Problems with Eros

[pjorourke]

Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill

The trick with Eros is to work as little with the human beings under their employ as possible. Set up your account on erosads.com. In there you use their automated system to set up and design your ad. You can save your work and get back to it later if you want. Then when you're ready to submit the ad, you can pay up to one or two months at a time, using a credit card. You can log in yourself and change your pictures once every two weeks without an additional fee. You can log in at any time and alter you text without a fee. It allows you to set up additional base ads in other cities if you like, and also allows you to place visiting ads.

Best of all, you never talk to anyone.

The only time I talk directly to Eros is when I'm paying for an ad placement for an entire year at once. At which point, I have always been able to negotiate a discount of some sort.

It is a sad commentary on society when machines give the best customer service.

[Guest053011]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

It is a sad commentary on society when machines give the best customer service.

In the case of a directory, it's the only way to manage it. It doesn't matter what kind. If every listing has to be managed by staff it's going to be a complete nightmare. However, if customers can make changes to their own content themselves, it's instantaneous and done to their liking.

Direct one on one service is awesome when you aren't working with a huge crowd of people. Since I'm generally not bothering them with little details I can easily manage myself, and only contact them when I want to do some serious numbers - as a business they can provide me with great customer service. You can't expect exceptional service if you're going to be background noise clogging up the system, the employees are too stressed out trying to keep up.

[guest051510-1]

Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill

The trick with Eros is to work as little with the human beings under their employ as possible. Set up your account on erosads.com. In there you use their automated system to set up and design your ad. You can save your work and get back to it later if you want. Then when you're ready to submit the ad, you can pay up to one or two months at a time, using a credit card. You can log in yourself and change your pictures once every two weeks without an addition fee. You can log in at any time and alter you text without a fee. It allows you to set up additional base ads in other cities if you like, and also allows you to place visiting ads.

Best of all, you never talk to anyone.

The only time I talk directly to Eros is when I'm paying for an ad placement for an entire year at once. At which point, I have always been able to negotiate a discount of some sort.

Lauren, that is what I did, however I had a typo on my form of payment so that it wasn't exactly like account information. I asked if I could just change F.O.P., but no. Now this is going to take a few days worth of leg work for me because I need to get a bunch of papers signed and faxed, etc. Mainly because I have many names and my F.O.P. doesn't match exactly (same name just missing middle initial). I have other F.O.P. that match my account name, but now I need to submit more documentation than buying a house.

[Zoey Blake]

Originally Posted by Nicolette Bordeauxva

Lauren, that is what I did, however I had a typo on my credit card name so that it wasn't exactly like my drivers license. I asked if I could just change credit cards, but no. Now this is going to take a few days worth of leg worth for me because I need to get a note from my bank and sign and fax a bunch of paper work. Mainly because I have two middle names and my CC has one and my DL has the other. I have other CC that match my DL, but now I need to submit more documentation than buying a house.

I'm sorry to hear you're having such difficulty with them; like Lauren, I've primarily dealt with the automated system, and rarely had any issues. When I do have a question, I've developed a relationship with one particular sales rep, which seems to help in getting decent service.

It seems odd that they would have such an issue with the name on your CC not being exactly the same as on your DL... my DL includes my middle name, but my CC does not, and I've never had it questioned

[Guest053011]

Originally Posted by Nicolette Bordeauxva

Lauren, that is what I did, however I had a typo on my credit card name so that it wasn't exactly like my drivers license. I asked if I could just change credit cards, but no. Now this is going to take a few days worth of leg worth for me because I need to get a note from my bank and sign and fax a bunch of paper work. Mainly because I have two middle names and my CC has one and my DL has the other. I have other CC that match my DL, but now I need to submit more documentation than buying a house.

I'm a tad confused.

If you're using their automated system, you can log in yourself manually input the credit card number and name, submit it and as long as the credit card company approves it, your ad is processed. I've used other peoples credit cards (with their permission) and it still got processed in the automated system.

I don't think they even have my real ID...

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by Zoey Blake

It seems odd that they would have such an issue with the name on your CC not being exactly the same as on your DL... my DL includes my middle name, but my CC does not, and I've never had it questioned

I haven't had any problems yet, but probably will. I have 3 or 4 different variations of my name on CCs.

And TSA is already phasing in regs that require your Boarding pass to match your ID exactly. [I'd give ya a link but I figured you boys & girls were big enough to figure out Google]

[discreetgent]

Well with TSA the airline websites (at least some of them) have you put in your name as it is found on either your DL or passport and that gets handed over which means what is on the CC doesn't matter in that context

[guest051510-1]

Originally Posted by Lauren Summerhill

I'm a tad confused.

If you're using their automated system, you can log in yourself manually input the credit card number and name, submit it and as long as the credit card company approves it, your ad is processed. I've used other peoples credit cards (with their permission) and it still got processed in the automated system.

I don't think they even have my real ID...

Well, that was not my experience. The ad was summitted and returned. They called my bat phone and left a message that the name was spelled different and now I can't resummit.

Well, I could change my email address and not be nicolette bordeauxva any more and do it right (without the typo) but that would be foolish.

