Washtington Mutual Bank F’ingSucks (.com?)
Another two part post??!…get over it and stop whining! It’s now company policy here to combine posts.
WaMu Stole from me and Paypal
Why do big corporations take away the power from their employees? Why do they push their policies so hard that employees can’t even act on their natural human tendencies to actually “take care” of the customers as people when they know it is the right thing to do. And why do some employees hide behind the “sorry, it’s company policy” excuse when dishing out crappy service?
Yeah, big life changing contemplations for you there lol. Ok, maybe not but all it takes is a small act of crappy service to make you wonder why you give a company any business at all. I try to be a good and courteous customer and it would be nice if more businesses let their employees do the same.
So why am I pissed at Washington Mutual today? Because they stole my Paypal debit card and inadvertently teased me about it afterward then used the “sorry, it’s company policy” excuse to justify it.
Ok, I admit it was my fault I got in this situation but I don’t think it should make a difference in the way you treat a customer. Being a broke bum, I have to do a lot “revenue juggling” and often find myself having to rush money one place to another to keep from being his with overdraft charges. It’s not that I am always broke but it’s hard to get ahead in this industry when the majority of your income has to be used to pay actual bills before you can reinvest and try to make more. I’m not at the point where I can reinvest everything I make so it makes it much harder to get ahead. So when one check comes in odds are I need to get it deposited to cover other outgoing bills or payments I have made.
That’s where today started. I had a pending charge from Google for my Adwords campaigns coming in that would post today but also got my payments from Azoogle and Neverblueads which were just enough to cover my pending charge. If I didn’t deposit those checks I would have been overdrafted. So once I got one of the checks in the mail I needed to get to the bank before closing to deposit it so it would credit today. I also needed to withdraw the “check” from the other one which is automatically sent to my paypal so I could then deposit that into my bank checking account. So running late because I had to wait for the mail to come I was in a rush to get it all gathered to get in before it closed.
In my rush, I left my Paypal debit card in the ATM machine that is on the outside of the Washington Mutual I was depositing to inside. I went in, made my deposit and walked to my car when I realized what I had done. Not more than 10 minutes had passed before I knew I left my card. So I went back inside and told the receptionist at the customer service counter and she asked for my ID and said she would have her manager check it when he got a second since he was the only one with the key.
After waiting for about 5 minutes I saw he had gone in the ATM room and walked over to her and I was happy thinking I could be on my way. Instead, she tells me “sorry, but since it isn’t a WaMu card we can’t give it to you”. What?! You can’t give me my card back? The card that has the same name as the ID I just handed you, the same one that is on my WaMu card and the one I just left less than 10 minutes ago?!! Baffled, I asked why and she just said, “Sorry, it’s company policy”. I asked why it was company policy and she just said, “We don’t give cards back if they are not WaMu cards. Bank Of America would do the same thing”.
I couldn’t understand the reasoning behind this policy considering the circumstances but assumed that maybe they just had to make sure, for legal reasons or something, and would just mail me the card. So I asked, “well what do you do with it now” and she replied, “Oh, he destroyed it”. WTF?
I could understand, maybe, if it was a week later or maybe if the card didn’t have my name on it or maybe if I just wasn’t one of their customers. But I WAS one of their customers, had just left it 10 minutes ago, it had the same name as my WaMu account and the ID I showed her and I even still had the “receipt” I got from the withdraw. But I can’t for the life of me think of a real reason why they feel they can’t hand the card to me and would rather shred the card while I was waiting in their lobby.
I know that, in reality, the card is actually Paypals “property” and not my card but I consider it my property as I am the only one authorized to use it to get my money. To me, the situation isn’t too much different than if I had left my wallet on the counter and someone turned it into lost-and-found and rather than hand it back to me when I went to get it they told me they threw it in the furnace out back because it was company policy. I mean, what kind of crappy service is that?
I assume there is some logical reason why they have such a policy but I can’t think of it. And I can’t think of why they would hide behind that policy rather than do the right thing and hand it back to me since I was there asking for it. Anyone work in the banking industry and know why there would be this policy?
WaMu.fingsucks.com ?
