#tags zattoo,tv,scam
After having used their service for quite some time I received the announcement that they wanted to start charging users a samll fee. I’m talking about Zattoo. Quoting their site:
Well, completely free obviously not anymore, but that doesn’t matter. I don’t know how well known / widely used this service is outside of Europe, but I’ve got many frieds here that actually used it.
Fact is I wanted to see a soccer match last evening on my computer, in order to let my GF watch here stuff on the big screen. I decided to pay the 2.40 euro (as can be seen here, sending the two sms with ZAT to 7766. After two hours I still didn’t have my code (so bye bye match) and after 24 hours and two mails, both using the support form as well as the info email address I’m still waiting for an answer/activation code.
2.40 ain’t that much money, but things like these are very annoying. Until I get an answer from them I consider this new “pay-per-view” service a true SCAM, con, swindle, grift, gaffle, bunko, flim flam, stratagem, or scheme (wikipedia :wink: ), since after using the service for a couple of months and getting confident with the people at Zattoo I’ve paid for a service which I haven’t received yet, there’s no info about reclamations, payment confirmation, receipt, etc etc…
Update 2008/08/18 - First contact from Zattoo, quite dissapointing
Got a mail last night from them:
So I know how this story will be evolving. Have you read The Twelve Tasks of Asterix ? I always feel like in the 8th task when something doesn’t work out 100% with obscure/big companies or government:
Quoting:
| Find Permit 838 in “The Place That Sends You Mad”. A mind-numbing multi-storey building founded on bureaucracy and staffed by clinically unhelpful people who direct all their clients to other similarly unhelpful people elsewhere in the building. Asterix eventually beats them at their own game by asking for an imaginary permit that nobody knows about, sending the place into disarray. Eventually Asterix is given Permit 838 just to make him leave and stop causing trouble. |
So next task: write to the friendly people at the other company. I feel like this will take a long long time…
My mail to the new company, I wonder how long it will take them to answer:
On wednesday 2008/08/13 at 19:10 I sent two sms messages to the number “7766” with codeword “ZAT” in it.
I was supposed to receive a activation code for Zattoo which never arrived. Yesterday evening I finally got an answer from Zattoo where they state that they don’t have to do anything with payments, that I should refer to you.
So this is my mail / compliant, I’ve paid for the service five days ago and still haven’t received any answer/feedback or even the product.
The phone number where I sent the sms messages from (2x) is 627xxxxxx.
Thanks in advance for your attention in this matter.
