Iomega, Class Act or Class Action?:
A Continuing Study
Into How Iomega Treats
Its Customers and Employees

From: KYML93A@prodigy.com (MR WARREN L PAPROCKI)
Date: Tue,  1 Jul 1997 21:00:08, -0500
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega

Weeeeeelll,

[Hi, Warren! :-)

I really hope that you never have occasion to change your vote. Maybe you're lucky and maybe efforts critical of iomega have made a difference. Who knows (other than iomega folk)?

May you never need help from iomega's "tech folk." Thanks for writing! --SL, 6 July 1997]

Date: Wed, 02 Jul 97 08:15:19 -0700
From: "Michael P. Clague" <mpcac@ncn.net>
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: (no subject)

Steve,

[Hi, again, Michael! :-)

I apologize for taking so long to get back to you again, but was laid up with a cold for a few days.

When you first wrote, I responded:

"Michael,

"My feeling about backup is that you do best to use another hard drive. It is now possible to get something like 4.5G for about $300 (internal, 3.5")!

"I don't know much at all about the ditto line.

"However, my advice would be to return the unit on grounds of principle, as you have said that you do not want to support a company that operates as iomega does.

"I'll let you know when I get a chance to post this to the Web site.

"Best wishes!

"Steve"

Nothing since that note has occurred to change my mind as to what is probably the best thing to do for backup nowadays, except that the

I hope that this helps! Thanks again for writing. --SL, 6 July 1997]

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 10:14:15 +0000
To: EXECUTIVE RESPONSE TEAM <ERCET@IOMEGA.COM>
From: "Guy D. Smith" <gy@mcn.net>
Subject: Re: demo software
Cc: <IOMEGAERT@aol.com>, 
      <help@nowsoft.com>, 
      <info@nowsoft.com>,
      <marcom@nowsoft.com>, 
      "Steve Langford" <s@theriver.com>,
      <alnatoli@pop.pipeline.com>

To Whom It May Concern; 

[*snip*

Please see

--SL, 9 July 1997]

Thank you for your attention to my concerns.

____________

Gy..

[Hi, again, Guy! :-)

I am amazed by your persistence in these matters, despite your health problems. I hope that you will serve as an inspiration to others who have fewer disabilities.

I also hope that iomega will actually do you the courtesy of taking you seriously and of extending to you the extra help that -- based upon our personal correspondences -- I am convinced you really do need!

Thanks for this update. --SL, 9 July 1997]

Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 07:37:12 +0000
From: Jordan Sparks <lifteasy@cdepot.net>
Organization: Lift Easy, Inc.
To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com>
Subject: Rebate

Steve, 

[Hi, again, Jordan! :-)

I am glad that you finally received your rebate, but I hope that you'll nonetheless join the

if you have not already done so. You deserve some compensation for the inconvenience you have suffered and the lack of control over moneys that should sooner have been in your possession.

Thanks for the update! --SL, 6 July 1997]

 
From: pharoh@bellatlantic.net
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 22:12:33 -0400
To: s@theriver.com
Subject: [Fwd: iomega........shameful -Reply]

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Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 09:27:18 -0600
From: EXECUTIVE RESPONSE TEAM <ERT@IOMEGA.COM>
To: pharoh@bellatlantic.net
Subject: iomega........shameful -Reply 

[Hi, jjf! :-)

Well, that's a heck of a way to gain customer loyalty, isn't it!??

Thanks for sharing your story here. --SL, 6 July 1997]

Date: Fri, 04 Jul 1997 10:26:12 -0500
From: Steven Sauvé <synthguy@interlog.com>
	X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Macintosh; I; 68K)
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Corrupted Jaz Carts/Canadian Service
X-URL: http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm


Just a follow-up re corrupted Jaz Carts on Macintosh...

[I have added the above information to the

page. --SL, 6 July 1997]

At last a local service center for Iomega in Toronto, Canada.

Adtech (3rd party - that's probably a good thing)
6535 Millcreek Drive (3 lights south of the 401, west off Erin Mills)

Phone 905-812-8099
fax 905-812-7807

I talked to Paul. He's very accomodating.

