I awoke this morning to find a dead man on my doorstep, apparently from the gunshot wound to his back. By examining the depth of the tread marks and the streak of blood on the walls, I determined that he had dragged himself up after receiving the fatal bullet. I cleaned up the pool of blood with some extra-thirsty Brawny towels, and rifled the pockets of his black trench coat to find a package addressed to “The Consumerist.” A hastily scrawled coversheet read, “Please keep my identity secret, I could lose my job. I have compiled a “10 Norton/Symantec secrets I shouldn’t be telling you” list.” Too late. Someone already punched his pink slip. Let’s read what was inside…
software
H&R Block Offering $100 Coupons Or Free Software To Same-Sex Couples Who Were Denied Online Service
By 7.17.08
It’s too late for this year’s tax season (unless you’re doing it wrong), but H&R has issued an apology of sorts by announcing it will give a $100 coupon or free TaxCut software to gay couples who were shut out of their online programs this year due to a programming oversight. Don’t expect to take advantage of the offer if you were turned away online and went elsewhere, though—the offer is only good for “civil union, domestic and same sex partner clients, who started with TaxCut online and then completed their returns in one of our retail offices.” If you fit that requirement, you can request the coupon or software here.
UPDATE: Adobe Comes Through, Makes Dreamweaver Software Available To Customer Who Wants To Buy It
By 7.7.08
After we posted about a reader’s frustrated attempts to buy Adobe’s Dreamweaver, Adobe sent us an email, which we passed along to the reader. Over the weekend, she wrote in and said Adobe helped her solve her problems.
![Adobe: "It Would Have Been A Pleasure To Assist You With This Issue. [Unfortunately, We're Totally Incompetent]"](../../../../consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/failwoman.jpg?w=158&h=225&crop=1)
Adobe: "It Would Have Been A Pleasure To Assist You With This Issue. [Unfortunately, We're Totally Incompetent]"
By 6.26.08
If you produced expensive, frequently pirated software, you’d probably want the process for buying it to be as easy on the customer as possible, right? If you’re Adobe, not so much. Yet another reader writes in to share her frustrations with trying to buy Adobe’s Dreamweaver.
Adobe Blames Missing Shipment On Customer For Using The Online Store
By 5.9.08
Amy launched an EECB to Adobe, after her $2600 worth of software failed to ship on time. Or at all. No one at Adobe customer service can tell her why it didn’t ship, or if it ever will, but one CSR suggested it was her fault for ordering through the online store rather than through a sales rep. He says no one tracks the orders on the online store, which makes absolutely no sense. What’s the point in having an online store if no one fills the orders? Why the tease, Adobe? Check out her EECB inside.
By 4.22.08
../../../..//2008/04/22/the-ninth-circuit-court-of/
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to hear Microsoft’s appeal in the ‘Vista Capable’ class action suit, and it’s moving forward to U.S. District Court. [Seattle Times] (Thanks to T.J.!)
Adobe Rejects Refund Request From Last Month Because You Exceeded Their 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. What?
By 4.5.08
Edwards tried to cancel his pre-order for Photoshop Elements 6 a month before the software shipped, but was told that he would need to accept the shipment, destroy the CD, and fill out an affidavit attesting to the destruction. Edward did as he was told, which is reflected in Adobe’s notes, but they still rejected his request claiming that he “exceeded their 30 day money back trial guarantee.”
By 3.27.08
../../../..//2008/03/27/adobe-has-joined-fotoflexer/
Adobe has joined FotoFlexer, Rsizr, and Piknic to offer a free online image editor, Photoshop Express. ArsTechnica says it’s pretty good for a cross-platform browser app, although it’s got some limitations in this beta launch. (Currently US only.) [ArsTechnica]
Adobe Needs Eight Employees To Completely Screw Up CS3 Cross-Grade
By 3.21.08
Jay wanted to update his copy of Adobe Creative Suite 2 to CS3 and simultaneously switch the license over to the Mac platform. The first sales rep he spoke with did everything right and Jay was very happy. Then that sales rep disappeared forever, only to be replaced by a comically inept parade of CSRs who can’t figure out Adobe’s own systems, who make up their job titles, give out fax numbers to call, and who—in one case—claim to be on a phone system that doesn’t connect to the outside world.
