May 29, 2008, 10:27 AM — May we vent for a minute? Much as we love technology, sometimes we get fed up with the companies that provide it. Maybe it's the notice saying that important features of our perfectly good money-management software no longer work just because it's a couple of years old. Maybe it's the new PC we just bought, so loaded with unwanted junkware that it takes minutes to boot and runs like molasses. Or maybe it's the way we're forced to switch to a certain behind-the-times carrier if we want to buy a certain way-cool phone. (Oh, and that fairly new operating system we don't like, don't want, and can't escape? Don't even go there.)
Yeah, we're fed up, all right. And we're not the only ones: We surveyed readers at PCWorld.com and found that you've had your fill of such annoying policies and practices as well. (Be sure to see more on the results of our informal poll.) Hoping for a little retribution--or at least some explanations--we went knocking on the doors of Apple, Intuit, Sony, Symantec, and other perpetrators of bad behavior. We didn't always receive good answers (or sometimes any answer--Apple didn't bother to return our calls), but we did put these companies on notice: Annoyed customers frequently turn into ex-customers.
Who got served? Here's our list of some of the most annoying practices (and practitioners), along with suggestions for working around the hassles or avoiding them altogether.
Software sunset policies
Major offenders: Intuit, Microsoft
The problem: For Quicken 2005 users, April 30 must have been an incredibly annoying day. That's when Intuit pulled the plug on that version of its money manager, in accordance with the company's discontinuation policy (also known as sunsetting). Consequently, owners of that product can no longer use Intuit's online bill-pay services, download financial data from their banks, access Quicken.com investing features, get live technical support--shall we go on? Sure, the software still functions, but with only a fraction of its former capabilities. Your sole recourse is to upgrade to a newer version with features you may not want, an interface you don't recognize, and other changes. On your dime.
What gives? Why can't you keep using the software you already know, love, and paid for? To hear Intuit tell it, out with the old and in with the new. "Retirement of online services and live support in older versions of Intuit desktop products allows Intuit to focus its resources on innovation and resources for current and new offerings," says company rep Jodi Reinman. Microsoft Money--Quicken's biggest competitor--sunsets even faster, after just two years, and a Microsoft spokesperson offered us a very similar explanation.
In plain English, it costs a company money to maintain and support older products--and of course, someone who is using one of those products isn't spending money on a new one. Sorry, but we can't sympathize. Just as Windows XP users want the option of keeping their OS instead of having to invest in Vista, finance-software users want more than two or three years' worth of functionality from their programs.
The fix: Unfortunately, you can't do much about sunset policies if you want to use the software. Web-based alternatives such as Mint.com, Mvelopes, and Quicken Online aren't nearly as full-featured, and all but Mint.com charge monthly fees, so you're not much better off financially than you would be by upgrading every few years. In the meantime, if you're a Quicken 2008 user, mark your calendar for April 30, 2011--the likely discontinuation date for that version.
Rebate runarounds
Major offenders: Buy.com, Office Depot
The problem: An oldie but goodie. You buy a sweet little home-office laser printer that costs all of $49--after a $50 rebate, that is. After filling out and mailing in the paperwork, you wait four to six weeks: nothing. You wait another two weeks: still nothing. Finally you realize that your $49 printer has cost $99 after all. Welcome to the rebate runaround.
Horror stories about Buy.com rebates involving Wintergreen Systems and the now-defunct Connect3D abound. Office Depot, meanwhile, had the most gripes on Rebate Report Card at press time. But even small, reputable firms can incur a customer's wrath when a rebate goes sour.
