Automobili Lamborghini enjoys great exposure at the 5th Schloss Bensberg Classics

Automobili Lamborghini enjoys great exposure at the 5th Schloss Bensberg Classics

Can A Fashionably Challenged Geek Become Fashionably Chic? My Extreme Personal Makeover Continues

Can A Fashionably Challenged Geek Become Fashionably Chic? My Extreme Personal Makeover Continues

Webhosting Review: HostGator is Not All They Are Supposed to Be

Many web entrepreneurs push HostGator as THE web hosting company to use, but in my experience they are not all they are supposed to be.  Their customer service has gotten progressively worse, I have never ever received an affiliate payment (despite having at least two of my clients sign up) - and the worst part is that they've been charging me for an upgraded hosting plan I did not order - and never used.

Instead of charging me for the $7.96 a month "Baby" plan, they have been charging me $14.95 a month for their "Business" plan (which only costs $11.96 a month).  I've never used any of the features of the business plan, but they still insist on charging me for services I've never ordered and never used.  It should be noted that they've been charging an extra $3 a month on top of their current rates as well.

When I pointed this out to their 'customer service' via an online chat, I was told that I would have to fill out a form and pay something like $25 to downgrade.  After I filled out the form and sent it in, the representative wrote back and said that I already had the "Baby" plan and asked if there was any way she could help me.  I replied "Yes, please tell me why I've been getting billed for a "Business" plan for over a year, when I never ordered it or used the services".  Then I heard back from someone named 'Michael D' who just wanted to argue and be right - guess he never heard that the customer is always right ...

"Michael D." wanted me to prove that I did not order the business plan - but how in the heck is someone supposed to be able to do that?  That was 3 computers ago and emails were long deleted.  He already has proof that the services were not used - and HostGator themselves had already told me I didn't need to downgrade, because I already had their "Baby" plan.  All very confusing, but it is plain to see that "Michael D." is going to insist on being 'right' and keep all the money they stole from me.

Over the past year, I have recommended HostGator to many friends and clients, have advertised for them on many websites, but I can no longer recommend HostGator - it is obvious that they do not value their customers at all.  HostGator (especially 'Michael D' in the 'Customer Service Department) insists on ripping off their best customers - and that is not a good way to grow a webhosting company.

When to Buy an Acer or Gateway Product (or Any Product from Fry's Electronics: NEVER

Last October I purchased a new Gateway laptop with Windows 8 at the local Fry's Electronics.  It took my awhile to get used to using Windows 8, but I was very impressed at the much shorter boot times.

Working mostly from home and my 3 monitor desktop system, I only used this laptop a couple of dozen times before last week when it first had problems.  At first it would not boot up, then it would occasionally boot up and get frozen.  In my experience it looked to be a memory issue.

I took it back to Fry's where they said there is nothing they could do about it besides give me a toll free to the Gateway support center (somewhere in southern India).  The guy on the other line, did not speak good English and I had to repeat everything at least 2-3 times.  He did not want to listen to my RAM theory or the error messages that I saw - he insisted on making me reinstall Windows (I'm guessing they have A LOT of problems with these piece of crap Gateway computers running Windows 8).  There was no regard for my time or my data.

He said it would take 30-40 minutes to reinstall the operating system.  It took well over 5 hours and the computer still does not work right.  Only boots about half the time and will not connect to the internet at all - with wireless or by LAN.

So I called the Gateway support center (actually Acer support center) in India and was told that I have to send the computer to Texas (at my expense) and wait 7-10 business days to get it back.  Fun times.

 

The best part about this story is that it is the very last Gateway/Acer/Microsoft/Windows product I ever buy in my life - and will NEVER shop at Frys again.  They all cause way more pain than they are worth.  I'm about to become an Apple Fan Boy for life.  Hey Gateway, Microsoft and Fry's - here's my middle finger salute!

In the hindsite is great department, here is a post that says that 1/4 of all Gateway and Acer laptops fail within 3 years.  Make you feel better?  Nope - me either.

MicrosoftSucks.org also has a great deal of interesting reading.  Think they've pissed some people off?  Me too.

Fry's is a beyond worthless place to shop - unless you want to support a company that does not stand behind the products they sell - apparently because they sell CRAP.  Read more about how bad Fry's Sucks here. 

A Sales is NOT a Sale at Rite Aid - Calling for Boycott

Last night I went to the Rite Aid in downtown Bellevue.  I had been sick with the flu all day and wanted to buy some Nyquil so I could sleep all nite.

There was a sale tag on the Rite Aid version of the product, so I picked that up and went to buy it.  After being rung up I did not see a discount so went back to look at the sale sticker.

Although it did show the regular price and sales price in big print, but the fine print said "Save 10% with 250 points on your wellness card".  Basically you'd only get the sale price if you had spent $250 on your Rite Aid card.  I went back got a refund on the product and went to Safeway where the regular price for the same type of item was much less anyway.

Boycott RiteAid.  They try to rip off their customers.

Snapfish and HP - Total Spammers That Alienate Former Customers and Won't Stop

Spammer Alert! Snapfish (now owned by the ever-terrible HP) will not quit spamming me - even after multiple requests to cancel my account and leave me alone.  They do NOT offer the option to delete your own account - and keep on sending me email long after I have begged them to stop.

Boycott Snapfish and HP - they both should rot in HELL.

BTW - I actually ordered from Snapfish about 9 or 10 years ago.  The 8x10s I ordered (which were much more expensive back then) arrived in my mail glued together.  They never replaced them - and never made it right.  I never ordered again and will never do business with Snapfish or HP.

Yet Snapfish and HP continue to spam the hell out of me ...

SNAP! Custom Clothing in Seattle Are LIARS Do NOT Do Business with Them

The other night I picked up a copy of a great little community newspaper published by Pacific Publishing called City Living Seattle.  There were some really good articles and an ad for a t-shirt printing company called SNAP Custom Clothing.

SNAP! Custom Clothing'w website says "We Beat ANY Competitor's Price", but they had no prices on their site for printed shirts that I needed - so I sent an inquiry.  "Ibad S." responded today giving me a quote that is way too high for two shirts.  The first competitor site I went to offered a much better price, free shipping and no tax - but I prefer to do business locally when reasonable, so I gave him a chance to MATCH the price.  He wouldn't.

I really, really, detest liars - especially website that lie - it's too bad that Seattle's SNAP! Custom Clothing posts a BIG lie on their front page.  I do not recommend that ANYONE do business with SNAP! Custom clothing in Seattle - they give Seattle (and all businesses a bad name).

Shame on SNAP! Custom Clothing!  Call them at (206) 682-0686 to let them know what you think - or if you like to do business with liars ...