Companies that Suck

I keep track of companies that suck. For each, I have a brief description of why they suck. This is an incomplete list, and intended as my small contribution towards consumer awareness. Most of this is about mailing lists and related issues, but a few sucky companies have their own special way of sucking.

I am very active at getting my name removed from junk mail lists, resisting telephone solicitations, and otherwise cutting down on annoyances (see the US FTC for more info and help). I also take steps to complain about poor business practices (i.e., via the Better Business Bureau). This little list is another similar step, and as you see in the brief stories below, happens after other methods have been tried.

• Dell sucks. After a single purchase of a peripheral item, sent to another address, Dell has persisted in sending me multiple catalogs every month for over two years. I've called them multiple times, returned their catalogs with instructions to remove me from the mailing list, and used their Web-based "preferences" to no avail: the catalogs keep coming. Moreover, their support for my $15,000 server at work has been very poor.
• Honda USA sucks. When I bought my Honda Rancher ATV from Fairbanks Motor Sports, I was very clear in writing that I did not want to be added to any mailing list. But for 18 months after my purchase, I received monthly or more frequent mail offers from Honda for everything from new ATVs to life insurance. Buying a name-brand product does not give a relationship with that name-brand company, therefore the company has no customer right to solicit. Requests to be removed from a mailing list must be honored.
• The Blood Bank of Alaska sucks. I donated blood once in 2005, and when I filled out my donation paperwork (including personal info like home address and telephone number) I wrote on the form, and told the people at the desk, that I did not wanted to be contacted for any reason other than if there were health problems related to that day's donation. Since then, they have phoned me at home and at work 5 times -- each time I told them to stop calling me. They will not get a blood donation for at least 2 years from me. Organizations that can't heed basic privacy requests from their donors suck.
• AT&T sucks. Do I really need to tell a whole story here? What happens when you decide to change to another long distance company is amazing...phone calls, junk mail, special offers, etc. Choice means choice, and No means no.
• DHL sucks. This is a pan-global company for delivery. So why it is that they called me at home more than 6 times to ask why I wasn't shipping enough, using my DHL account number? I asked them to stop, and told them I would not ship with them if they could not heed my wishes. Not only did they keep calling, this company evidently doesn't know anything about time zones: they called 4 times between 4:00 and 6:00 am! The only reason they had my home phone # was because my DHL account was tied to my personal credit card, so I needed to provide my home phone to authorize the card. Don't call people at home in the middle of the night.

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