Well...I'm done with your company now

[Mechamorph]

I don't have any big companies on my blacklist, mainly because I am the sort of guy who shops via word of mouth and I have been pretty lucky so far. However there is one particular Chinese restaurant I will never patronize under any circumstance.

I visited it for dinner with my parents, taking them out for a meal. All the smaller tables were taken up and when we asked to be seated, they directed us to a makeshift table in an alleyway next to the toilet which stank due to its proximity with the toilet and an open sewer grate. Declining we asked if we could just take one of the bigger tables in front. Sure they were meant for 6-8 people but there were no customers seated there and it was still very early in the dinner time slot. They hemmed and hawed and then seated us. We waited for service, none came. No menus, no waiter nothing. Then one of the waitstaff came to ask us if we would mind sharing the table with another couple that just walked in. We agreed since our table was pretty empty. Again all of us sat there in awkward silence as the waitstaff ignored us. This was not due to a heavy dinner crowd. In fact, all this time about half a dozen of them were standing by the counter having a natter and generally standing around. I all but press-ganged a passing waiter and he claimed he did not take orders. When I asked to see his manager, he pointed to one of the women in the knot of staff just standing around and chatting while we went hungry. After a few more minutes of futilely attempting to get any service, we simply left. The other couple looked at us blankly and walked out of the restaurant too. Even today when people ask me if that restaurant is any good, my answer is that they think they're too good for the likes of us.

 

[Azure23]

Paypal. Fuck paypal.

These assholes really have it in for adult performers. They routinely issue chargebacks if they even suspect a transaction was adult-oriented and will seize assets and freeze accounts at the drop of hat. Fuck paypal.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

I usually agree with a lot of these stories but you're just wrong. He has accounted for giving out change. He doesn't need to account for you wanting specific change. Taking large bills is a headache for a smaller store all the time. And if there is no bank nearby where you could get your correct change, it means he may have to make extra trips because you're lazy. He's absolutely correct that he is not a bank. Also, you escalated the situation when he said no. And you have the grumpy toned, piece of shit attitude in this transaction, not him.

I didn't care if he gave me change or not (Even though every other worker was cool enough to do it in the past). The tone is what pissed me off. You'd have to hear it to really get a good feel for it, but it was pretty much a "Get the fuck out of here" kind of tone. Which was what got me bothered by it. I admit I didn't need to say anything afterwards. But you know the way those grumpy old fucks talk to people in retail stores? The ones with the complex that they're above you at all times? Yeah, it was pretty much that. Doesn't justify my response, but, meh.

I wasn't there, so I don't know what kind of tone any of that was said in, but running out of change is a real pain in the butt. If he thought like me, he probably didn't want to start something, particularly if it was early in the day and/or the guy who's meant to replace the change in the register wasn't in the habit of making himself easily available.

I guess so, yeah. I mean, I know the feeling, for the most part. But if it was such a big deal, maybe there should have been a store wide policy? I got change just fine for 6 months. The one time I deal with the owner and it's suddenly an issue. Just felt really ass backwards and was a bit of a shock. Maybe he had a bad day, but the general rule for customer service is to not respond like a dick. And he responded like a dick. So I did back. Which, of course, doesn't make it better

This actually might be the case from time to time due to the fact that if you actually needed the change he should be inclined to give it to you, however, sometimes businesses do run out of change, I don't know what it's like over there but over here you actually need to pay the bank to turn your cash into change.

It's free to do so where I live

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Snip

Here, I edited my post to add this. Thought it might be worth adding to the discussion.

"I certainly wasn't in the right to respond that way. I know that. But when the owner of the store, regardless of what I asked for, gets the basic fundamentals of custom service wrong... Then that's why I refuse to go to your store. A simple "Sorry, the others shouldn't be doing that. I can't do that for you" would have left me with understanding. Getting a grumpy old fuck responding to me with a poor tone is NOT how you handle a customer question/request. And that is why I decided to not go back"

 

[Dalisclock]

Currys PC World.