REAL HUMAN IOMEGA TECH SUPPORT in PHOENIX AZ...1-800-926-4929 (very responsive early in the morning)(This number is good in Canada).

Steven Sauvé
Toronto Ontario Canada

[Hi, again, Steven! :-)

I have shared

From: "David V. Zawacki" <dzawacki@kraken.mvnet.wnec.edu>
To: <reginfo@iomega.com>
Cc: <s@TheRiver.com>
Subject: IOMega Promotion
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 1997 13:22:01 -0400
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal 

[A

--SL, 6 July 1997]

______________________________________________________________________

David V. Zawacki			http://www.wnec.edu/~dzawacki
School of Engineering			Home: (413) 783-5465
Western New England College		Fax: (413) 796-2116
				
"I'm an Idealist. I don't know where I am going, but I'm on my way."
______________________________________________________________________

Yours is about the most gentle and genteel letter of protest that I have ever seen! I hope that iomega comes through for you.

Thanks for writing! --SL, 6 July 1997]

Date: Fri, 04 Jul 1997 13:26:13 -0500
From: "P. L. Schmutz" <pamela.schmutz@mankato.msus.edu>
Reply-To: pamela.schmutz@mankato.msus.edu
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: iomega 

Hi Steve, 

 

		-John 

[Hi, John! :-)

I am pleased to have had such an impact on your decision-making process! Thank you very much for your kind words.

It did not occur to me that you were being pedantic. Upon re-reading your email, I can only thank you for sharing what I believe to be your well-founded perspectives.

Seeing how DVD unfolds (and seeing whether or not iomega will have its own part to play in that technological development -- and whether its customer base will grow or shrink as a result of the way its customers are treated) will be interesting indeed!

Thanks for writing! --SL, 6 July 1997]

Date: Mon, 7 Jul 1997 20:03:39 +0900 (JST)
X-Sender: rintala@popmail.gol.com
To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com>
From: Donald Rintala <rintala@gol.com>
Subject: Forbes article on Iomega

Hi Steve, 

[Hi, Don! :-)

Thanks for pointing this out to me! It just hit the newsstands today, here.

These are interesting developments and perspectives, to be sure. --SL, 7 July 1997]

From: "MicroBlast Software" <banyan@microblast.com>
To: <s@TheRiver.com>
Subject: zip drive
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 20:49:14 -0400
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal 

[Hi, Jim! :-)

I am delighted to have played a role in changing your mind!

I am always eager to provide links to other sites and wonder whether or not the sites that you found at yahoo are already represented at

If not, perhaps you could send me those URLs.

Thanks for writing! :-) --SL, 10 July 1997]

From: ACPLaf@aol.com
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 1997 16:50:23 -0400 (EDT)
To: s@theriver.com
Subject: IOMEGA, the complaints continue

[Hi, Jane! :-)

Well, I don't guarantee that it will help, but at least your agonies now have some public exposure.

I really can't understand how iomega can go on ignoring people's cries for help, but they seem to be doing just that.

If two out of 28 zip disks (if I understand correctly) are bad, then it seems to be the disks, not the drives. Perhaps drive mis-alignment problems are catching up with only some of the disks, but I don't really know enough about the technology to be able to speak authoritatively on this. Too bad you can't get real and reasonable help from those who should be helping, IMHO.

Thanks for writing! --SL, 11 July 1997]

From: jrc@ilink.nis.za
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 15:26:03 -0700
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: What do I do now?

Hi 

[This may typically be so, but please see a

--SL, 14 July 1997]

So although I sympathise with you guys on your problem with Iomega I don't have too much understanding of it. Here if something doesn't work we just hope someone on the Net has an answer. Otherwise we just throw it away. (If it's something expensive like a car we just leave it in a parking lot for an hour or so and our problem will have gone away! Literally!)

I am (was) in the market for a Zip Drive. Now having found your site I have serious doubts. I am using several computers spread around at different locations. Mostly using 1mb hard drives. [Please forgive me, I do not understand this. Do you mean to say 1.44MB 3.5" diskettes? Or, do you mean 100MB? --SL, 14 July 1997] I need to make backups from one computer to another so it has to be portable. Also most installation programmes come on CDs (more progress) and not all my computers have CD-ROM. So if I don't buy Iomega what DO I buy?!

