El-Kabong

Oh, and DDD - if you ever actualy read this thread: those outstanding orders I've been trying to communicate with you to get canceled? If they ship, I shall simply reverse the charges with my credit card (costing your company as much money as I can in the process) and simply mark the packages as "return to sender". Your inability to read email will hopefuly run you a bit of change - and perhaps you'll learn from the experiance.

but somehow I doubt it. . . .

Bill Needle

Well, you could call the toll-free number and talk to them personally.

El-Kabong

I could - if I had a phone at work I could use (and anyway, my work ethic says that I should be doing WORK at my job and not running around cleaning up DDD's mess on my bosses dime). Or if I got home in time before their toll free number closes (I'm about half an hour too late).

But I can't do either - so I use the optiion they offer that I *CAN* use.

Goldblum

No one has said this was a malicious event. I will continue to use DDD, and I don't believe I was affected by the website breakdown.

HOWEVER, I think people are completely justified in their concern. Malicious or not, people's accounts were being comprimised. And although no credit card numbers were released (at the time few people knew this), other users had access to their accounts and were able to buy and ship DVDs on this account.

Now DDD did the right thing by cancelling all orders over that weekend. Unfortunately, it took them days to make this statement, and then only did it here on dvdtalk (and perhaps other message boards). The "outrage" most concerned users felt was at this lengthy (time period) delay where outside people had access to their accounts, and I think this outrage is completely justified (and could be considered unacceptable business practice).

Again, DDD did the right (and only) thing by cancelling all orders. Sadly, it took a long time to reach this decision and left many anxious users in the days it took for them to respond (where their accounts were still be accessed by others as they worred).

As I said, I was not affected by this breakdown (as far as I know), and I enjoy DDD's prices and will continue to use their company. Personal attacks would be unjustified (I didn't see any), but legitimate concern, worry, and anger would be completely appropriate under the situation.

Just my $.02.

netresults

For those of you who are monitoring how well DDD has corrected their transaction handling problems, take a look at the most recent posting on the "Dead 10% OFF At DDD" thread in the DVD Bargins forum.
People are stating that they used the 10% code, and it showed up on the DDD website order, but they are having the full price, without the 10% off,being charged to their credit card accounts. It strikes me that a mistake is often correctible, but incompetence is a constant.

NetResults

pilot

nobody really knows where that code came from..right? ..if it was leaked or guessed technically they're not required to honor it ..

if you visit any other forums you would see that quite often, codes are leaked, guessed or incorrectly allowed by e-tailers for various things and most often they're cancelled ..if people are using the 10% off code emailed to people who had a problem last week and they hadn't placed an order during the problem then technically they're not entitled to a discount..now DDD should have set those limitations, but regardless...they shouldn't get something they're not suppose to .. on other forums I visit, on a semi daily (maybe weekly) basis of e-tailers cancel peoples orders for incorrectly trying to take advantage of them due to glitches, trickery or just plain mistakes by the e-tailer ..the problem is people think they're required to get stuff for free or at discounts because of a screw up .. but most (probably all) have little disclaimers stating they're not responsible for misprices/etc..

netresults

Well, I saw it on PC World's, daily bargins site, for 10/17/04. This makes it look like it was not a leak, and besides if they are going to process it on the original order, but do not want to honor it, then they most certainly should be required to at least notify the customer of that, and give them the chance to decide if they still want the order processed at full charge, without a discount. To just go ahead and charge the account, without first getting the consent of the customer, is indictive of a culture that appears to put little effort into communications with their customer base. They seem to have no grasp of the concept, that when one find's oneself in a hole, the first thing to do is: Stop Digging.

NetResults

pilot

true, but has anyone actually been charged for the full amount? ..or is it all pure speculation at the moment?

there is always the possability of refunding (automatically) the difference, or issuing some sort of credit if their coupon incorrectly charges people the right amount ..from what I read in that thread, one person has a "temp charge" of the full amount..but nobody's order has actually shipped or been charged? ..

netresults

There is always the possibility of countless imagined scenarios in situations where the party best able to clarify the situations,namely the vendor, appears to function like an E-mute.

