Fastmail support vs. ...

splustest · 21 May 2003, 08:03 AM

For those (few) upset with Fastmail support and for those who need real-life farce I submit the following. Basically, trying to "Send" (or pretty much do anything besides reading email) in my Yahoo account stopped working around 2 PM Sunday after forwarding 400 emails from my Yahoo account to my work account for archiving. It had done that once before and after a few days it started working again. This is just a short excerpt, starting with my latest reply (time-reverse sequence):

Unbelievable - just WHERE does it say the problem has been resolved.
The problem still exists.

Dale

> Hello,
>
> Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Mail.
>
> We're glad to hear that your problem has been resolved. If there is
> anything else that we can help you with, please let us know.
>
> Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care.
>
> Regards,
>
> Yahoo! Customer Care
>
> Original Message Follows (from Dale):
> -------------------------
>
> NO. JavaScript is a TERRIBLE experience. I did not need to enable
> JavaScript before, I should not need to do it now and I will not.
>
> You told me the exact same thing before and once you finally fixed
> the real problem (without admitting it), everything worked fine again.
> This reference to JavaScript is just a red herring in an attempt to
> ignore the real problem you have introduced.
>
> Dale
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Mail.
> >
> > In order to have the best experience in Yahoo! Mail, you will need to
> > enable JavaScript in your browser preferences. If your browser does not
> >
> > [lines deleted telling how to turn on Javascript.]
> >
> > Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Yahoo! Customer Care
> >
> > Original Message Follows (from Dale):
> > -------------------------
> >
> > No, this does not work.

[ Remaining 150 lines of back and forth deleted - somewhat ridiculous,
but no need to waste more space. ]

fastashell · 21 May 2003, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by splustest
For those (few) upset with Fastmail support and for those who need real-life farce I submit the following. Basically, trying to "Send" (or pretty much do anything besides reading email) in my Yahoo account stopped working around 2 PM Sunday

.......

Yahoo Support is an oxymoron.

I have had a couple of experiences with their so called support. The final one, before discarding my Yahoo account as my main email account, was when I asked a question about their obviously very buggy "filter" system. The best they could do was a canned reply which, among other totally irrelevant drivel, told me how I could cancel my account. Great!

At the other end of the scale is Fastmail. On the two occasions I've dealt with their support it's been fast, personal and accurate.
I know where my main email address is staying. Yahoo address is now little more than a spam trap.

541 · 21 May 2003, 01:35 PM

Well that's what you get for thinking that Yahoo! had real support.

Now if you upgrade to Yahoo! Mail Plus.....

fastashell · 21 May 2003, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 541
Well that's what you get for thinking that Yahoo! had real support.

Now if you upgrade to Yahoo! Mail Plus.....

Sure, and I have this nice bridge here you might want to buy ...........

bitequator · 21 May 2003, 03:48 PM

I have like 5 YMPlus accts (25-100MB each), most just waiting for expiration to be put out to pasture (can't afford to pay them and FM and other accts since many are not being used). Not to mention oher stuff like premium Yahoo Briefcase storage, etc (I used to think Yahoo's all there is heh)

It would be good if Yahoo bulks up their support dept for paying users. They do have good online help for introductory info. And actually I remember once or twice getting personally replied emails, fluke

But their billing dept (even by phone) is reachable for billing issues...

Malc 44 · 21 May 2003, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fastashell
Yahoo Support is an oxymoron.

At the other end of the scale is Fastmail. On the two occasions I've dealt with their support it's been fast, personal and accurate.
I know where my main email address is staying. Yahoo address is now little more than a spam trap.

And the reason that FM support works so well is that most of the queries are dealt with by other users of FM/EMD who are keen to find the answer to a problem before anyone else.

It's like a challenge, and we all help each other. That's good, because it leaves Jeremy, Rob and co to get stuck into the more important issues, and they only need to get involved here if the problem cannot be resolved by ourselves.

Keep up the good work guys!

Malc

admiralu · 23 May 2003, 02:57 AM

Yahoo just sends forms. They don't read the queries most times. FM support rocks!!

oysterquartz · 23 May 2003, 11:08 PM

Keep in mind that Yahoo! has something like 100,000,000 users (the vast majority free!). Its not really fair to compare the two now is it

As for me, I am a paid subscriber to FM, Runbox, Mailsnare and Oddpost, and would have to say that based on my experiences, and despite its many great attributes, FM's support is less responsive than the other three.

That said, when one can get Rob's or Jeremy's attention, and they focus on the issue, it gets resolved quite well.

oysterquartz · 23 May 2003, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Malc 44
And the reason that FM support works so well is that most of the queries are dealt with by other users of FM/EMD who are keen to find the answer to a problem before anyone else.

It's like a challenge, and we all help each other. That's good, because it leaves Jeremy, Rob and co to get stuck into the more important issues, and they only need to get involved here if the problem cannot be resolved by ourselves.

Keep up the good work guys!

Malc

Yes, these forums are great. But ultimately, for a system issue (and not just a faqs or informative response) only official FM support can do the job ....

Community support can only take you so far, even if its as good as that found in these forums.

**DBH** · 23 May 2003, 11:29 PM

With the addition of kurianja, response time will most likely improve.

kurianja · 24 May 2003, 12:19 AM

I too hope so, DBH

Kurian

splustest · 24 May 2003, 01:09 AM

Kurian,

We welcome your support

Update:
I decided to at least try turning on JavaScript
for my Yahoo problem. It still didn't forward the
message (and really appeared to garble it). I
replied to Yahoo saying turning JavaScript on
didn't help.

Guess what they replied?

"In order to have the best experience in Yahoo!
Mail, you will need to enable JavaScript..."

