Iomega, Class Act or Class Action?:
A Continuing Study
Into How Iomega Treats
Its Customers and Employees
ANNOTATED LETTERS I HAVE RECEIVED
DECEMBER 1996
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 12:12:28 -0700
From: fred rounds
Reply-To: frounds@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega Ditto 3200
X-URL: http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm
Stephen,
Thanks for posting your web page. Poor support from peripheral
manufacturers is an all too common problem. Iomega is particularly
aggravating because of their pay-for-technical-support approach. I
just hung up the phone when I discovered this. I'm getting ready to
return my drives because the only way I was able to discover their
incompatibility with Windows NT was to buy, set up, and struggle to
the point of frustration. Only to discover to the best of my knowledge
that the drivers do not support a parallel interface under NT. Many
companies have fixed such incompatibilities, but Iomega hasn't. They
need to say so clearly in their advertising. After all, who really
understands what Windows 3.x is? It could be any thing from 3.0 to
3.51.
Iomega along with most of the computer systems manufacturers need to
get some clear feedback that if they don't get customer service
together, they're going out of business.
Thanks,
Fred Rounds
Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 16:37:45 -0500
From: [Withheld by request.]
Reply-To: 2by2@ici.net
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Wasting Time, Blowing off Steam
Do not release address.
I don't know where to start... for the past two weeks I've been trying
to get answers. Surprise, surprise the phones will always ring...
shortly thereafter fax numbers? one on one support for $14.97? for
advice or actual help... That's alot of bull... I've already spent
$350.00+
I don't have the time or the patience, at this point to deal. However
like yourself I've enjoyed the zip. However recent issues of data loss,
backup and change over to WIN95 have created a need for assistance.
At this point I'm inclined to just toss the damn thing. Simply based on
the principal of "CRAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE". They've got my money
already, why can't I get any help and who's department is it?
I was ripped when I started reading and the fury builds. I'm at a lost
for words.
Two weeks ago I wass praising The Zip. Now, I have to tell them I was
wrong... scratch off the x-mas list... lets not budget for internal zips
at work?
Thanks for your time. Is there a competitor? Probably not.
oh, by the way If you didn't have a life you probably wouldn't care.
Those offering advice (GET A LIFE) individuals apparently DO NOT KNOW
the definition of not Quality, but just plain old custimer service.
MORE POWER TO YOU
#@!
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 96 13:34:40 EST
From: Marvin Carnes
To: s@theriver.com
Cc: mcarnes@dccmail.com
Subject: Thanx for IOMEGA Warning!
Steve,
The first I heard of this sort of customer relationship gouging was a couple
of weeks ago on National Public Radio when they did a piece on it,
highlighting the anti-consumer practices of various computer manufacturers,
and particularly those of COMPAC Corp. I was disgusted then and swore never
to buy another COMPAC product (currently have several, including a laptop).
Today, I was just about to pick up the phone and order an IOMEGA Zip drive
for a Christmas present when I decided I should first check out the postings
RE: Iomega company/products on the net. (I make it a practice now to do that
-- invaluable info out there as your site is ample testimony to).
Boy am I glad I did. I came across your website and read it in its entirety.
I was so disgusted with IOMEGA's policy, I decided immediately against
ordering or even buying a Zip drive. I also wrote to IOMEGA's customer e-mail
service and informed them of my actions. I told them I will NEVER support any
company that does not follow basic rules of decent conduct with their
customers, that I support your ideas of fair play, and that I was going to
tell all my friends and family NOT to buy IOMEGA products until they publicly
announce that they are going to follow the guidelines you set forth in your
"Demands."
Bravo to you and Dr. Rob. I haven't bought an IOMEGA product and now will not
-- thanks to your timely and very useful info. Keep up the good work and good
luck with your suit. Post away, my friend. We need more people who are mad
enough not to take it anymore.
Marv
carnes@dccmail.com
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 16:34:07 -0500
To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com>
From: ipence@isye.gatech.edu (Dr. Ira W. Pence, Jr.)
Subject: Re: Thanx for IOMEGA Warning!
Steve,
I sent Marv a note and feel you should have one too.
I sent back the Iomega Zip drive to MicroWarehouse and told them why. Then
I bought Epson's version. It was $20 cheaper, $129 after rebate vs $149,
AND they had a real live person (actually two) on their help line who spent
the better part of two hours trouble-shooting the config.sys file on the PC
I was trying to use. No charge, no hassle, just a pass along from the
first, normal problem leve tech to the more experienced super tech when the
complexity of the problem became more than the initital guy could handle.
I am sure the Iomega gets a fee for every unit that Epson sells [Yeah, don't that just grate?! --SL], but it sure beat trying to find help at Iomega.
Everybody should know. DON'T BUY A ZIP DRIVE FROM IOMEGA, BUY IT FROM
EPSON INSTEAD. Its cheaper and I found Iomega's service to be nearly non-existent while Epson's was great.
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 1996 10:22:19 -0800
From: mgalgano@nanosecond.com (Michael P. Galgano)
Reply-To: mgalgano@mail.nanosecond.com
To: s@TheRiver.com
CC: mmiller@nanosecond.com
Subject: Iomega, Boca Research, and of course, Microsoft recent policy
Steve,
I have had similar experiences with the Plug and Pray architecture, DAY
ONE $20-$40 support calls, and devices that fail within weeks of
install. My Iomega JAZ drive failed after being left on for three days.
The cartridge was so hot, it damn near burned my fingers. (When I could
finally convince it to eject.) The Iomega support line charged, and then
credited my VISA for $19.95. In the meantime, my company has purchased
more Iomega Jaz drives, based on my original impression of the drive.
Woe is me. One guy is having your basic IRQ conflict problem, and found
your site while trying to shoot the bug. Fortunately, the other guy
hasn't cracked the seal on the box yet. I have not completed the RMA
process yet, as I have been on the road. More about that as it
transpires.
Boca Research has a card I dearly love, the SRS 28.8 Fax, Modem, Sound,
and everything else card. It wouldn't work, at first, for lack of IRQs
and such. When I found out that they wanted $39.95 per call to 'speak to
live lizard', I spent the time to shoot it myself. It took six hours to
sort out how to bypass Plug and Pray and force the board to the IRQs I
had available.
Microsoft now sells software for a few hundred dollars where you get one
free support call. I have been in mainframe computers for a lot of
years, and if any of my M/F vendors pulled that crap, I'd switch to the
competition. The damn PC opsys now has about as many lines of code as
MVS on the mainframe, and requires a bit of care and feeding from the
vendor. This can't fly on a charge-per-call basis. Not for me, anyway.
My 'best' experience to date was with AT&T, for one of the PCMCIA modems
I have. It wouldn't work quite right with the shipped driver, so I
downloaded the new drivers from them. Still, a little trouble. I then
downloaded the new flash rom data, and called Tech Support before
applying the update. Tech Support took all the model number and serial
number data and suggested I proceed with the update. The modem didn't
respond after the update. I was forwarded (almost immediately) to the
engineering department. I discovered that my modem WAS NOT flash
upgradeable in the field, and I had wiped it out. The engineer gave me
his personal Mail Stop to FEDEX the card to. He reprogrammed the card
with the latest code, and FEDEX'd it back the same day. Unfortunate that
Tech Support screwed up, but the engineer made the whole thing a
non-event. BRAVO!
Cheyenne Software, current owners of the BITWARE products, and now a
division of Computer Associates, sold me an upgrade to my old software,
and it installed 'broken out of the box'. I discovered that between
purchase and install dates (three weeks) that Cheyenne had gone to 'per
call' support, or 'free' e-mail support. Many e-mails later, I moved the
code to another machine where it won't hurt anyone. Damn, I really liked
the features in the old product. The new one would be even better, if it
would install right on my desktop machine.
