Sunset policies that cripple otherwise useful software, dearth of online tech support, rebate runarounds... the list of hot-button items goes on. We're working on a story about the 10 most annoying things tech companies do as a matter of policy (as opposed to mistakes).
My own pet peeve, for example, is the unrelenting upsell: I recently did my taxes with TurboTax online, and while I loved the service, I really resented Intuit's efforts to get me to upgrade to a more expensive version and to buy Quicken.
While we've come up with our own list, we'd like your input on what annoys you most, any experiences you've personally had with these annoyances, and whether we've missed anything that deserves to make the top 10.
This is a chance for you to point the finger at specific offenders--we hope you'll spend an extra few minutes to tell us about your experience with an annoying policy. Click here to get started, and thanks in advance!
So, Phlegm...$1500 justifies some limited expandability...I alter my previous statement: "Are you an idiot? The cheapest 'similar computer, a Mac Pro, starts at $2000.Mac.' Dumbass, look at the Mac mini."
Phlegm is also an idiot...he thinks that PCs can only be upgraded by pulling the PCs apart and adding hardware to their inerts. You Dumbass....try an external harddrive or any other USB ready alternative (i.e., netowrk, Blueray drive, etc.). DUMBASS X 2 for You!!!!
Come in Ms. Arar...when I come to the PC World website I am bombarded with ads trying to sell me things. Then, I am bombarded with those annoying less-than-green subscription cards that fall out of the magazine when I pick it up at SFO.
Not only that, every few days I am 'bombarded" with a pop-up survey from PC Word. I don't think journalists that live in glass houses should throw stones. Let's put aside the hypocrisy.
It's true that we are an ad- and subscription-supported publication and Web site, and it's true that subscription cards and some of the ads can be annoying--we have never been shy about pointing a finger at ourselves in this regard (see Tom Spring's story about Annoying Web Ads at http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139613/article.html).
Does this mean we shouldn't cover any consumer issues? Or that we should not solicit reader input where we think it might be informative? I think most readers would disagree.
By the way, this survey is not a pop-up as far as I know--people can click on the link or ignore it.
I am sick of buying a program then being asked if I'd like to also install some totally unrelated software! If I wanted the Google Toolbar, I'd go to Google and get it myself!
I hate how cell phone companies renew your contract when you decide to upgrade your service. I heard that it's possible to upgrade without renewing your contract. I have Verizon and changed my plan last year. When asked if I can do it without renewing my plan, I was told I could do so; beware next time a representative (from any cell phone company) tells you that because I later learned that my contract had been extended.
Also, what's with the high cancellation fees? I would rather pay for a phone than be stuck in a contract. I'd get a Go Phone if your "rollover" minutes didn't expire. Ugh!
I hate when the cable company sends you those "deals" in the mail to bundle your phone, cable, and internet service for a low price, but when you call, you find out that the internet they are offering is essentially dial-up speed and the cable you get is the lowest tier they offer
For me, my number on annoyance is DVD regional codes. Here I am, a poor university student scrounging to buy her favorite film legally and cleanly on DVD. Next, I get the annoying message from my laptop that: No, I can't play this DVD since my driver's set to RC1 and it is RC2. You can switch but beware: Three time's the charm, after that you're out!
My old laptop certainly had no problems playing RC1 and RC2 DVDs. I still think the regional codes are some weird scheme to discourage worldwide availability of certain shows to multilingual people, but to have PC drives equipped with RC-sensitive software drivers? Makes you want to go pirate.Honestly, that's not the way to sell your stuff.
Outsourced tech support in foreign lands. You can't understand the guy. Not his fault. I'm sure if his language was MY second language, he wouldn't understand me. Still, when you call because your LOCAL telephone service has a cut wire, and you can point at the break, you shouldn't have to talk to a whole series of people on the opposite side of the planet in order to schedule a truck come and mend it five weeks hence.
OK, that's actually two pet peeves. The pidgin tech support AND bigger corporations like telecommunications giants eating up local services (phone, cable, utilities, etc.) and 'centralizing' support at big call centers... which are invariably overseas and full of people who couldn't give a crap if they were paid DOUBLE their five dollars a week salary to act like they did.
Pundits: Turtle Beach for selling soundcards, only to disable & sell the rights to Sony.