Will someone please turn out their lights?

**DBH** · 24 May 2003, 01:24 AM

Ya gotta love them automated messages!

Brian11480 · 24 May 2003, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by splustest
Kurian,

We welcome your support

Update:
I decided to at least try turning on JavaScript
for my Yahoo problem. It still didn't forward the
message (and really appeared to garble it). I
replied to Yahoo saying turning JavaScript on
didn't help.

Guess what they replied?

"In order to have the best experience in Yahoo!
Mail, you will need to enable JavaScript..."

Will someone please turn out their lights?

It's probably Yahoo's fault, they likely limit their empolyees ability to reply to a limited number of "form letters". I work for a gov't agency and we have to use form letters all the time. On some occasions we can tweak them, but a lot of the time we have use forms that just don't quite deliver the right message. I hate it and it frustrates me probably as much as it frustrates the ones getting the form letters. It has a lot to do with the fact that as a gov agency we have limited resources and don't have the ability to right an original letter each time. Also, the use of form letters, allows for consistency and makes sure that poorly worded letters don't get out, but I still hate form letter, I just now understand both perspectives (givng and recieiving), but Yahoo is a commercial enitiy and needs to better as business. Or it risks losing business.

splustest · 24 May 2003, 02:16 PM

Considering the massive amounts of mail they must get - especially when things aren't working correctly, I agree it is difficult. I agree with DBH, this is an automated response. Even given a limited number of form responses a real person would be allowed, these last couple couldn't have really been done by a live human being. (Which makes it more fun to tear them apart - sort of - in case a real person ever does end up reading them.)

21 May 2003, 08:03 AM	#1
splustest Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 164	Fastmail support vs. ... For those (few) upset with Fastmail support and for those who need real-life farce I submit the following. Basically, trying to "Send" (or pretty much do anything besides reading email) in my Yahoo account stopped working around 2 PM Sunday after forwarding 400 emails from my Yahoo account to my work account for archiving. It had done that once before and after a few days it started working again. This is just a short excerpt, starting with my latest reply (time-reverse sequence): Unbelievable - just WHERE does it say the problem has been resolved. The problem still exists. Dale > Hello, > > Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Mail. > > We're glad to hear that your problem has been resolved. If there is > anything else that we can help you with, please let us know. > > Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care. > > Regards, > > Yahoo! Customer Care > > Original Message Follows (from Dale): > ------------------------- > > NO. JavaScript is a TERRIBLE experience. I did not need to enable > JavaScript before, I should not need to do it now and I will not. > > You told me the exact same thing before and once you finally fixed > the real problem (without admitting it), everything worked fine again. > This reference to JavaScript is just a red herring in an attempt to > ignore the real problem you have introduced. > > Dale > > > Hello, > > > > Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Mail. > > > > In order to have the best experience in Yahoo! Mail, you will need to > > enable JavaScript in your browser preferences. If your browser does not > > > > [lines deleted telling how to turn on Javascript.] > > > > Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care. > > > > Regards, > > > > Yahoo! Customer Care > > > > Original Message Follows (from Dale): > > ------------------------- > > > > No, this does not work. [ Remaining 150 lines of back and forth deleted - somewhat ridiculous, but no need to waste more space. ]

23 May 2003, 02:57 AM	#7
admiralu Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 442	Yahoo Support Yahoo just sends forms. They don't read the queries most times. FM support rocks!!

21 May 2003, 01:35 PM	#3
541 Essential Contributor Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 277	Well that's what you get for thinking that Yahoo! had real support. Now if you upgrade to Yahoo! Mail Plus.....

21 May 2003, 03:48 PM	#5
bitequator The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: USA Posts: 2,978	I have like 5 YMPlus accts (25-100MB each), most just waiting for expiration to be put out to pasture (can't afford to pay them and FM and other accts since many are not being used). Not to mention oher stuff like premium Yahoo Briefcase storage, etc (I used to think Yahoo's all there is heh) It would be good if Yahoo bulks up their support dept for paying users. They do have good online help for introductory info. And actually I remember once or twice getting personally replied emails, fluke But their billing dept (even by phone) is reachable for billing issues...

23 May 2003, 11:08 PM	#8
oysterquartz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Athens Posts: 2,402	Keep in mind that Yahoo! has something like 100,000,000 users (the vast majority free!). Its not really fair to compare the two now is it As for me, I am a paid subscriber to FM, Runbox, Mailsnare and Oddpost, and would have to say that based on my experiences, and despite its many great attributes, FM's support is less responsive than the other three. That said, when one can get Rob's or Jeremy's attention, and they focus on the issue, it gets resolved quite well.

23 May 2003, 11:29 PM	#10
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	With the addition of kurianja, response time will most likely improve.

24 May 2003, 12:19 AM	#11
kurianja Master of the @ Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 1,395 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	I too hope so, DBH Kurian

24 May 2003, 01:09 AM	#12
splustest Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 164	Kurian, We welcome your support Update: I decided to at least try turning on JavaScript for my Yahoo problem. It still didn't forward the message (and really appeared to garble it). I replied to Yahoo saying turning JavaScript on didn't help. Guess what they replied? "In order to have the best experience in Yahoo! Mail, you will need to enable JavaScript..." Will someone please turn out their lights?

24 May 2003, 01:24 AM	#13
DBH Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,533	Ya gotta love them automated messages!

24 May 2003, 02:16 PM	#15
splustest Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 164	Considering the massive amounts of mail they must get - especially when things aren't working correctly, I agree it is difficult. I agree with DBH, this is an automated response. Even given a limited number of form responses a real person would be allowed, these last couple couldn't have really been done by a live human being. (Which makes it more fun to tear them apart - sort of - in case a real person ever does end up reading them.)