Perhaps class action is not the answer. Maybe the Feds (in some guise)
need to review these policies. While not obviously predatory, they
falsely represent the ultimate price of the product to all but the lucky
few who never make the calls.
Mike Galgano
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 1996 12:50:28 -0800
From: mgalgano@nanosecond.com (Michael P. Galgano)
Reply-To: mgalgano@mail.nanosecond.com
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: letters you have received - detractors
Steve,
Where have these people been? The ones who haven't had trouble are
lucky. The ones who decry the demand for support have obviously not been
around long enough to remember what adequate support was like. I will
buy Motorola or AT&T products as long as they continue the high degree
of Tech Support they have supplied me, even if their stuff had not been
'leading edge' technology (which, of course, it is). I will continue to
buy Microsoft out of necessity. Aside from this, I will try to establish
(before purchase) whether or not a company demands tribute for support,
and avoid such products where possible. The vendors recognize a need,
and market to that need. They should also recognize that the literature
leads one to believe that you can 'bet your business' on their product.
I've spent too much time trying to get products to meet the specs on the
advertising literature. I'm relatively certain this is what is driving
you as well. I have both a life, and a lot of disappointing product
experiences. Enough commiseration.
The PC magazines should include another set of product and vendor
measures:
1. Works exactly as advertised/nearly as advertised/not as advertised.
2. Customer satisfaction e-mail survey.
3. How much advertising the vendor does with this magazine.
4. We bought it off the shelf/we got it from the vendor.
5. We called the standard support line/we called and told them who we are.
6. Is known to not work with boards or software from the following
vendors as of this version.
Perhaps the folks at Consumer Reports might take a larger interest in
the computer field... I will write them and implore, plead and beg them
to do so.
[This seems to be a great idea, to me. Perhaps
others can also write to them! --SL, 8 Dec 96]
Regards,
Mike Galgano
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 1996 21:55:46 -0600
From: Indu Adige
I would be DELIGHTED if someone were to initiate a law suit against
Iomega Corp. for their callous lack of interest in customers whose
drives are defective. Here is MY story :
On February 1st, 1996 - I bought a PP Zip Drive by mail order, through
CompUSA. When I tried to install the drive, it would go so far as
getting a drive letter assigned to it, but when I tried to access the
diskette - either the ZIP Tools diskette or a blank one - it would
invariable say "Drive not ready ..." and refuse to read the diskette. I
did not have any other SCSI device installed. I was even able to eject
the diskette through the software, but could not make the system
recognise the diskette's existence! I then tried installing the Zip
Drive on other computers, and other operating systems (Win.3.1, Win 95),
but the problem was always the same. I downloaded the relevant software
from Iomega's FTP site, but could not resolve my problem.
I wrote inumerable email letters to Iomega Corp., but other than
receiving repetitive automated replies (none of which addressed my
problem) I never got ANY personalised service. I tried getting through
to their support staff over the telephone, but only succeeded in racking
up a large telephone bill for long-distance calls, and ws never attended
to. I sent a letter by registered post to their Corporate Office in
Utah, but did not get a reply. Eventually, on December 1st, 1996, I
returned to them (by fax)a request for a Return Merchandise
Authorisation. Today it is December 8th, and I still have not received
any acknowledgement from them of having received my request, nor an
RMA. The warranty on my ZIP Drive (for which I paid $ 200/-), will
probably expire within another 2 months, after which Iomega Corp. will
undoubtedly wash its hands off my problem!
I request suggestions from you on :
a) what else I could do to gain the attention of Iomega,
and get a replacement for my defective disk drive;
[Indu, short of showing up on Iomega's doorstep, the only suggestions I can make are that you write to
i. the Utah State Office of the Attorney General,
ii. the Postmaster General of USPS,
iii. the Federal Trade Commission,
iv. each of your representatives in the U.S. Congress,
v. all relevant Better Business Bureaus,
vi. all the computer-related magazines
that you can think of,
vii. and to Consumer Reports; and, perhaps you can
viii. find us a good lawyer;
telling them all about your problems, warning each to stop dealing with Iomega (gee, is it time for a boycott?), and requesting that all do what they can not only to solve your problems but to ensure a fairer scenario for all future purchasers of computer products, as well. It may be necessary for you to file a formal complaint with the Utah AG's Office to get any reasonable response from Iomega; you can learn how to do that at this site. If a good lawyer would "step forward," we could start sending him or her pertinent details of each case. Until then, we are on our own ... except for the powers of moral suasion and the powers of the media. -SL, 9 Dec 96]
b) how I could get to hear from anyone else (if such a person exists)
who has had EXACTLY the same problem as me, and has been
able to overcome the problem and get the drive to function; or
[Use newsgroups. Form an Iomega-Users Club. (If anybody with similar problems reads this, please respond directly to Indu. - SL, 9 Dec 1996]
c) whether there is anything else I can do with the drive,
to try and recover some part of my expenditure on it.
[I guess that it is too late to ask CompUSA for your money back. It is extremely important, when buying a new peripheral, to time the purchase such that you can immediately try to install it. That way, if you run into problems, you are in a position to get your money back directly from the vendor. Even now, they may be willing to take your drive back and give you credit towards other purchases. Call them and ask for help, pointing to the fact that you are a loyal customer, if you are, except for this problem. Perhaps they will help you, even now. -SL, 9 Dec 96]
Let me add that I am glad there are people like you willing to wage a
war against a company indulging in behaviour as totally unethical as
Iomega's.
[Indu, thank you for taking the time to share your story and for expressing a desire to do something about your own situation. I am beginning to think that nothing short of a boycott on all Iomega products will get that company's management to treat its customers fairly. Customers should not have to go to such extreme measures as are outlined in this response. Only a group effort seems to hold the promise of effectuating any change in Iomega's continued, deplorable attitudes. Also, thank you for your kind words. -SL, 9 Dec 96]
Indu Adige
Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 16:29:50 -0800
From: North Vancouver
Organization: BDC
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: iomega problems
X-URL: http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/mail.htm
if we can just get people to stop buying these damn zips and have a lot
more people shorting the bloody stock, maybe we can finally get their
damn attention.
unlike you guys, I am unfortunately based in Canada! My nightmares are
compounded by the long distance charges! keep up the work! damn those
"iomegars" who contract cheap labor in third world countries & sell us
their "stuff" with no support. lesson learned: no support, don't
purchase!
[Well, I think sometimes that being based in Canada might be an advantage. But I know what you mean about long-distance phone charges. I spent $146 on phone charges to Gravis (Vancouver, B.C.) for a "Plug-n-Play" sound card that would not work. I did not get that phone money back when I returned the card to Tiger Software for credit. Buying a Zip drive from Epson evidently puts money in Iomega's coffers, so the key would be to find rival technology produced by a company that also provides good customer support. But the problem may be: What does what a Zip drive does, better than a Zip drive does it? At least people who insist on buying from Iomega even after reading from this site will have only themselves to blame when troubles arise and they can not get Iomega to help ... unless, of course, Iomega does a rapid about face! Wouldn't THAT be nice! 
--SL, 9 Dec 1996]
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 01:17:28 -0500
From: Monty <partyrnt@ix.netcom.com>
Reply-To: partyrnt@ix.netcom.com
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Zip Drive
Steve,
Thanks for the work you have put forth in this site. [You are welcome, Monty! --SL, 10 Dec 96] I used SCSI Zip on my Win 3.11 ... no problems. Upgraded to Win95... can't get it
configured. I was convinced after reading *everything* on the web site
and the manuel.exe that *I* was doing something wrong. After several
weekends of messing with the SCSI Zip drive I went to the newsgroups.
