Ah well, live and learn, I guess.

That 6.4-gig drive I ordered from GlobalMicro.com has turned out to be an awful headache. Their company's internal procedures are so screwed up that they don't know their left hand from their right foot.

I web-ordered the 12.5mm 6.4-gig drive over a week ago and never heard back from them. Last Friday I called them and asked what's up. They couldn't find my web order, despite the fact that the web site sent me back a confirmation code- that code is useless to them. It turns out that their high-tech system for processing web orders involves printing out the web orders then hand-transcribing these into their internal computer system. Can you say "human error"?

Anyway, so the salesman tells me that they're out of the 12.5mm drives anyway. So I verbally ordered a 9.5mm 6.4-gig drive for the same price. All seemed well. But he calls and leaves a message on my home answering machine on Monday, telling me they're out of the 9.5mm drives, too. But guess what? My credit card has a $164.00 charge from their company on it already. I call again and the guy who answers promises to get to the bottom of this and call me back today. He doesn't call. I call this afternoon and speak to a secretary who claims that my card has been credited. I call the original salesman again, who offers me a 4.8-gig drive instead, and can't verify if my card has been charged or not.

So here I am, unable to purchase a new drive from a different company, because my account doesn't have enough balance to buy two drives. All I can do is wait and see if they really reversed the charge or not...

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

Thats always a risk that you take with these internet companies. If they wont take the charge off your card, call you credit card company, and they usually will be happy to take care of the problem for you. But it probably won't come down to that.

Good luck

The protection offered by credit card companies is, in almost all cases, excellent for the consumer. If you have been charged in error you can usually receive an immediate refund from the card issuer, who will then take it up with the merchant. It is usually policy to refund first and then investigate - although obviously the charges may be reinstated if the complaint is found to be invalid.

Rob

Thanks, I know I can dispute the charge pretty easily. My complaint is that their company is so screwed up that they can't figure out whether they shipped me a disk drive or not, and now I have to wait around. I mean, if you wanted to do an online business, would you choose to have a manual-entry system like that? Sheesh.

I've had other bad experiences with internet companies before. For example, when placing an online order (even if it's a Secure Sockets Layer page), make sure it's the company's real .com address, and that it's not a "storefront" page from a third-party service provider. I have seen "storefront" pages (ones which look totally secure) which forward the orders via e-mail to the real company's e-mail address... in clear text with the credit card information and everything. My friend once placed an order that way, and the original company's e-mail system was down so the message bounced. The hilarious part is that the order had his return address on it, so it bounced the clear-text order back to him instead of the storefront page host. He was, um, rather unhappy about seeing his credit card number echoed back to him in a bounced mail.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

Keep in mind many stores use a central server for orders from another company. AnimeNation is a prime example. All their orders are handeled via stores.yahoo.com. Many smaller online sites do this to get the security without the cost.

And as far as my credit card number and the internet, I'm more worried about the person at the store writing down my number from the reciepts then I am someone intercepting my card on the internet. Or worried about insecure databases. From a hacker perspective, it's worth it to go after the database with thousands of cards for a little more work then intercepting my one card number. That is why I like billing systems held off the internet. My company has a massive internal server with all the CC numbers, but it can only be accessed via internal computers with certain intranet IP's. The web gateway is watched and secured very carefully, and the gateway is a one way path for billing information.

My empeg site is:http://24.236.3.131/empeg/

You'll be pleased to hear that empeg customer details (including card details) are passed to our firewalled sales system in encrypted format. The process is automatic so nothing has to be re-keyed, although every order is viewed by a human (or, at least, by myself) prior to confirmation.

Rob

Document the problem and your corrective measures thoroughly. Document the lack of success. Ascertain the company's physical mailing address and find out how the VP or SVP of Customer Service/Satisfaction is (or equivalent). Write up a firm, politically correct nasty-gram, send it to the person certified mail return-receipt requested (a few dollars -- worth it), and you'll probably get the drive for free or some sort of large credit regardless of whether you purchase from them.

It behooves e-tailers to take this kind of action when someone goes through the trouble I just described; a bad wrap on the net can tank a business.

-- Bleys


"If you would judge, understand." -- Seneca

Thanks for the tip, Bleys.

Honestly, though, I don't want to help that company in any way. By writing to the SVP, I'd be doing them a favor. Yes, I'll make sure to keep all of the documentation on the incident, just in case I need it to retrieve my $164.00. But my standard procedure is: When a company wrongs me, I tell them about it and give them one chance to make it right. If they don't make it right, I simply stop giving them my business and, if convenient, I encourage others to do the same.

The only reason I might complain is if I thought I'd get some kind of a freebie out of it. I've done this sort of thing before- frequently, as a matter of fact. I'm pretty good at it, and I have a good sense of what I can and can't extort from a company that's made a mistake. A couple of weeks ago when the hotel at Disney World lost our luggage for three hours, I complained until they gave me a bunch of complimentary Park Hopper passes. I still have four left, and they don't expire for a whole year. I wonder if I can sell 'em on Ebay? But I don't see that kind of thing happening with GlobalMicro. If I could see them face to face, I might be able to squeeze something out of them. But in this case, just calling them over the telephone or writing letters isn't going to get me a freebie.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

Well, if they don't take your wasted time into account and do something to rectify it (other than refund the cash you're due) then let me know (you have my email address somewhere).

Then again, if you don't try, you don't know for sure...

-- Bleys

"If you would judge, understand." -- Seneca

My favorite trick is to get a live person on the phone (a big trick in itself) then tell that person "You don't get paid enough to take what I'm about to dish out. Transfer me as far up the chain of command as you can." Then when I get someone who says that they are indeed paid enough, I *calmly* tell them my problem and ask them how they, personally, are going to fix it.

