Great little device, horrible customer service!

Droid · 11-16-2011, 08:03 PM

I really made a mistake ordering from kobo.com! I ordered my Vox, naively thinking that it would be sent out as quickly as the three Kobo Touches (yes, three, they're great gifts!) which I've bought from them. After a week of waiting (and going to Chapters twice to play with display models) with my order status stuck at "processing", I called Kobo customer service to ask if I can cancel and just buy one from the store as they had stock the whole time.

The lady canceled the order for me - I even explained that I was going to go to the store to buy one, so I wanted to double and triple-check that the order was actually canceled. I even asked her if she was absolutely sure that I could go buy another Vox that very night and not worry that another would show up at my doorstep. She told me that it was definitely canceled - no problem. I should have known that something was up when they sent the cancellation email addressed to the wrong name! (I *did* tell them about this!)

Sure enough, a couple days later, I accepted a package from the courier (I was expecting something else) and realized that they sent the Vox. They also charged my credit card. I called Kobo, who said that they can't do anything over the phone, I have to email. They replied back two days later telling me to refuse the shipment (which I can't do, as it was already shipped). I asked what else I could do and they copied and pasted the same email telling me to refuse shipment. They stopped replying to my emails and twitter messages. The guy on the phone said that there's nothing more he can do because the order was canceled.

Anyway, nobody wants to hear me complaining. I hope that you do learn my lesson, though... it's nice to be able to walk into a store and talk to somebody if you've got a problem, or ask for a manager if you really need help and aren't getting anywhere. All I'm getting is silence, which is so unfortunate as I really love Kobo aside from the lack of service. I was going to call my credit card company for a chargeback and follow it all up with the Better Business Bureau, but I decided against it. Call me a sucker, but I am trying to forget this stressful situation. I'm keeping the Vox and trying my best to happily support this company that never let me down until now!

I don't know if I did the right thing, but the $200 I'm spending for an extra unwanted Vox is probably worth less than all of the time I've spent getting frustrated. Sorry, everybody, I just needed to vent! Maybe I just need to go read and relax.

PeterT · 11-16-2011, 08:25 PM

Droid; try getting in touch with Darryl from kobo on this issue. ddiljohn@kobo.com He has helped many MANY people out with issues on their Vox orders.

Droid · 11-16-2011, 08:35 PM

Thanks for the advice, PeterT. I did send him an email a couple days ago, I'll see if he replies.

baumgar · 11-16-2011, 09:28 PM

Thanks for the info. Won't buy from there anytime!

LauraPony · 11-16-2011, 09:28 PM

Have you considered returning your unopened one to the store you made your othe Vox purchase from? I've heard this worked for some people.

49Kat · 11-16-2011, 11:18 PM

I think the Kobo staff are getting that point, more and more. Here's another site people are posting to, which has the attention of the staff. I think they're trying, but there seem to be a lot of fires to put out these days.

http://getsatisfaction.com/kobo

I open up my Vox tomorrow on my birthday, and I sure hope everything works OK!

Droid · 11-17-2011, 06:04 PM

I tried complaining that customer service rep Danielle L. was just copying and pasting the same reply to me, but the complaint was read by - you guessed it! - Danielle L., who replied with the SAME copied email!! So Nov. 11, 14 and 17, I got the same unhelpful advice.

I decided to call and ask how I can get my problem looked at, but after a half hour, the guy I was talking to put me on hold and then hung up! I give up. They've won.

@LauraPony: My wife and I are both heavy readers, big fans of the Kobo Touch. I'm frustrated, but I am still a fan of the company despite it's horrible customer service. I want to support Kobo, so I'm going to keep the reader (yes, I'm apparently crazy). At this point, though, I'd just like to get through to them to let them know that the customer experience is truly horrible. Their rep on Twitter seemed helpful enough on the 7th, but in the week since then, I've sent four more messages which haven't been replied to.

Anyway, the next time you see me post here might be in a few days (I want to forget all of this), but the posts should be from some happy, stress-free guy enjoying his Kobo with a bad customer service experience far behind him.

pokee · 11-17-2011, 06:35 PM

Whoa...maybe you can PM James on this forum and send him your story. I think what you've been though is just plain wrong.

I sure love Kobo products, too - but no one should ever have this type of customer service experience. The first person you spoke to should have offered to send you a courier envelope to ship your 'cancelled' Vox back in and upon receipt, immediately reverse your credit card charge.

Personally, I would have called and demanded one...and if I didn't get one, I would've walked into my local Chapters store and dealt with the manager there. Poor Chapters...they sure have to take the brunt of all this crap...

LauraPony · 11-17-2011, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droid

@LauraPony: My wife and I are both heavy readers, big fans of the Kobo Touch. I'm frustrated, but I am still a fan of the company despite it's horrible customer service. I want to support Kobo, so I'm going to keep the reader (yes, I'm apparently crazy). At this point, though, I'd just like to get through to them to let them know that the customer experience is truly horrible. Their rep on Twitter seemed helpful enough on the 7th, but in the week since then, I've sent four more messages which haven't been replied to.