After reading the news and some of your letters I am convinced they are
not providing the information needed to configure this thing nor are
they providing phone technical support.
I give up. I am sending off for an RMA. I hope getting an RMA is
easier than getting the drive to work.
>"GOD HELP those poor people who have the SCSI version and still dont know
>where their reset button is!" <<----- I am one of those people G*D didn't help
[Monty, if God helps those who help themselves, all I can say here is that people who visit this site and then buy Iomega products from Iomega anyway have only themselves to blame if they then have problems getting Iomega Customer support. Forewarned is forearmed. If you, Dear Reader, insist upon buying a Zip drive, then buy it from Epson! They seem to be giving good support. -SL. 10 Dec 96].
- Monty
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 04:15:47 -0600
From: Jonathan Kaplan
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega rebates
Hey,
Saw your page dealing with Iomega on the Web. Have you heard of any
problems with people getting their rebate checks? I've been waiting 4
months now, my email to Iomega is going unanswered.
[Jon, I certainly do not blame you for not having read every word at this site! But please see
the mail I have received and
my answers to such mail to learn that you are not alone in this problem.]
Thanks for your help
[You are welcome! --SL, 12 Dec 1996]
Jon
From: "Gene Godsoe"
To: "Steve Langford" <s@theriver.com>
Subject: Eureka!
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 22:45:00 -0500
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
The system eventually works! I received a call on Monday from Iomega with
a "gee whiz, you should have gotten your check, everybody else on the same
list got theirs. I don't really care about everybody else!!! But it was
mailed! I don't care if it was mailed or you knock on the door with it!
Call me collect if it isn't there by Thursday. OK!! Today is Thursday,
the checks were in the box at noon. At 1 PM, Iomega calls to verify that I
got my checks! Yet, where's my lunch bag and disk files? Tied up in
customs. They have been there for 3 months? Yes, but we will be sending
them out very soon now. ????
>From July 11th until Dec 12th to get a rebate they put in writing that
would take 4~6 weeks.
By the way, I think I have given that toll free Iomega rebate number to
about 50 people that have e-mailed me for it.
Gene
[Well, credit where credit is due!: Miracle of miracles, they seem to be acting as though they may actually care about customers! Let's hope that this develops into strong, available, personable, and caring customer support even for prospective customers! Gene, I am pleased that your rebate finally arrived. I hope that you get the rest of your stuff soon. -SL, 13 Dec 1996]
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 10:01:20 -0700
From: "Craig W. M. Friedley" <monster6@primenet.com>
Organization: MCI
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega
I happen to like my Zip drive and got my rebate in a timely matter. I
will continue to support them.
Craig W. M. Friedley
[Craig,
I am pleased to add your voice to those already to be found at
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/feb_1997.htm
[URL changed 12 Feb 1997-- SL]
It is only fair that people be informed that maybe Iomega is actually getting its act together, at long last. I certainly hope that this is the case and that if you do need Iomega's help with customer support, you will not be disappointed by their service. Thank you for adding balance to this discussion by taking the time to share your views. -SL, 13 Dec 1996]
From: rertman@ix.netcom.com
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 11:47:25 -0800
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega
I'm not quite ready to boycott Iomega, but I'm getting really close.
I've tried many times to reach them. Their phone system is carefully
designed to thwart contact with customers. I once got a fax number
there and sent several, but never got an answer.
Also, I'm one of those who sent in a coupon, but never got the rebate.
The problem is that their Zip and Jaz products are good. I'm using them
now, but as soon as their competition comes up with a small, high
capacity unit the size of the Jaz and with more capacity, I'll dump
Iomega and make the change.
I just wish their attitude was as good as their Zip and Jaz drives.
[Amen! --SL, 13 Dec 1996]
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 18:30:04 -0400
From: "John A. Burns" <johnbets@interlog.com>
Reply-To: johnbets@interlog.com
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega
I do not know if a class action suit is in my future, but I am one of
many who bought the Zip drive with the rebate offer. The total rebate
offer is for $50US on the drive, $20US on the disks as well as the
personal organizer software (value $99 US) and $50US of acc. This was
in September. In contacting the retailer, "Mac Warehouse", many people
are calling to find out what's UP?
I have received no notice from them and considering I had to send
original receipts and barcodes I do not want to have the drive die until
I get the originals back.
John Burns
[Best wishes, John! -- SL, 13 Dec 1996]
Errors-To: <grawej@cris.com>
From: "Jeff Grawe" <grawej@cris.com>
To: <s@TheRiver.com>
Subject: Iomega Blues
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 12:21:52 -0800
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
Steve,
I read your page on customer service provided by Iomega. I own a internal
400 tape Ditti drive. I Was drooling over the hype of a Zip drive, not any
more after reading your page. I've been lucky with what I have.
I run a hobby bbs and backup lots. I thank you for you page I will not
deal with a company that charges users for support. I paid them for their
product why should I pay them to tell me how to install configure it to
work in my system.
To the mom & pop computer support folks, I recomend Lap Link & a laptop
with at least a Gig drive installed. Use the printer port cable & loose the
zip drive. I've worked in a LAN shop and this was fast, safe & easy
Jeff
[Jeff,
Thanks for your note. Thanks for sharing your experience and views. -SL, 14 Dec 1996]
X-Sender: cfraser@mail.islandnet.com
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 1996 11:49:39 -0800
To: s@TheRiver.com
From: Chris Fraser <cfraser@islandnet.com>
Subject: iomega rebates
Haloo Steve,
Masterful job on your web site. Glad to see that you
lit at least a small fire under iomega's butt.
Are you aware of anybody that has received their
$50 rebate for their zip drive? 4 clients of mine
purchased zip drives this summer, registered
them and sent in the rebate coupon. Christmas
is coming and not one has seen hide nor hair of
a rebate and iomega refuses to put me or
my clients in touch with someone who
deals with this kind of thing. They
basically put us on the telephone
merry-go-round and hope we get off soon.
Thanks again for a great site and
good luck gettig what you want.
Chris Fraser Victoria, BC, Canada Finger me for PGP public key
Flying Web http://www.islandnet.com/~cfraser/fweb.html
::::Escape Velocity::Alternating Fridays:10:30p-12:30a::CFUV101.9FM::::
"When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've
never tried before." Mae West
[Thanks for your kind words, Chris!
Yes, a very few people have mentioned having received their rebates. Of course, a site like this does not generate a representative sampling of satisfied customers, I guess.
I guess the easiest thing for me to want at this point is for Iomega to treat people the way it would like to be treated by people. It is very hard to measure exactly how much this particular site has contributed toward that end.
Anyway, I have met some fun people. Thanks for writing! --SL, 15 Dec 1996]
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 14:05:51 -0800
From: Gthawk <gthawk@ix.netcom.com>
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: I just want my rebate check!!!!!
I am mad as hell that i have'nt received my rebate yet!!!
I tried to call iomega and the line is always busy. I made my purchase
in July and still haven't received my monies!!! what can i do???
[Complain to the Utah State Office of the Attorney General. See below. --SL, 16 Dec 1996]
From: Gillgimesh@aol.com
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 16:36:26 -0500
To: s@theriver.com
Subject: Iomega and your web page
Just to let you know, I've researched the Iomega products, and the Zip disks
in particular, have a better data integrity of 1.44 floppy diskettes, as well
as most hard drives of similar size. I have had opportunity to work with
Iomega technical support, both before and after they charged for support, and
have been more than impressed not only with the service, but with the wait
time as well.
