Grrrr.

I am really, REALLY annoyed at Carbonite. Understand, I've used them for backup for a while - even had to restore once when a hard drive died - and while I don't consider them perfect I have been very pleased. Best of all I don't have to think about it, so it actually gets done.

However. I am having a billing problem at the moment. With most companies, "billing problem" means I have been charged and did not want to be. With this company it means they are threatening NOT to charge me. They are saying the subscription for one computer, when it auto-renews, will fail because the credit card on file will have expired by then. However...it renews August 7. The card expires at the end of DECEMBER. And it clearly shows on their web site the right card and expiration date. This makes it impossible to update my billing info to fix it since my billing info IS FREAKING FINE.

So I called them. The guy told me I misread the email, and then I got disconnected. I was on my cell phone so I am hoping it was a dropped line, but I still don't feel like calling back and being told I can't read again. So I used the help form on the site, which takes you to a search for your terms (which, since I am writing a letter, finds nothing). According to the instructions on the form, you then click the "Continue Submitting" button to send your question to them.

A small hint: IT'S HARD TO CLICK A BUTTON THAT IS NOT FREAKING THERE.

I'm off to do something useful with my day. If the auto-renewal fails, I will take that as a sign to find a different online backup service (even though I really hate the initial backup, which takes a while). Anyone have any to recommend, if I hit that eventuality?

...also, I'm gonna link their twitter guy to this. Maybe that way I can actually contact them (though then I'll be out for a while, but such is life). So the (slightly edited) text of the letter is ( Below the cut )

Grrrr.

I am really, REALLY annoyed at Carbonite. Understand, I've used them for backup for a while - even had to restore once when a hard drive died - and while I don't consider them perfect I have been very pleased. Best of all I don't have to think about it, so it actually gets done.

However. I am having a billing problem at the moment. With most companies, "billing problem" means I have been charged and did not want to be. With this company it means they are threatening NOT to charge me. They are saying the subscription for one computer, when it auto-renews, will fail because the credit card on file will have expired by then. However...it renews August 7. The card expires at the end of DECEMBER. And it clearly shows on their web site the right card and expiration date. This makes it impossible to update my billing info to fix it since my billing info IS FREAKING FINE.

So I called them. The guy told me I misread the email, and then I got disconnected. I was on my cell phone so I am hoping it was a dropped line, but I still don't feel like calling back and being told I can't read again. So I used the help form on the site, which takes you to a search for your terms (which, since I am writing a letter, finds nothing). According to the instructions on the form, you then click the "Continue Submitting" button to send your question to them.

A small hint: IT'S HARD TO CLICK A BUTTON THAT IS NOT FREAKING THERE.

I'm off to do something useful with my day. If the auto-renewal fails, I will take that as a sign to find a different online backup service (even though I really hate the initial backup, which takes a while). Anyone have any to recommend, if I hit that eventuality?

...also, I'm gonna link their twitter guy to this. Maybe that way I can actually contact them (though then I'll be out for a while, but such is life). So the (slightly edited) text of the letter is ( Below the cut )

Dear me, the stupid burns.

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 )

Dear me, the stupid burns.

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 )