Ever since those two branding merged (thanks Dixons), shit hits the fan. PC World was fine because they had staff who knew what they were doing. Now the majority of staff are just target driven and don't really listen to the customers. Their "Knowhow" system is horse shit!!

So they got my laptop for me and process my order. The first story was at the time I didn't know much about PCs.

Seller: Here we are. For an extra £30 we can set up the laptop for you, if you like?
Me: No thank you. I can set it up myself.
Seller: How can you set it up yourself when your Laptop has no CD drive.
Me: Can't I download the software and put in the code?
Seller: No. Only the CD. I will also install any apps into the laptop because no laptop comes with them pre-installed.

Wait? How does it take 6 hours to do a basic install from a CD? Is this the slowest CD drive in the history of the world? That would have been the first clue these guys were up to something.

And while I don't know how old this laptop was, couldn't you get a portable CD drive, hook it in and install it that way?

 

[Thyunda]

Anything that has to ship overseas, because I refuse to use the HMRC overseas thing, here in the UK. They add a BS charge on things that you've already paid shipping on, and then add VAT to that charge. And then the postal service literally won't bring you the item anyway; they sneak up quietly to your door and put a 'Nobody was home' note in your letter box. And then when you go to collect the item you've paid for twice, they add another made-up charge for 'Storage' because it failed to be delivered. A charge which they then add extra VAT on to.

My family in Scotland once sent me a birthday card. They didn't put a stamp on it, so I had to pay to collect it. There was no money in it. And it was an 18th Birthday card. I was 21.

I blame Royal Mail for all of that.

 

[IOwnTheSpire]

Paypal just screwed a friend of mine over, same friend who incidentally works at a walmart, which is the only decent place in town to get blu-rays. If I don't feel like ordering of Amazon anyways.

I will say, there is one restaurant in Regina called Cravings that my family will never go back to, I ordered an Iced tea to drink, as is my usual, drank it within 30 seconds, waited patiently for a refill that never came.

When the waitress was questioned as to why I never got one, I was told it for pop only, and when asked why the hell that was, a manager happened to walk by and yelled out something about Iced Tea being to expensive. uh huh. Right. I paid 4 bucks for a lgass of Iced Tea that was half ice, and it was because its to expensive. uh huh. I think, staring at a 2 litre bottle I bought for a dollar from literally ANYWHERE THAT SELLS ICED TEA.

So if you're ever in Regina, SK NEVER go to Cravings.

Hmm, I live in Regina and have never heard of that place. Maybe that's for the best.

 

[Aesir23]

I absolutely refuse to go to Wal-Mart since they fired my mother. Primarily because the situation surrounding it is far too suspicious for my taste.

My mother had been working at Wal-Mart for 10 years and the management had already done a few shitty things to her but she still got glowing evaluations and her coworkers seemed to like her well enough. Around this time there was a lot of renovation going on in the store and the guy assigned as the store manager was already pretty incompetent. However, he managed to go 20% over the budget for the renovations and then proceeded to cut hours for the other employees along with denying them their Christmas bonus. Shortly thereafter my mother was fired for "making too many mistakes" even though they'd offered her a management position a few weeks before.

The part that really ticks me off besides all of that is that the store manager responsible for the whole mess continued to run the store into the ground for months afterwards and then was only demoted.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I guess maybe this UK eletronic store Maplin but I have no bad blood with them per say, just awkwardness.

You see I did work experienced for them and while the experience was mostly alright (you really need to know your tech knowledge if you're going to work there), I just feel awkward going back in there after my work experience despite it has been years ago (I'm pretty sure they forgot about me now). Granted it is that specific store so I would be fine going to any other Maplin elsewhere.

 

[Parasondox]

Currys PC World.

Ever since those two branding merged (thanks Dixons), shit hits the fan. PC World was fine because they had staff who knew what they were doing. Now the majority of staff are just target driven and don't really listen to the customers. Their "Knowhow" system is horse shit!!