NetResults

pilot

maybe, but yet again, it's all speculation as to if they'll charge full price with orders placed with that code, and if someone guessed a code based on a similar previous one, or something along those lines, and people to used it, technically they're not required to give the discount ..i guess we'll wait and see the fallout

netresults

..i guess we'll wait and see the fallout [/B][/QUOTE]

DDD seems to have perfected the ability to leave consumers in an uninformed guessing, and wait and see frame of mind. Why do they have email tools, if they are going to behave like E-mutes. Someone, in an earlier posting, urged a frustrated customer to use DDD's phone service.. Why should he have to. They accept orders online: they confirm them online: They process the charges online: but they can not effectively communicate or respond to communications online!.
While you seem to enjoy speculating about what might or might not transpire, I, for one, want to engage only in transparent, informed, secure, and consistent Ecommerce transactions.

NetResults

pilot

then shop at amazon, and spent alot more money

netresults

I do, and I would say it is safe to assume from your response, that for low prices you will accept shoddy business practices. I hope that you don't live to regret it. I would like to continue to buy from DDD, but nothing I have seen about how they have gone about restoring confidence in the past week, including this coupon cloud, has done anything to make me feel like venturing back yet. I will stay on the sidelines until I see how things transpire with others, such as those who went for the coupon thing. I view them as my canarys in the coal mines. By the way, I don't see why lower prices and secure business practices, with good communications, have to be mutually exclusive. Demand both, and DDD will have to respond, or perish.

NetResults

pilot

I've never once had any problem with DDD ..because of an unfortunate incident I won't stop purchasing from them, but I use many other retailers as well as DDD...I'll go where I save $ ..that's what *most* people want I imagine. how many people have responded here on dvdtalk about how they'll never purchase again? a dozen? two dozen maybe? ..how many thousands of customers do they have? ..obviously what happened shouldn't have happened, and if they lose 200 customers, it’s not the end of the world, but they fixed the problem (although it took too long)..everybody has varying degree's of tolerance for "problems" that may arise, and most (again I would think) are going where they are saving money. it was irritating and inconvenient what happened, but it's not the end of DDD...

i believe a year ago (maybe a few months ago?) ago there was a problem at amazon where personal information was being displayed by accident..i'm sure there was some pissed off people then ..but they got over it .. every company has problems..

Laser Movies

You are correct that DDD is not required to give the discount, but they cannot charge more than what was authorized when placing the order. They would have to either cancel or honor the discounted price. Otherwise they are asking to have the charges disputed.



I do and save money over DDD's prices on most orders. I haven't ordered much from DDD since the 20% off sale since a better deal can often be had elsewhere. I found using coupons and other cost saving methods at other online stores will usually beat DDD.




Have a link to back this claim up? I don't remember that happening. Also if it did I don't think Amazon would have kept the site going 48 hours later. Amazon is far from perfect but they usually make up for a situation with their first rate customer service. In comparison DDD customer service can be erratic at times.

pilot

Originally posted by LASERMOVIES

true they can't charge more than they've said they would, but they haven't actually charged anyone yet correct? everyone is just speculating that they're going to charge full prices..

that's good..i never said DDD beats everyone (CH is a good way to get shit cheap, but lets not go there)..I just said they were cheap and people want to save money.

do not have a link, but I believe it had to do with their marketplace or something along those lines..but I'm not positive..and I do not know how long there was a "problem" before they fixed it..I was only using it as an example of other "big" retailers having problems..

but here's a link unrelated to what I was thinking of from 2001 (getting hacked, or mistakenly let other people see personal information)

http://news.com.com/2100-1017_3-253601.html

Amazon/Bibliofind.com
Egghead.com
Travelocity.com
Columbia House http://news.com.com/2100-1023_3-252926.html

shit happens to other companies as well..DDD wasn't hacked, (at least they hadn't confirmed..some people did report seeing weird messages).

El-Kabong

But this is a LOT more than one unfortunate incident. The information leak, the coupon snafu, the delay in shipping after the meltdown, and the complete lack of response to E-Mail concerns, all stretched out over the span of a week. Any one of these I might be willing to forgive or overlook - but the complete incompitance on DDD's part over the last 10 days or so speaks volumes to me. Sorry, but as it stands now DDD is coming across like a bunch of ham-fisted morons who cant be bothered with "these pesky customers".