[Guest053011]

Originally Posted by Nicolette Bordeauxva

Well, that was not my experience. The ad was summitted and returned. They called my bat phone and left a message that the name was spelled different and now I can't resummit.

Well, I could change my email address and not be nicolette bordeauxva any more and do it right (without the typo) but that would be foolish.

Yeah redoing sounds like a real pain. I can't imagine what kind of paper work they would be requesting - that makes me a tad nervous. I don't really want to be supplying them with much.

I'd just go into the system and resubmit the ad without the typo on the card. See if they declined it a second time.

[guest051510-1]

They returned it three times. When I called, the new CSA said everything matched, but I still need to summit the change of name forms. So, I now have to say I am changing my name from xyz to xyz. It make no sense, but that policy for you.

[Guest053011]

Originally Posted by Nicolette Bordeauxva

They returned it three times. When I called, the new CSA said everything matched, but I still need to summit the change of name forms. So, I now have to say I am changing my name from xyz to xyz. It make no sense, but that policy for you.

[Guest083011]

Colette, try again tomorrow. With a different representative to talk to. That one you talked to today might have been having a bad day. Or perhaps Zoey or Ans might have the name of a specific agent that might be able to do a work-around (forwarded via PM).

In my biz there is a national web site that everyone uses, and then there's the "other" sites (not worth a nickle to advertise on). Mine is the 800 pound gorilla. I gird my loins every October to renew. I have no specific rep to talk to (I used to when I signed on in 2002).

Okay rant mode on. This was from Monday this week:
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Just tried to reach you guys at 7:55 eastern which of course is 4:55
Pacific. The recording said I was calling out of business hours. Please
update the recording to reflect the early closing time or have a
representative pick up the phone.

So in the reply from them the next day:
If you have any further questions, please contact our Customer Care department at 800-xxx-xxxx. We are available between the hours of 6am to 5pm PST, Monday - Friday. We look forward to assisting you.

Grrrrrr. Maybe they know I'm a cheap floozy.

[Camille]

Originally Posted by Nicolette Bordeauxva

Lauren, that is what I did, however I had a typo on my form of payment so that it wasn't exactly like account information. I asked if I could just change F.O.P., but no. Now this is going to take a few days worth of leg work for me because I need to get a bunch of papers signed and faxed, etc. Mainly because I have many names and my F.O.P. doesn't match exactly (same name just missing middle initial). I have other F.O.P. that match my account name, but now I need to submit more documentation than buying a house.

And herein lies the problem. The name did not match absolutely and correctly. What you have to understand Nicolette is that Eros are working within a framework that is much bigger than you, or me...or all of the women combined. It's a legal framework. They are like a rabid dog when it comes to getting the EXACT information and if you screw it up (intentionally or otherwise, minor or major) they make you start the process again. They are not willing to be brought down by one person end of story. The question you are asking really is "Are you really not willing to take a chance on me?" to which they are responding, "Not if it means there is even the smallest chance that as a result of that we could be up against the law." You are in their life on their terms because ultimately they will be the one who pays the price for not following protocol..not you. You seem to think that without women they won't have a business. Wrong. Without working within a legal frame work they do not have a business.

Understand that big brother are looking for ways on a daily basis to bring down sites like Eros, TER and hell probably even Eccie. Granted you don't see this from behind the scenes but its happening. Whether you like it or not they are telling you that the risk is not worth the investment. Don't take it so personally..it's a business decision not a vendetta agaist you. Frankly, their reluctance to fly in the face of the law makes me feel more secure about them not giving my info out to some random Joe Bloggs.

C

[guest051510-1]

Originally Posted by Camille

They are like a rabid dog when it comes to getting the EXACT information and if you screw it up (intentionally or otherwise, minor or major) they make you start the process again. They are not willing to be brought down by one person end of story. The question you are asking really is "Are you really not willing to take a chance on me?" to which they are responding, "Not if it means there is even the smallest chance that as a result of that we could be up against the law."

That was what I wanted to do, start the process again. I asked them to cancel everything I had done and just let me start all over spelling everything correct. They acted like I was trying to hide something and now my ad is flagged until I can prove to them who I am, which I have no problem doing. I can give them my DL, Birth Cert., Passport, and SS Card and they will all have different versions of my name. None of which matches my credit card exactly.

It is like William Jones Jr., might be just William Jones on his DL, William R Jones on his SS, William Robert Jones on his passport and Bill Jones on his Credit Card.

If I could do it over, I would have used a different cc, one that matched my other id perfectly. But, no I am not allowed to start over.

[Camille]

Originally Posted by Nicolette Bordeauxva

That was what I wanted to do, start the process again. I asked them to cancel everything I had done and just let me start all over spelling everything correct. They acted like I was trying to hide something and now my ad is flagged until I can prove to them who I am, which I have no problem doing. I can give them my DL, Birth Cert., Passport, and SS Card and they will all have different versions of my name. None of which matches my credit card exactly.

It is like William Jones Jr., might be just William Jones on his DL, William R Jones on his SS, William Robert Jones on his passport and Bill Jones on his Credit Card.

If I could do it over, I would have used a different cc, one that matched my other id perfectly. But, no I am not allowed to start over.

Then think about getting a green dot card that matches your DL EXACTLY. Problem solved.

C