Any ideas appreciated.

I must say the Internet is a great weapon for the little guys to take on the big 'uns!

John
jrc@ilink.nis.za

[Hi, John! :-)

Well, I don't often need to get rid of a car , and I can not afford casually to trash new computer stuff that does not work, simply for want of good technical support.

While I am a strong supporter of handholding within the computing community, I do not think that user clubs and users who are helpful and friendly to each other in any way excuses vendors and manufacturers from their obligations to provide support to their customers.

Happily (see above, within the body of what you wrote), it seems that there is a toll-free number available to you, with which to reach iomega from South Africa. If you try that number and reach somebody who is genuinely helpful, perhaps it would be wise for you to go ahead and gamble on getting an iomega zip drive. I would think that one over very carefully, though.

I have never used a SyQuest product, but they have been marketing multi-meg, removable-disk storage systems since the mid-1980s! Many people swear by (not at) them.

Other people are now touting DVD technology and such new zip competitors as the

Whatever computer product you buy, it really would help if you could find local people to support it. If that simply does not exist, perhaps that suggests a business opportunity for you or other South Africans.

Of course (this is no joke) it would be best first to have a society where people are not killing each other just for fun. Once a rule of law has been established, it will make more sense to invest your time and energies into business ventures, I imagine.

Well, I simply can not solve all those problems, but I hope that you find some of this to be useful. Thanks for writing! --SL, 14 July 1997]

From: "Frederick C. Wilt" <metadata@pipeline.com>
To: <s@TheRiver.com>
Subject: Iomega
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 1997 22:58:51 -0400
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal

Hi 

[Dear reader:

I do not mean to discredit the above report in any way. I take it at face value. However, I wish that I could have answers to these questions that I asked Frederick in email that may not have reached him:

. . . . .

                                        12 July 1997

Hi, Frederick!

        Your experience seems to be the exception 
that proves the rule!

        Can you please tell me:

              1. How did you initially succeed in 
                 contacting somebody at iomega?

              2. What phone number or address worked for you?

              3. What is/are the name/names of the person/people 
                 who came through for you?

              4. What recommendations can you make to others, 
                 so that they, too, can have such successes?

              5. Where do you live and work (only details that 
                 you feel free to and are happy to divulge, please)?
 
        I shall post your correspondence when I have a fuller 
understanding, regarding those questions.  Please feel free 
to embellish!  :)

                                                Steve 

Hi, Frederick! :-)

I hope that you read this!

Can you provide answers to those questions, please?

Thanks for writing. --SL, 18 July 1997]

Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 07:11:26 -0500
From: Arlen Miller 
Reply-To: amill@bow-wow.com
Organization: DawgBytes
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega

Hello Steve: 

[Hi, Arlen! :-)

I hope that you somehow get to read this, as I tried to respond to you as follows, but it bounced:

>At 07:11 AM 7/15/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>How convenient that your page for Iomega was the first thing that popped
>>up when I typed "Utah Attorney General" into the Yahoo search window.
>--
>        Glad you found it!
>
>>I am in the process of writing the same type of letter and will be happy
>>to forward you a copy of you like.
>-- 
>        Please do.
>
>>By the way, I was unable to visit your links.
>--
>        Strange.  I wonder what URL failed you.
>
>        Please try
>
>                <http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm>
>
>>Thanks for having the address and phone number hand for the Atty.
>>General.
>--
>        Thank YOU for letting me know of your problems and for already being
>in the process of doing something about them.  Some people are trying to
>convince me that all is now OK with iomega.
>
>                                                Steve

I'll try sending you email again (under the assumption that whatever was broken on the Internet has been fixed) to notify you that this is posted.

Thanks for writing! --SL, 18 July 1997]

From: dustin@usa.net
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 23:20:46
To: s@theriver.com
Subject: Finally, Oklahoma City, Ok USA

Thank you, 

[Hi, Dustin! :-)

I am pleased that you are feeling better, but I hope that you will launch a campaign to gain real satisfaction from iomega.

Sad to say, you are by no means the only one who has had problems with iomega. Sadder still, iomega is obviously not treating everybody so nicely as they did Frederick, in the email just above.

What are you going to do with your zip drive?