So they got my laptop for me and process my order. The first story was at the time I didn't know much about PCs.

Seller: Here we are. For an extra £30 we can set up the laptop for you, if you like?
Me: No thank you. I can set it up myself.
Seller: How can you set it up yourself when your Laptop has no CD drive.
Me: Can't I download the software and put in the code?
Seller: No. Only the CD. I will also install any apps into the laptop because no laptop comes with them pre-installed.

Wait? How does it take 6 hours to do a basic install from a CD? Is this the slowest CD drive in the history of the world? That would have been the first clue these guys were up to something.

And while I don't know how old this laptop was, couldn't you get a portable CD drive, hook it in and install it that way?

They said because it didnt come with a CD drive, they had to download several software into the laptop. It was an Asus x501A so it was still new. They said cause it was an Asus it would take 6 hours. Bullshit cause it only too 1 hour and I have shit internet.

They lied like a mother fucker.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

the only company i've ever blacklisted is gamestop... such poor excuses for employies working at the one i have nearest to me. last time i went there (which was like 8 years ago or so) the manager who was one of only two people on shift for some reason, went to get a game they were out of stock of at their location from the EB store that Gsmestop now owns that was about 5 minutes walk away in the same mall that my gamestop is in. should have taken no more then 10 minutes at most depending on foot traffic and how crowded the EB store was. but he didn't come back for almost 25 minutes later.. and why? because he was apparently outside the store flirting with some (admittedly hot) punk chick who wasn't interested in him instead of doing his job.. and that that was the last time i ever went there. never again and i always tell people to avoid doing business with gamestop at all costs. they've also sold me scratched discs. games that were suppose to be new but were in fact used and messed up, empty game cases and other crap too. this was just the final straw.. i only bought from the mas long as i did because there was no other way to get games for so long unless i wanted to travel to walmart

 

[CrystalShadow]

Edit:

Then there's paypal. Paypal completely screwed me over after I moved to the point I don't really want anything to do with them anymore.
As I quickly found out though, trying to avoid paypal while buying stuff online is getting increasingly difficult.
So I caved on that as well, begrudgingly.
Isn't it fun when a company that has totally pissed you off has such a stranglehold you pretty much can't avoid them? ~sigh~

Could I ask what happened with Paypal? I've always had a pretty positive perception of them. Only positive experiences, at any rate.

Huh. Didn't get a notification for this.
Well, anyway, I don't know if it's fair to blame paypal specifically, because this is a common issue along several groups. (I've had similar issues with steam and google too, though less... Frustrating.)

Basically, I move fairly often in my life. Long distances.
I set up a paypal account in the UK. It was tied to my UK bank account & credit card.

Then I moved to Australia.

I kept my UK bank account/cards, but told my UK bank I had an Australian mailing address. The bank was fine with that.

When I first got to Australia, paypal was fine with it too. Until suddenly... It wasn't, and insisted I couldn't enter any address that wasn't a UK mailing address.

I live in Australia. I have no UK adddress. My accounts with a UK bank are registered to an Australian Address.

I cannot register my UK cards and accounts correctly, because they are registered to an australian address.
Paypal refuses the Australian address.
My bank would reject anything not giving my address details correctly.

End result? I can no longer get money into or out of my paypal account.
Their suggested solution? Close the account and open a new one.
Even though there was money in that account and literally no way to get it out... >_<

Oh, and of course, steam and online shops refuse to accept you paying with a paypal account registered to a different country than they think you are in... >_<

So... Yeah.

As for other things:
Steam got confused, and would switch between UK and Australian stores and policies arbitrarily on me for quite a few months. (none of my games broke, thankfully, and different prices aside it had little effect. Until I tried using a paypal account to pay for something... >_<)

Google just assumed I was still in the UK for purposes of google play, even though I was using a device purchased in Australia, with Australian specific firmware, and location data saying I was in Australia.
They didn't care, and just behaved as if I was in the UK. Which was fine, until I needed to install an app that's only available to Australians.
Took some effort to switch that account around, but once I did, it was now set to Australia, and it's all fine.
That's a minor irritation, not an actual problem.

