Xplornet.com

I get a card in the mail (see below) from Xplornet Internet Services advertising wireless high-speed Internet connectivity for rural Canadians. The fact that they sent this to an urban address seems to be lost on them. Maybe they think I own a cottage on a lake, or something.

In block letters they have, "BETTER INTERNET FOR UNDER $50/MONTH²"

Oh shit, did you see that ² at the end? You know they're going to fuck you over somehow. And here's how:

"²Refers to the Zoom Enhanced Package, which is up to 37.5 x faster than dial-up."

But, but, the very next line they say, "Up to 125X faster than dial-up".

Oh, ya really gotta watch the "up to" shit. Even though these two lines appear one after the other, they have no bearing on each other.

The purpose of this wording is to mislead the consumer, nothing less. You know it, and they know it — although they will deny it vigorously.

There's also early termination fees, but they don't think it's worth telling you how much.

Hey jerks, if you've got a decent product to offer, then be honest about it. Deceptive tactics like this means your offer is not as good as you're trying to mislead people into believing.

So here's the card for you to marvel at:

Please be our banker

When you go to the home page of these good folks you're immediately presented with a Job Opportunities page. I guess they're desperate.

I love this line,

"The company offers exciting, ground-floor opportunities to qualified individuals who are willing to take a risk in exchange for significant returns in the near future."

Let me clarify what they're really saying, "We don't have adequate financial backing so we want to pay you spit and offer you shares in the company that are currently worthless. Oh don't worry, we promise you'll get rich when the dough starts rolling in and we go public. Of course we'll beat the odds and be that one in a hundred new companies that survive more than a couple of years. But, we'll beat even higher odds and get filthy rich and generate significant returns (mainly to the founders, but we'll throw you a bone too). And if we go bankrupt then just think of all that valuable experience you'll have paid yourself to gain."

I really do wish them well, and they are telling you you're taking a risk, but to promise "… significant returns in the near future." is just wishful thinking for any tech startup. Tell them you want the money you're investing put in trust each month. Then kiss your chances of getting the job goodbye.

GE, imaginative scam artists

GE Canada has to be the biggest bunch of scam artists there are. Their slogan, "Imagination at work" is very fitting. They use their imagination to come up with devious new ways to screw their customers.

I bought a new GE Profile PFSF2MIYWW refrigerator. Right off the bat, the water coming out of the chilled water dispenser tastes like plastic — burned plastic, to be precise. GE sends a repair guy out who is no doubt paid to say, "It tastes fine to me." Well, he's the only one who has ever entered our house who can't taste it. As a result, GE will do nothing about the problem.

If water tastes like plastic, then there are chemicals leaching into the water. There's no way in hell I'm going to let GE poison me or my family.

Then I send in their rebate form on 2010-03-24. It says, "Allow 6-8 weeks from time of receipt." Assuming they get it in a few days, I should have seen the rebate May 24th at the latest. I called May 26th, and the agent said it was approved April 21 and would be 6-8 weeks from that date! When I reminded the agent that it was supposed to be from time of receipt, she said, and I quote, "The rebate form is misleading." Misleading! In GE's own words, they say that they are deliberately misleading their customers.

So, 8 weeks from April 21st would be June 16th. I called Jun 18th and this time the agent said it was 2 months or June 21st, not 8 weeks before it would be sent, then I have to wait for the mail. The cheque arrives June 24th.

So in reality, GE's promised rebate turnaround time of 8 weeks maximum, turned out to be over 13 weeks.

Great, so I got the cheque, right? Yeah, but they cheated me out of $100. The rebate form clearly states, "When you spend $2000-$2999 you save $250. The fridge cost $2,189.99. They only sent $150.

Rebates in general are a scam. Companies take your money, make you pay tax on the full amount, hang on to your money for months, and make you fight to get it back. You're being "bribed" with your own money.

In GE's case, they cheat you out of your money as well and don't deliver the amount they promised within the time they promised it, which makes them the worst rebate scammers I've ever had the misfortune to deal with.

Siooma(*), GE.

(*) Just Google the word.