I suggest that you might want to point iomega toward

and suggest to them that they start with you, in a program designed to treat all of their other customers as well as they seem to have treated Frederick.

I am certainly eager to publicize positive news about iomega service.

Thanks for letting us all know that iomega still has some improving to do, in order to reestablish both public trust and customer loyalty. At least that is the way I read it! --SL, 18 July 1997]

X-Sender: vonrosen@cyberstore.net (Unverified)
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 1997 11:04:31 -0700
To: s@TheRiver.com
From: andrew von rosen <vonrosen@cyberstore.ca>

[Hi, Andrew! :-)

Well, from the "git-go" of the discussions at this site, one of my friends suggested that zip drives are disposables that should simply be replaced without complaint, with which I vehemently disagree. I, like you, do not consider the expenditure of $200 or $300 to be a trivial matter; and, like you, I expect manufacturers and resellers in the USA to treat their customers fairly and with respect. What ever happened to the old adage: "The customer is always right!"? What ever happened to people's pride in and standing by their products?

Although there is one recent customer who claims fair treatment from iomega, most people who write to me share horror stories such as yours.

While I sincerely hope that iomega gives you real satisfaction (in which case, please tell me about it!), I suggest that you do not hold your breath in the meanwhile! ;-)

Thanks for writing! --SL, 27 July 1997]

Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 14:26:11 -0400
From: Jennie Gladwin <106115.46@compuserve.com>
Subject: iomega - in your dreams!!
To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com>
Content-Disposition: inline

Hello Steve,
 

I have just found your Iomega chamber of horrors - but about 2 weeks too
late!! 


I have just bought the internal ditto drive and 2 X 2gb tapes - nothing
works of course - and the support is crap. I am based in England and have
to make LD calls to Ireland for Iomega tech support - not that I've
actually spoken to a humanoid yet (their taste in music is limited)
Anyway I gave in and tried the NET and found your pages as a result - the
Beatles are appreciated by the way :-) BUT ... large depression followed 
 
 

:-(  
 

Now, I really don't want the bloody thing to work since it appears that
this would potentially only open up a string of other problems judging by
the many letters you have received. I work from home and have a really
serious need to back up critical research data - so it's not just from the
security point of view (we call it smash n' dash here) - it would seem that
the Iomega stuff is less than reliable and so thanks to you I'm now
changing my goal from 'get it to work'  to ' get my money back'. 
 

From a professional point of view (my company is called User-Centred
Solutions - we are ergonomists and information analysts - we do things like
- re-writing crappy manuals for software etc) - I have many concerns about
the way peripherals are sold to the consumer: 

      i) the lack of  provision of important information 
         (in the UK we have a 'fit for purpose' clause in our
         'Product Liability' section of the Consumer Protection Act) - 
         the drive I bought was not fit for purpose as it required 
         an additional interface card - not mentioned in the adverts , 

     ii) the limited support services (there should be standards (ISO) 
         for technical support systems) - the interface card has made 
         no difference - apparently according to one employee at the
         distributor company, ' the card needs drivers - we'll post them 
         to you'  - 'no it doesn't' says another -' call 
         Iomega Tech Support' - Ha ha ha!!
                 [What shall we call them? --SL, 28 July 1997] 

    iii) useless instruction manuals and 

     iv) the pay up front policy of many distributors - means the 
         customer loses out every time 
 
 

On the other side of the fence - I have friends who are hardware engineers
and I hear of the incredible pressure they are under to get a product
finished and out on time - limited testing is done in-house - most of this
being left to the unsuspecting consumer. One guy (a dyslexic engineer
actually writes the user manuals for the stuff he designs - what does HE
know? !!) 
 

You have taken up 'the cause' and I'm sure many people are grateful - if it
wasn't for people like yourself the world would be a SAD place. I think the
Iomega story is just one example of 'poor management' and that more will
come to light in the near future as demand for technology increases -
because it's heavily marketed to do so. 
 

They've just got us by the ............. haven't they? 


Thanks again - and may the force be with you !!! 
 
  
Jennie 
 

[Hi, Jennie! :-) 
 

I am pleased that my site has convinced you to get your money back for that tape drive!  Surely, there are other products from other manufacturers that will do what you need without your having to deal with people who insult you at every turn. 
 