I have been hold for eternities (in excess of 3 hours) for Microsoft, Novell,
SEAGATE!, but, with Iomega (especially since they started charging) my hold
time is rarely more than 10 minutes.
I've also dealt with Syquest, and, it was because of the inability to get
ahold of Syqyest that I switched over to Iomega, and brought my company along
for the switch. We'ver used Bernoulli, Zip, Jaz, DItto, and are eagerly
awaiting the advances of the n.hand product that was just recently announced.
I'm not writing this to slam you or to say "get a life," just that I have had
(comparitive to the industry) very very acceptable support from Iomega.
Just another opinion.
-Joe
=)
[Joe,
Thanks for your gentle reminder that even Iomega can get it right for some customers. Now, if they would just give fair treatment to most or all of their customers, I could do something even more fun than this. I welcome friendly statements of support for Iomega. They hold out the promise that things might be improving.
It seems only fair to note that many customers may have abused free support to the point of having driven it out of existence. On the other hand, it seems to me that some small number of free support calls are in order to help get customers up and running with the new products that they have just bought. Otherwise, the industry is building hidden charges into products; charges that should be illegal, IMHO.
Thanks again for your nice letter, Joe. --SL, 17 Dec 1996]
From: Steve Atkinson <atkinsonart@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: atkinsonart@earthlink.net
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Re: unreachable Iomega
X-URL: http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm
Dear Steve,
I thought I was the only one who was finding it IMPOSSIBLE to
speak to a human being at iomega! [Hardly! --SL, 17 Dec 1996] Every time I call their tech support
# and punch in the appropriate #'s at the prompt I am promptly
disconnected. I did manage to get thru one time when I first bought my
Jaz drive, and after being on hold for a rediculously long time, I
asked the tech why the wait was so long. He told me that there were
only two macintosh techs manning the phones for the entire country!
Unbelievable! But even that was better than getting hung up on.
I don't know what help I can be to you, but I will aid you in any
way I can.... [The best way to help me is to help yourself, by writing to as many people in authority as you can take time to reach. Start with Utah Office of Attorney General (see address below). Continue with Better Business Bureaus and letters to computer-related magazines. Unhappily, the problem seems to be extremely widespread across the computer industry. It does not hurt to point out that there really are some companies that supply good technical support to their customers over 1.800 phone lines. One such is Golden Software, Golden, Colorado. --SL, 17 Dec 1996]
... Even if I am only moral support. I have both a Jaz and Zip
drive and do like the products when they are working, but the way they
have treated me is rediculous. I have gotten a # in which I can pay an
additional twenty dollars for tech support, but having spent as much
as I have already,I don't feel I should have to pay any additional
money for the support I earned when I paid for this hardware!
[I agree that some initial support for computer products should be expected as part of the purchase price. Unhappily, too many people have let the industry creep too far from that basic expectation. I am not sure that it is possible to correct the situation, but it is worth a try. --SL, 17 Dec 1996]
Please let me know if you managed to get satisfaction, and if so,
how.
thank you,
Steve Atkinson
atkinsonart@earthlink.net
[The only way I obtained anything like satisfaction from Iomega was to launch a complaint of fraud against the corporation, submitting that to the Arizona State Attorney General, who forwarded it to Utah State Office of the Attorney General. Iomega then apologized and sent me a free Zip Tools 5.0 (which remains unopened). That story is detailed at this site.
However, I am not at all satisfied that Iomega is satisfactorily supporting its customers, as I receive letters like yours almost every day.
Is it time to form a computer-buyer's cooperative, putting an additional markup on products which guarantees consumers rights to support by manufacturers and vendors or else takes those people to court? One can envision a cooperative which would sell only properly supported products, this being worked out by prior arrangement with vendors and manufacturers. Non-support would then amount to breach of contract.
However, such an arrangement would be cumbersome and is not the kind of thing that I, personally, want to head up. I am open to feedback on this or any other pertinent idea, however. --SL, 17 December 1996]
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 22:21:49 -0800
From: Maggie Martin <maggie@mediarare.com>
Organization: Media Rare
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: IomegaNightmare
Dear Steve,
I, too, am experiencing an Iomega nightmare. Iomega is unwilling to
honor a "Hold Everything Rebate offer though my records, receipts are
all in order. I have spent since September trying to get a hold of
someone there who can help me to no avail (Faxex, e-mail, phone calls,
registered letters). Now I am prepared to write the California Attorney
General. Would you be kind enough to share the letter you wrote your
Attorney General. I found the other correspondence concerning your
attempts at communicating with Iomega fascinating and vaidating. I
almost thought I was the only one caught in a surreal situation.
Thank you,
M.
--
maggie@mediarare.com
http://www.mediarare.com
Phone:(707) 765-2165
Fax:(707) 765-2165**
Accordionist & WebMeistress for Polkacide
the premier hardcore polka band"
"Never give up and never face the facts." ... Ruth Gordon
"1996 is the Year of the Accordion...Squeeze on!"
[Maggie,
Sometimes "misery loves company" is all-too-true! You are
far from being the only one still having problems with Iomega.
I don't blame you for getting lost at my site! I don't have time to revise it, either. Anyway:
In
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm
you can search for and find hotlink "Preliminary Legal Action";
that will lead you to
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/azatygen.htm
where you can find hotlink "complaint"; that leads to
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/complain.htm
I hope that this helps you; a complication is that the different states must have different complaint forms. Hopefully, each state Attorney General will honor complaints filled out on forms from other states, but I have no reason to believe that this is so, other than my own experience with Arizona and Utah.
In any case, I suggest that you may want to send separate letters to the Utah and California Attorneys General. Perhaps a letter to Utah (address below) with a copy to California would do the trick.
Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to point to this site
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm
as a source where they can find related complaints.
Incidentally, a few letters by others to both Iomega and to the Utah Office of the Attorney General can be found at
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/you2iomg.htm
and
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/you2utag.htm
I would be pleased to make copies of letters from more people available at those pages. If you like, send me a copy of what you write and I'll share it.
Best wishes, Maggie! I hope this helps. --SL, 18 Dec 1996]
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 13:37:18 -0800
From: Steve Willcox <swillcox@vax2.rain.gen.mo.us>
Reply-To: swillcox@vax2.rain.gen.mo.us
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega Zip Drive Problems
I have waited 2 and 1/2 months for my rebate from Iomega. I called them
today, then waited 30 minutes for customer support. The customer
support person I finally got said I must not have sent them proper
documentation. She was very rude and could not explain why I had
received no written response from Iomega about by rebate. I asked to
speak to her boss. She said her boss was on the line and I would have
to wait or call back. I needed to go back to work and asked if she
would have the boss call me directly. She said they would NOT call me
back. I gave my number anyway, but was never called. I was very angry
over this, maybe not enough to devote my life to securing redress like
you apparently have, but I understand your motivation. I wondered how
they could offer such a rebate. Now I know. They just don't pay it. The
customer was induced in part by the prospect of a $50 rebate to buy the
drive. Then even though he did not get the promised rebate, he is stuck
with the zip drive and unlikely, due to the expense, to replace it with
a competitor's drive.
Steve Willcox
[Steve,
I know how maddening such experiences are, and I am sorry that you have been treated like that.
