Yahoo Getting PR Body Slammed

from the everywhere-you-look,-another-negative-story dept

Wed, Sep 7th 2005 2:48am — Mike Masnick

It would seem that September is not Yahoo's month. Lots of companies end up facing period of bad press, but in the last week alone -- with much of it coming in the last day -- it's amazing to see how many stories have started spreading that cast Yahoo in a negative light. Last week it kicked off with the story that the latest version of Yahoo's instant messaging offering bundled a lot more than users asked for in the "default" install -- leading to a number of pissed off users. Yesterday, came the accusations that Yahoo was becoming a haven for phishing scams and the quickly spreading news from this evening was the story of how Yahoo may have given Chinese officials the info they needed to track down and jail a journalist who had reported on things the Chinese government didn't want revealed. To top it all off, I just came across an article saying that Al Qaeda terrorists are using Yahoo mailing lists -- again, placing the blame squarely on Yahoo. Obviously, there are a lot of different ways to respond to the various stories, but it seems like Yahoo has suddenly become a magnet for negative stories.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

23 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

JeroenW (profile), 7 Sep 2005 @ 6:17am

No Subject Given
Well, yahoo has a long, long, LONG history of ignoring complaints. Any complaints wether providing dns for spamvertised sites, hosting those site or allowing spammers to spam from their networks.
Serves them right that this finally backfires.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- BH, 7 Sep 2005 @ 6:57am
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  While they may ignore complaints, they randomly cut off others for very minor violations of their terms of use. For example, my mother's yahoo email account was suspended for spamming when all she did was occasionally forward humurous chain-emails to members of her own family. The only thing that made that a violation is that she FORWARDED them instead of copying the content and pasting it into a new email.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Robert Archibald, 14 Dec 2005 @ 8:10pm
    
    Re:
    My complaint is that everytime I get on a discussion site of yahoo's pertaining to a news story, I get cut of after posting several times. I represent the conservative viewpoint and seldom if ever do I profane the content of my postings or replies.
    
    I read many of the left leaning responses filled with hatred and profanity, and they are never cutoff from the discussions.
    
    I can continue reading the discussion messages, but once I'm terminated for whatever, I am supposed to have done, I can no longer respond.
    
    Complaints and emails to Yahoo have failed to acknowledge any response. It really irritates me. I have begun to believe that yahoo is a front for liberal and leftist organizations.
    
    Their whole reason for existence is to bash America and anything that stands as patriotic.
    
    Show me where I am wrong, please.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Lydecker, 7 Sep 2005 @ 8:44am
  
  Non-existant mail
  As far as I'm concerned, Yahoo! can do whatever they want to run their image into the ground, as long as they stop my old shut down my old GeoCities mail account from forwarding to my current address. About 6 years of spam is all I can take.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - k b haldeman, 10 Oct 2005 @ 7:34am
    
    Re: Non-existant mail
    
    I cancelled my yahoo account because, among other things, I couldn't cancel a monthly reminder. Shades of pink bunnies; they're still coming. After reading your, and other's complaints, I have no expectations. Still, I may forward the reminders to abuse@yahoo.com
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Steve, 1 May 2006 @ 7:31am
  
  Re: VIRUS on your site
  Please remove the VIRUS on YAHOO.com
  is:
  "CHARACTER STRING VERIFY ERROR"
  Please remove this VIRUS from this site.
  it is extremely damaging to YAHOO.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Steve, 1 May 2006 @ 7:33am
  
  Re: VIRUS on your site
  Please remove the VIRUS on YAHOO.com
  is:
  "CHARACTER STRING VERIFY ERROR"
  Please remove this VIRUS from this site.
  it is extremely damaging to YAHOO.
  I spent 4 months and was NOT
  removed by YAHOO.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
kelly Denison-Cole, 7 Sep 2005 @ 7:29am

i-pod
i have 5 empty gigs on a 40gb- 4000 or so songs and about 15 podcasts, mostly tech and news
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anons Anonymous, 7 Sep 2005 @ 9:07am

yahoo complaints are substantive
What I find doubly interesting is that the recent spate of less-than-positive attention that Yahoo is receiving has actual substance, (for example: installing all sorts of crap on your system behind the original install...) while so very much of the less-than-positive attention that Google has been getting lately is on closer examination completely airy-fairy and lacks substance.