Something that is only recently coming to light, and that bothers me greatly about iomega products, is that some people are finding that they fail just after the warranty expires.  Sticking people with a products that have such built-in, planned obsolescence is in itself quite diabolical, if it is done intentionally, I believe.  
 

Happily, mass-storage technologies are emerging that do away with the need to refresh and such.  If iomega and other such corporations are not very careful, I guess they will be history rather than part of the coming computer revolution.  If they must be put out of business in order to get the message that they should treat their customers better, I shall not dance with joy.  Instead, I shall hang my head in shame that a USA corporation can be so obstinate and stupid as to sail off the edge of the world like that. (Yes, I know the world is round.) 


I hope that you get your money back without further frustrations, and that you find what you need in mass storage, so that  you can get on with your business!  Thanks for writing!  --SL, 28 July 1997]

X-Originating-IP: [166.55.21.10]
From: "Larry Will" <i_am_sweet_ass@hotmail.com>
To: s@TheRiver.com
Subject: Iomega Help
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 15:48:47 PDT

Steve,

Please post this for all the read... I will help solve 95% of the 
problems with iomega products. 
 

First the Zip Drive ....
- If it double clicks then it is BROKEN.. do not try another disk .. 
just take the drive back or call iomega tech support and they will send 
out a new one in Two days... they get Credit Card info to make sure they 
get the broken drive back. 
 

- If you have a Parallel Port Zip drive with a Canon or HP printer 
attached go to www.iomega.com then go to the support page, and then to 
known solutions or faxback documents... look up known printer problems.. 
or just spend $7 on a second parallel port. 
 


- As for the Ditto Drive 


- First of all it is loud,,  you will just have to deal with it.
- Never back up with any thing running in the background.. close 
everything.. especially QUICK BOOKS.  Use ctl alt & del to close 
everything except explorer in Win 95. 
 

*** and the most important one of all --- if you own a 2gig internal 
ditto drive and do not have a 1mbps floppy controller forget it the 
drive will never work... Many computer users still use the slower 
500kbps controller (Gateway, Dell, Micron, and IBM) all use the more 
expensive 1mbps controller 

- the only soluting here is to upgrade the floppy controller, buy a 
ditto dash, or downgrade to a 800 meg tape backup unit 


This should help a lot 


- The Hidden Iomega Tech!!!!!!!!!!!! 
 

Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com 
 

[Hi, Larry!


Thanks for your help to those with iomega problems.  However, before posting your contribution, I hope you can please clarify.  When you call yourself 
 


"The Hidden Iomega Tech!!!!!!!!!!!!"
 

are you saying that you are an iomega employee?  Are you a technical-support type working for a reseller?  Are you a private individual just trying to help, or what? 
 


                                        Steve 


. . . . . 
X-Originating-IP: [166.55.19.219]
From: "Larry Will" <_am_sweet_ass@hotmail.com>
To: s@theriver.com
Subject: Re: Iomega Help
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 20:28:46 PDT

Steve, 


I am a computer tech that used to have a big conection with Iomega.  

That is all that I can say at this time... 

Use the info save $16 or $20.

- Iomega does not mess around with their return policy... if it is 
defective expect a new drive fast.  

- All of the info I gave you was for the sole purpose of helping others 

... and to prevent that six min. wait for an Iomega Tech. 


Thanks 


You know who 
 

[Well, Larry, 


I am not at all sure about that "six min. wait" you mention! 
 

Thanks for writing.  --SL, 1 August 1997]

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. 



Correspondence can be found at the following pages: 
 
July 1997 Correspondence

June 1997 Correspondence

May 1997 Correspondence

April 1997 Correspondence

March 1997 Correspondence

February 1997 Correspondence

January 1997 Correspondence

December 1996 Correspondence

Mail received 10OCT96 to 13NOV96

My responses to mail received 10OCT96 to 13NOV96

 


By the way, you might like to visit 

"Seatbelts 
for School Buses" 


Thank you for your interest! 


Sincerely, Steve Langford

©Stephen A. Langford, Oro Valley, Arizona, 6 August 1997.  
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 was begun on 6 July 1997.)