Aside: (It is only fair, in passing, to acknowledge that at least some of the problems encountered by people seeking their rebates just might be due to occasional glitches in the US Postal Service. Short of sending all rebates by mailing methods that entail return receipts and insurance, I do not know how to solve such problems. Insisting that customers go to such troubles would probably kill the effectiveness of such rebate programs. Could rebate programs be limited to submissions by FAX, so that parties could document times and dates of submissions? Do enough people have access to FAX machines to make that possible?)
Incidentally, I seek no further action on my own behalf from Iomega. What I do seek is such a change of behavior on their part that Americans can proudly point to a model American corporation which has learned not only how to take care of its bottom line but also its employees and customers. Seeing such a change would indeed be a great reward -- much greater than any financial gain I might hope to win from these efforts.
Iomega's actions regarding the withholding of promised rebates seems to constitute fraud, pure and simple. Unhappily, I do not have the resources to plumb the depths of the possible fraud. However, the State of Utah Office of the Attorney General probably has both the authority and the resources to force Iomega to divulge the current status of its rebate program as well as to demand access to Iomega's other records, during an extensive investigation of Iomega's alleged, fraudulent and predatory business practices.
The only way Utah's Office of the Attorney General (see their address, toward the very end of this file) will ever get off the dime on a case like this, I guess, is if enough people like you personally go to the effort to make your complaints known directly to them. I have repeatedly listed here some of the many other authorities to which people could be writing to complain about companies that treat people the way Iomega apparently continues to do. But, I get few copies of letters from people who actually take the trouble to do anything for themselves about such things, by writing directly to such authorities. I had hoped to be overwhelmed by such copies, by now.
I hope that you never have a moment of trouble from your Zip drive and that your recent experience with Iomega actually represents a momentary lapse of courtesy by one employee who is, perhaps, stressed out by the pressures of the Holiday Season. I would rather believe the latter than believe that Iomega simply continues to behave so badly to most of its customers, concerning the rebate. This is, after all, the Season of Peace, Love, Joy, and Hope. But let it not also be the Season of Pollyanna. Based upon the letters like yours that I continue to receive, I simply do not believe that Iomega has already cleaned up its act.
What we really need is a lawyer who can solicit from the public documentation of current rebate and other problems, which documentation defines a pattern of fraud at Iomega. This Web site and I, even with the continuing input of people like you, Steve Wilcox, can not fix this or similar problems -- unless people in positions of authority choose to do their jobs with vigorous and decisive action.
Perhaps it is time to suggest that Utah's Office of the Attorney General take on the responsibility of delving more seriously into these Iomega questions by soliciting direct input from the public. However, I do not know that things can actually be done that way.
Absent help from some good lawyer (which I personally do not believe to be an oxymoron), too many American companies will probably continue to get away with whatever they can, in my humble opinion. So, if any reader really wants to help, find us a good lawyer. (There must be at least one of those left, somewhere. . . . --SL, 19 Dec 1996]
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 08:02:58 -0700 (MST)
X-Sender: bcarrol@pop.azstarnet.com
To: s@TheRiver.com
From: bcarrol@azstarnet.com (Bill Carroll)
Subject: Iomega
Hi neighbor:
[Bill refers to the fact that we are both in the Greater Tucson, Arizona area. --SL, 19 Dec 1996]
Yes: I think it's probably time for a class action suit against Iomega.
As I was surfing the Internet this morning looking for a way to make some
kind of "personal" contact with Iomega without paying $15.00 to find out how
to get my brand new zip drive set up, I ran across your page.
I have only read a little bit of the information on your page but it is
enough to make me realize I probably am not going to be able to find someone
to talk to for free. (I will read the rest of your info as soon as I get
this missile off in the e-mail to you.)
Your thoughts regarding Iomega are certainly shared by me. At the end of
this page I have copied an e-mail that I sent to Iomega yesterday (before
reading your page). It outlines my experience with Iomega so far. Even
though I've read only a bit of your page - I have gathered from it that
there is no sense frustrating myself further by attempting fax or e-mail
contact with these jerks.
I was impressed however that somehow you did get them to "provide you, free
of cost, with the software necessary to install Zip Tools V.5."
Can you tell me how?
[During a phone chat, I referred Bill to my 18 December 1996 instructions, above, to Maggie Martin. --SL, 19 December 1996]
Bill Carroll, 9918 N. Desert Ranch Trail, Tucson AZ 85742 797 4440 Fax 797 4441
P. S. The fact I ended up buying [two] zip drives (one that didn't work) and
that neither setup disk would properly install the drive certainly leads me
to believe that they market their zip drives in a manner that assures them
of an additional $15 or $20 in revenue from the follow up call to find out
how to get the product installed. To me, that sounds like consumer fraud,
false advertising of the cost of the unit, etc...
[I hasten to agree! --SL, 19 Dec 1996]
I'm going to get this off to you now and go back and read the rest of your
information. In the meantime here is the second e-mail I sent to Iomega
yesterday. Hoping to hear from you soon if you have any way of helping me
save the $15. I do want the zip drive despite the fact I think they are
crooks. But I hate to give them the $15.
[I can't blame you for feeling that way. My sentiments "persackly"! --SL, 19 Dec 1996]
My second e-mail to Iomega which was followed by two more garbage filled
responses.
"I sent an e-mail outlining many problems I have been having since
purchasing my zip drive.
Now I have another problem. Following my written message here - is the
response to my e-mail that I received from you. Unfortunately, I don't
speak nor read Martian - or machine language - or whatever your response is
written in.
I was hoping that a live person might read my e-mail - but I'm beginning to
have my doubts. And, I'm also beginning to believe that iomega is
perpetrating a bit of a fraud on the purchasers of it's equipment.
I bought a zip drive whose setup program does not work. The Iomega fax-back
system doesn't work. The e-mail support writes in the Martian language
only (which I have not yet learned to read).
This apparently leaves me with just two alternatives. Return the drive to
the store and get my money back - or pay $15 for technical support just to
get the program installed. Sounds like a rip-off to me.
The original e-mail I sent you reads as follows:
At the moment I am very upset that I bothered to buy an iomega zip drive. I
shall outline my problems below and try not to trash you too badly.
Last Friday I bought a new zip drive for my pentium 95 computer which uses
Windows 95. I got around to trying to install it yesterday and since then
have had a few problems.
PROBLEM # 1
After going through the setup process I believe I received a message that
the installation had been completed, and - at that point - or perhaps after
clicking on next - I received a screen that was headed: Guest 95v5.0 with a
message on it saying "Looking For iomega adapters."
After about 10 minutes of no response and being unable to get out of the
screen - and having the computer completely hung up I rebooted and tried
again with the same response.
PROBLEM # 2
Thinking that pehaps the installation had been successful I placed the Zip
Tools disk in the zip drive to see if I could access anything. It seemed
to go in a little hard but did go in. After looking around on the computer
to see if I had an F drive (I currently have a C and D hard drive and E is
designated for my CD rom drive) I found I did not.
I then pressed the eject button and the Zip Tools disk would not come out.
After repeated trys both while connected to power and after removing the
power, I had to determine that I had a bad zip drive and returned to the
store last night for a replacement.
PROBLEM # 3
This morning, I tried again and after the installation I received the same
message as outlined in Problem #1 above. After 20 minutes of searching for
iomega adaptors I once again had to reboot my pentium. There is one piece
of good news. The Zip tools disk can be inserted and removed from the zip
drive. (The reject button works).
Problem # 4
At this point I decided I needed help. Since I do not believe after paying
about $300 for the zip drive and a 10 pack of disks, that I should have to
pay $15 or $20 for tech support just to install it, I decided to try your
Automated Fax Help at 801 778 5763. I received the following messages and
responses.
