:00

Adobe's Flash Player can be troublesome. The cause of the trouble is the flakiness of the installation and uninstallation procedures. I have tried several times to bring this to the attention of Adobe's developers, to no avail. The product is not supported by telephone--not for any reason--therefore any interaction is akin to steering a Mars rover from Earth. Calls to Adobe are miserable,

Yahoo

2008-05-04T15:00:00.005-07:00

It's bad enough that Yahoo has prevented useful feedback from reaching their software developers, but those software developers are actually trying to think for their users. There's a formula for disaster if ever there was one.Here's a beauty:If you block e-mail from one of your Yahoo groups, then Yahoo will block your e-mail from all of them.Isn't that handy?But the trouble doesn't end there.

Blogger

2008-05-03T02:47:00.005-07:00

When posting a comment to a blog, it is no longer possible to publish from the preview window. The publish control is still available, but its function is equivalent to "edit."Blogger has been notified, but I have little hope of reaching a human.Update: Blogger responded. They acknowledge the problem. Weeks later it's still broken.Update 6/19/08: As of today, the problem has been repaired.

AOL

2008-05-02T06:30:00.014-07:00

When you send E-mail to an AOL address, does it bounce back with an error message like one of these?554 TRANSACTION FAILED554 HVU:B1AOL claims they don't have a problem, but on this page AOL says this:EXPLANATION:There is at least one domain in your email that is generating substantial complaints from AOL members. AOL blocks emails that contain domains that may have been previously used to send

Starbucks

2008-04-05T08:37:00.006-07:00

Here is a company that is doing it right! Starbucks deserves high praise and worldwide recognition for making their company truly interactive by setting up a site titled My Starbucks Idea. Mega kudos to all who had a hand in this! They are going to reap huge rewards from the great feedback they are getting, for sure.

Arizona Department of Corrections

2008-03-20T13:07:00.002-07:00

March 16-22 is National Sunshine Week, a week set aside to celebrate the shining of light into the dark recesses of government secrecy.It's always a joy to send an E-mail request for information that receives a response to call a phone number for the information I'm seeking only to be answered by someone with no command of the English language who has no idea what state statute or their policy

Blogger

2008-03-20T12:46:00.005-07:00

Do you get a bX-n8dcl6 error when you try to add an AdSense ad to your Blogger/Blogspot blog? The solution is to grant AdSense account access to Blogger.Log on to your AdSense account.Go to My Account | Account Access.Under "Hosts with access," grant access to Blogger, and you're done.Exit AdSense.Then make the AdSense ad changes as usual.This makes Blogger compatible with AdSense. Any

Medtech Products Inc.

2008-03-20T07:21:00.002-07:00

Compound WThe instructions indicate that up to 12 weeks are needed to eradicate a wart. After four weeks, I am on my second bottle. I am obsessively conscientious about keeping the bottle capped except for the few seconds it takes to apply the compound. After two applications per day for two weeks, the compound turns to jelly and will no longer adhere to the skin or let go of the applicator

Reddit.com

2008-03-05T11:34:00.003-07:00

Broken. Unresponsive.Update 05/03/08: Still broken. Still unresponsive.Update 07/03/08: Still unresponsive. I have no idea if it's fixed. I have no plans to go back.

Google

2008-02-13T08:18:00.001-07:00

Adsense: 15 clicks, 9 cents?

Blogger

2008-02-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Blogger (Blogspot) has a problem with suddenly disappearing icons. Two icons that commonly disappear are the envelope (Email Post) and the pencil (Edit Post). Much has been written about the fix, but the following simple fix is very well hidden:Go to Customize | Template | Edit HTML, and click on "Revert widget templates to default" at the bottom of the page. This will reset all of the widgets.

Google

2008-02-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

(Google wants users to provide useful feedback on its Gmail application.)Dear Google,I you want users to provide some badly needed feedback on your Gmail application, don't make it so hard for users to find this page.

Sonic Drive-In

2007-12-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

One of your company's LED signs is causing a stir in our community. The manner in which it has been installed, or perhaps its very design, has created a traffic hazard. After dark its brightness is well above the threshold of pain. During the day, when our pupils are not dilated, the brightness is fine, but I almost collided with an adjacent car after being startled by a blinding flash from

Google

2007-11-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

(Google wants users to help locate and report malware in its search result listings.)Dear Google,If you want users to help you locate malware in your listings, place a link to your malware reporting form on the search results page. That seems pretty elementary. If you make it easy for us to help you, we will. If you make it difficult for us to help you, we won't.

