On Friday (23/10) I purchased Windows 7 Professional from the UK Ultimate Steal wesbite. You validate your UK University email address, pay by card and get an email with a link to the download site where there is a download manager. I can get that - and run it - but the three files it is meant to retrieve (Box1, Box2 & the installer) all fail to download correctly and I end up with three files all of 1Kb. I've tried it on my old XP SP3 laptop and my new Vista SP2 laptop (which I am upgrading), but to no avail. Digital River's customer service, is frankly, appalling. I've emailed from their website CS form and you wait two or three days for the same automated response detailing the process I described above. I emailed their main CS address, but got another automated response that due to high levels of spam they were no longer checking it. A quick look around google shows they've had serious problems and the whole thing is a bit of a hash. I don't really want a refund, just the product - but this is driving me nuts! Any ideas?
posted by Blacksun on Nov 1, 2009 - 6 answers

Is it possible to get a refund from Bolt Bus? [more inside]
posted by josher71 on Oct 19, 2009 - 7 answers

How do I deal with a recalcitrant vendor who won't respond to complaints about an incorrect item? [more inside]
posted by the luke parker fiasco on Oct 6, 2009 - 12 answers

Looking for tips and advice to improve my customer service for my online store. When you buy something online - a tangible item that is posted - what makes you think "hey, great customer service!"? [more inside]
posted by Kerasia on Sep 30, 2009 - 26 answers

I run a moderately popular blog. I'd like to have the Twitter account associated with the URL, but it's suspended -- presumably because somebody used it for evil. I've contacted Twitter support several times, and they make motions like it's possible for me to claim this account but then they just close my ticket (marking it as "solved") with no explanation. I cannot figure out how to get actual support. Has anyone experienced a similar issue? How can I get Twitter support to actually support me and not mark an unsolved issue as "solved"? Am I simply at the mercy of the Twitter fates? Yes, I know Twitter is a free product and that I get what I pay for. Thanks.
posted by jdroth on Sep 2, 2009 - 11 answers

Kitchen appliances: What remedies do you have when an appliance purchase and installation goes wrong? [more inside]
posted by abdulf on Aug 8, 2009 - 3 answers

How do you handle dealing with customers who make you uncomfortable -- when you were hired to be friendly and available/approachable . . . and maybe for your looks, too? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 3, 2009 - 45 answers

I made a terrible mistake and racked up a big cell phone bill while roaming internationally (iphone - data roaming!). What should I do? Can I negotiate this down somehow? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 7, 2009 - 20 answers

My sister is having issues with her student loans through Wells Fargo. She has two student loans which appear on the same statement each month -- but Wells Fargo only applies her payment to one loan, and the other loan becomes delinquent. She's been on the phone with them every month for the past 4-5 months regarding this, but it keeps happening. Who has enough muscle to fix this? [more inside]
posted by sararah on Mar 11, 2009 - 20 answers

What are some companies that make it fun to be a customer? [more inside]
posted by entropic on Feb 28, 2009 - 44 answers

Picture framing: A few years ago I spent a few thousand dollars to have a bunch of photos and paintings framed by a professional. It all went very well and I was very happy. I'm now ready to frame another batch, but this framer isn't convenient to me any more (same city, just not the same 'hood). Is it worth hauling everything to the guy I know? Or is framing one of those games where most folks offer the same level of service? Are there bad framers?
posted by crickets on Nov 6, 2008 - 5 answers

VW "Customer Care" isn't exactly screwing me, but they're not doing me any favors, either. What should I do next? The part was poorly designed and faulty, but I didn't get my car to the dealership until two weeks after the expiration of a warranty extension I never knew about. Full story follows: [more inside]
posted by booknerd on Nov 3, 2008 - 9 answers

I got bumped from a US Air flight (involuntarily) after the gate agent made an error and let *all* the bump volunteers board. How can I get US Air to go above and beyond their default offer? [more inside]
posted by zippy on Oct 19, 2008 - 13 answers

