Cranky Customer

by Kit Cassingham

I recently bought a Mercury Mariner Hybrid. I selected the Mariner over Ford's Escape because Mercury is known for slightly higher luxury and more amenities. I opted for their $1,200 navigation system because I need help getting to emergency calls (I'm a first responder with the local EMS agency), especially in the middle of the night in my rural location. I thought if it's a Mercury, it's got to be good. Not!

I love my new car. Except for the navigation system.

Continue reading "Can't Navigate Out of a Paper Bag" »

Posted by at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (81)

by Randy Cassingham                                                                                 Updated! See the End

I'm posting this minutes after my sites came back online. As I was writing this, most of my web sites were offline, thanks to proactive (that is, on purpose) action by enom, the huge domain registrar which provides registration for the "domain names" for more than 8 million web sites. The registrar, of course, I (used to?) use. And here's the unbelivably scary thing I learned while struggling to get them back up: any web site, including yours, can be knocked off the 'net without warning and without notice, and for the most mundane of reasons, by the people you pay for your most basic online service: your domain registration. Even if it's not enom.

Your site is your sole source of income? Too bad. Your site is depended upon by thousands of people for critical information? Tough. You're expecting an urgent e-mail? Shrug. The weekend is coming up? They may or may not be able to help you until Monday -- check back later. We'll see -- the only guy who can help has a long lunch planned.

Continue reading "Punished by eNom for a Registration Placeholder" »

Posted by at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (48)

by Randy Cassingham

This is a condensed version of my original "Dell Hell" story, which is still at its original location on the This is True Dell Hell page (opens in a new window). The version here has the basics, but if you "need" more info, including the all important "lessons learned" (and some reader horror stories), you should read the longer version there.

- - -

I've recommended Dell computers for many years, but my confidence in them was shaken when I got a new laptop in Fall 2004. I run my computers pretty hard since I work 10-14 hours/day, seven days a week to publish on my many web sites, so I get a new one every three years or so. This time I decided to switch to a full-time laptop; I gave my desktop to my new assistant and ordered up a new Dell Inspiron laptop.

After finally getting it all set up the way I wanted, all was well for a few days until I came into the office, pushed the power button to get started ...and nothing happened. It was the Tuesday before I was to leave the country -- early the next Monday. "No problem," I thought: the one time I needed service Dell was there for me, and I did pay extra to upgrade my service contract on the laptop.

Continue reading "Dell? Hell!" »

Posted by at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (60)