Nimnels

Here's a new blog documenting people who act like nimnels (loosely translated to mean, idiots).

Ignore our contact information

The gentle people who run Jasper Apple Farm near Smiths Falls, Ontario can't seem to understand that when they publish contact information and invite people to contact them by saying, "If you have any questions or would just like to get a hold of us, please fill out the form below," then common folk like myself actually believe they'll respond to contact attempts. What fools we are.

You see, even though I called and left a voice message, then sent an email to their published email address, then filled out the form on their Contact Us web page, they have chosen not to respond even though it would take about 30 seconds of their time.

So why, I ask, do these people bother publishing contact information? Are they too busy to respond? Did all their electronics get fried so they never got the messages? Or perhaps they're just Inconsiderate <bleeps>. I honestly don't know.

What I do know is that they won't be getting any of my business. Any company that ignores customers just doesn't deserve to stay in business.

Winds of Change Day Spa doesn't get it

I was interested in buying some Christmas gift certificates for my wife and daughter for a spa package in west Ottawa. I searched several sites in the west end, including all the way out to Stittsville. I came across only one place that didn't list their prices on their web site. How backwards, I thought.

Here's the email exchange, Well actually, my last response was never sent because I realized they just don't get it and probably never will, so why waste more of my time trying to tell them that. I'll just post it here so you understand that, while this may be a good spa, they don't know how to market themselves in the Internet age.

Note that in their reply, they still didn't tell me how to get pricing or even send a price list. Amazing.

They lost a customer.

---

Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 6:05 PM
To: appts@Winds-Of-Change.ca
Subject: Pricing?

I was interested in a couple of spa packages as Christmas gifts for my wife
and daughter. But, since you decided not to put prices on your web site I
will be purchasing from your competitors. It's the old, "if you gotta ask,
you can't afford it." I'll just assume you're way out of my price range.

---

From: "Appointments"
Date: December 8, 2009 9:09:51 EST
Subject: RE: Pricing?

Good morning,

Actually, you're wrong. There are several spas that don't list their prices.
The reason for that is because it's a very competitive business and it's in
the best interest of the spa not to have the competition learning everything
about your spa. Our prices are not any higher than anybody else's, therefore
the reason we don't advertise them on our website is just a good practice
and has nothing to do with "if you've gotta ask, you can't afford it".
I hope the experience that your wife and daughter have at your chosen spa is
as pleasant as it would have been at The Winds of Change Spa.

Regards,

Darlene
Winds Of Change Day Spa

---

Date: December 8, 2009 9:49:16 EST
To: appts@Winds-Of-Change.ca
Re: Pricing?

Main Street Spa lists prices:

http://www.mainstreetspa.ca/packages.html

Mahogany Spa and Salon lists prices:

http://www.mahoganysalonandspa.com/services_packages.cfm

You Need a Wrap lists prices:

http://www.youneedawrap.com/packages.htm

The Spa lists prices:

http://www.thespaottawa.ca/html/cm3.cfm?id=2&lang=1

Even The Brookstreet Hotel lists prices:

http://www.brookstreet.ca/spa/spa_treatments_packages.htm

I'm sure if I searched long enough I would find a place, other than yours, that did not list prices.

The vast majority of retailers with an online presence in very competitive markets list prices. But that's fine. You've chosen not to and I'm sure you think it's best for your business. I'm just one person who has been silly enough to expend the effort to tell you that I won't buy from a business who has something to hide. If your prices are truly competitive, then why not state that on your web site by posting them?

I would also drive by any gas station that didn't post prices because it's not worth my time to drive in, stop at the pump, and read the price.

I can't be bothered to call you and ask about a list of prices on all your services and write them down over the phone — or visit to pick up a brochure (do they list prices?) — when it's trivial to view the services offered at your competition.

Now look at all the time I've wasted responding to you. Enter the Internet age and realize that people visit a web site to be informed.

Accident waiting to happen

2009-12-05 13:52: Here's an asshole who cut me off as I tried to merge. Guess what? This is an invalid licence plate. That's why the guy can afford to be an asshole because you can't report him. I guess if I would have hit him and the police were called, then he would have been in trouble.