Quite honestly, I love your attitude about this (especially being in customer service myself - thought I try to maintain good customer service!). You're right, you should get in touch and let Kobo know that you were treated this way and that it is unacceptable. But to maintain a relatively positive attitude throughout and to still want to support Kobo is really admirable.

I don't think you're crazy at all for keeping the second Vox. I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel stuck with the extra machine and paying the extra amount for it if you didn't want it.

KoboJW · 11-18-2011, 10:16 AM

Droid - Thanks for your patience, you have certainly been more than generous with it.

I will forward this thread internally. Hopefully someone can get back to you with a satisfactory response.

James

quebeckerin · 11-23-2011, 09:22 AM

Can we get a follow-up on this? What happened in the end--did Kobo customer service straighten this out?

Ninjalawyer · 11-23-2011, 02:22 PM

At the moment I'm trying to get satisfaction from Kobo on KoboTouch related issue (charged 3 times for a kepub book and never actually got the book). One thing that struck me as funny was that you mentioned the Kobo staff got your name wrong; I had the exact same issue a few days ago.

I emailed Kobo, then called the customer support line a few days later (and was also told that I could only get help via email). The telephone rep had me spell out my name and reviewed my file, but then insisted on calling me "Norm" (a name that shares only one letter of similarity with my actual name) and addressed me as "Norm" in a subsequent email, even after I corrected her.

taming · 11-24-2011, 05:51 AM

If you have a help ticket number (check your email from Kobo for it) and things are moving slowly (or not at all), it is worth a posting on www.getsatisfaction.com/kobo. That is an official Kobo-staffed customer support resource. It is monitored by both level one and level two staff. Make sure to include both a statement of the problem AND your ticket number.

Droid · 11-27-2011, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quebeckerin

Can we get a follow-up on this? What happened in the end--did Kobo customer service straighten this out?

I'm still waiting. They contacted me on 17 November to tell me that a customer service agent would be in touch "shortly" regarding the initial problem (charging me after confirming it canceled). I got an automatic reply on the 24th regarding a different ticket (a complaint about a particular CS agent who kept replying with the same copied form letter).

I'm not holding my breath. As mentioned before, I love Kobo, but with customer service like this, I doubt they'll be able to compete in the long run. I was frustrated for a bit, but the average Joe would have been permanently turned off by now.

EDIT: Just noticed complaints about Amazon's Kindle-related customer service in the "similar threads" below. Maybe it's not just Kobo!

pokee · 11-28-2011, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droid

I'm still waiting. They contacted me on 17 November to tell me that a customer service agent would be in touch "shortly" regarding the initial problem (charging me after confirming it canceled). I got an automatic reply on the 24th regarding a different ticket (a complaint about a particular CS agent who kept replying with the same copied form letter).

I'm not holding my breath. As mentioned before, I love Kobo, but with customer service like this, I doubt they'll be able to compete in the long run. I was frustrated for a bit, but the average Joe would have been permanently turned off by now.

EDIT: Just noticed complaints about Amazon's Kindle-related customer service in the "similar threads" below. Maybe it's not just Kobo!

I am sure Amazon is having their fair share of issues with the Fire, but the big difference is that Amazon has a REAL customer service department that deals with stuff in a timely fashion. BUT....they don't have tech support helping out on these forums, so maybe we have a leg up on them - who knows?

11-16-2011, 08:03 PM	#1
Droid Member Posts: 16 Karma: 8302 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Glo	Great little device, horrible customer service! I really made a mistake ordering from kobo.com! I ordered my Vox, naively thinking that it would be sent out as quickly as the three Kobo Touches (yes, three, they're great gifts!) which I've bought from them. After a week of waiting (and going to Chapters twice to play with display models) with my order status stuck at "processing", I called Kobo customer service to ask if I can cancel and just buy one from the store as they had stock the whole time. The lady canceled the order for me - I even explained that I was going to go to the store to buy one, so I wanted to double and triple-check that the order was actually canceled. I even asked her if she was absolutely sure that I could go buy another Vox that very night and not worry that another would show up at my doorstep. She told me that it was definitely canceled - no problem. I should have known that something was up when they sent the cancellation email addressed to the wrong name! (I did tell them about this!) Sure enough, a couple days later, I accepted a package from the courier (I was expecting something else) and realized that they sent the Vox. They also charged my credit card. I called Kobo, who said that they can't do anything over the phone, I have to email. They replied back two days later telling me to refuse the shipment (which I can't do, as it was already shipped). I asked what else I could do and they copied and pasted the same email telling me to refuse shipment. They stopped replying to my emails and twitter messages. The guy on the phone said that there's nothing more he can do because the order was canceled. Anyway, nobody wants to hear me complaining. I hope that you do learn my lesson, though... it's nice to be able to walk into a store and talk to somebody if you've got a problem, or ask for a manager if you really need help and aren't getting anywhere. All I'm getting is silence, which is so unfortunate as I really love Kobo aside from the lack of service. I was going to call my credit card company for a chargeback and follow it all up with the Better Business Bureau, but I decided against it. Call me a sucker, but I am trying to forget this stressful situation. I'm keeping the Vox and trying my best to happily support this company that never let me down until now! I don't know if I did the right thing, but the $200 I'm spending for an extra unwanted Vox is probably worth less than all of the time I've spent getting frustrated. Sorry, everybody, I just needed to vent! Maybe I just need to go read and relax.