Sure Amazon might be a bit more, but it seems that you get what you pay for.

pilot

it's all related to the information leak ...it would seem to me they are still having problems, and are having trouble resolving them..even though all of this, i see no reason to not respond via email..i guess it comes down to who is willing to put up with whatever problems they're having until they solve them to save some money..

netresults

"Whatever problems they're having". Do you know the up to date specifics on the problems you make reference to. I sure would like to know chapter and verse. If they are not willing to communicate to all of their customer base via Email, here's an elementary communication tool that they could have been employing, but of course it would require them to take the customer's need to know into consideration, just a simple on site bulletin board, which spelled out chapter and verse in an ongoing way, what happened, where things are at now, and what immediate, and intermediate steps they are taking to rectify the problem or problems. If they can put updated product details on their homepage, why not a problem alert, and information bulletin space. Then, at least, those who look in on the site, would have some information about what is going on, and would not be feeling like orphans in a storm. Can this bunch even spell Public Relations!.

NetResults

pilot

I am not employed by them nor do I have any affiliation with DDD. I have no specifics as to their problems, only speculating, but I imagine they are having problems though. If there were no problems, orders would be shipping (quicker?) than they are now.(pre 10-8 speed/service). I doubt any of their problems are intentional.

netresults

Well, when even you, one of their most ardent advocates, is reduced to a statement like that, as all you are left with, a doubt that it was intentional: I rest my case. Of course it wasn't intentional. It was business malpractice as the by product of incompetence, which lead to a reckless real time online software migration. I still affirm that mistakes are correctable but incompetence is terminal.
Crisis management is when you find out who is made of the real stuff.
I have not got an inkling during the past week that this vendor's staff has even a nano speck of the right stuff.

NetResults

Ginwen

Geez man, you have like 50 posts and 30+ of them must be on DDD. As far as I can tell, you weren't even directly impacted by any of this.

It's simple. If you don't like a retailer, or think they're doing a good job, you shouldn't shop there. If you do shop there, you need to realize that if you do have problems, there email support sucks--I always call. If these things don't work for you, you should definitely take your business elsewhere.

netresults

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ginwen
[B]Geez man, you have like 50 posts and 30+ of them must be on DDD. As far as I can tell, you weren't even directly impacted by any of this.

All registered customers of DDD were impacted. When a site exposes confidential data to others, no one can tell for sure who was or was not impacted. Just because someone doesn't have their identity data show up immediately in some scam, doesn't mean it will not down the road. I read a post from another reqistered DDD customer who was concerned that since someone might have seen all his past purchases, and had access to his complete address it might tempt someone to go after his very extensive and expensive DVD library while he was at work, since someone might have noticed who happened to live within a few hours of him Far fetched, yes. But not outside the realm of possibility. Identity theft scammers are very creative once they have an initial hunk of personnal profile. My Name, address, phone no. Email, CC Vendor and last four digits of number, all my previous orders, even the prompt reminder for my password were available to be seen. Who knows what foundation someone could lay with that, to start completing a full profile. I am posting remarks, as I see fit, to engage in a constructive anatomy of a screw-up. I was a long time purchaser from DDD and would like to become one again. All I am trying to get across is that so far they are not keeping us customers informed in a reasonable manner. Kindly go count someone else's posts, perhaps even your own, and leave the province of my free speech in my hands.

NetResults

X

NetResults,

I'm curious as to the source/meaning of your username. Can you clue me in?

Ginwen

I looked at your post count because you seemed more like a shill than a real poster(or kind of an anti-shill]. So I was curious if you ever posted on anything else. Your profile still looks like a shill more or less, btw: registered right after this issue came up, post almost exclusively on this topic (and bring it up in other topics), disparaging people who aren't worried, etc.

If you say so. It seems to me more like you are just trying to keep things inflamed. I thought maybe you worked for this company NetResults, which may be a competitor of the people setting up the website for DDD. I don't know if this is against the rules, but if it is kind of dishonest to not mention that fact.

You have raised some legitimate points, but to me, you just come across more as someone with an agenda rather than the interested bystander you are presenting yourself as.