May I share a frustration with you?
For a little over a year now, I have been trying to upgrade my FLICKR account to a "pro" account. It is relatively inexpensive, and it allows the user unlimited photo uploads, and various other benefits that the free account doesn't offer.
For some reason, FLICKR doesn't seem to want me.
Let me preface this by saying I am not completely illiterate in computing, networking, and such. I work on a computer daily, I shop, bank, and pay bills online. I can set up a simple network, and I can do some simple programming. The bottom line; I am not an idiot.
OK, so every time I try to upgrade my FLICKR account, I get stuck in an endless loop of Yahoo log in screens asking for my password.
Over and over and over.
I can log into Yahoo just fine for other things.
I can log into my Flickr account just fine. I can up load photos just fine.
It is only when I try to upgrade the account that I get stuck in an endless loop of password hell.
I have changed usernames.
I have changed passwords.
I have cleared cookies.
I have cleared cache.
I have disabled firewalls.
I have sent dozens and dozens of emails.
I have received dozens and dozens of condescending replies assuring me that I need to set my computer to accept cookies and all problems will vanish.
I want to shove cookies up those emailer's asses is what I want to do.
I know how to accept cookies. I have tried this from 6 different computers from 4 different locations. I have tried it in Internet Explorer and in Firefox.
I shop online. I have purchased everything from books, movies, golf clubs computers, cameras, even furniture online. I have never had a problem. It is this one thing.
A Year.
A freaking year. You would think in all that time someone in the Yahoo organization would step up to the plate and resolve this issue.
For the last time morons - IT IS NOT MY COMPUTER!!!!!!!!! There must be a glitch in my account. Again 6 different computers from 4 different locations.
A freaking YEAR!!!!!!
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8 comments:
I had a similar problem a few weeks ago when I tried to renew my FLICKR pro account. I emailed customer support and probably received the same canned answer as you. I finally got through by chance using a different computer. It was so frustrating!! I almost didn't upgrade, but luck (I guess) was on my side and it all worked out.
Sending good computer karma your way!!
So, it's not just me!
Boy, if the rest of the world has that whole buy it online thing figured out, you'd think Yahoo of all places would as well.
:)
First, I'm frustrated that something like Flickr has to go through Yahoo. I ditched my Yahoo account a year or two ago for gmail because I got tired of the complete non-help I got from them anytime I had a problem. Grrr.
Of course, I'm now running into the same non-existent customer service issue with my first gmail account, butthat's also partly my fault.
I find it frustrating and flabbergasting that when we actually have real issues, it's impossible to talk to a service person about it directly. Instead it's generic, canned responses based on keywords and known issues. Grumble.
In short (too late, I know!) I feel for you, BSR. Wishing good computer karma from now on!
Hey Celtic - You doing OK?
(and thanks for the Karma)
Yeah, I switched away from Yahoo (for email) last year and never looked back. I think they're a solid company, but I'm not so enamored of their products. Or their help system.*
I know Flickr promotes giving pro accounts as gifts. Have you tried using your Gmail account (posing as a non-Flickr account holder) to give the gift of Pro to your Yahoo self?
* My Yahoo "Help" System story:
I was trying to set up email accounts under a domain I manage with Geocities (also a Yahoo brand) and everything went fine except when I tried to add an address that would come to my own account.
Other people got and accepted the invites I issued to them, but I never got the invites I sent to my own account. I contacted Help and got the canned responses time and time again - I ended up RESORTING TO CAPITAL LETTERS in my "please help me" emails, but to no avail.
Finally figured it out myself - apparently once upon a time someone sent me spam spoofed to look like it came from my own address. I marked it as spam, and the system automatically blocked the sender's address (that is to say, MY OWN address). So mail sent from me to myself never arrived - it never even hit the spam folder.
Cause, you know, that would've been so hard to prevent with (I'm guessing) a single line of if/then code somewhere in the mail system, right?
Have you tried using your Gmail account (posing as a non-Flickr account holder) to give the gift of Pro to your Yahoo self?
Brilliant idea!!
I'm on it!
I went thru something similar when Yahoo first joined with Flickr. I can't remember how it finally got resolved, but it was definitely like revolving doors there for a while.
Awesome blog youu have here
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