Am I being unreasonable for wanting to dump this client? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 26, 2008 - 25 answers

What do you do when poor/insufficient front-line customer service from a major corporation can't seem to address your issue? [more inside]
posted by wondercow on Jul 24, 2008 - 15 answers

How can I be a better retail employee who is helpful, but does not annoy you? [more inside]
posted by netbros on Jul 23, 2008 - 58 answers

My dry cleaner lost my clothes and refuses to do anything about it. [more inside]
posted by snickerdoodle on Jul 11, 2008 - 10 answers

If you work (or have in recent memory) in a service position, what are the pet peeves/annoyances you remember most that people in general can fix? No matter if you're a dentist, waiter, teacher, or used car salesman, let us know (: [more inside]
posted by Precision on Jun 20, 2008 - 57 answers

Would reinstalling XP mean I don't have to deal with Dell? [more inside]
posted by pdb on Jun 18, 2008 - 13 answers

Which body oversees British Telecom: Ofcom or Otelo? Or is it BOTH? [more inside]
posted by chuckdarwin on May 14, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm helping out a small not-for-profit with their financials and cost-containment. I've received a letter from our local natural gas provider which is confusing and (of course) it has been impossible to find anyone at the company who can give me a straight answer. So, it is up to me to decide, should we take their offer or not when it comes to signing a contract for gas rates? [more inside]
posted by jeanmari on May 12, 2008 - 3 answers

I'm starting a new job as a telephone concierge at a Brand-new upscale retail/housing establishment in Glendale, CA next week—can you help me get my ear to the ground? [more inside]
posted by carsonb on Apr 27, 2008 - 6 answers

I bought a high end Dell laptop for my business. When I purchased, I bought the 3 year OMG "complete care" warranty. Two days ago, the system bluescreened with a "memory parity 500 error". System won't reboot. In the last couple of days, I've spent over 6 hours on the phone with tech support, none of whom are native English speakers, to be told that my options are to either wait 3-6 weeks for a replacement system, or to accept a significant downgrade in components to have a tech come out and repair the system. Am I just screwed if I need to get my system up asap? [more inside]
posted by dejah420 on Apr 2, 2008 - 15 answers

ISP Filter: AT&T sucks so hardcore that they deserve a medal. I quit. What ISP's have you had good experiences with? [more inside]
posted by JPowers on Mar 28, 2008 - 23 answers

How can I give a company a lot of bad publicity? I am a bitter customer who wants other people to reconsider before buying from HP. [more inside]
posted by scission on Jan 29, 2008 - 14 answers

Can someone point me to a phone number for UPS where I can get a real person on the line? I've tried navigating their annoying phone menus and sent an email (easier to ignore than a phone call), but can't get to a real person. [more inside]
posted by blaneyphoto on Jan 4, 2008 - 14 answers

Is it illegal for a business to close earlier than the closing time posted on their door? [more inside]
posted by thatgirl on Dec 31, 2007 - 44 answers

Which movies/TV shows have scenes showing bad customer service? [more inside]
posted by Coffeemate on Nov 19, 2007 - 22 answers

How can I get the USPS to consistently deliver my mail to my home? I have been randomly missing important letters for at least two years. I've contacted numerous people at the USPS, but it's done no good. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 6, 2007 - 12 answers

How much do companies spend on call centers? [more inside]
posted by diastematic on Jul 2, 2007 - 10 answers

I would like to contact the head office for Urban Outfitters, but I'm having trouble finding a satisfactory email address. [more inside]
posted by Laura in Canada on Jun 19, 2007 - 9 answers

I believe I have a decent case for Apple to replace my defective Powerbook G4 with a shiny new Macbook Pro. How do I make this happen? [more inside]
posted by empty commercial spaces on Apr 19, 2007 - 19 answers

Flying on LTU == asking for trouble? [more inside]
posted by grimmelm on Mar 4, 2007 - 10 answers

