Sellerdeck - What happened to customer service?

[Mike Hughes]

This is a bit off isn't it.

Rather than letting users know that the 1and1 problem with smtp servers that can cause problems including a 20S or so hang at checkout can be solved using the sendmail patch from drillpine, Sellerdeck have decided instead to send a hosting offer to everyone.

Here's a quote:

The implementation of new European regulations has caused disruption to email communications for a significant number of SellerDeck customers hosted outside the UK. The issue causes a 20-30 second delay in the receipt appearing when customers try to complete orders online, so the checkout appears to hang.

If you are affected by this, SellerDeck is offering three months of emergency web hosting for just £1 if you sign up for the service before 28th February 2014.

At the end of the initial three month period you can continue to use SellerDeck hosting at the appropriate service level.

SellerDeck web hosting is UK-based and guaranteed to be 100% compatible with SellerDeck software. Users also benefit from a single contact for support.

Suerly it would have been better to tell people the solution, or even possibly to issue a build incorporating the fix?

This really does seem a bit off to me.

Mike

[guccij]

When I move, it won't be to Sellerdeck.

[Mike Hughes]

The other thing I find disagreeable is the claim that isn't Sellerdeck's fault. This problem has nothing to do with implementing new European regulations but has 2 straightforward causes.

1. 1and1 has implemented a 20 second delay on relay email to prevent bulk spammers abusing their email service.

2. Sellerdeck erroneously fails to display the receipt page before the smtp server confirms the email has been sent.

So it's a sellerdeck fault exposed by an smtp delay on 1and1. Blaming it on some strange new european regulations is just a joke of the worse kind.

Mike

PS. And to be clear on this, it's a fault that's been known about for years and that should have been fixed when sellerdeck rewrote the checkout process 2 (?) years ago.

[guccij]

iit's a fault that's been known about for years and that should have been fixed when sellerdeck rewrote the checkout process 2 (?) years ago.

Absolutely. The fancy new checkout did very little in practice. Looks good but is based on the same old systems.

And other hosts will be following 1and1 - I doubt very much that this is a one-off.

[John Ennals]

When I move, it won't be to Sellerdeck.

I moved my website from 1&1 to Teclan today - really pleased with the result. There was an overlap period during the day when I had the site running on both providers' shared hosting: page speed score for a typical section page on 1&1 was 37, on Teclan for the same page 87!

Worth the move for that alone. Teclan couldn't have been more helpful.

John

[philrothwell]

1and1 Hosting

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback.

My understanding was that the update 1and1 made to their systems was in response to changes in local European regulations, but if I’ve got it wrong, I apologise.

There is no doubt that 1and1 is able to provide excellent value for money using their economies of scale. What they aren’t able to do at the same time, though, is offer a service that reliably supports specific software platforms all of the time. When they change their services they probably know they will break some customers’ sites, because it’s almost impossible not to.

When web hosts break SellerDeck sites, we can’t always respond as quickly as we would like. The process for us to code a fix, test it across all different types of web space and then release it takes some time. Rushing out a fix is also dangerous, because without adequate testing we run the risk of breaking other things at the same time.

In this case we needed to do something short term to help customers who are experiencing this problem. The offer of hosting is a short-term measure, and people are under no obligation to stay on our hosting after the three month period is up. Also, as John Ennals has already observed, there are SellerDeck partners who are also able to offer SellerDeck-compatible hosting, so your choice isn’t limited.

There is no doubt that there are some great value hosting companies out there and we continue to do our best to make sure SellerDeck runs across a range of platforms. However, unless you purchase hosting that is guaranteed to be 100 per cent SellerDeck compatible, it’s possible that you will run into these kinds of problems.

[Mike Hughes]

Thanks Phil for responding.

Yes. You have got it wrong. 1and1 installed a delay on each email going out as a way of preventing bulk email spamming (that was preventing delivery of emails to hotmail and outlook accounts). There was some discussion about European regulations involved, but I believe that was in respect to them having to treat all their customers the same and not letting some people bypass the delay.

My main issue with the way this is handled is with the lack of communication from support on this issue.

I can see that a fully tested solution does take time, but there's nothing to prevent the email explaining the situation, saying what is being done to address it, discussing the options available (including the option of using the sendmail patch) and then offering Sellerdeck hosting as an interim solution.

But no, all the email does is pitch a sales offer at affected customers.

That leaves me with a bad taste in the mouth. It suggests that sellerdeck doesn't care about the customers problem but just sees it as a sales opportunity.

Mike