Iomega, Class Act or Class Action?: A Continuing Study Into How Iomega Treats Its Customers
Iomega, Class Act or Class Action?: A Continuing Study Into How Iomega Treats Its Customers
From: <geneeg@worldnet.att.net> To: "Steve Langford" <s@theriver.com> Subject: Rebate's and other myth's Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 16:54:11 -0500 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Steve;I just faxed the following letter to Beth in Utah. Again my problem is rebates, thankfully not ZIP's them selves. I'll keep watching and waiting....
=============================================== Beth E. Kearsley Complaint Analyst, Consumer Rights Office of the Attorney General of Utah 160 East 300 South Box 140872 Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-0872 Fax 801-366-0315 [ Address and telephone number deleted. ] Re; Iomega RebatesI regret the necessity of referring this problem to your office. However, I have been left with no other choice given the location and logistics of the matter.
Iomega Corp. located in Provo Utah, did in the first week of July initiate a nation wide incentive for their ZIP drive products. Under that incentive, I purchased two of the ZIP drives and two cartons of disks. On the day of receipt, July 7th, 1996, I submitted the original invoice and product scan codes on the rebate form included with my order to Iomega for rebates of $50, $50, $20 and $20 (four item limit) for a total of $140. In addition, I submitted the product registration cards showing the serial numbers, etc. that were included. The rebate form states that the rebates will be processed within 4~6 weeks. In addition, kit's of user items were to provided where all items were on a single receipt.
I called Iomega several times in September and each time was told they were swamped with response's to the offer and I should receive my rebate any day. In early October I called (1-888-246-6342) and they confirmed that on July 11th, they had received my forms and registration cards and had assigned me a customer number of 772329. Also, that I would surely receive my rebate soon, if not call back. I did call back this week. Again they confirmed my customer ID and that proof of purchase was in the system. I ask to speak to a supervisor and was not allowed to do so (against company policy). I called other Iomega numbers and no one would speak to me concerning rebates, I must call the rebate number.
I have posted request on the Internet, specifically on Iomega users groups pages during the month of October. Of a dozen or more responded that they received rebates for $20 for disks purchased in late August and early September. Most have responded that they also are being stone walled. Iomega does not deny that the purchases are valid, only that actually sending the rebate is determined by "others" and customers are not allowed to speak to or contact those "others"
I has now been in excess of 16 weeks since Iomega received the documentation and proof of purchase. Thus I am seeking the assistance of your good office in identifying the problem and effecting a resolution.
I have available to send to you, Xerox copies of my original bill of sale's, the rebate forms and can provide names of others (or have them correspond directly to you) in support of this request.
In closing, I will state that Iomega design's, manufactures and distributes outstanding products. However, the Iomega customer support for the defective units has chosen to ignore those who do get that rare latent defect. I know of no company in the computer arena that has incurred the wrath of so many customers. Support is a bad situation, but gross repudiation of advertised rebates (if not by word, but by inaction) surly must be in conflict with the laws of the state of Utah.
Sincerely yours, ----------
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 22:26:16 -0500 To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com> From: ipence@isye.gatech.edu (Dr. Ira W. Pence, Jr.) Subject: Re: Iomega - My letter as I promised Steve, This is probably too long, but I'll send it anyway. I'll shorten it and send it to Reno as email also.
By-the-by, the Epson machine works like a charm. I use it to get data from the IBM compatible and then read it into my Mac using the Iomega unit I got a year ago. Since it installed first time with no problem I was unaware of Iomega's lack of help until I bought the second unit. [Mac uses SCSI; IBM a parallel port]
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 Dear Madam:I understand that you are a central collection point for complaints against Iomega for deceptive advertising - possibly fraud. Let me describe what I encountered and you can decide if its just deceptive or if it is fraud.
I am a PhD; faculty member at The Georgia Institute of Technology - the Rambling Wrecks. I purchase computer equipment from time to time, both for my personal use and for use in my research programs.
