Play "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" if you like! :))
(In MSIE you may need to hit either ESC or the MSIE Stop button to kill it.)
[Last name and address withheld as a courtesy. --SL, 30 Mar 1997]
e-mail: marditti@juno.com
March 9, 1997
Mr. Jeff Levy
Radio KFI On Computers
610 Ardmore Ave.
Los Angles, Ca. 90005
Dear Mr. Levy:
Whenever possible I listen to your radio program. I have found it informative and helpful. I learn something new every week! Thanks for being there.
Nearly each broadcast brings up the issue of poor customer support and non responsive companies. Well, I have my own problem story which you may be interested in. It involves IOMEGA Corp.
THE IOMEGA VIRUS - FREE WITH THE ZIP 100 PARALLEL (possibly other products) PAY TO REMOVE IT.
Customer support in the computer industry is a major problem. Once the product is sold, many companies and vendors simply consider the transaction closed without any further obligation to the customer. IOMEGA corporation earns the grand prize and first place for NOT PROVIDING SUPPORT and deceiving it's customers!
To start with, the package contains inadequate user documentation. There is no real manual. The installation guide is 6 small pages. At the end of the setup instruction a short statement refers the user to "IF YOU NEED HELP" go to the "README.TXT" file . Indeed, the user will need help. This is like putting the horse in front of the cart. The file on the Install disk is a 'print it yourself manual' (it is bad manual). The information should be available prior to stating the installation process.
I installed the ZIP 100 on my 586 - 100 computer. OS WINDOWS 95, drives A, B, C, D, E and F = CD ROM. Without any warning in the INSTALLATION GUIDE, the zip drive setup reassigned my CD drive from F to G. Than it placed itself in front of the CD to F position. What a mess this is! Applications looking for CD data at F could not find it. The ZIP drive was F drive. When the ZIP drive was removed, the CD moved back to F. There was no warning during the installation process that this horrible mess will be created! This was a time consuming frustration! The 'print it yourself' poor manual vaguely touches on the subject after the damage was done. Unfortunately, the instructions lead the user to a major trap - courtesy IOMEGA. After knowingly being responsible for the problem, IOMEGA only refers the user to: IF YOU NEED HELP. First they create the problem than they make a poor attempt to direct the user where to find help! The help is extremely inadequate! IOMEGA with their deficient documentation created the mess! They offer personal help, but only if they have your credit card number and start charging $14.95, possibly more. The victimized customers are expected to pay for IOMEGA'S negligence! Has anyone seen any warning on the screen during the installation? Does IOMEGA care? The answer is a resounding NO!!!!
After the difficulty, I sent an e-mail to: support@iomega.com requesting advise. The response from IOMEGA is a totally coded message without any details how to decode it. I tried twice more, but the same decoded trash came back. I tried to send a FAX. This is another clever scam set by IOMEGA. My FAX call was answered with a machine instruction: If not familiar with the system to PRESS 2. I did! IOMEGA'S system promptly disconnected me!
After these two failures to get information, I tried to call IOMEGA's INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE at their (801) 629 7629, the line was busy for long time. When finally the phone answered, it put me on HOLD. After some wait, I hung up and wrote to IOMEGA'S President, Kim Edwards. This time the letter was sent through the US Mail.
Several days later I received a brief inadequate e-mail response from one of their customer service representative. I was informed that their e-mail is a totally automated system and no human looks at the incoming e-mail. Is their automated system intelligent and able to determine the nature of the inquiry and generate a meaningful answer? If so, why can't they respond in plain English or advise how to decode the message? Clearly, IOMEGA is intentionally making it difficult to get free help. I still do not know what was in that coded response. From the brief e-mail response, I was also informed that to get any FAX response, one needs to have IOMEGA'S CATALOG of DOCUMENTS and knowledge on how to use their FAX system. But, there is no readily available information on how get the details and how to order the catalog. IOMEGA has created a clever inaccessible system and a scam. How can anyone determine the process and details for using IOMEGA'S FAX?