Staples, OfficeMax

2007-11-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

The first question most customers have when they walk through the front door is, "where is [insert item here]?"But that quickly becomes the second question as the first question becomes, "where can I find an employee who can tell me where to find [insert item here]?"This happens all day long, every day, in every Staples and OfficeMax store in the world. The best that management can think to do

Qwest

2007-11-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

Disguised as an order confirmation, a letter from Qwest addressed to their customer informs their customer of the benefits of upgrading and bundling. The customer has already bundled and upgraded, long ago.Perhaps some data deduplication would help them keep costs down, and customers who are already irate from having to pay 11 fees and taxes that exceed the value of their services wouldn't be

Chase

2007-11-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

In a letter addressed to my business, Chase sent me an invitation to open a new business checking account. To sweeten the deal, they offered to give me $50.They know about my business because I already have a business checking account with them, so this mailing was a waste and an insult.Maybe if they spent the $50 on data deduplication and turned off the mind-numbing music they play company-wide

All organizations

2007-11-16T20:29:00.002-07:00

This completes the feedback loop.

Google

2007-10-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

As Google's homepage grows ever larger and loading times grow ever longer, one button has remained unchanged . . . and unexplained. I'm talking about the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button. If I want to search for "cockroach," for example, why would I click on "I'm Feeling Lucky"? As of this minute, Google reports that there are 3,440,000 related pages. What do my feelings have to do with anything,

Blogger

2007-10-16T02:07:00.000-07:00

Blogger desperately needs user feedback, but they are as isolated as can be. If a user wants to report an emotional problem, the door is wide open. But a technical problem? Forget it.

PayPal

2007-10-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

To hear an example of how callers should never treated, try to reach any section of PayPal at 800-854-1366. When on hold, callers are subjected to a loop of nonstop advertising that is like having your brain slapped repeatedly with a two by four. Unbelievable!

Google

2007-10-07T02:30:00.000-07:00

Ironically, this Google Tech Talk, "The Science and Art of User Experience at Google," which focuses on Google's evolving user interface, suffers from a common inattention to two critical details: sound quality and presentation quality.In a world that increasingly leans on best practices, Google simply ignores well-established state of the art in clip-on microphones that deliver consistently

McAfee

2007-08-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

AOL has replaced its Safety and Security Center (its own antivirus, firewall, and anti-malware) software with McAfee SecurityCenter. It interferes with the user's ability to log on to AOL, prompting AOL's technical support personnel to recommend that users uninstall and reinstall AOL's software, no matter how many times they have done that. AOL personnel also recommend various "One-Click" fixes

AOL

2007-08-13T16:49:00.001-07:00

Radio and TV

2007-07-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Certain sounds are alarming and should not be used on the air. These include car horns, crying babies, gun shots, doorbells, ringing telephones, and sirens.

Home Depot

2007-05-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Checkout counters are understaffed and long waits are typical. The store keeps one or more secret checkout counters staffed in the Returns area of Customer Service, which is usually half a store width away from the regular checkout counters. There is no indication that the secret checkout counters can be used for regular purchases, but, as I was told today, all I had to do is ask.The store

CitiBank

2007-05-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

Then, there were the morons at my credit card company [CitiBank]. I asked them if I used a convenience check if it gave me the same rights to dispute a charge as using my credit card. The customer service rep didn't know and put me on hold so she could ask someone. She came back and told me, "Yes, you have exactly the same rights as if you used your credit card to pay."So I paid my final

Sprint

2007-05-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

Internet Service - Why is it that you keep resetting our internet service provider IDs and mail service IDs without notifying your customers about this prior to the reset? We then are forced to go without our paid-for services while trying to contact you by phone. Because so many people are trying to contact you by phone to complain, we have then received the following recorded message: "We are

Cingular

2007-05-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to sue the bastards to get their attention. I did that with my former cell phone lack-of-service provider. I got my $150 early cancellation fee back plus my small claims filing fee. I paid my bill faithfully every month expecting them to uphold their end of the contract by providing me with the service for which I contracted. Instead, I received a bill every month padded

Earthlink

2007-05-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

Embarq

2007-05-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

All organizations

2007-05-18T21:57:00.006-07:00

Music or advertising on holdDoes your company force callers to listen to music or advertising while on hold? That's rude and abusive. It's bad enough that you are forcing them to listen to the phone while they wait patiently, but don't interfere with their attempts to get work done while they are waiting.Store mapIf you don't put a store directory and map by the entrance, every shopper has to