Last year I signed up for the most basic service from Salesforce.com. At the time it was $99. A few months back I get an email reminder that my credit card on file has expired and that I need to update this information.
As I consider if to update or not I find out that this service is now worth $60 a year. Yet, the amount I’m being charged is $99. Understandably, I call to see if I’ve been upgraded without my permission or what. No, they just failed to let me know that the service was now $39 less.
I voice my objections to my account executive and she produces a new “quote” (that’s how Salesfoce.com sells you the service, they produce a quote, you accept it.). I check a couple of weeks later because my work situation is a bit crazy, only to find out that it has expired and that I can’t approve it.
Meanwhile, I keep getting reminders to pay for the $99 fee – a frustrating reminder that I’m being overcharged – really, really frustrating!
I get to call the account executive, she produces another quote. Eight days later I try to approve it, it’s expired.
Being passed to collections, WHAT?!
To my amazement, I get an email threatening that if I don’t pay the $99, my account would be passed to a third party collection service – the nerve.
So now I’m being threatened to pay for an inflated fee, or else.
Once again, I get a hold of the account executive, but this time I’m a bit more frustrated. She produces a third quote, I got to approve it, my account is locked and I can’t log in to approve it.
She says she’ll send documents for me to fax and return. Wow. Not very impressed at this point…
This was Friday. I called today to see if I could pay by phone, the office is closed.
I’ll call tomorrow and see if this can be resolved over the phone.
I know I’m at fault for dallying payment and quotes, but really, as a customer who wants to continue engaging with Salesforce.com, the situation is worthy of a rant post.
Your thoughts?
wow – sucks to be you – that would definitely fire me up too
They are idiots. A company that big should not nickle and dime it’s customers. I’m in the same boat. Maybe I’ll just write to their CEO. If they threaten to collect, I’ll sue them in small claims court. I got time.