For similar reasons, I have to keep my Wii U set to 'UK' to avoid causing issues with it, but again, it just works. They don't actually check that you really are in the UK, so it's just an odd quirk, and for digital downloads I need to pay attention to UK release schedules rather than Australian ones.

But paypal? Oh no. No, their solution is basically to nuke my account, forget about whatever might be in it, and start a new one.
Yeah. Thanks.
They were also about 100 times more difficult about some changes to my personal details than any bank I've ever dealt with. Which was fun too.
Bank? OK, show us the paperwork about this, and it'll be fine.
Paypal? Show us the paperwork. And a scan of your passport. And your birth certificate, and proof of several other things and we may consider changing your details... If you're lucky...

Basically, never have to make any major changes to your account details, and you might get away with thinking paypal is fine.
If you do however, You'll be wishing you were dealing with a bank instead for all the headaches paypal gives you.

 

[NoX 9]

A Norwegian company Komplett.no that sells PCs... I bought a PC from them that they built for me, and it was the shittiest PC and customer experience of my life so far... When I initially got it there was a fault with the motherboard which caused constant crashing, so i sent it back. After 2 weeks they got around to repairing it and returned it to me, but after just 4 more weeks I started experiencing some issues with crashing again and it turns out the graphics card was damaged too. Looked like they had given me previously used (but at least up-to-date) hardware. 2 more weeks and this was fixed, and in the next 2 years I had the PC the water cooling started leaking 3 times, the last time I didn't even bother sending it in again. The second time I did try to send it in, and I got it back with a horrible macgyver fix and them telling me they no longer carried the parts needed.

Got my tech-savvy friend to build me a new PC after the 3rd time the water cooling started leaking, and this one is incredible. Never ever going to spend my money in that place ever again... Aparently most people have decent experiences with them, but what can I say; putting previously used hardware in my brand new and stupidly expensive PC is NOT cool.

 

[verdant monkai]

Those companies sound well American mate.

I'm a bit mercenary I haven't got a company I won't buy something I really wan't from. Although if I were to boycott some companies these would be strong candidates.

Konami: Due to them mistreating awesome games and their employees. And generally being rather foul and stupid.
Apple: For making over priced stuff. (I'm no windows fanboy I just can't afford Apple stuff)

 

[KenAri]

-Snip-

I edited in the quote afterwards, so perhaps you don't get notifications on those. Will have to keep it in mind!

And that sounds like a right pain in the ass. I've thankfully not moved since having financial independence, but I'll keep in mind that Paypal are awkward if ever I do move, so cheers for the heads-up. I can sorta understand them taking extra precautions, since I'd imagine online banks are easier to hack than physical ones.

 

[Batou667]

I walked into a WalMart once. Saw a man with nothing but a speedo. Promptly left.

...are you sure it wasn't just a mannequin?

My most recent "never a-f*cking-gain" moment was TGI Fridays. I have a friend who loves the place and after hyping it up for several months convinced a bunch of us to go there for his wife's birthday. I can only chalk his terminally poor judgement up to the fact that he can't cook and at the time had a 20-a-day smoking habit. The food was incredibly poor and also incredibly overpriced - tiny, shrivelled, fatty steak; limp, soggy vegetables served lukewarm; and so on. We were a party of eight and we just sat there in silence, chewing awkwardly, declined desserts and left.

The cocktails were pretty good, but aside from that it really couldn't have been more underwhelming if they'd been trying. I wouldn't go back even if it was paid for. Complete waste of an evening.

 

[CeeBod]

One more for Currys/PC World here.

When I returned from a couple of years of working abroad, I bought myself a very nice high end desktop PC, and within 24 hours of placing the order, the gaming laptop I'd been using on my travels as my main PC went bang (Full mainboard failure!) I figured I'd probably still need a laptop for work, but having just blown my budget on a new desktop PC, I decided to just buy something cheap and basic, and so used Currys as I always saw them as ideal if all you wanted was cheap and basic.