Most computers, software, and peripherals are advertised as having Help available for purchasers. In every case this consists of someone knowledgeable who can be reached, sometime by phone, sometimes via email or the Internet, who will address the problem which you are having and guide you through to a solution. Sometimes it takes a while to reach them, sometimes you have to try several times to reach someone knowledgeable enough to deal with your problem, but you always get an individual response to your specific problem.
Iomega advertising, including their "manual", says they offer free on-line help. However, what you find if you try to use it is that they have an automatic response unit that offers to send you what amounts to a series of pat answers to frequently asked questions. This is ok in and of itself, because if you have one of the most common problems, this can be an efficient way to provide answers.
The deceptive part is that if you do not have one of the most common problems, or if you have any problem with contacting them or understanding the pat answer, they try to switch you to a line where they charge $15 to talk with you. Now $15 may not sound like much, but consider your reaction to a car dealer under a similar scenario. You buy the car from him. Things look great until you try to open the trunk. The key he provided does not work. You call him. You get a recorded message that says "If the car won't start call push 1", "If a tire is flat push 2", "For all others push 3". You push 3 and a voice comes on the line and says "Please give me your credit card number so I can bill you for 10% of the cars value before I will talk to you." (And if you don't pay it is impossible to contact the dealer because that is the only number provided that isn't answered by a computer.) For a car 10% may be $2000, but the percentage of the purchase price is the same.
I object to the bait-and-switch tactic in which help is offered (promised to induce you to buy), but if you encounter any problem other than the most mundane, you are blackmailed into paying for the FREE HELP advertised. I say blackmailed because the equipment is usually purchased to do a job, you have invested not only the purchase price but usually a half day of time to get the equipment, read the manual, and set it up, and then use all the diagnostic aids you know of to try to solve the problem before you call the help-line. Now they have you over a barrel. You pay or you forfit all your time and effort.
Yes, you can take the equipment back to the dealer. I did. My dealer said, "Oh yah, I've had the same problem on behalf of the store, do you think anyone really works there?"
But my complaint isn't about the honesty of the dealers or their money back policy. My complaint is that Iomega's advertising is deceptive - they do not really have any FREE HELP; all they have is what we call a FAQ file. If they advertised on the outside of the box that "Our help consists of a FAQ file; all other help is charged at $15/session" then I could make an intelligent [decision] before I have made a commitment.
I know if my garage offered a FREE LOANER but after I had [committed] my car to his hands, and his people start taking it apart not to be re-assembled and returned to me for a week, and when I go to pick up the keys for the loaner he said "That'll be $50/day, for every day except the first, and there will be a $25 re-fueling fee." That might [constitute] fraud. This is very similar. People buy expecting free help if needed, but if they need help they are charged 10% of the purchase price for each call. It is the inexperienced and helpless that get taken to the cleaners, not those of us with lots of experience. We just take the equipment back, and buy from a reputable supplier like Epson. Its a hassle, but we suffer no financial loss. Lots of the [neophytes] end up spending another $15 or $30 or more to get what was offered for free.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'd like to know if you consider this fraud, or just [deceptive].
From: kayakers@iconn.net X-Sender: kayakers@mailhost.iconn.net Date: Sat, 01 Feb 1997 11:39:57 -0500 To: Steve Langford <s@theriver.com> Subject: Re: Iomega Rip-off Hey Steve!Thanks for your reply to my email.
[*snip* Please see correspondence for February 1997. --SL, 1 Feb 1997]
Here's the letter I wrote to Beth Kearsley:
February 1, 1997 Beth E. Kearsley, Complaint Analyst Office of the Attorney General State of Utah, 160 East 300 South, Box 140872 Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-0872 Re: Complaint from Stephen A. Langford Dear Ms. Kearsley:I would like to add my voice to the complaints against Iomega Corporation for their false advertising and fraudulent business practices. The following letter I wrote to Kim Edwards, President of Iomega, details my experience with the company in trying to claim a promised rebate. I believe that I was duped into purchasing this product by false and misleading advertising. I was prevented from claiming the promised $50 rebate by being denied the correct coupon with which to claim it.