This crappy service reminded me of a domain I registered a while back. It was an expired domain that I thought was kind of funny and would make a great “complaint” or consumer advocate type blog. But later I figured it could also be a cool setup where people could make their own subdomains to make their own complaint blogs about specific companies/services. I’ve been too busy to do anything like that and haven’t really thought it through but wondered what others thought of the idea or if anyone could recommend a good platform for something like that.
Maybe I will just use it for my own whiner site to setup subdomains when I get shafted. I’ve had quite a few really crappy host, dealt with some scam companies and of course I could set up a widgetbucks.fingsucks.com site (lol @ affiliate link!). But it seems like it would work well for a community based complaint setup.
I get really pissed when big companies, or people that think they are important, feel they can rip people off just because they are big. Sadly though, in most cases it is actually true and nobody does anything about the crap. So it would be nice to help people share their stories of getting ripped off or screwed. It wouldn’t be all that hard to get the pages indexed well enough that it would show up when people search for the company and in essence give the “little guy” some power against the big corporate scammers (when they do scam of course).
I don’t know if WaMu would deserve a page for stealing my debit card but I was pissed enough to consider it lol.
So I guess google scrooged me. But I still love you G
Google, you never call, or write, anymore
I’ve been pretty pissed at Google for a while now as this last year wasn’t all that great. I feel like the red-headed stepchild that they love to hate. Lets see…I believe my AdSense account was “smartpriced” so my earnings have been down. One of my sites was a PR5 for well over a year but was knocked down to PR0 out of the blue and they won’t answer my support email answering why, or how to fix it. My eCPM seems to have found the cosmic force known as gravity as it seems to always drop even when I get more traffic. My search rankings suck and my sites bounce around the SERPs like crazy even though I have some great content on them. Just blow after blow without any signs of relief.
But what I think disappointed me the most this year is they seem to have scrooged me on Christmas!
Last year, I was still pretty new to AdSense and I only earned a little bit in the last few months of the year. I didn’t earn enough to get the digital photo frame Google gave out to so many people for Christmas last year but I did get a nice Christmas card which let me know they at least knew my name.
This year, I made quite a bit more. Not “super affiliate” type earnings but more than I thought was the minimum amount needed to be considered worth of a gift. So I was excited thinking I would be getting the cool Google USB card drive that everyone else was getting and blogging about. I was sure I would finally get to see what it was like to be appreciated enough by Google to get a cool Christmas gift and couldn’t wait to blog about it and then show my non-web friends how much THE Google loved me.
I didn’t even get a card to hang on the wall this year. Thanks for ruining Christmas Google!
It was rubbed in even more over the last few weeks because I kept seeing everyone else blogging about all the great stuff all their various networks sent them. Matt Cutts even sent Tamar an awesome looking Google beanbag chair! Not fair Google! And I know you aren’t broke because I see my dwindling checks and know you are not paying me anything extra these days.
But I still love you and I still love schwag and will hope for something special this year that I can actually show off and be proud of.
Here comes Santa
It just so happens that there is a very cool piece of Google schwag that I have a chance of getting my grubby little hands on regardless of being left out of Google’s reindeer games. Not that Google would be so kind to send me but rather the very cheery and generous Dan Perry is holding a fun little contest giving away his awesome mini Google fridge. From what I understand, these are given to AdWords advertisers who spend a bundle so, if true, odds are I wouldn’t be able to get one of these cool mini fridges any other way.
How do I win it? To win, you…I mean, I, just have to write a post and submit it and if the judges think I worthy, I get a cool late xmas gift…you know, since Google doesn’t have time for all of us…
You can read more about how to enter, as well as see some great various schwag on the blog of one of the judges, Tamar Weinberg.
Writing to Santa
So, because I definitely want an awesome mini fridge with the Google logo on it to remind me of their cold heart come next xmas (I’m definitely not sending “G” shaped fudge pieces to them this year), I’ll share what I will be using it for and why I need it.
Mojo Stalking
Ever since I read the “Hairdoll Secrets: Entangling Success” ebook I have been working on my strategies and building my dolls. Of course, for those that read it, it states in “chapter 7: Hairdoll Maintenance”, that it is important to keep your hairdolls cool and dry to better preserve them. I think a mini Google fridge would work out perfect for that!
