Dear me, the stupid burns.

[kyrielle]

Got ahold of Carbonite finally (see previous entry for backstory, if you missed it earlier). I had the brilliant idea to file a stripped-down "help request" in case some character or something in the earlier one broke the response page, removing the button I needed. I called it brilliant because it did in fact get me the button. I was finally able to get thru to the chat program with a customer service representative.

Who assures me that my card will in fact be billed correctly. But who is otherwise not much more helpful than the rest of their system.

Things that need to change:
1) There needs to be some way to get to chat with a CS rep without going through the damned search form in case it is BROKEN.

2) The CS rep should see what you put in the search form if you came in via that route (and, if they already do, be trained to actually read it first).

3) The form should be fixed so whatever about my earlier request broke it doesn't.

4) CS reps should have basic ability to read and understand English and respond to the actual problem. I am pretty sure I was not talking to an Eliza program, but I don't think I was talking to the most attentive person ever, either. And when they didn't understand or care about my final question, apparently, they just disconnected!

5) I hope their technical staff is better at preserving my data than their CS folks are at responding to my inquiries.

My entire conversation with them (edited only to remove my credit card's last four digits):

2:13:01 PM System
Prudence has joined this session!
2:13:01 PM System
Connected with Prudence
2:13:06 PM System
Hello and thank you for using Customer Support Live Chat! How may I assist you today?
2:13:27 PM Laura
The system is emailing me that my credit card has expired or will expire before my auto-renewal, and to update my emails.
2:13:35 PM Laura
My credit card expires in December, and my account details page correctly shows that.
2:13:56 PM Laura
The auto-renewal for my computers is Aug 7 and sometime in September, respectively.
2:14:19 PM Prudence
Hello Laura.
2:14:30 PM Prudence
Let me check your account please.
2:14:39 PM Laura
(And I have an email case open, but I had a horrid time getting it filed, your web page hated it, and not even an auto-reply has been seen yet, so I'm not sure it actually DID get filed.)
2:14:41 PM Laura
Thank you!
2:19:15 PM Prudence
Yo have two computers SIVAO and SRALLANSRE registered under your account.
2:19:19 PM Laura
Yes.
2:20:30 PM Prudence
your subscription on SIVAO expires on 8/8/2009 .
2:20:34 PM Laura
Yep.
2:20:42 PM Prudence
You wish to change the digits of credit card?
2:20:46 PM Laura
NO.
2:21:01 PM Laura
Subscription expires 8/8/2009. It should auto-renew. Email states it will not because my credit card expires before then.
2:21:19 PM Laura
IT DOES NOT, and your own system shows that correctly, but it keeps emailing me otherwise.
2:21:37 PM Laura
The CC, digits and expiration date, are CORRECT. I want to know what your system thinks December is before 8/8.
2:22:00 PM Prudence
Credit card digits #### and it expires on 1209.
2:22:04 PM Laura
Yes.
2:22:07 PM Laura
That is what your page shows.
2:22:10 PM Laura
It is what my CC shows.
2:22:22 PM Laura
So why am I being emailed at 60 days, 30 days, and 2 weeks (so far) complainign that it expires BEFORE teh renewal?
2:22:38 PM Laura
How can I trust it will renew properly if some part of your system is sending out we-won't-renew-unless-you-update notices?
2:23:00 PM Laura
I quoted the email here in case you, like your phone cohort, doubt my reading abilities: http://kyrielle.livejournal.com/1468066.html - it's near the bottom, the blockquoted/indented part.
2:23:10 PM Prudence
Don't worry, your recurring billing is active and you will get renewed automatically.
2:23:20 PM Laura
Good.
2:23:37 PM Prudence
Is there anything else I may assist you with?
2:23:49 PM Laura
Now how do I get the "change your CC!" spam to stop? Because while I am VERY glad to know that I will in fact get renewed properly, which means the emails are no longer WORRISOME, they are still annoying.
2:26:20 PM Prudence
Our automated notification system sent that message in error .
2:26:41 PM Laura
Okay; is there anything you can do to stop them? I've gotten three so far for SIVAO and one for SRALLANSRE, they're getting old. :)
2:27:00 PM Prudence
We apologize for any inconvenience this message may have caused.
2:27:55 PM Laura
Is there anything you can do to stop them?
2:28:08 PM Laura
So they don't continue to cause inconvenience?
2:28:30 PM Prudence
Don't stop them , it will also stop the important emails.
2:28:40 PM Laura
Not my question.
2:28:50 PM Laura
Can you FIX your automated notification system so that it will STOP sending the erroneous messages?
2:30:06 PM System
Prudence has left this session!
2:30:06 PM System
The session has ended!