Clearly, they make it very difficult or impossible to get any assistance. IOMEGA can help, but there is a catch. If a customer calls yet another number, (888) 4 IOMEGA with a credit card on hand the charge is $14.95. This for information that should have been provided by IOMEGA in the first place - but was not. Clearly, there is no free customer support of any kind. This is a first class rip-off and means to extract more money from IOMEGA'S customers!
The product package also includes a TOOLS disk which is used during installation. This disk is dual format for PC and MAC. During installation, one of the two formats is removed automatically. If installing on a PC, the MAC format is removed, if MAC is installed, PC format is removed. The details about this are also 'hidden' in the print it yourself manual. Why do they have to delete part of the disk contents? If someone want to install the ZIP to a PC and MAC, this requires either purchasing a second TOOLS disk (from IOMEGA @ $39.95) or spend money to call IOMEGA'S BBS and download. The drive package does not mention any of the above swindles on the outside of the box nor in the INSTALLATION GUIDE. What a deception and a scam! In view of all these events, it is clear that IOMEGA'S culture is to ignore, deceive, swindle and frustrate it's customers!
All total I have written three letters to IOMEGA'S president, 4 or 5 e-mails and letters to customer service and two letters to the Public Relations Manager. There was only one inadequate response from customer service.
Are we victims of unscrupulous company? Absolutely yes! Will they do it to the rest of their users? I say YES! Can they be trusted? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!
Mine is not a unique experience. My brother encountered the same difficulties with his ZIP100 (parallel). We purchased our drives within a week of each other. Another friend also has problems with the unexpected re-assignment of the CD ROM.
If anyone is planning to purchase any IOMEGA product, they ought to think again before spending their hard earned money. Most likely, this same deceptive policy is applied to the entire IOMEGA product line.
Here is another tid bit of dishonesty by IOMEGA. They entice the customers to return the registration card with a free offer. I chose their portable carrying case for the ZIP 100. Two months after mailing the registration card, the case is still not here!
Feel free to share my experience with IOMEGA with your listeners.
Respectfully,
Mort [Last name withheld as a courtesy. --SL, 30 Mar 1997]
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 22:01:51 -0700 From: Charles Guatney <guatneyc@cwu.edu> Subject: B*****DS To: s@TheRiver.com Reply-to: guatneyc@CLUSTER.CWU.EDU Organization: Central Washington University
Steve, I'm active on the veterans' boards and I have started posting the following:
***
Don't know if any of you have been burned by the Iomega Corporation's
refusal to honour rebates on disks, accessories, and/or ZIP/JAZ . . .
drives, but, if you have, there is an Internet site for those so
shafted. Looks like there might be a class action suit. Check this site
for an incredible number of responses from irate purchasers of Iomega
merchandise: [Charles, as you enjoy playing with words, I am sure that you won't be offended when I share my thought that I might have picked a word different from "incredible, " here! ; ) It would not have been "unbelievable," either!! I guess I would prefer "extraordinary," which bears no semantic baggage that might be interpreted to mean that maybe Langford made all these responses up. 
Anyway, thanks for the advertising!! --SL, 17 Apr 1997]
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/action.htm
IF YOU WANT TO UNLOAD ON IOMEGA PERSONALLY, THIS IS THEIR ADDRESS:
http://www.iomega.com/
I, and countless thousands of others, have rebates due from this corporation but can't get them. They have refused to answer phone calls (they now hang up) or letters (they have never answered a specific letter) and have avoided admitting any responsibility for rebates not honoured.
Times are difficult enough for veterans without having corporations siphon off a few bucks here and there to enhance their profit picture.
[Hi, again, Charles!
Might you be active in yet other organizations? (How about you, Dear Reader? ;) If so, does Charles' fine example give you any ideas?)
Here's some thought {"What, thought from Langford?", you may say! ;) }!:
How many of you are sufficiently knowledgeable, technically,
that you could provide better user support for computer products than
the manufacturers of them are providing? Shall we start our own
support company?