Within a month, the laptop stopped working completely. I called them up, and they said they'd send someone round to pick it up and repair it, as it was still within warranty. They were reasonably quick with both picking it up, and then with replacing it, and I was too busy enjoying my gaming desktop to really notice the laptop's issues for a while, so I failed to notice what they'd actually done to "fix" my laptop - too late to really have proof or any hope of redress (It was over a year before I finally realised, and I'd moved house in that time) I finally realised that they'd removed a failed memory stick and just not replaced it with anything. So although it worked, it was now slow as all hell because it had 2Gb of RAM instead of the 4Gb it was supposed to have.

Lesson learned, I now no longer use Currys PC World for ANYTHING.

 

[MCerberus]

Kohk industries consumer products. Things like Brawney and Dixie cups.
Because of the super-villainy

 

[MetalDooley]

Sky TV

So a good while back my father wanted to sign up for their service(they're the largest supplier of satellite tv in Ireland and the UK if you're unfamiliar with them)and asked me to do it for him.His one caveat was they had to have payment options other than direct debit as he doesn't like paying for stuff this way.I look up their website and there in black and white it says you are not obliged to pay by dd so I signed up for the service online to avail of the free sports and movies for 3 months offer.The next day I receive a confirmation phone call.The woman asks if I wish to pay by dd.I say no.No problem I'm told someone will be out in the next few days to install it.Sure enough about 3 days later 2 blokes showed up,installed the dish and box and everything was fine....

...for 2 weeks.Exactly 2 weeks later I get up one day to discover 90% of the tv channels are blocked and there's a dd form in the post.I contact Sky customer service and get told that the channels were cut off as they have yet to receive my dd details.After informing them that we're not paying by dd I'm told it must have been a mistake and they're sorry and service will be restored shortly.About 30 mins later everything is working again....

...for another 2 weeks.Exactly 2 weeks later the same thing happened again and continued to happen at regular intervals.And every time I rang customer service I was fed some different bullshit excuse.I was told that it's in my contract that I have to pay by dd.When I asked her to point out exactly where it says that in the contract as I had actually read the thing she unsurprisingly couldn't and changed the subject.I was told that I'm obliged to pay by dd for the first 6 weeks(bullshit).I was told that if I didn't pay by dd I had to pay the first 6 months in advance and on another occasion I was told I had to pay the first 12 months in advance(both bullshit).I was told that by refusing to pay by dd I couldn't avail of the free sports and movies offer and so would be charged full price for them(more bullshit).The best one was when I pointed out what it says on the website regarding dd and was told that the website has nothing to do with them...you're the same company ffs.

Eventually I got sick of being flat out lied to and stopped calling and just immediately binned any post they sent and after a while they stopped sending anything.I like to think I came out on top though as I never paid them a penny and got a free satellite dish and box that I can get quite a lot of free channels on

So yeah fuck Sky is the message here I guess

 

[Fox12]

I walked into a WalMart once. Saw a man with nothing but a speedo. Promptly left.

...are you sure it wasn't just a mannequin?

My most recent "never a-f*cking-gain" moment was TGI Fridays. I have a friend who loves the place and after hyping it up for several months convinced a bunch of us to go there for his wife's birthday. I can only chalk his terminally poor judgement up to the fact that he can't cook and at the time had a 20-a-day smoking habit. The food was incredibly poor and also incredibly overpriced - tiny, shrivelled, fatty steak; limp, soggy vegetables served lukewarm; and so on. We were a party of eight and we just sat there in silence, chewing awkwardly, declined desserts and left.

The cocktails were pretty good, but aside from that it really couldn't have been more underwhelming if they'd been trying. I wouldn't go back even if it was paid for. Complete waste of an evening.

A morbidly obese mannequin? Covered in hair? Actually, I really want to see that now.