1. If you are familiar with fax back press one.
I pressed one.
2. To order a document press 1. To order a catalogue press 2.
I pressed two.
3. For product and technical information on the zip drive, press !.
I pressed one.
4. I'm sorry I cant find a document number 1. Check the catalogue and try
again. To order something else press 1.
I pressed one.
5. To order a document press 1, to order a catalogue press 2
I pressed 2
6. I'm sorry I can't find a document number 1. Check the catalogue and try
again. To order something else press 1.
Problem #4
At this point, I hung up and tried again. I got pretty much the same
responses over and over. Although at one point I did get the message: If
you are through ordering press 2. After doing this, I was asked to enter my
fax number. I entered a perfectly valid U. S. West fax number (520-797
4441) and was told: Sorry, your fax number fails our valadation.
I am now reverting to E-mail to try and solve my problem, and as you might
expect, am a wee bit agitated at the moment.
If I receive a prompt response from you, and you can solve my problem, I
will probably not return the zip drive to the place I purchased it and spend
the rest of my life bad mouthing iomega.
However, the response must be relatively quick because I have better things
to do with my life. I bought the zip drive to solve some computing problems
- not create new ones.
Bill Carroll
Phone numbers are: 520 797 4441. Fax 520 797 4440.
[Ooops! Bill, as you know from our conversation on the phone, you reversed these numbers. You meant to say:
"Phone numbers are: 520 797 4440. Fax 520 797 4441"
as you know. But if Iomega had really wanted to reach you, they could have done so. --SL, 19 Dec 1996]
I'd give you my mailing address, but I'm certainly not interested in waiting for a snail mail response to this message.
>begin 644 zipcat.txt
>M("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@($EO;65G82!496-H;FEC86P@4W5P<&]R=`T*
>M("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@($%U=&]M871E9"!%;6%I;"!297-P;VYS92!3>7-T
>M96T-"B`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@($QA<W0@4F5V:7-E9"`U+S(T+SDV
>M#0H-"BTM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM+2TM"
(I'm sure you have seen copies of the next few pages of the above garbage so
I won't clutter your machine with it.)
[Yeah, Bill, I get the idea.
As I suggested by phone, the only way to get Iomega's attention seems to be to launch a personal vendetta against the company. I have tried to be as fair as possible in all I have written, but I become increasingly convinced that fair play is not part of Iomega's purview. My suggestion?:
GO GET 'EM, Bill!
-- SL, 19 Dec 1996]
X-ROUTED: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 19:19:06 -0500
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 19:22:48 -0500
From: [Withheld by request]
Reply-To: [Withheld by request]
To: s@theriver.com
Subject: two cents
I am in total agreement of your situation. You, however, are only
begining to scrape the surface of what is one of the biggest scams going
on in the computer industry. Iomega is a prime example, but other
companies come to mind ie: Packard Bell (the biggest farce on the
planet), Gateway 2000, even Microsoft. These are industry leaders who
sink most, if not all, profits into production, R&D, marketing, and
sales. Their argument is that due to the nature of the buisness,
technology is constantly changing and therefore, they must change with
it. The consumer is therefore left in the dust. The average consumer is
computer illiterate (as a former computer product specialist at Best
Buy...I know) and is totaly taken in by the flash of performance and
capabilities of the machines.
As you know, computers are complex machines. They should require the
support necessary to run them, and they do not. The industry does not
participate in a self-regulatory program, and because of this, the
consumer that has to pay. Despite the pretty pictures, computers do not
work like the dream machines they are made out to be. Regulation should
be mandatory for this industry as they are unwilling to regulate
themselves. For instance, a requirement for a certain level of support
for a certain level of sales. With the record level profits of these
companies, I cannot find a good enough reason for their lack of consumer
support. Yes, technicians are expensive, training them is expensive, and
making them more available is expensive, but the people who buy the
product expect it to work. Anything less is an empty promise to
consumers, and that is not what they portray or what we expect.
Do not publish my address. I will support you, but I do not need the
hate mail ( I get enough as is is ).
[Yes, it is too bad that some people have not learned how to disagree without being disagreeable. --SL, 19 Dec 1996]
--
Keep up the fight,
Miga
[Thanks for your insightful letter, Miga. What can be done to impose regulation on the industry? --SL, 19 Dec 1996]
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 23:34:28 -0400
From: Richard Lowenthal <rlowe70@ptway.com>
Reply-To: rlowe70@ptway.com
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: et cetera
X-URL: http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/recent.htm
Hi Steve, it's me, Richard Lowenthal. I had some
time so I went over some of your recent
correspondences. You can post my suggestion but most
people know it already:
Buy your items using a credit card. If you are
dissatisfied, stop payment. I find my
Visa and MasterCard personnel very cooperative.
Get them into the fray along with the various
attorneys general.
I still have not bought a Zip, but the comments about
the Epson continue to be good. I just buck at giving
Iomega a cut.
Use a credit card!!!!
Richard Lowenthal
[Thanks for this good point, Richard! Bill Carroll (see his letter of 19 December 1996, above) made the same point to me yesterday, during our phone chat. You have just saved me writing that one up!
Buying by credit card and refusing charges when necessary certainly is a powerful weapon that even more people should be using, I guess. --SL, 20 Dec 1996]
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 1996 14:00:30 -0600
From: Bob Rutherford <vrlance@inu.net>
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: ioMEGA- snobs
Yes, I've run into installation problems with ZIP drives. I've even had
problems with the parallel port tape backups. The install software
sometimes just won't install properly. I purchased an 420 insider a
little over a year ago and it has ruined at least one new tape by
formatting it prior to backing up and then refusing to read or reformat
it. 18 bucks down the drain! I've since dissabled the force format
option. I asked them via their web site comments section about an
upgrade to the backup software since the built-in backup with Win95
won't work with the drive and since the Windows 3.1 version doesn't
support long filenames but got no responce. I'm even willing to pay for
the upgrade.
For the moment I'll just cringe and do the backup and hope I can read
the tape if I need to.
[Bob,
What a rip-off! I hope that things work out for you and that you never need this backup. Perhaps by the time you need Iomega's help again they will be more helpful. "Hope springs eternal ... " --SL, 23 Dec 1996]
Date: Tue, 24 Dec 1996 04:20:59 -0800
From: Tony Ruiz <ruiz@adnc.com>
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: "Them"Omega vs "I"omega
Yup, so that's the problem! I wrote and called, then Emailed with
absolutely no response whatsoever. I passed it off as probably something
much simpler than the absolute apathy it seems to be. [It is as though they hate customers! --SL, 23 Dec 1996] Their Customer non-Support thing is a placebo; we're led to believe this
is a quality thing, but it seems to be turning out to be a joke at our
expense.
And to think I was impressed with one hardware manufacturer's design
that included a built-in Iomega Zip drive. Not a chance of me touching
anything that includes any of their stuff. Their name is mud to me
anymore, especially after reading as much of your material I could take.
[Yeah, I know what you mean! ; ) --SL, 23 Dec 1996]
The AG's office isn't going to be motivated off their duff until and
unless a lot more people scream together, getting their attention. These
offices are (bodies at rest) until some external force moves them that
doesn't include the public's welfare. And I even know how to spell
Tuscoon. Or is it Tuscon? Maybe Tocscon. Oh well, I tried.
Good luck. And good riddance to my former Iomega stuff and back to 'ole
reliable SyQuest, who was always easy to reach, professional and
reliable, and has a new product out for about $250 that I'm sure does a
better job. This just goes to show me once again what a good marketing
job can do for a lousy company with a mediocre product.
