<![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win - Consumerist Comments]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win - Consumerist Comments]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> check out mine... att is goin down1!
[web.mac.com]

workingonyourinvoice

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> I tried to follow this method with a free online storage company - they'd had serious issues for a year or so and lost a lot of people's files, yet continued to charge premium users and deny there were any problems.

So, when I heard they were starting a new startup called "Nirvanix", I did a little "Citizen journalism" and wrote an article on the things they'd put their customers through, and posted it on Newsvine.com. I didn't allow comments, however - I was afraid the company, MediaMax.com, would send over people to spam the comments section.

Newsvine wrote me back and said the company complained and that I'd either better open up comments so the "injured parties" could reply, or they'd delete the article. I did so, but updated the article to include this information - that the company had basically bullied Newsvine into the right of reply. But it turned out for the best - a bunch of other people who'd had terrible experiences with the company registered for Newsvine and posted their complaints to the comments section. I wish I'd followed your advice about this to begin with!

Unfortunately, the company complained again, and Newsvine promptly deleted my article.

Lesson: Create your own account somewhere, either on Blogger.com or your own hosting space, somewhere that isn't likely to shut you down and buckle to the pressure. Seriously, third party blogs and forums will cave at even one official looking email from anyone - you're better to DIY.

tombassett

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> i guess people are not really as intelligent as i thought. this passage is wonderful...and very funny.
its amazing how serious people take what was written. i just wanted to ..ride the writers nuts a tad bit..and i am becoming chafed...i must leave now.

countrickter

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Mefi thread on this post:

http://metatalk.metafilter.com/13989/Consumerist-just-as-a...

jeblis

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> No way, post that shit to Metafilter! We need some fresh n00b blood.

Seriously, what grouse said.

MissPinkKate

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> MetaFilter is not for things of this nature. If you submit a story about something that happened to yourself to MetaFilter, you will be banned, and lose your $5 membership fee.

grouse

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> As HWgeek mentioned, recording phone calls is subject to state laws. You can find a comprehensive summary on the AAPS website: http://www.aapsonline.org/judicial/telephone.htm

seren

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> I'd just interpret "this call may be recorded blah blah" as permission to record. Isn't that precisely what they just said? This call may be recorded? Great, I'll go ahead and do that then.

Regarding the libel / lawsuit angle, if you were the lawyer for the company, what would you expect to happen when you send a cease and desist letter or whatever? Wouldn't it be pretty obvious that it would be posted along with the rest, and you'd be creating (worsening?) a public relations nightmare?

doubled

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> If you call technical support and you get the message that says "this call may be recorded blah blah" then that means the tech on the other end knows it is a possibility that the company is recording the conversation.
Does that in turn allow you to record the conversation? After all the tech on the other end knows the conversation is being recorded, just not by you.

guroth

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> That mention of Fark should say: (registration required, wipe hands on pants)

pestie

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> I would suggest that the first order of business is to exhaust all avenues of communication with the company representatives and also get your facts straight.

There are 2 sides to a complaint. The problem I see is that the vindictive, unreasonable consumer can use the blog method to launch a smear campaign. There are honorable companies (believe it or not). The burden to the company is to then prove that the complaint was invalid. Having knowledge of some internet users' unchecked verocity via posts on the internet, it is not unreasonable to believe that some people would use this method unethically or to garner their own 15 minutes of fame.

Free speech is a privilege that should not be abused.

wildcat76

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Talkingplant - Actually recording conversations are subject to state laws. So in some states both parties need to be made aware of the recording of a conversation, and in others only one party needs to know. So if you know that you are recording the conversation you are all set!

HWgeek

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Just because you add google AdSense doesn't mean you're a business subject to these same concerns you speak of.

Ben Popken

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Careful, this could be "defamation of character" or "libel". Especially if you ad Google Ad Words and your "rant" is suddenly a business.

As I understand it a consumer can complain all they want, even in public. But, if a business says anything that is NOT factual (you WILL do this in your rant), you might find yourself on the wrong end of a law suit. You might even win, but it will cost you thousands to defend yourself.

So, "Are you sure?"

codazoda

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Thanks.

radiofree

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Radiofree, not if you use a free blogging service like Blogger, as we suggest. If you're hosting on a server you're renting, yes, you will probably have to pay for the increased traffic.

Ben Popken

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> A question, though (and a reveal of my internet ignorance): If an unresolved complaint of mine is put out there for public comment/consumption, and I should be so lucky that it is Dugg thousands of times and traffic flow to my make-shift blog huge, do I not have to pay someone for the increased bandwidth such traffic would generate? This is in no way asked to dissuade anyone from doing this, but I do want to know.

Anyone?

radiofree

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Excellent approach. You have to decide if your issue is worth the time and effort and if it is, press on. I might suggest including the full names and locations of the people you speak with in your documentation. After you have their name and location you can inform them that the conversation is being recorded and will be posted on the internet.

Apopheniac

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> This might work if the company in question actually gives a crap about its reputation. There are quite a few that don't.

Check out Fry's Electronics Experiences for multiple examples of what happens when the company's attitude generally boils down to "eat my shorts."

infmom

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> You really nailed it with the "set up Google Ads" suggestion. All your time and money spent undoing the mistakes of giant corporations will never be repaid to you. Just flushed down the toilet forever. So, you might as well skim off the top of your sob story.

s5

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> but 50% of that is actually ankle-biters trying to downplay a complaint's validity by honing in on tangential details

I have to agree with this statement wholeheartedly Ben. Dont forget that if there is an image of a cat that 10 percent of the posts will be 'im in yur' comments.

Holden Caulfield

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> There's something you might want to point out about recording phone calls.

It's my understanding that you can't record a phone conversation legally without having consent from the callee. That's why all these companies have those "this call may be recorded for quality purposes" announcements that you have to listen to in order to get a real person.

So if your going record at least mention to the person who answers that you, too are recording the call. And you might want to get that part on the tape.

talkingplant

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Thanks for the inspiration, I've been having trouble getting Koss to actually honor their lifetime warranty on my headphones. I've started my complaint here: http://kosswarranty.blogspot.com/

hattawayd

]]> <![CDATA[HOW TO: Fight Companies Online And Win]]> Oh the wheat! It chafes!

Mr. Gunn

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