If you like that idea, respond to it and we can hold some private
discussions. If you could be a principle in such an organization,
please include resumes and other appropriate supporting materials. Thanks for all your great efforts, Charles (and everybody else who is "pulling your weight")! --SL, 17 Apr 1997]
April 29, 1997
Better Business Bureau
1588 South Main St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Dear Better Business Bureau:
I will keep this brief even though the history is long because I have
already spent too much time and money with no effect. In short, I have
spent almost eight months trying to obtain $120 and some merchandise in
rebates from Iomega. They have never denied that they owed it to me,
but they have made me jump through innumerable hoops, have promised time
and again without delivering, and have frequently changed their story.
They have never acknowledged my written correspondence (two letters) or
my e-mail messages (except by sending me automated replies). On the
phone they have acknowledged receipt of all the necessary supporting
materials for the rebates, but they have nevertheless required that I
fax them new copies of the original receipt. (They have requested that
twice, and each time I have complied.)
Beginning on January 21, representatives at Iomega have been telling me I would get my rebate, but then when it didn't arrive and I called back, they told me I had to fax a copy of the receipt.
I have a lengthy log of my phone calls, but here are a few of the highlights (names refer to customer-support employees):
9/10/96: I sent in all the materials for two $50 rebates for Zip disk drives and one $20 rebate for a set of ten Zip disks. According to my receipt, they received the materials on 9/13.
1/20/97: Susan said she would fill out a form indicating that I should receive my rebates. She said that if I had a copy of the receipt I should send it in but it wouldn't be necessary. Since I don't own a FAX machine, I decided to wait.
1/24: Angie told me that I would receive my rebate including the merchandise in 4-6 weeks.
2/10: I was told that I would get my rebate but that I would need to fax a copy of the receipt.
2/14: I Faxed the receipt
3/4: They can't find the fax.
3/5: I resent the fax.
3/18: Doug says that a batch of checks will be cut by the end of the month and that if my rebate is approved I will receive it by the middle of April.
4/1: I called to see if it had gone out and was told that, yes, two checks had gone out yesterday: one for $50 and one for $20. Chris did not know whether there had been another check for $50. He (she?) said that the merchandise (disk caddies and carrying case also went out yesterday, and that everything would be there "this week or next."
4/15: Nothing arrived yet. Andrew Edwards said that apparently not all the checks went out on 3/31. Some went out the week of 4/1 and others went out the week of 4/7. He now told me that the merchandise is shipped out automatically two weeks after the checks. My checks definitely went out no later than the week of 4/7.
4/28: Still no checks. I have given up on their regular customer service people who are all very friendly but don't seem to have any idea what is going on. So I called Peggy in Customer Service (1-801-778-1000 ext. 1810), who said she would find out what is going on and call me back. Now I'm still waiting. I wouldn't be so impatient except that I've been waiting so long that I am now predisposed (for good reason, I believe) to suspect a lack of activity on the part of Iomega.
If you can do anything to help clear this up, I would be very appreciative. While all the individuals I have spoken with have been friendly, this is the worst case of commercial incompetence (I am giving them the benefit of the doubt here) that I have ever seen. (Yes, I'm sure you have seen worse come through the BBB!) I am sending a copy to attorney William Henley, who is collecting information about Iomega's rebate problems, but I am not currently engaged in any legal dispute or action with Iomega. I am enclosing some of my earlier correspondence to Iomega. (I have never received anything in return, or I would send you that as well.)
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
[Anonymous --SL, 28 Jan 1997]
[The following message was sent to ISN on 18 June 1997, according to Norm on 19 June 1997. --SL, 20 June 1997]
Howdies,
I just got an Iomega Ditto from ya'll last week. I love doing
business with ISN. You are a great warehouse. I have recommended you
to other folks. Well, the day after I get the drive, I find out about
this page. I want you to go and take a look at it. It is troubling to
say the least. In it you will find comments from other Iomega products'
users about lack of support, and incompetence, if not fraud. As you
know this sort of thing reflects back on your company, in so far as
you carry the merchandise.