?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Bill Ray, 7 Sep 2005 @ 10:29am
  
  Re: yahoo complaints are substantive
  Any time you have a problem with Yahoo there is absolutely no way to get through to them. I have not been able to get on the webcam servers for almost a year; says they are always too busy.
  
  Screw 'em.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - D Flagg, 23 Feb 2006 @ 12:24pm
    
    Re: yahoo complaints are substantive
    I am having problems with Yahoo with not getting thru--not able to get server--extremely slow getting info up..almost as bad as dial up. Have tuned and retuned computer--no problem--no virus--just Yahoo unable to deliver. Very frustrating. Haven't the faintest idea on how to complain to Yahoo directly and even if I were able to do so I have no faith in any response.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
anon, 7 Sep 2005 @ 10:42am

some days...
Some days make me proud to be a yahoo, others make me ashamed. In the midst of all the bad press yahoo raised $13,000,000 in one day for the red cross, which is pretty great. All companies (ALL) do some good stuff and some bad stuff, and ultimately I have to ask myself if my company is doing more harm or good in the world, and if I really want to contribute my skills to the overall mission. It's something I think about every day.

From the inside we see what is happening on both sides every day, so reading the press coverage is just a guage of what others think, not what is actually happening.

As for Yahoo not responding to complaints, everyone should know that people here read every news story that mentions the company, and we also read a lot of the blog postings and emails. Of course we can't always solve problems, but we absolutely know that the problems exists.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 16 Mar 2006 @ 8:24am
  
  Re: some days...
  anon on Sep 7th, 2005 @ 10:42am reality would tell you what is actually happening such as Yahoo not willing to solve problems that they know they can solve.
  
  By responding to complaints, Yahoo Staff not to give 2 different answer on the same matter, do something about spam as I am still getting the same spam after I reported it many times to Yahoo etc etc.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- ex-Yahoo User, 16 Jan 2007 @ 2:21am
  
  Re: some days...
  And Yahoo absolutely know that problems such as not responding to complaints, replying with a standard form letter reply that has nothing to do with complaints etc etc
  
  Has always existed, so why don't Yahoo just do something about the problems, instead of just ducking and weaving, not helping people etc etc etc
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
suzanne miller, 26 Apr 2006 @ 4:55am

blocked from my account
because I don't remember what I changed my password to.

The password help is useless to me because I can't remember what I entered at registration.

I don't know why they can't send my password hint to my alternate email.

Several emails to customer service have gone unanswered.

I would be willing to delete the entire account and start all over, but they won't let me without my password.

Sooo, I guess my account will just exist out there, taking up space until the end of time.

Very, very frustrating.

Other than this, I have been extremely pleased with my free yahoo email for years.

Tips are welcome.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Alex, 26 Jul 2006 @ 2:38am
  
  Re: blocked from my account
  I have a similar problem to Suzanne. First, a virus wiped my hard drive, which was replaced (I suspect the virus came via Yahoo mail). When I got my computer back and tried to log onto my Yahoo mail account, I got the "invalid ID or password" message. I tried all the "sign-in help' stuff. I even tried changing the password.
  
  Nothing works.
  
  I've sent 8 emails to "Customer Care" since July 10, and only ever had the automated response promising "A support representative will get back to you within 24 hours regarding your issue."
  
  No one has got back to me. Clearly, no on intends to.
  
  Put simply, access to my Yahoo email account is being blocked, and they appear to have no intention to do anything about it.
  
  I realise I made a mistake relying on Yahoo mail. There refusal to fix what is probably simple fault is very disappointing.
  
  I'd like to know if Yahoo has ever done anything to help anyone with problems with their service at any time in the past. From here, it seems unlikely.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- ArtA, 16 Sep 2006 @ 12:41pm
  
  Re: blocked from my account
  I had the same problem with yahoo.
  My password was changed without my doing it ..
  did you ever succeed ? I havent..
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- ArtA, 16 Sep 2006 @ 12:50pm
  
  Re: blocked from my account
  I had the same problem with yahoo.
  My password was changed without my doing it ..
  did you ever succeed ? I havent..
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Adam papier, 4 May 2006 @ 11:20am