Although, I do feel sorry for him. People like him have all this pent up aggression because they have such tiny penises.

When 1080p is really 1080i

I bought a JVC TV in early 2006 that I paid a hefty premium for to get the best possible quality of 1080p thinking I would eventually get a source that would drive this TV. Well, it took longer than I thought, but I just replaced a failing JVC DVD player (that only lasted a measly 4.5 years) with a new LG Blu-ray player. That's when I found out that the LG player couldn't drive my TV at 1080p. So I tried to contact tech support.

Greetings,

After 40 minutes on hold waiting for tech support to answer I thought I'd try this route.

I just bought a new LG BD370C Blu-ray player and connected it to my JVC LT-40FH96 TV. The LG allows several resolutions but when I try to set it to 1080p, the TV goes black and a few seconds later the LG reverts back to 1080i.

This is the first device capable of 1080p that I've used on the TV. The TV works fine with my 1080i PVR. I've tried both HDMI ports on the TV and two different HDMI cables without success.

The TV was bought on 2006-02-20. Is there a firmware update I could download to see if this will help? Any other suggestions.

I got a response the next day so even though they don't answer the phone, at least they reply to email. Here's what they had to say,

Hello xxx,

Thank you for your email.

This model accepts 1080i max, it will then display as 1080p. The LT-40FH96 will not accept 1080p resolution.

Sincerely,

JVC Service

After sitting in stunned silence for a few seconds, watching my blood start to boil, I composed this reply,

Greetings,

Thank you for the quick, but very disappointing response. I'm faxing this response to the head office since they don't want to hear from customers via email.

So what you're telling me is that I've been lied to by the authorized JVC dealer who sold this to me as a 1080p set, with no mention that it was really a 1080i set in disguise. To say that I'm disgusted at this deception is an understatement.

And I see that JVC is complicit in this deception as evidenced by the fact there is no mention that this set only accepts 1080i on your web site. See the page at:

http://www.jvc.ca/en/consumer/archived-product-detail.asp?model=LT-40FH96

It clearly states, "High Resolution Widescreen (1920 x 1080) Full HD LCD Display".

"Full HD" to me doesn't mean only 1080i in. As far as I'm concerned, I paid a hefty premium for a 1080p set but really only have a 1080i set.

I then searched the online copy of the User Guide at:

http://resources.jvc.com/Resources/00/00/93/YA363ien.pdf

There is no mention that this set is not a true 1080p set, although it does fail to mention 1080p and only talks about 1080i.

Then I searched the Internet and found numerous stories how JVC has not advertised this limitation on the boxes of other sets you made too.

Although I've spent many thousands of dollars buying TVs, VCRs, Tuner/Amps, and DVD players from JVC, essentially you're telling me never to buy another JVC product because I can't believe what the specifications say on the box or manual, or what I'm told by a salesperson (who probably knew better because I bought it from a specialty store, not a big-box retailer).

In my opinion, I've been defrauded. Fortunately, with the power of the Internet, I can publicize this egregious deception.

I'll close by thanking you for the education on how not to get screwed on my next TV purchase, which most definitely will not be a JVC.

Update 2006-06-24:

JVC responds,

Hello xxx,

There's no deception here 1080p sources in 2005 were practically non-existent -- Blu-ray players started to be introduced in the fall of 2006. The LT40FH96 is a 2005 1080p LCD display. Please look at the timeline of HD1080p availability.

I am providing you with links to some useful information:

http://hometheater.about.com/od/televisionbasics/qt/1080ivs1080p.htm
http://blog.hometheatermag.com/geoffreymorrison/0807061080iv1080p/
http://www.hometheatermag.com/gearworks/1106gear/

Let's look at just the text in the first link where it states, "In 1080p, each frame of video is sent or displayed progressively. This means that both the odd and even fields (all 1,080 pixel rows or pixel lines) that make up the full frame are displayed together. This results in a smoother looking image [than 1080i], with less motion artifacts and jagged edges."

