J2.com J2connect.com J2global.com efax.com... I have been struggling to cancel this service since February. I have uncovered a few interesting things.
#1. California BBB gives them an F rating and acknowledges frequent customer service failures. The BBB contact number does not receive a human answer over several hours.
#2. I attempted to phone tree into the CEO, President, CFO, and other top officers by name via the phone tree at 323-860-9200 and I was astonished to not find a SINGLE secretary answering the phone; but rather direct transfers to voicemail. Very unusual for a Nasdaq traded company.
First, let me say that from Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, Thailand, and the U.S.A. That as of a few weeks after joining; that I could not get a website to appear for http://www.j2.com and http://www.j2connect.com and http://www.jconnect.com... Multiple browsers, multiple ISPs, multiple computer; similar results. Where was the website for the account that i was being billed for.interestingly enough; I could NSLOOKUP the servers and ping the servers successfully but there was no website there apparently as the domain default. There were frequently seen reroute attempts to other non working sites.
Let me continue;
My credit card billing information contained a name that is similar to one of their d/b/a names but did not show me the name of an entity that I could search for in the BBB. The phone number was conveniently truncated on the last 1 digit. I finally conducted a search with the bank to recover this. Of course, this phone number 323-817-3218 is simply a phone messaging system. It states (paraphrasing) YOU MAY NOT CANCEL YOUR ACCOUNT ON THE TELEPHONE - IT MUST BE VIA jconnect.com/cancel or efax.com/cancel.
Well; http://www.jconnect.com/cancel does provide a pitiful little portal containing just 1 chat button. That chat button link however times out and I have tried it from multiple browsers and locations this day and alas it is non functioning from what I have experienced.
Http://www.efax.com/cancel does however work.
Also verified today is that although I cannot get IE6, Mozilla, or Safari to bring up a website for http://www.jconnect.com http://www.j2.com http://www.j2connect.com one several different systems at 2 U.S. Locations with different ISPs; I cannot NSLOOKUP these domains and ping the underlying IP addresses. I also get a redirect from http://www.jconnect.com.
I find it interesting how this company deprecated or failed to maintain these websites and customer service infrastructures in favor of efax without necessarily information the customer (myself) that they had done so.
It became an ORPHANED charge. An entity without traceability. No corporate indentifier to the merchant label and incomplete phone posted. Websites not operating. Once I had found the nexxus to a public J2 Global Communications Inc. I had a short sigh of relief realizing that I would recover public records and make contact at that their behavior would improve.
WELL; it did not matter. The only parties I could solicit contact with were via the Corporate sales department. Of course; you keep your corporate sales department answering calls while the remainder of your company thwarts all other attempts at contact.
The internet is so full of negative feedback on this firm that I am truly amazed that the California Attorney General's Office has not yet opened a formal inquiry and investigation into these practices and acted to defend the customer.
I have filed a BBB complaint and expect forthwith to file a CA AG complaint and also perhaps lodge a complaint with the FTC Consumer Protection Division. This is clearly a case where the masses will not be able to suitably defend their rights without legal representation and that most will not find themselves ready, able, and/or willing to commence a legal action and as such; they; will continue this course of conduct as it is highly profitable for them to make the consumer UNABLE TO CANCEL.
They are not alone. This anti-consumer behavior is almost the new theme among many customer service organizations; mild 3 month, 6 months, or 2 more years in a war of attrition of contact, emails, hold queues, no points of contact, etc with the customer base until they become too tired, wary, or busy to continue the saga.
Summarizing:
323-817-328 - Bad Links
Multiple Inoperable Web Sites
Where are the people to answer the phones?
Where are the officers of the company?
I actually called a few of the analysts covering the company's stock to ask if they had a special number to reach any of the officers and have they been able to contact them. The disatisfied customer may want to:
A) File FTC Complaint on ftc. Gov
B) File complaint on company
C) File complaint online with California Attorney General
D) Make a phone call to 1 or 2 analysts covering their stock and ask them if they know just how bad the customer service situation is...
Whatever the case is; there is a clear mandate for intervention by regulatory protection agencies and the assessment of fines. An alternate manner is to engage a class action. Perhaps an attorney specializing would care to take up such a matter. It would bring enhanced visibility to the regulators as well who picking up on the Class action might suddenly assess some appropriate fines.
J2 Global Communications Inc... You win the FAILED Infrastructure Award - my CUSTOMER APATHY AWARD - and now I will scour you SEC filing and annual reports and call those in or contemplating shareholder lawsuits and look for anything that might hint of misrepresentation just a little bit.
I wonder HAVE THEY FULLY DISCLOSED and demonstrated TRANSPARENCY with respect to the true % of their recurring income which derived from customers who have previously TRIED AND FAILED to cancel service? Or disclosed the vast size of the discontent customer base to shareholder?
J2 Global Communications Inc...
Is your business model predicated on forced recurring revenues?
B
Baltimore, Maryland
U.S.A.
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