It usually works.

"You don't get paid enough to take what I'm about to dish out. Transfer me as far up the chain of command as you can."

Oh my God, that is so perfect. I'm going to save that one and use it later. Hopefully I won't have to use it on Global Micro (but that credit hasn't hit my account yet, so who knows).

Rob V., if you're listening... You're lucky that you work for such a good customer-service-oriented company. It seems "some" of the people on this BBS practice guerilla vendor/customer relations tactics from time to time.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

> I still have four left, and they don't expire for a whole year

Tum te tum *mutters something about visiting Disney World this Easter* :-)

> You're lucky that you work for such a good customer-service-oriented company

The trick is to feel personally responsible for a client's experience with your company. So long as SOMEONE (at any level) feels responsible for your issues then you are likely to receive good service. This is something I will work hard to maintain as the company grows.

That's the sort of stuff I say to the directors anyway *grin*

Rob

Personal ownership of issues at -all- levels goes a long way. The customer can FEEL it when you have it. My interaction with Rob is very much a part of why I'm a devoted Empeg owner -- my hardware problem was worth Empeg's time -- so Empeg is worth mine.

By the way, word that I own an Empeg-Car apparently got around amongst my geek friends -- and their friends. A complete stranger (to me) who is a "friend of a friend" emailed me today asking if he could have a look at my Empeg-Car and ask me a bunch of questions about it. I'm going to tell him it's a piece of junk if I'm not on the list for one of the early MkII's. =]

Just kidding, but I am hopeful for an early one...

-- Bleys

"If you would judge, understand." -- Seneca

Our existing clients will be offered Mark 2 players just as soon as they're available - no need to queue.

Rob

GlobalMicro.com has turned out to be an awful headache

Well Tony, I ordered my upgrade from firstsource.com It wasn't easy either, as they don't ship outside the US, but they were the only supplier I could find that showed that they actually had the disks in stock; all the others didn't mention inventory at all or said that supplies were back-ordered. Hearing from your experience, it was well worth the 10% price mark-up (I had them ship it to a friend in the US, who forwarded it to Europe)


Henno
# 00120 (6GB+18)

Oh, I dunno Henno - I've been ordering stuff from FirstSource (Aliso Viejo, CA) since 1994 to NL . Who do you order from, Ambra or Joline?

Curious how we seem to have independently developed the same "delivery method"

mutters something about visiting Disney World this Easter

I'll see what I can do. These are joint-custody items...

Here's a tip about visiting Orlando... If you can afford it, stay at one of the three Disney resorts near Magic Kingdom: Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian. They're not cheap, but they're nice.The monorails run right through them and you can literally walk out of your hotel room, get on the Monorail, and get off at the park front entrance. The monorails connect to both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and you can also catch free buses to anywhere in the Disney park.

Oh, and if you stay at the Contemporary, there's a little steak restaurant right next to the monorail entrance... the baby back ribs there are the best I've ever had.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

The trick is to feel personally responsible for a client's experience with your company.

Oh, yeah. It totally shows with you guys. I mean, I've never met you, and here I am, considering sending you my hard-earned() park hopper passes, just because you've been so great to me and all the other Empeg owners.

I guess I can't whip on Global Micro any more, though. The credit came through today. Hmm... time to go hard-disk shopping again...

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

Darn, I just tried firstsource.com and the site is down for maintenance. Okay, it's off to pricewatch.com again, I guess...

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

Curious how we seem to have independently developed the same . . .

What are you refering to? Great Minds or a preference for Emma(s)

Henno
# 00120 (6GB+18)

time to go hard-disk shopping again...

Have you seen the cable yet ?

Henno
# 00120 (6GB+18)

Have you seen the cable yet ?

Not yet. I assume that means you sent it recently? Probably tied up in Customs.

I've got another hard disk on order, from computer-x-press, that should be here very soon. Hopefully the two items will arrive simultaneously. That would be nice. Thanks again for sending it.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144

Thanks for the tip, but I've been to Orlando lots - don't forget that our US service center is there, and before that the same guys used to distribute a laser game I developed called Q2000 (QZar on steroids).

It's just a vacation this time, though - my other half hasn't been to Disney, and everyone has to go once :-) I don't plan on staying at a Disney hotel, or anywhere near International Dr, I would just feel too touristy!

Rob

Trust me -- stay at a Disney hotel; you never have to drive which means you can party your ass off.

I must admit that it's rather strange to stay drunk for a week and hang out with Mickey Mouse and Pluto -- but I've done it. Very good way to "unplug" from a network-driven start-up lifestyle...

-- Bleys

"If you would judge, understand." -- Seneca

I'm not sure Disney is really my thing for partying.. I wonder if I'm still banned from Pleasure Island *grin*

I like driving in America - there's something really satisying about knowing your rental car with it's obscenely huge engine costs less than a quarter as much to run as your car at home. Anyway, I have to drive otherwise I'd miss out on Kennedy, Cocoa Beach, Busch Gdns and all that other cool stuff.

Rob

Well, whatever you do, don't miss the Aerosmith roller coaster at MGM. Their "presentation" is perfect (i.e., the building, the stuff leading up to the ride, design of the cars, etc.). There's a bit where you're in a little mock recording studio and the Aerosmith guys talk to you through the window to the control room. It's just a flat-panel video screen, but damn, it's the highest-resolution video screen I've ever seen and you can almost believe you're actually looking through a window at the band.

Tony Fabris
Empeg #144