So JVC is pointing me to a source of information that clearly states 1080p is better than 1080i, but they hid the fact that my set could not handle a 1080p source. To this day, they're still trying to justify their actions by referring me to content that validates my stance. The arrogance of that is simply stunning.

I buy equipment with an eye to the future. I'm not going to replace a multi-thousand dollar TV every few years, so yes, I expect that 1080p sources would come along and I'd be able to get the best quality then.

But JVC thinks that just because a 1080p source is rare, they can hide the fact that their set is not true 1080p. Why not be up front about it? Because they know that people would just buy the cheaper set.

You know, it's one thing for a company to be caught deceiving their customers, but it's a new low when they try to defend their actions.

We own your life

Original posting 2008-10-23 (see update below): I came across a job advertisement that rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, it may be good for the business and the major shareholders, but it tells you how much they value their employees.

This is from a company called International Datacasting. They were looking for a software developer. It said very little about the job but seemed to be more of a sales pitch. In these tough economic times, they shouldn't have to beg for people unless they don't understand the message their job postings send out.
Like this line,

"And let’s face it, you are going to spend the majority of your day at work, so why not work where you will enjoy what you do and where you really can shape the future of technology."

Wow! The majority of my day at work? Are they nuts? What kind of slave drivers are they?

Let's analyze the situation. Just what do they mean by "day"? Here's a few dictionary definitions,

1. a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time, reckoned from one midnight to the next …
2. the time between sunrise and sunset.
3. the time between waking and sleeping.

Surely they aren't referring to 24 hours … or are they? That means your average day at IDC is over 12 hours long. Geez, I sure hope that doesn't include weekends.

If they mean the time between sunrise and sunset, that's a long day in the summer and a shorter day in the winter. Where IDC is located, in Kanata, Ontario, the longest summer day is from 5 AM to 9 PM or about 16 hours. So a summer day could be just 8 hours and that would fit the "majority" o

f time. But, the shortest amount of time between sunrise and sunset is from about 7:30 AM to about 4:30 PM, or about 9 hours. Surely they don't mean just 4.5 hours as a "majority" of your day.

No, I suspect they aren't referring to definition 2, even with the time before dawn and after dusk.

Well then, are they referring to the time between waking and sleeping? This is

quite variable for each individual, so I doubt that's what they mean. But for amusement, this could mean from say 7 AM to 11 PM. That would be 16 hours. Sounds about right. Equal 8-hour slots for sleeping, working, and everything else.

Naw, not likely. I've worked at several high-tech companies and I know they can pull long hours, and expect you to unless you apply back pressure.

It seems the problem is that, well, we don't know what they mean by "majority of your day." And that's what makes me nervous about these folks.

I wish them luck in finding qualified slaves, er, I mean, employees.

P.S. Uh, they do pay overtime, don't they? Ask that question in your job interview and see their reaction. That will tell you everything you need to know.

Update 2009-04-02: This job ad over at Ciena looks suspiciously familiar. Maybe it's written by the same HR person.

"Let’s be honest, you’re going to spend the majority of your life at work, so you might as well enjoy it. A career at Ciena is unique."

Holy crap! Those were the very first two sentences in their job ad. The majority of my life?!?! What kind of frickin' slave drivers are these guys?

Let's keep it really simple and then do a more detailed calculation. Just on a week to week basis, ignoring statutory holidays and vacation, there are 7 x 24 = 168 hours in a week. Ciena says you will work the majority of that time at work. Uh guys, that's over 84 hours per week — forever.

But that calculation is inaccurate. It's much, much worse.

A male will live to be about 78. I'm sure they only hire people out of university, so let's say you start working at age 22 and retire at age 65. That's 43 working years and 35 non-working years, ignoring summer jobs while attending university.

We want to figure out the number of hours a day they expect you to work so let's start by converting the numbers to days. Someone check my math here.

43 x 365.25 = 15,706 days during your work life and 12,784 days of non-work.

Now move the statutory holidays into the non-working total at about 12 days a year.

43 * 12 = 516 so now we have 15,190 days working life and 13,300 days of non-work.