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11-16-2011, 08:25 PM	#2
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,166 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	Droid; try getting in touch with Darryl from kobo on this issue. ddiljohn@kobo.com He has helped many MANY people out with issues on their Vox orders.

11-16-2011, 08:35 PM	#3
Droid Member Posts: 16 Karma: 8302 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Glo	Thanks for the advice, PeterT. I did send him an email a couple days ago, I'll see if he replies.

11-16-2011, 09:28 PM	#4
baumgar Banned Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: none	Thanks for the info. Won't buy from there anytime!

11-16-2011, 09:28 PM	#5
LauraPony Zealot Posts: 134 Karma: 249287 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Device: Nook, Kobo Vox	Have you considered returning your unopened one to the store you made your othe Vox purchase from? I've heard this worked for some people.

11-16-2011, 11:18 PM	#6
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	I think the Kobo staff are getting that point, more and more. Here's another site people are posting to, which has the attention of the staff. I think they're trying, but there seem to be a lot of fires to put out these days. http://getsatisfaction.com/kobo I open up my Vox tomorrow on my birthday, and I sure hope everything works OK!

11-17-2011, 06:04 PM	#7
Droid Member Posts: 16 Karma: 8302 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Glo	I tried complaining that customer service rep Danielle L. was just copying and pasting the same reply to me, but the complaint was read by - you guessed it! - Danielle L., who replied with the SAME copied email!! So Nov. 11, 14 and 17, I got the same unhelpful advice. I decided to call and ask how I can get my problem looked at, but after a half hour, the guy I was talking to put me on hold and then hung up! I give up. They've won. @LauraPony: My wife and I are both heavy readers, big fans of the Kobo Touch. I'm frustrated, but I am still a fan of the company despite it's horrible customer service. I want to support Kobo, so I'm going to keep the reader (yes, I'm apparently crazy). At this point, though, I'd just like to get through to them to let them know that the customer experience is truly horrible. Their rep on Twitter seemed helpful enough on the 7th, but in the week since then, I've sent four more messages which haven't been replied to. Anyway, the next time you see me post here might be in a few days (I want to forget all of this), but the posts should be from some happy, stress-free guy enjoying his Kobo with a bad customer service experience far behind him.

11-17-2011, 06:35 PM	#8
pokee Fanatic Posts: 569 Karma: 199759 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Device: Kobo WiFi, Kobo Glo, Kobo Vox, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Tab2	Whoa...maybe you can PM James on this forum and send him your story. I think what you've been though is just plain wrong. I sure love Kobo products, too - but no one should ever have this type of customer service experience. The first person you spoke to should have offered to send you a courier envelope to ship your 'cancelled' Vox back in and upon receipt, immediately reverse your credit card charge. Personally, I would have called and demanded one...and if I didn't get one, I would've walked into my local Chapters store and dealt with the manager there. Poor Chapters...they sure have to take the brunt of all this crap...

11-18-2011, 10:16 AM	#10
KoboJW UX Lead, Kobo Vox Posts: 113 Karma: 199002 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: Boxes of Voxes	Droid - Thanks for your patience, you have certainly been more than generous with it. I will forward this thread internally. Hopefully someone can get back to you with a satisfactory response. James

11-23-2011, 09:22 AM	#11
quebeckerin Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 210 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: libre	Can we get a follow-up on this? What happened in the end--did Kobo customer service straighten this out?

11-23-2011, 02:22 PM	#12
Ninjalawyer Guru Posts: 826 Karma: 18573626 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Nexus 7 (2013)	At the moment I'm trying to get satisfaction from Kobo on KoboTouch related issue (charged 3 times for a kepub book and never actually got the book). One thing that struck me as funny was that you mentioned the Kobo staff got your name wrong; I had the exact same issue a few days ago. I emailed Kobo, then called the customer support line a few days later (and was also told that I could only get help via email). The telephone rep had me spell out my name and reviewed my file, but then insisted on calling me "Norm" (a name that shares only one letter of similarity with my actual name) and addressed me as "Norm" in a subsequent email, even after I corrected her.

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11-24-2011, 05:51 AM	#13
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	If you have a help ticket number (check your email from Kobo for it) and things are moving slowly (or not at all), it is worth a posting on www.getsatisfaction.com/kobo. That is an official Kobo-staffed customer support resource. It is monitored by both level one and level two staff. Make sure to include both a statement of the problem AND your ticket number.