Awesome services and product companys with terrible online presence
May 5, 2022 10:32 AM   Subscribe

I'm looking for the anti-slick-silicon-valley-uber-of-the-future. Looking for a company that provides a nationwide (US) high quality customer service or product that has a terrible website from 2000 or little to no social media presence
posted by sandmanwv to Shopping (12 answers total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
Maybe McMaster-Carr? The website's... fine.

They have an app, but their Twitter account hasn't posted since 2016.
posted by box at 10:52 AM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]


Best answer: I'm not sure if this would count, but Treasury Direct has a straight out of the 90s interface, complete with custom icons and basically a webring at the bottom. It's the primary site for people to buy savings bonds, I-bonds, etc directly from the US treasury. I can tell you that the 90s goes deep - if you were to create an account you'd see that you have to enter your password through mouse clicking an on-screen keyboard, that sort of thing.
posted by true at 10:52 AM on May 5, 2022 [10 favorites]


Craigslist?
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 11:40 AM on May 5, 2022 [6 favorites]


Best answer: uh... Metafilter?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:26 PM on May 5, 2022 [20 favorites]


Best answer: Narragansett Leathers. You email the proprietor to order, or you can mail in a check!
posted by momus_window at 1:22 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]


I can't give you specifics but many specialized insurance companies (e.g. snowmobiles) have very dated websites and no social media presence but still do a good job in their niche (in as much as any insurance company is non-evil).
posted by Candleman at 1:22 PM on May 5, 2022


Best answer: Bosco? When you google it, it's just barely the first hit. Want to buy some? Site sends you to Amazon.
posted by Mchelly at 1:57 PM on May 5, 2022


Not necessarily an “awesome” company or service, but Berkshire Hathaway’s website is impressively old school for a $trillion company.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 2:27 PM on May 5, 2022 [5 favorites]


Came in to say McMaster-Carr also. Their website is a no nonsense, no frills list of everything they sell in categories and sizes. They don't give two shits about graphics but they will sell you a tricycle with a basket for roaming around your warehouse.
posted by Horkus at 2:57 PM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]


Best answer: ExStink is a product I have adored and evangelized for 20 years. The web site has not been significantly updated in that time.
posted by majick at 4:04 PM on May 5, 2022 [6 favorites]


Costco - even the superfans in r/costco talk about how bad the website and app are.
posted by soelo at 6:59 PM on May 5, 2022 [6 favorites]


momus_window: Narragansett Leathers.

What is it with leather workers?!

In tiny Ely, MN -- "Gateway to the BWCA!" --- there is a tiny shop whose proprietor used to make belts and "chopper" mittens out of moosehide. I have one of those belts and a pair of those mittens, and they're freaking fantastic. His web site is even more simple: Henry's Shoe Repair

Henry himself is dead now, but the shops soldiers on -- and the leather goods are still amazing. I traced my hands on paper and mailed in a check; I got a pair of moosehide mittens in the mail (with striped wool liners, natch). And the riveted belt replaced two different leather LLBean belts -- which were good themselves, but no match.
posted by wenestvedt at 11:47 AM on May 12, 2022


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