Poor support from sellerdeck

[philrothwell]

SellerDeck Platform Strategy

Hi All,

Reading through some of the comments on this thread has made me realise that we clearly aren’t doing a good enough job communicating our strategy and plans to everyone.

A few years ago we came to the realisation that online retailing was going through a period of substantial change. Not only was online selling becoming more technically challenging, with every store having to look good across a range of devices, but retailers faced stiffer competition.

Our response has been to invest in the recruitment of staff with a broader range of skills, including online marketers, website designers and developers. This means that in addition to offering ecommerce software, we also provide online marketing and website development services alongside our ecommerce services.

At the same time, we are continuing to develop our ecommerce platforms. The latest release of Desktop includes an extensions architecture that enables us to add functionality to the software without having to modify the core system, making it easier to develop incrementally. Work will continue developing the core system, with a key goal being the improvement of performance and reliability.

The introduction of SellerDeck Cloud might seem like a grand departure for us, but it isn’t really. We have offered an online platform since circa 2005, first via “Express” and then via “Online”. Many of our customers need a cloud-based offering, because they operate from multiple locations and multiple localities. The Desktop architecture isn’t well suited to this and there seems little point trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole.

I hope this answers a few of your questions for now, but I will organise a webcast and Q&A for later in the week and post the invitation here. I would also like to encourage you to contact me directly if you wish. We might seem like an aloof bunch of people in an ivory tower, but it really isn’t the case. If you want to come to our offices in West Byfleet, I will happily spare you some time.

[PJ ENG]

Phil, thanks for stepping up and replying to this thread.

I hear what you are saying about bringing in more staff to what seams on the face of it to upsell more to your customer, but i have to ask do you feel sellerdeck has kept up with the explosion of ecommerce from a software point of view ?

Like most i have been with you guys from the start and i personally feel let down by the lack of progress in the last 5 years. Essentially the software for me has not moved forward and is now lagging behind from what is available elsewhere, i can see by others on this post i am not alone.

I am now actively looking around to see what other options there are out there for me to enable my business to push forward as if i dont my competitors will start to have an advantage on me.

Regards
Paul

[chris ashdown]

Phil

How has the change in making people pay over £1000 to start using the software played out, to most of us I don't think it makes sense to limit the numbers buying a out of the box system and a boot up the A**e for the developers who now have far reduced customers to buy their apps

It also looks like a slow death to many users

[EdHarrison]

Phil,
It is not our place to tell you or your staff how to run your business, just like us I am sure you have decisions to make that are not always accepted well. All I can say is this forum is populated mostly by very loyal long standing customers now, we are just voicing concerns and frustrations and I for one really hope you see it as positive criticism.

I hope you can take on board all the points raised in this thread and react to customers comments positively if your business can adapt and offer what after all we are all willing to pay for - an up to date quality product with good support - it certainly was that when I signed up.

I really appreciate the time you have taken to respond publicly on here.

[philrothwell]

SellerDeck Platform Strategy

Hi All,

Thanks for the comments above, there are some interesting points for me to dwell upon and respond to at the Q&A.

As promised, I have setup a Webcast on Wednesday at 4:30pm where I will be happy to explain SellerDeck’s company strategy and talk about our development plans. You can register at the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/reg...92534507959556

If this is not a great time for you, I would be happy to run through the same on a one-to-one basis by phone at mutually convenient date and time.

[chickenhouseman]

How long will this be for Phil? I have another engagement on Wednesday.

[philrothwell]

SellerDeck Platform Strategy

I have allowed 1 hour, but am happy to repeat it on Thursday or Friday.

[MrsBee]

Is anybody else getting repeatedly pestered via email by Actinic regarding their cloud? I have lost count of the number of times I have unsubscribed from their mailing list (not that I ever signed up to it in the first place). Unsubscribing obviously doesn't work because I then get magically re-subscribed and re-spammed a few weeks later. I complained to SellerDeck repeatedly about it (after all, Actinic could only have obtained my email address from the time before SellerDeck existed). Despite being assured by SellerDeck that Actinic would not contact me again they, of course, did.

I upgraded to v.16 (with a support contract) with a specific interest in the Ebay extension - it was advertised as being part of the software. Only after I paid, did I realise that the Ebay extension was not actually available. It finally got released just before my support contract expired, and upon asking whether I would still get support with the Ebay extension despite my support contract having expired, I was met with a big fat 'no'. Way to go, SellerDeck. I won't be wasting any time with the Ebay extension now - I'm too concerned that it will be riddled with issues that I won't be able to get any help with.