Figure you start at 3 weeks vacation, 4 weeks after 10 years, 5 weeks after 20 years, 6 weeks after 30 years, 7 weeks after 40 years. This is a joke because nobody stays at the same company for 40+ years and each time you move, you're likely to have your years of service reset. Let's cap it at 5 weeks and figure you change jobs before the 10 years are up. To make it easy, let's assume 14 years in each bracket.

(14 * 3 * 7 ) + (14 * 4 * 7) + (15 * 5 * 7) = 1,211 days of vacation.

Now we're at 13,979 days during your working life and 14,511 non-working days.

Oh, oh. The total available working days is already below the non-working days and I haven't adjusted for weekends yet!

What the hell, let's figure out the weekends too. You deserve it.

43 * 52 * 2 = 4,472 days resulting in 9,507 working days and 18,983 non-working days.

Let's do a sanity check, 9,507 / 43 = 221 working days per year. Yup, that's about right on average.

But the good folks at Ciena expect you to work the majority of your life so of the 28,490 days of your life, they expect you to work at least 14,246 days in your 43 working years. Yes, that's right, working for Ciena means you will be working 331 days a year. But those are 24-hour days!

331 days x 24 hours per day = 7,944 hours per year.

Can you do it and still keep your vacation, and weekends. Sure, if you don't mind working 7,944 / 221 = 36 hours per working day, every friggin' work day of your life. This takes, "work smarter, not harder" to a whole new plane of existence.

How about 7,944 / 365.25 = 21.75 hours per day for every day of your working life?

Clearly, they don't mean what they said about spending the majority of your life at work. I don't even agree with the second sentence, "A career at Ciena is unique." It's not unique, there are sweatshops all over the world.

AMC MovieWatcher Scam

Here is a nasty feedback comment I sent to AMC Theater regarding their otherwise excellent loyalty program called MovieWatcher. You can get a free card, they don't spam you, and you get discounts on movies and food purchases. There was no down side. Or was there?

One problem at the theatre I go to in Ontario is that they are constantly forgetting to credit points to my account. I get a printed receipt with the points on them and the next time I go to a movie and get a card, it shows the same total. They've forgotten again.

Here's what I said, and it's much milder than what I should have said:

Is this the fifth or sixth time I've had to complain about points failing to be posted to my card? Once is an error, twice is amusing, three times is incompetence, six times is fraud.

No organization of your size can "fail" this many times without it being a company policy to cheat customers out of the rewards. If this has happened to me this many times, it must be happening countless times to other customers daily. This kind of insidious, petty theft by your company just shows how much disregard you have for your customers.

Unlike previous times where I politely asked you to investigate the problems with this theatre, I no longer believe this is an accident. I believe this is deliberate theft. Frankly, I don't care if you find this harshly worded. I don't have any respect for thieves.

Don't waste your time replying to this message. I'll go back to the theatre and straighten it out there. And I won't even ask you for compensation for wasting my time since I'm sure you just factor that in as a loss to your overall program of deceit.

Update: And AMC's personalized response:

Dear MovieWatcher Member,

Thank you for contacting AMC MovieWatcher.

At AMC, our guests deserve the best possible movie going experience-which is why we believe you choose AMC to see your favorite films. We want to thank you for coming to our theatres!

Let us know in person. If your experience was enjoyable, then we've done our jobs well and our theatre managers would love to hear from you. Likewise, if you believe AMC has let you down in some way, our managers would appreciate the opportunity to speak personally with you to address any concern immediately. When you are visiting a theatre, don't hesitate to ask for a manager.

Send us a letter. If you'd like to write to us, please send your letter to:

AMC Theatres
P.O. Box 725489
Atlanta, GA 31139-9923

Call our 24/7 guest services toll-free number -
1-877-AMC-4450 (877-262-4450).

AMC chooses these forms of communication with our guests because they have proven to be the most meaningful and effective.

Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

See you at the movies!

Did you get that last part, assuming your weren't laughing so hard the tears in your eyes didn't blur the text too much, "AMC chooses these forms of communication with our guests because they have proven to be the most meaningful and effective."

Wow! These folks are pathetic.