Pundits: SONY for Thinking that a ROOTKIT "IS OK!"
Pundits: SONY for selling same soundcard & software for 3 times original cost!
Pundits: SONY for Thinking it "IS OK" to Embed a ROOTKIT, & Thinking it "IS OK" to track our surfing ,watching & listening habits, WITHOUT PERMISSION!
Pundits: SONY for DECIDING to DROP support for the (expensive) MD-Recorder/player. (COP-OUT!)
Pundits: Microsoft for not being able to make ONE piece of software that performs FLAWLESSLY, instead making many versions that all have (sometimes severe) problems, & not
being able to admit to problems when "LABELED" PCs were
sold as "VISTA COMPATIBLE", it was MICROSOFT that set the standards for "LABELING!"
AND PUNDITS: BOTH SONY & MICROSOFT for thinking they have the right to decide WHAT WE WATCH, READ, and LISTEN TO!
I was taught to "Not to worry what others do, but to Take care of my own business!" They could use morals!
Nothing is worse than buying a new computer that's full of bloatware, spyware, two year old trial versions of Quicken and other software I don't want nor need. Just provide me with the computer and the operating system. Let me choose my software!
Nothing is worse than buying a new computer that's full of bloatware, spyware, two year old trial versions of Quicken and other software I don't want nor need. Just provide me with the computer and the operating system. Let me choose my software!
Interesting ploy by PC World to run such a poll. I recieved my weekly newslletter/services email and cliclked the link to take the poll, I do not automatically sign into to the PC World website when I recieve such email newsletters, even so, when I went to post a comment I was prompted to sign in. Upon having my credentials validated I was redirected to the home page with a popup to try two free issues of the magazine. how annoying was this?, very.
Well I must tell you this, once I am done writing my say, I will be going to cancel all my news subscriptions, and any association Imay have to your company. PC World has sold out like many other companies when it comes to the world of Information Technology, I remember when PC World was about Information Technology, now its just a piece of crap. So long Google wannbes.
Interesting ploy by PC World to run such a poll. I recieved my weekly newslletter/services email and cliclked the link to take the poll, I do not automatically sign into to the PC World website when I recieve such email newsletters, even so, when I went to post a comment I was prompted to sign in. Upon having my credentials validated I was redirected to the home page with a popup to try two free issues of the magazine. how annoying was this?, very.
Well I must tell you this, once I am done writing my say, I will be going to cancel all my news subscriptions, and any association Imay have to your company. PC World has sold out like many other companies when it comes to the world of Information Technology, I remember when PC World was about Information Technology, now its just a piece of crap. So long Google wannbes.
As a Canadian, I find it annoying when U.S. companies have you fill in an on-line form to register, ask you to identify your country, and then reject your form because your Zip code is invalid.
You would think it would not be necessary to explain to a company like Apple that a Canadian postal code is a six-digit alphanumeric sequence with a space in the middle -- not five numeric digits.
And then if you're lucky enough to be able to get through on the phone -- a rare feat -- they ask you how to spell "Ottawa" (Canada's capital) three times and then ask what state that's in.
Really, if U.S. tech companies want to do business abroad, they need a much better understanding of the international market.
rgmcguire: Actually, a company like Apple knows that you are in Canada. At the registration page, you need to select "Canada" for your location, and if you decide to call them, you make sure you call "Canada" and it won't happen. They have a place in Canada that does the calls-apparently in Toronto.
Most of the complaints can be solved easily. Companies rely on the fact that most consumers are brainless sheep that fall for their hype and tolerate shoddy business practices (and they're right). We can stop all of this by simply showing some patience in purchasing and learning to do without something that doesn't meet our needs or pocketbooks. I don't put up with poor service, no do I jump on every new technology until it's proven beneficial and can be had for what "I" deem a reasonable price. Spend some time researching a purchase and considering alternatives. I have very little problem with purchases or vendors and when I do, I make sure they are very sorry they pissed me off. In all, put control in your hands, not theirs.
Here's a fun one: We have a development lab that requires us to be isolated - no connection to the internet (sure - it's shocking). We've been trying to test some software, but we can't get it to work. Why? Because you have to "register" the software via the internet, and there's no way around that. So - what does CD burning software need the internet for? Hmm??? I'm not saying I'm suspicious (OK - I am) , but it seems to me that the company might want more information (such as what I'm doing) than just a simple registration.
