Complaint Review: Netzero

I would sincerely like to join the over 75 people who have complained about Netzero. Very, very few people complain so we can assume the quality of their service is egregiously terrible. What follows is a letter of complaint sent to NetZro:

Attention: Customer Relations Manager

Subject: Customer Service Inadequacies

Dear Sir or Madam,

This is a letter of complaint. The letter is being written because I am frustrated and am searching for some vindication.

But also it may assist you in improving a woefully inadequate customer relations situation. Like almost everyone in this world, I am attuned to recognizing when I am being dealt with in a cavalier and discourteous manner.

I also understand the kind of gratifying results that can be achieved when a company makes a commitment to customer service. XXXXXXXX was my client for 10 years and to me it is a company that is the quintessence of customer service.

On March 3, 2005, I applied for the NetZero service. I couldnt quite get the hang of how to initially sign in and couldnt locate any help. The only alternative was to pay for the assistance. So, I said OK, I have got to pay to play. $5.95. It could have ended there; if I received the advice I needed. It wasnt forthcoming! Perhaps it was my fault, and in my frustration, I immediately cancelled the service and was assured that my money would be refunded.

That set off an odyssey of exchanging over 35 emails. The sticking point was that your company didnt have a record of the $5.95 charge and then put the onus of proof on me. The customer reps said that I must use a scanner or some such technical gibberish which didnt make sense to me. I do not know what a scanner is. They told me to fax them a copy of the credit card bill. I am retired and routinely travel remotely. I currently live in the desert. I also dont have a fax nor do I have a need for a fax.

It seemed the only way I was going to resolve this was to drive the 15 miles to town and fax the copy of the credit card statement. I went to an office supply store and they charged me $4.67 to fax the statement.

The customer rep wrote that I should use the fax machine where I work. Isnt that illegal?

What really sucked is that after I went through all the trouble to fax the credit card statement, no one acknowledged receipt.

I use Googles gmail, which is indeed wonderful; I have the complete history of all the conversations going back to March 2, 2005. These emails document at least six requests to speak to someone in authority.

I am honest to a fault and also quite persistent and have time on my hands. Or else your customer reps would have won.

I finally got in touch with someone in the billing department by the name of Natalie, who apparently took my side. The customer rep didnt want to refund the $4.67 nor provide me with an address that I could complain to. My heart-felt thanks to that girl.

Yes, I do feel better now. The letter was a bit of a catharsis.

Sincerely,
John

Afterword: They never gave me back the $5.95 nor the $4.67. They never responded to the aforementioned letter and the online reps never let me speak to someone in authority.

Go figure!

John
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
U.S.A.