[Hi, Tony! :)
Well, thanks for your fun letter. Actually, I think that the Zip drive is an excellent product, but lousy support undermines the entire product line. I agree that Attorneys General seem to be rather sluggish in their responses to these situations, but I hope that we are wrong and that they are actually taking this all down so that they can really swing into action ... after all! Sigh.
Have some fun holidays... --SL, 23 Dec 1996]
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 18:31:54 -0700 (MST)
X-Sender: s@theriver.com
To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com>
From: "Dr. Hirschman" <hirschj@icanect.net>
Subject: Re: scsi zip drive install problems
At 08:21 PM 12/25/96 -0800, you wrote:
I recently purchased a scsi zip drive for my Mac se The large note on
the box indicated that the mac se would handle the zip drive ok if there
was sys 6.0.8 in the Mac. You guessed it....the install doesn't work.
Repeated attempts at Email communication and a try at their 900 number
were all for naught.. I did get several replys asking me to put zip in
the subject field of my e mail. Guess what? each email had that in
the subject field. Finally after many tries I got a reply that failed to
make any sense at all.....just a series of equations and letters followed
by "end". That's about where my wits are about now.....at their end!
[I am sorry to hear of your problems and wish that I could be of more-direct help. --SL, 25 Dec 1996]
Date: Fri, 27 Dec 1996 10:16:27 -0600
From: "John Lee-R3299C" <John_Lee-R3299C@email.sps.mot.com>
Subject: Iomega Issue
To: "s@TheRiver.com%txbcsm1" <s@TheRiver.com>
X400-Mts-Identifier: [ /P=MOT/A=MOT/C=US/ ; q\ausq1gw\961227101627b ]
M Mail from John Lee
Subject Iomega Issue
Hi Steve,
Just wanted to tell you that I agree with the others out there regarding
Iomega. My company purchased an Iomega Jaz Drive on 11/13/96. Around Dec.
20, the drive failed. I called tech support gave them my credit card number
and for $19 bucks was told that my drive was bad. I was then informed that
it would take three weeks for the drive to get fixed.
Since I'm the sysadmin for the IP office I advised them that three weeks was
unacceptable. Iomega then wanted $100 dollars so that they could send out a
replacement unit and the money would not be credited or returned!
Since many people use Jaz drives for backup or archiving purposes, Iomega
should have a better plan for their products.
I plan to keep on them until a proper resolution is found.
Keep up the good work Steve.
Regards,
John Lee
leej@mail.ilsweb.net
[Hi, John!
I guess it is hard for you not to feel "ripped off" under these circumstances. I can only suggest that you write to Utah's Office of the Attorney General (address below) and document your case well. --SL, 30 Dec 1996]
From: MARC SIEGEL <MARCSIEGEL@SPRINTMAIL.COM>
Reply-To: MARCSIEGEL@SPRINTMAIL.COM
Organization: FDIA
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: iomega (lack of) support
I am having a similar problem. The software that came with m Jaz PCI
card will not load properly. I could not get my Jaz drive to work. I
was on hold calling customer support for over 30 minutes. When I could
not be helped after about 30 minutes, I was told that I would need level
2 support. I needed to transferred where I would have to wait 1 to 2
hours. The phone transfer was unsuccessful (the phone hung up). This
process was repeated one more time. On the third try, the phone
transfer resulted in a message to call back during regular working
hours. I have not had the time yet to call back. I think I will return
my purchase!
[Marc,
Thanks for sharing your story! Sounds to me as though you are making the right decision. --SL, 30 Dec 1996]
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 14:16:37 -0800
Subject: Iomega problem, Jaz drive
To: s@TheRiver.com
From: Randy Ransom <ronald.ransom@opc.com>
Steve, I recently purchased a Jaz drive and am now having a serious
problem with it. I have had it about three months or so and for the
last month it is making a loud shrieking noise upon start up. This has
been getting worse each day and I fear it will fail at any moment. I
was searching the net to find an E-mail address for Iomega when I
happened upon your site. It distresses me to read your correspondence
with Iomega and fear I will have the same problem. Your right about the
impossibility of reaching anyone by phone without dedicating most of the
remaining year and annual salary to the attempt. If you have a good
E-mail address for them would you have time to send it to me. I can be
reached at AOL address Greywolf45@aol.com and please spell Greywolf
with an "e". Thank you for your time and I will keep you posted with my
progress.
[Randy,
I do wish that I could offer you some help, but I have never had a Jaz drive and know very little about them other than that they seem to fill a real need ... when and if they work. I don't have a "good E-mail" address for Iomega. Sorry! : / -- SL, 30 Dec 1996]
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 96 23:05:12 -0800
From: Trey Tamm <trip@eclipse.net>
Organization: none
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: (no subject)
I have the Epson version of the Zip - which I'm sure is made by Iomega.
Their web site is even worse! I lost the install disk, but they didn't
have it to download. I had to go to the Iomage site to download the
install disk. I have also run many tests to see what type of speed I am
getting with my parallel port model - using Win95 and all the different
types of combinations of parallel port modes - but I don't get close to
the advertised speed!
What I could really use is some info on how to set up my parallel ports
correctly, and what to set up in Win95 to get the most out of my Zip.
I can email you exact info if you are willing to try and help.
BTW - my friend bought an Iomega Zip - tired to get email support, and
they sent him some unreadable version of the install manual. I've never
seen the format that they sent. When he asked for help in deciphering the
attachment, they were of no help. I'll tell him about your site!
Take care, and keep up the good work.
Trey
[Thanks for your encouragement, Trey!
Yours are the first negative comments I have heard about Epson support for the Zip. I hope that this does not establish a trend for Epson!
Perhaps another reader of this site can offer you some help on setting up your parallel ports correctly. Unhappily for you, I have had no such problems and can not offer you the benefit of any related experience. Also, I am not at all in the business of providing the support for Zip drives that should rightfully be provided by vendors and manufacturers thereof. Sorry. In any case, I do wish you only the best of luck in getting your system running correctly. --SL, 30 December 1996]
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 1996 21:48:23 -0800
From: Donald Schaaf <ds60541@navix.net>
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Your Iomega gripe
X-URL: http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm
Hi:
I agree with you, my friend.
I don't have the Zip drive, I have the 2Gig tape backup.
The product works, after a fashion, but I wish they would at least answer
some of my e-mail. (mumble, mumble.)
Regards
Don Schaaf
--
E-mail ds60541@navix.net
http://execpc.com/~dschaaf
Pearl Harbor: Remembered
[Hi, Don!
I wish that Iomega would support their users and set a fine example for all to follow. I don't see that happening, yet. Thanks for adding your voice to the conversation. --SL, 30 Dec 1996]
Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 12:20:22 -0700 (MST)
X-Sender: bcarrol@pop.azstarnet.com
To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com>
From: bcarrol@azstarnet.com (Bill Carroll)
Subject: Re: Iomega
I read your 12/31 emial with interest -and finally got a chance to review
the rest of the correspondance on your home page.
I looked briefly at your school bus home page. It has always been a bit of
a sore point - and puzzlement to me that individuals could be required by
law to have seat belts for their children and to have them buckled in, while
school busses didn't even have any.
Congratulations on doing something about it.
[Thanks for your kind words, Bill! --SL, 2 January 1997]
My son in law has advised me that there was an article in Investors Daily on
Tuesday last (12/31) which stated Iomega was laying off 500 employees,
closing their plant in Utah and moving their manufacturing facilities to
Malaysia (sp?). They might just as well be there. They couldn't be any
harder to contact there then they are here. Maybe the AG as has been
putting pressure on them. [dunno --SL, 2 January 1997]
More follow up on my experiences with Iomega.