Offshore tech support...This is the surest way to 100% absolutely, positively, and forever lose my business (and that of many other people I know). Shows a complete disregard for one's customers, and that they don't give a cr@p about you. Helped me to recently kick Sprint, United Airlines, and several other similar outfits to the curb once and for all.
It will be interesting to see what the top 10 end up being. I find it hard to stop at 10! Here are a few that I hate more than others:
? The rates that Geek Squad and other such businesses charge (I couldn?t work for them and still look myself in the mirror!);
? A 64 bit processor that came with a 32 bit OS (warrants public execution);
? These un-upgradable 1/3 size PC cases (if you want a Mac, then buy a Mac!);
? Mail in rebates! I only shop at places that give instant rebates (hear that C.C.);
? Online colleges teaching people jobs that are already outsourced to India;
? DRM and the RIAAAAAAAAA (Nazi fascists).
These are just the top annoyances today. The list changes whenever I?m making a service call to work on a client?s PC, or trying to make my own PCs perform at 150%. It is also affected by B.S. promises all tech companies make about standing behind their products.
1) Companies that require you to take your tech device to an authorized service center to replace the battery to pump of their margins.
2) Companies that require software developers to pay a usurious percent of their sales revenues juts to be able to develop software for their platform.
3) Companies that sue enthusiast web sites for leaking details of upcoming products just so their megalomaniacal CEO can announce them at trade shows to the wildly enthusiast oohs and ahhs of confirmed company groupies.
Microsoft, as a tech company, does THE MOST annoying thing when they continue to throw out os's that are "fun and pretty" with a total disreguard to security and workability.
I could care less about wallpapers, screensavers, OR shadows under my menus that can FADE into the moonlight. What I do care about is security, security, and security, which is VERY lacking in any of their os's. The last good os was Win 98. XP is do-able. I threw Vista out the window.
And I believe that M$ does this "as a matter of policy (as opposed to mistakes)."
Software that takes over everything on your computer. Ever install something simple like some software to stream a webcast and suddenly your pictures open up in that software? All your icons have changed so you don't even know which files are music files anymore because guess what, that software took over your music files. Does it also open my webpages and word documents too? I don't know. I'll find out the next time I go to open those files up though. I then have to spend an hour resetting everything, until I download the next software that takes over.
Extended warranties that are almost never worth the money. Many push it to the point to where it gets annoying. And why not? It's pure profit for them.
Best Buy's "Performance Service Plan" states that if a repair or replacement has to be done, they will do it using either new or refurbished parts and not necessarily of the same brand as the original. The fact that they mention "refurbished" tells a lot. Why would I be spending, say hundreds of dollars, on a service plan that will repair or replace my product with refurbished parts? I'd rather save my money for a new one. Same goes for the brand of the parts. Suppose they put something that performs sub-par at best? Not saying brand name is everything, but some use higher quality parts.
A company well known for using cheap, inferior parts in PC's and notebooks and for using questionable sales practices is MDG Computers. Just search complaints.com for them and you'll get pages of complaints by people who have been ripped off.
Extended warranties that are almost never worth the money. Many push it to the point to where it gets annoying. And why not? It's pure profit for them.
Best Buy's "Performance Service Plan" states that if a repair or replacement has to be done, they will do it using either new or refurbished parts and not necessarily of the same brand as the original. The fact that they mention "refurbished" tells a lot. Why would I be spending, say hundreds of dollars, on a service plan that will repair or replace my product with refurbished parts? I'd rather save my money for a new one. Same goes for the brand of the parts. Suppose they put something that performs sub-par at best? Not saying brand name is everything, but some use higher quality parts.
A company well known for using cheap, inferior parts in PC's and notebooks and for using questionable sales practices is MDG Computers. Just search complaints.com for them and you'll get pages of complaints by people who have been ripped off.
One of the worst companies I've dealt with is Nero. Their tech support is laughable, and they overpromise & dramatically underperform on their Nero 8 software. I belatedly discovered all the numerous online complaints about them after I bought their software.
To say they are smug, condescending, & incompetent would be an understatement.
Let's hope it won't be long before the word is out on this dog of a company, and it's out of business.