My account on eBay has been suspended due to, in their words, "Abusing eBay". How can I escalate my questions to them about it get answers from them? [more inside]
posted by sav2880 on Jan 10, 2007 - 25 answers

Waitressing crash course: I have the opportunity to work in a high-end restaurant/live music club but I have no previous waitressing experience. I'm taking the job to make extra money and I want to maximize my tip potential. [more inside]
posted by megancita on Dec 27, 2006 - 52 answers

When I go to a Wal-Mart or a Home Depot in an urban location (aka, lots of black customers) and then I go to suburban locations of these stores, I've notice that in the urban areas, the lines are longer, there are fewer staff to help, the store is generally a bit shabbier, and the employess seem to be less-well trained and held to lower standards regarding how they treat their customers. [more inside]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Nov 22, 2006 - 48 answers

Examples of poor customer service/angry customers in movies. [more inside]
posted by cosmicbandito on Nov 9, 2006 - 49 answers

T-mobile MDA & AIM/Yahoo! Messenger: what's the REAL story with paying per message? [more inside]
posted by yellowcandy on Sep 16, 2006 - 7 answers

Why is not placing change in a customer's hands offensive? [more inside]
posted by anjamu on Jun 24, 2006 - 67 answers

My cable company offers On Demand movies and shows. The free content works fine. It also claims to offer premium channels' On Demand offerings, but those are not working. What can I do? [more inside]
posted by bovious on May 23, 2006 - 12 answers

Is there an easy way to audit how long it takes our company to reply to emails? [more inside]
posted by Hartster on Mar 31, 2006 - 5 answers

my cell phone broke right after the warranty period ended. has anyone had any luck getting a new cellphone or break on their fees, when their cellphone broke shortly after the warranty expired? how did you do it? [more inside]
posted by dthaspaz on Mar 15, 2006 - 6 answers

What's the best wiki I can run on my server and use as a public-facing "customer FAQ"? [more inside]
posted by subpixel on Jan 24, 2006 - 5 answers

US/UK Customer ServiceFilter: In your experience, in what instances does US customer service outshine that of the UK, and vice-versa? [more inside]
posted by By The Grace of God on Jan 20, 2006 - 20 answers

My boyfriend tried to subscribe to a Premiere Radio networks feed today and it would not accept his credit card/debit card or the address on his credit card. He has no access to the show he wants, or any show. He checked his bank account to make sure they didn't charge him and lo and behold - they did - 14 times. [more inside]
posted by tozturk on Aug 30, 2005 - 15 answers

Please help my sister out with a huge customer service problem with Dell [MI]. [more inside]
posted by oflinkey on Jan 19, 2005 - 26 answers

I bought a roundtrip plane ticket from the US to the UK for the end of January that I now wish I could get rid of. British Airways is telling me that it's non refundable. Is there anything that I can try to do to get my money back? (i.e. constant nagging, lies about extenuating circumstance, etc, etc).
posted by TurkishGolds on Dec 20, 2004 - 13 answers

I ordered something from an online merchant and when I received the package I found an empty box inside. An empty watch box, that is, as the item in question was a watch. When I called the company to complain, I could tell that the CSR was convinced I was a crook... (They promised a replacement, btw.)
Has something like this happened to anyone ? I was wondering how common this experience is.
posted by Finder on Dec 19, 2004 - 15 answers

I want to complain to a company about rotten customer support. How do I do it and is it worth doing? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by frenetic on Aug 5, 2004 - 11 answers

All Amex cards start with a 3
All Visa cards with a 4
All Mastercards with a 5.

This much is a fact, with no exceptions so why does every single customer service agent ask me to declare which card I'm paying with just as I'm about to submit my account number? Eliminating this dumb question would free up zillions of man/woman hours and help the economy. Is the age of automation really as fupped duck as it appears or is there a secret reason for wasting everyone's time this way? (See also the automated request for account number while you wait for a human to come on the line and ask you again for the same information already just submitted)
posted by Fupped Duck on Jul 2, 2004 - 30 answers