I hope that by complaining to you, something will be done to stop this company from doing business in this manner.
Thank you for any help you can give to prevent future consumers from being "ripped off" by Iomega. It seems to me a deliberate attempt to deter customers from buying another product that has a higher price tag by promising a rebate that Iomega has no intention of honoring.
Yours truly,
Karen L. Hart
TEXT OF LETTER TO KIM EDWARDS, IOMEGA CORPORATION, JANUARY 29, 1997
[*snip* (Please see letter at above hotlink.) --SL, 1 Feb 1997]
Beth E. Kearsley Complaint Analyst Consumer Rights Office Of The Attorney General State Of Utah 100 East 300 South Box 140182 Utah 84114-0872 February 25, 1997 Re: Complaint from Stephen A. Langford[Paragraphing added for readability. --SL, 26 Feb 1997]
Dear Beth,
This letter is in regard to the original complaint filed with your office from Stephen A. Langford.
I To have had a bad experience with the Iomega Corp. I have tried numerous times to contact them in regard to problems I was having with their product, they have not responded in any way shape or form to any of my questions.
I purchased their product for christmas and they were offering a rebate for $50.00 to which I have not received yet. I did get a responce about the rebate telling me that I did not submit the proper proofs of purchase. I have enclosed a copy of everything that I've sent them.
I have since run into many, many people with the same kind of problems.
Beth can you please tell me If their is any thing that I can do to resolve this matter. I would really like to return their zip drive and not have anything to do with them at all.
Sincerely,
Glenn Loyd
[Address and phone number withheld as a courtesy.
I received this undated letter on 25 March 1997. --SL, 25 Mar 1997]
Email: greybear@missconet.com
belinda@missconet.com
71652.3030@compuserve.com
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
Subject: Joining Stephen A. Langford's action against Iomega
My Story,
Purchased Iomega Zip 100 Parallel Port Drive (Item#481694) and three extra disks from Damark International, 7101 Winnetka Ave., Minneapolis MN 55468 on Feb. 20, 1997.
March 19, 1997 started trying to contact Iomega Technical Support and Iomega Customer service. I first tried Email: copies of my first three are below with the reply. I could not get anything but an automated reply. I had already visited their web site several times in the last week and had tried anything that looked remotely useful.
March 20, 1997, by this time I had realized that three was not a Technical Support or a Customer Support number in the contact section of the owners manual that did not require you to pay $14.95 an hour. Paying for customer support of a retail consumer product that advertises a "one year warranty" is something I refuse to do. With some difficulty, I got Iomega's home office phone number (801-778-1000) from directory assistance. About 10am, I talked to a Esteria (sp?) and someone named Trisha, both were polite and Trisha said that she would find out how to get Tech. Support by Email and call me back that day.
March 21, 1997, Heard nothing from Trisha, sent complaint via ILOVEIOMEGA link. I try to avoid using the word 'Hate', but I do HATE being ignored.
March 24, 1997, Tried to regester my product with Iomega. I had tried to do this soon after it arrived and the internet form kept insisting that I had left a question blank. It did the same this time too, even when tried different combinations of answers.
..........................................................................
What do I need to do to file or join in an ongoing complaint against Iomega? I prefer a reply by Email, but you can fax me at work (501)563-1679. This is a general fax number for the whole plant, please put 'For Glenn Loyd' on the top of every page.
Thanks, Glenn
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.
MY RESPONSES TO EMAIL RECEIVED
LETTERS OTHERS HAVE SENT TO IOMEGA CORPORATION
By the way, you might like to visit "Seatbelts for School Buses"
Thank you for your interest!
©Stephen A. Langford, Oro Valley, Arizona, 25 March 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 begun 4 November 1996.)