I can’t even remember where I bought it from (probably from Joel Comm, that guy will sell anything!), but it has changed my way of thinking. For those that have yet had the priveledge of reading it, the basic foundation is to succeed in any business it is important to build your very own hairdolls of those around you who are already successful, preferably with their own fallen locks. Obviously, this takes time but eventually you get a decent representation and if using authentic strands, the power can be amazing. I know what you are thinking but don’t worry, it isn’t some kind of creepy “voodoo magic”…those guys are sick in the head.
After reading the 349 page ebook you learn about capturing some of the successful persons mojo and binding it into your very own hairdoll to control and obtain complete dominance. I mean, I am already seeing postive results…ever since starting to make my hairdolls, my friends have been forfeiting poker nights and don’t even want to come over because they know they will lose. Just think of how it affects your competition who doesn’t have hairdolls, or who don’t take enough pride to get authentic A-list celeb hair! You will surely rank higher than someone if your hair doll is made out of real John Chow hair and theirs isn’t. Of course that is common sense but the ebook is packed with other great info and tips. Best ebook I have paid for yet and I have bought a lot of crappy ebooks! Honestly a steal at just $247!
So, to make sure all my hard work isn’t wasted, if I won, I would be using the cool mini fridge to help preserve my hairdolls. I could probably also keep a can or two of Dew chilled as well since there looks to be ample room even with the dolls in there.
I haven’t had time to collect the materials needed to make my Dan Perry hairdoll yet so not sure how well I will do in this contest but figured it was worth trying anyway and he is a genuinely nice guy so might as well throw him some link love (Matt, Dan did not pay for any links on this blog so don’t screw me over!).
But here are my 3 hairdolls I have started so you can get an idea of how well they work out.
Matt Cutts Hairdoll:
John Chow Hairdoll:
Jeremy “Shoemoney” Schoemaker Hairdoll:
For everyone else that bought the Hairdoll ebook, feel free to post your collection too!!!
Reviews are coming in…Thanks John Chow and J Blu
Chow has spoken and he likes us. He really really likes us.
John Chow has now posted the free review I won from Winning The Web last week. As I posted earlier having a Chow review of this blog would have been kind of a waste considering it is so new and not enough content to review yet. I instead chose to have a very cool affiliate product that I recently found reviewed. I really liked ClickTale and thought other marketers and bloggers could really benefit from the video feedback it provides. Well the Chow review agreed and thought it was cool as well, though, it did mention the “creepy” feeling you may get when watching video of some random users browsing your site. Some of the comments on the review also mentioned that. I do understand that the thought is a bit creepy but it is completely random and anonomous and it doesn’t follow users off your site. Once you get past the, what seems to be natural, voyeur feeling because you are watching video you soon realize the power of actually knowing how users use your site and not needing to guess or assume. It’s perfect for tweaking landing pages or working on ad placement and gives you an idea if your navigation is confusing and such. It’s also free and the free account level is generous enough that you should be able to get some really valuable feedback. Of course I don’t make anything if you sign up through the links on the John Chow review and don’t upgrade but maybe that shows how much I really do think this is a cool service. Yeah, I would appreciate people upgrading so they can get more videos and add more sites, since I would get a commission, but in many cases the free account is enough. If you somehow missed the John Chow review, be sure to go try out the free trial account and see for yourself: www.TryClickTale.com
The other part that the review didn’t touch on very much is the affiliate program. The ClickTale affiliate program is handled by a network called MoreNiche. I have joined dozens of ad and affiliate networks but I was honestly impressed by the level of support and content that MoreNiche provides for their affiliates. The main problem is they only have about a dozen or so products (so far) and many of them are related to “adult” items. But once you sign up and look in the resource sections for the products you are overwhelmed with TONS of resources and not just a handful of various sized banner ads. They provide you with ready-made sites, PLR articles and even rebrandable ebooks that you can edit your affiliate links into. They are also working adding a lot more products so the shortage shouldn’t be a problem for long. They also have fairly high payouts though that is partially because many of the products they offer are a bit more expensive. But if you have the right type of traffic it could be a huge revenue source for you. Go check them out and let me know what you think: www.JoinMoreNiche.com
DotDriven fresh? Maybe not yet but it is being reviewed for the Fresh Slant
I’ve been taking part in a cool new group review gathering that J Blu of FreshGeeks setup called “Fresh Slant.” And this week it was my turn to get featured.