Security Sticker Defeats Product Key In Showdown Of Annoying Security Devices
By 3.18.08
See, I try to be a good guy and purchase a retail copy of Windows XP to use on my Macbook. But the stupid security sticker is covering up the last five digits of the product key, and trying to remove the security sticker tears the label. I give up.
Boy, that sucks.
Would You Scan Checks At Home For Deposit?
By 2.9.08
Banks have hesitated to adopt technology that would let us scan paper checks at home for deposit. The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act allows banks to exchange electronic images instead of paper checks, but USAA, a credit union associated with the military, is currently the only bank to offer customers a check scanning option. Sure, it’s easy enough to stand on line for a teller or wait for an ATM, but we fear sunshine and people and prefer to stay indoors, thank you. Assuming it was free, is this something you would use if it was offered by your bank? Vote in our poll, after the jump.
QuickBooks' Latest Update Destroyed Mac Users' Desktops
By 1.10.08
Here’s one reason to use an online service to store financial data: no buggy updates to deal with.* Intuit’s December update for 2006 and 2007 versions of QuickBooks Pro on the Mac platform wiped the user’s Desktop folder and anything stored there. The company released a patch, but it didn’t work if you launched QuickBooks while connected to a wireless hotspot, oops. The latest patch, so far as we can tell, simply disables any further updates to the application—on January 3rd the company “began automatically feeding a patch to Mac QuickBooks users that permanently switches off the program’s upgrade mechanism to prevent a repetition of a data disaster.” In the meantime, since they can’t offer a way to fix the deleted Desktop folders, they’re offering rebates to users who buy a copy of the data recovery program Data Rescue II.
By 1.4.08
../../../..//2008/01/04/if-youre-serious-about/
If you’re serious about keeping your personal information safe, then make sure you wipe your computer’s hard drive with something like Eraser or Darik’s Boot and Nuke (DBAN) (both free) before handing it off to a friend, family member, or random stranger.
By 12.14.07
../../../..//2007/12/14/if-youve-ever-wanted/
If you’ve ever wanted the professional version of DivX for free, now’s your chance: for a limited time, DivX is giving it away (it’s usually $10). (Thanks to Andy!)
Geeks.com Sells MP3 Player Without Manual. CSR: "You won't need one."
By 10.28.07
Reader Sarah expected to receive a manual and software with the Creative Zen Micro she ordered from Geeks.com, but received neither. When she called to complain, a CSR told her the following:
“Oh, don’t even worry about that. These are SO easy to use, you won’t need a manual! I mean, if you had bought some cheap piece of Chinese crap, we would have had to supply a manual. But the Creative players are GREAT. You won’t need one.”
Sarah’s full email, after the jump.
4 Online Budgeting Services Reviewed
By 10.23.07
SmartMoney reviews four of the most popular, or at least best-publicized, online budgeting and finance-tracking services: Clear Checkbook, Mint, Wesabe, and Yodlee Money Center. They’ve created a simple chart comparing features, to help you decide which best meets your needs—for instance, whether you want text message alerts, or the ability to manually enter transactions, and so on. The most robust offering of the four is Clear Checkbook, although it’s missing a couple of nice features that the otherwise paltry Mint offers (specifically, text message alerts and merchant-based spending breakdowns).
5 Other Ways To Easily Insert Timestamps When Documenting Complaints
By 7.19.07
Besides the F5 and .LOG trick for Notepad, commenters shared some of their personal favorite ways to input date and time in a system you’re using to keep a log of your customer service issue.
Easily Insert Timestamps In Notepad When Documenting Complaints
By 7.16.07
PC users can use Notepad to track their customer service issues, and 2 easy shortcuts makes it even easier.