I am truly gutted to say that I do not intend to purchase any future versions of SellerDeck. Since obtaining the free Actinic CD on a magazine cover many years ago, I was hooked. Support was great and new features were great. But then something happened and it felt like the peak had passed. Instead of spreading your efforts and resources into SEO/web design services and whatever other additional services you subsequently launched (yes, I recall the new name was all about offering a 'deck of services' or something, but when it's to the detriment of your main product then it becomes a problem for all of us), maybe you should have spent more time nurturing and developing your key product to prevent it from falling seriously behind the competition.

But then again, I agree with others - the ever-increasing price has obviously alienated new customers. Anybody daft enough to purchase a support contract gets a hit and miss, hot and cold, service depending on who is manning the service that day.

I would love to know which software other users are moving to but it obviously feels rude to ask about it on this forum. Then again, I see that other people on this thread have asked, and at the end of the day I have a business to maintain and a family to support. So, if anyone has successfully moved their shop to a new system away from SellerDeck, I would be very interested in hearing about it via PM.

I am very much looking forward to the webcast this afternoon.

[Jan]

Hi Laura,

I remember those CD's as well, a blast from the past.

I believe that even if you do not have a support contract you can still get email support and having seen a demo of the eBay extension it seemed to be quite simple to setup and so it might be worth you having a go with it, especially as you have kind of paid for it already.

Kind regards,

[guccij]

Is anybody else getting repeatedly pestered via email by Actinic regarding their cloud? I have lost count of the number of times I have unsubscribed from their mailing list (not that I ever signed up to it in the first place). Unsubscribing obviously doesn't work because I then get magically re-subscribed and re-spammed a few weeks later.

They spammed me again on the day of the Sellerdeck user conference. You can imagine how well that went down.

[mje]

I feel bruised and battered by the entire e commerce industry just now, but mostly Sellerdeck.

Firstly - we are a High Street shop and only play at eCommerce, that said I have always tried to keep my website relevant as I actually enjoy it and have been onboard from V6 along with EPOS.

But I do feel Sellerdeck are wandering away from the very business model that made it was it is - ditching the entry level version of the software that got most of us into the product was a massive mistake in my opinion. It makes no difference to me of course, but people often look at my site and ask about it, soon backing off when they become aware of the 2016 price tag.

I feel Sellerdeck is abusing loyalty - 200% price increases - streamlining of the product so that we are left with just one option to upgrade. It is already well documented that many of us feel forcing us to buy "cover" is poor practice, we need options, all businesses need choices, and pro active business will offer choices ..... I have had cover in the recent past, it cost around £500 for the year, and could be paid monthly - now it's grand plus for the same "product" most of which I and many other don't want. ............ only this industry can get away with this.

In retail we have to get on our knees to please and retain customers, work 7 days a week - in software and IT it seems figures for work are just plucked out the air and "support" for a 24/7/365 business is limited to just 5 days 9 to 5.

In June I was contacted by Sellerdeck and an appointment was made for Josh Barling to visit my business in late July. I have no idea "why" but assumed it would involve me getting an invoice - any way I was happy to hear what he had to say. A few days before the appointment, Sellerdeck cancelled, no reason offered, it was not possible due to holidays etc to rearrange for August, but to date we have heard nothing at all. This is not how I would treat a customer of mine. I can only assume Josh now felt a visit was a waste of his time.

It is easy of course to moan on a forum, but I honestly do feel Sellerdeck are not concerned at all. I listened to the Web thing this afternoon. Fair play to Phil, but he sounded very uncomfortable - one last thing ....... for a very long time Sellerdeck has been telling me I must have a responsive website......... best part of £3,000 to achieve this, why, may I ask if being "responsive" is such a business threatening issue is Sellerdeck's own web site not responsive?

Come on Sellerdeck, practice what you preach and get back to what you do best.

[John Ennals]

Did anybody else think they heard Phil refer to "Paperclip Marketing"? I even Googled it. I feel so stupid.

John

[Andy@codepath]

Did anybody else think they heard Phil refer to "Paperclip Marketing"?
John

I was chatting with a friend only a couple of weeks ago and he thought that's what I kept saying. I wondered why he looked a bit vacant :-)

[chickenhouseman]

I had to leave part way through last nights presentation. How do I get a copy - is it worth it? Pleased to see that there is an update planned for next year

[Duncan Rounding]

I had to leave part way through last nights presentation. How do I get a copy - is it worth it? Pleased to see that there is an update planned for next year

Email Phil - I think he can send you a link.