I was signing up Junta42 Match for inclusion in the Yahoo! Directory today. It's $299 for a non-adult content site. At the end of the submission process, here is the notice they post (read the last sentence):
IMPORTANT: Please click on the "Submit" button
below ONLY ONCE (double-clicking is not necessary), then wait
patiently for your confirmation page. The approval process for your credit
card payment may take a few minutes. Your card will automatically be billed
every time you click on the "Submit" button. Once you have clicked
the "Submit" button, no refund will be
given for any reason.
Also included in the agreement is this line:
I understand that there is no guarantee my site will be added to the Yahoo! Directory. [Section 2.5]
This means that you pay $299 and they don't have to give you any services. They don't have to list your company. They don't have to do anything but take your money (even if you accidentally click the "submit" button twice).
Now that's customer service!
I can't believe that you pay $300 for the promise of nothing and with no possibility of refund or even customer service. This is one of the MANY reasons Google is kicking Yahoo's assets.
This week the Wall Street Journal had an article about how Google completely overhauled their ad network to streamline things for their ads sales people and their customers. (The story, "Google's Push To Sell Ads on YouTube Hits Snags" can be found here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121557163349038289.html?mod=e-commerce_primary_hs [subscription required]).
Yahoo needs to be taught that the customer comes first. Did you ever believe that one day you'd find yourself rooting for Microsoft to take over a company to teach it some manners?
Don Lipper
www.CustomPublishingNews.com
Posted by: Don Lipper | July 10, 2008 at 03:53 PM
Thanks Don, and thanks for the article posting. I'll check it out. It's unbelievable how fast this has really turned for Yahoo! This is just one of many little reasons.
Best
Joe
Posted by: Joe Pulizzi | July 10, 2008 at 10:14 PM