I finally decided that I'd gamble my $15 to place a call as I could not get
any response any other way and I did want to get a zip drive working.
On my first call I think I was on the phone for over an hour (about 40
minutes on hold). They tried walking me through lot of things but to no
avail and then suddenly the connection broke. When I called back and told
them what happened they didn't even try to put me back with the first tech
support person - but sent me immediately to "level 2" support. (I feel that
the connection was purposely broken either by the tech support person who
realzied he wasn't going to get me up and running - or by some automatic
function that takes away the connection if a tech support person is on with
one customer for X number of minutes.
Level 2 support told me I should try the 2nd zip drive (I had returned the
first because it wouldn't eject the disk) on a different computer with
windows 95 and if it didn't work I may have another faulty computer. I did
it, -- and it still didn't work. I called them back and after over an hour
on hold, the next tech support person said I needed a new parallel drive
that the parallel port on my computer was probably was not compatable with
the Zip drive. When I told them I had tried it on a second one they advised
that by coincidence I must have tried in on another computer that also had a
faulty parallel port. After spending 40 minutes once and over an hour once
on hold, I'm convinced that they keep you on hold that long with the idea
that most people will probably hang up and go away and they won't have to
deal with them.
Not satisfied with Iomegas parallel port suggestion, I talked to a local
hardware man. He laughed and said to take the Iomega Zip drive back and get
another. I did and the new (third) drive set up fine and I'm off and
running and hope everything will be OK from here on out.
I will be cancelling the $15 credit card charge and I will be recapping all
of this for the Utah Attorney General [Too bad you can't get back the phone charges so readily! --SL, 2 January 1997]
Happy New Year
Bill.
[Happy ending to an otherwise sad story, Bill.
Thanks for the update!!
Keep in touch.
Happy 1997. -- SL, 2 January 1997]
Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 21:13:05 -0800
From: : [Anonymous -- SL, 28 Jan 1998]
Organization: : [Anonymous -- SL, 28 Jan 1998]
To: s@TheRiver.com
CC: : [Anonymous -- SL, 28 Jan 1998]
Subject: iomega hate mail
X-URL: http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm
I HATE IOMEGA!!! AND USAFLEX!!! I have been waiting 16 weeks now for my
rebate ($120 for two drives and a giga-pack). I wouldn't even mind
waiting if I had even once received some assurance from iomega that
it would be coming (I am generally a patient, understanding
individual), but NO, there is NO way of getting through to a human
being at that company. E-mail comes back with useless, automated
replies; their 1-800 number only refers you to their toll number,
where I sat for 45 minutes before giving up. Fortunately I did get
my drive working, but no thanks to the bad literature they provided
or the support they refuse to provide.
If you start your class-action suit, count me in.
[Anonymous -- SL, 28 Jan 1998]
[Hi, Don!
I am not entirely clear what your complaint is against USAFLEX (about whom I know nothing), but I am pleased to provide this outlet for you to share your anger over this abominable situation.
I am happy that your drive is now working and agree that documentation typically leaves too much to be desired ... not only in the case of Iomega, either. IMHO, there ought to be a law against publishing "User Guides" that have no indexes at all.
So far as a class-action lawsuit is concerned, it will take a lawyer with great vision a greater sense of justice, to handle such a case and the far-reaching implications it would entail. There are few such people to be found, it seems.
If you happen to know a good lawyer who might be interested in this case, that could help. While we wait for one such to step forward, at least we are gathering here some documentation of Iomega's customer-relations problems that do not seem to go away. I suggest that you (and others who may be so motivated) document your experiences as fully as possible and send Iomega a bill for your time and costs, with a copy to the Utah State Office of the Attorney General (address below). --SL, 2 January 1997]
From: maggie@mediarare.com
X-Sender: maggie@mail.wco.com (Unverified)
Date: Thu, 2 Jan 1997 21:41:35 -0800
To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com>
Subject: Re: Iomega
Steve,
I thought I should update you on my experience with Iomega. I received my
rebate check around the 20th of December after a 4 month wait !! Hurray!
Now was this Iomega getting their bleep together or was my less than easy
going e-mail to the Iomega website comments department the trigger? Or was
it all the pressure others like you have been putting on Iomega customer
support? I'll never know but the letter said that they had received an
unprecedented number of rebate requests. My carrying case and cartridge
holder are supposed to arrive within 6 weeks.
Thanks again for putting this issue on your site. I hope others can get
satisfaction for their claims soon.
Maggie
>At 06:22 PM 12/31/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Happy Holidays!
>
>Below is a copy of a message sent to me from CNET:
>
><<Subj: Iomega Rebate wait
>Date: Tue, Dec 31, 1996 5:54 PM EDT
>From: jimd@central.cnet.com
>X-From: jimd@central.cnet.com (Jim Davis)
>To: DeRegil@aol.com
>
>
>Thanks for pointing out these issues to us. I've just done an article,
>which can be viewed at
>
>http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,6586,00.html
>
>I'll be keeping track of this issue and there may be an update by next week
>if the Attorney General's office of Utah has any good information I can use.
>
>Feel free to circulate this URL to the newsgroups and web sites you frequent.
>
>Jim Davis
>Reporter, News.com
>CNET: the computer network
>San Francisco, CA 94111
>==========================
>http://www.news.com
>email: jimd@cnet.com
>
>Our other sites:
>http://www.tv.com
>http://www.cnet.com/
>http://www.search.com/
>http://www.shareware.com/>>
maggie@mediarare.com
http://www.mediarare.com
Phone:(707) 765-2165
Fax:(707) 765-2165**
Accordionist & WebMeistress for Polkacide,
the premier hardcore polka band
"Never give up and never face the facts." Ruth Gordon
Cogito eggo sum - I think; therefore, I am a waffle
"1996 is the Year of the Accordion...Squeeze on!"
[Maggie,
Thanks for your update! I am pleased to hear that things seem to be turning out OK for you. I like that "waffle"! hehe --SL, 3 January 1997]
Perhaps the comment I need to make most often, when I read letters from people complaining about Iomega, is that it does no good for us to complain to each other. People must write to those in positions of authority, about such matters. Also, we still need to find attorneys willing to tackle such projects as that suggested here. In the meantime, to repeat what is already on the home page:
1. Please read as much of this site as you can stomach! Then, whether you agree with
my position/s or not, if you get motivated enough to write to ANYbody,
2. please write at least to (!NOT! to Pamela Crabtree in Arizona):
Beth E. Kearsley
Complaint Analyst
Consumer Rights
Office of the Attorney General
State of Utah
160 East 300 South
Box 140872
Salt Lake City
Utah 84114-0872
and refer to "Complaint from Stephen A. Langford." You can FAX Ms. Kearsley at 801.366.0315.
If you do write to people in authority, please send me copies of such letters.
NAMES, ADDRESSES, & LINKS; PEOPLE AND GROUPS TO WHOM
YOU CAN WRITE
Perhaps the comment I need to make most often, when I read letters from people complaining about Iomega, is that it does no good for us to complain to each other. Please write to those in positions of authority, about such matters.
By the way, you might like to visit
"Seatbelts
for School Buses"
Thank you for your interest!
Sincerely, Steve Langford
RETURN TO HOME PAGE
©Stephen A. Langford, Oro Valley, Arizona, 28 January 1998.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This document may be freely transmitted in its entirety,
so long as no monies are earned during the transaction/s.
Permission is required for any and all other pertinent circumstances.
(Metering for this page begun 12 January 1997.)