Yahoo hates us!
I made a mistake and invested forty bucks in a yahoo Music account- my bad. But it's been a year and I was assured that I'd get a renewal notice so I've just been waiting to cancell. Anyway, today I noticed that they charged another $40 to my CC so I called to have the charge removed (yeah right!) and cancell. Seems as if they can't send renewall notices to Yahoo.com addresses (which must be BS since I get adds every day from them) and need to send this notice to another account! So in order for this promised renewal notice, which I don't believe exists, to reach me I need another E-mail address?!?! Come on!
And of corse they won't cancell the service now or pro rate the fee which was charged only 4 days ago. And, by the way, their customer service is the worst I've ever dealt with! I think they basically said, "o well, cancell next year," although I could barely understand anyone. They also wouldn't give me their names or any manager.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
M Newbury, 15 May 2006 @ 8:21pm

yahoo don;t give a damn
here is content of mails sent to yahoo returned as undeliverable, as is ALL cmplaints/help requests to yahoo.. read and avoid Yahoo like the plague they really are......... Hey guess what, I was right ... Yahoo, Yahoo, whats that .. only phantom, and whats a phantom, something that you just AN'T get hold of, oh yeah... that's what Yahoo is.... a parasite that feeds off what it calls it's "users", well I ask you , who's using who. Got a problem with yahoo... go search your heart out, n good luk cus you'll die before ou find em.. but hey wanna advertise or god forbid, actually pay for second rate services, and their all over you like fleas, hey thats a damn good annalogy. A flea is a parasite, hey YAHOO. you listening to your new name, like crap you are. read below and you'll see i was right. but why should you give a monkey's, you never have before and you never will, well the worm will turn, the worm will turn. I did have untill today when YOU that is YAHOO deactivated my account under the user name of (concealed for this posting), you claim the request was from ME, but you conveiently ignore ALL requests for help and to re-activate my account. I am STILL waiting for my original account to be re-activated and an explination as to the events that made YOU cancel my account. I am guessing you will also choose to ignore this e-mai too, but hey what the heck, one can live in hope that you actually do give a damn about your users. Thus far my response to that is "like hell you do", it would be nice that you "actully" did something for the user that earn you all the money you make from forcing advertisers upon us, but hey, your a big company, you dan't have to give a damn do you. I guess I could say anything I want here really as all your gonna do is file this in a trash can somewhere and sit on you derier and do absolutely nothing whilst people use your company name in the mud. So if you do actually have any people that read these mails, then why not actually prove me wrong and sort out the mess YOU have created here. and I would love to be proven wrong, but hmmm, somehow, why do I think I wont be? I wonder.... do you know. do you care? now that is the burning question. yours very disgruntled with second rate service (can't call it "customer" service) M.Newbury
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2006 @ 10:09am

i'd like this person not to contact my email again or i will press charges My email is pshellhouse@juno.com
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Morgan Freechild, 4 Jul 2006 @ 8:27pm

Yahoo no refund
I signed up for several domain names with the assurance I could have satisfaction 100% guaranteed. I then decided to cancel, and they never gave me my money back. Called customer service (took forever) and they said I could return the domain names, I just wouldn't get my money back. WTF? The guy said he would forward it to his superiors and that I'd here back within two days. That was 8 months ago, I'm still waiting. . .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
jimbo, 31 Aug 2006 @ 9:22pm

Complain about Yahoo
Hi there I was searching about ways to complain about Yahoo as I have had many troubles from them - anyway I found the following on their code of practice page - (this maybe only for UK users) - it states that if your complaint has not been resolved within 12 weeks you can contact the member agency stated. "Yahoo! is a member of the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS). If we have not resolved your complaint to your satisfaction within 12 weeks of your initial complaint or if you have received a letter from us stating that your complaint has reached "deadlock", you may take your complaint further through CISAS. CISAS C/o The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 12 Bloomsbury Square London WC1A 2LP Tel: +44 (0) 20 7421 7444 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7404 7150 Email: cisas@arbitrators.org This scheme is administered by The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. You may contact CISAS in relation to any complaints or disputes that you do not feel Yahoo! has dealt with satisfactorily. For more information relating to this scheme, please visit http://www.arbitrators.org/cisas. (Guidance notes and an application form on which to make your complaint are available on this website.)"
[ link to this | view in chronology ]