The basic idea is bloggers help out other bloggers by doing peer reviews of each others blogs and share their tips and ideas for the weeks featured blog. Everyone that takes part will get their turn at one point and you can learn and meet new people just by taking part. Its a great way to get some good reviews for your blog while also networking. J Blu just posted my Fresh Slant so if you want to join in and leave your opinon/tips/review on my blog please jump on over and take part. Doing so will also add you to the group so your blog will get the same treatment (so be nice and I’ll be nice when it’s your turn…lol jk). New blogs are put up for the Fresh Slant of the week on Wednesdays. So head on over to join in the fun.
Picking sides sucks. But a chance to win loot makes it a bit easier.
So, Gyutae Park and Tyler Cruz decided to have a digital pissing match and decided to put us, the readers, in the middle. I’d rather not be hit with the collateral splashing but have to stand up and choose a side. It’s like trying to choose between living with Mom or Dad. Either way one is going to be upset but who knows, maybe in the end you get more presents come Xmas time ;). When it comes to presents for this little promotion, the prizes start with 3 winners winning $100 each. The catch is you can only win if you side with the ultimate winner so be sure to choose wisely.
Tyler has the clear advantage as his blog has been around longer, has more traffic and a larger RSS subscriber list but I have a feeling Gyutae enjoys a challenge and seems to have a knack for marketing which may even out the odds in the end.
I actually read both blogs on pretty much a daily basis and enjoy both. Both are great for learning some new tricks, getting marketing ideas and seeing some of the best done reviews out there. It is hard to decide which is my “favorite” to be honest but rather than try to choose a favorite I will go with who has inspired me most. Both have inspired me some and I have learned from both but one stands out a bit.
Tyler has been pretty successful with his online earnings by most people definition. He lives a comfortable life and is happy with his revenue and only works only when he wants to, which tends to be less and less often. Although a nice place to be in, that can also be dangerous as once someone gets comfortable they stop trying and striving. I’ve always considered Tyler to be one of the “A list guru bloggers” and assumed he was a good source of inspiration. That is still partly true but after reading his recent 2008 goals post it really gave me the feeling that he is just doing enough just to get by and not challenging himself much at all and although it’s impressive that he is happy with that situation, it’s not the most inspiring. Being honest with yourself and setting realistic goals is one thing, but just getting by and letting things do what they will makes it a bit depressing as I honestly think that if Tyler put the type of effort into his overall business as he does in almost every single post he makes on his blog that he really would be one of the gurus pulling in hundreds of thousands a month.
Gyutae hasn’t been posting on his blog long but has already made a pretty hefty dent in the scene around him. Don’t make the mistake of associating blog age with lack of knowledge or valuable information (except in my own blogs example…sucks regardless of age lol). I wouldn’t want to say Gyutae has “better” post than Tyler and I’m not basing my vote off of specific post, but Gyutae has burst onto the scene with a “conquer the world and bring them with me” tone and contrary to Tylers goals of just increasing revenue by it’s natural growth/inflation pases, Gyutae is doing it and making it happen and setting his goals much more aggressively. That to me is inspiring and I honestly think Gyutae will continue to build and demand a larger audience because of his hard work. He’s also pretty good at marketing so odds are he has gotten your attention or will in one way or another sometime soon.
So, although I respect Tyler for what he has done and it’s nice to see he is happy with just floating along, in the end I have to “vote” for Gyutae. I think both are worth reading as much as you can and both have something to offer. And although I have “taken a side” for this little promotion of theirs I will continue to support both ;). Of course I may be a little bit biased still basking in the glow of my free John Chow review I won in theWinning The Web contest.
If you haven’t taken your side yet, you should definitely check both out as they have both already started with the bribes and offering swag to their supporters. In the end they both win and hopefully that will help both of them bring us even more great content meaning we will again.
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GOOD PRODUCTS
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COOL LINKS
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