I did check Iomega's page before I bought, and was a little
dismayed by
what I saw, but I bought anyway. Then someone tells me to go here:
http://personal.riverusers.com/~s/jun_1997.htm ...
I don't how my rebate will turn out yet, good or bad. But, these
folks have had a whole lot of trouble. Been there and done that with
other companies...most of them out of business. I have seen the pattern
before. So, beware ISN. You might want to think about checking into
this product. You have the clout to come up with some answers here.
Thanks,
Norm (Your shopping pal!)
Return to June 1997 correspondence
Another (3, actually) Iomega horror story.
1) The first daughter sent in her rebate request immediately. After almost three monthe and a phone call, she got a $20 rebate instead of a $50 rebate. To make a long story short, after 3 more calls to Iomega customer service (which had her return the original check), about 2 mo later she got another partial check (which she kept). After two more calls in which she was promised that she would get the check, she still has not gotten the full rebate.
2) The drive that I gave to the second daughter was faulty (I tried it in my computer also, and it didn't work). Since it was past the 10 days that the store that I bought it at would exchange it, I had to contact Iomega. First, I twice tried to contact their customer service WEB site. Both times, they sent back a form letter with (801) phone numbers, and a second letter of all machine-language gibberish. spent over $6 waiting for a representative to repsond while I was put on hold with what seemed like the appropriate number. No answer. Next, I wrote a letter to their Fenton, MO address. NO RESPONSE. A month later, I sent a letter to their ROY, UTAH address. NO RESPONSE. I then faxed a letter to one of their 800 numbers that my first daughter had been given. NO RESPONSE. (This was still in February). My second daughter finally scoured various stores in her area until she found one that would return it for her if she purhased other computer peripherals there. Just early this month (June) I received a call re my January letter. For my trouble they were going to send me a 3-pack of Zip disks..... I still haven't received them.
3) My rebates .... I had also purchased a 10-pak of Zip disks. I filled out rebate forms for my daughters Zip drive and my 10-pak, and sent them together in the same envelope STAPLED TOGETHER in 4 PLACES, also including the math that told the TOTAL rebate that I should get. After 2-1/2 months, and several phone calls, I got a rebate for $50, not the $70 that I deserved. When I called them, the smug, rude person who I reached (I think his name was Jeff or Jesse) basically called me a liar and said that they had not received any barcodes etc for the disks. After several more unsuccessful attempts to get my rebate, in which I reached someone who told me to call a certain 800 number, which every time I tried it I got an "OUT-of Service" message, I then contacted the home office (another toll call) and reached a Mr. Jay West. He sounded sincere and said that if I mailed him the barcodes of the 5 remaining Zip disks and a photocopy of the receipt (which I had already sent THREE times, he would immediately send out the rebate. After a month I called him again and was told that he no longer worked there, and they had no record of my correspondence. An Angela did take care of the matter and sent me the rebate.
Last November, my one daughter and I bought Zip drives (I already had one pre-rebate when it was Epson and was very happy with it). My purchase was to be a Christmas present for another daughter who lived out of state.
We Shouldn't have had to go through all this garbage and aggravation.
WHAT A FOULED UP, DISHONEST, RUDE COMPANY! (But a great product)
Bruce Witzel, Scotch Plains, NJ; (Cuzzzzz@worldnet.att.net)
Subject: Your Malaysian facilities Date: Sun, 03 Aug 1997 04:02:38 -0400 From: Roger Berube <berube@videotron.ca> To: sales@syquest.com Good morning,I don't know if you have an answer but I would like to know if SyQuest, its subcontractors, subsidiaries, or branches have, directly or not, hired children or teenagers in its manufacturing facilities? (in North America or elsewhere in the world)
Thanks in advance for your honesty,
[
Roger Berube
Montreal, Quebec
_____________________________________________________
Roger Berube Internet: beruber@eurekom.com
Groupe E U R E K O M
]
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!
©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 30 March 1997.)