Penny Arcade exposes awful customer service from Ocean Marketing

@sickVisionz said:

Some no name company that makes a joke product that's worthy of a 3am adult swim infomercial commercial has bad customer service?!??!? I'm shocked. I found the whole thing to be funny. The customer was whiny and impatient. When you get customers like this, the best thing to do is to give them their money back and wash your hands of the situation. They aren't worth the trouble. The customer service guy was out of line but so was the customer. To me they are equally guilty.

The only person I think was in the wrong was the the PAX guy. He had zero stake in any of it and it seems extremely unprofessional to black list a company who seems like they make a reputable product solely because of a whining kid on the internet who didn't get special treatment and access to discounts that his order wasn't eligible for. It's a sad day when the whining internet kid who blows up on forums is able to take down a company singlehandedly.

But who cares, really? PAX is just PAX. If they're really in stores like the guy said and the product is good, there shouldn't be real issues.

Getting strung along and lied to for two months for a product you already paid for and writing the costumer service about it is not "whiny and impatient". The costumer was completely justified in his complaint.

I hate the guy complaining and I hate the guy taking the complaints and when he gets involved in this stupid monkey shit throwing, I kind of hate Mike too.

Without a doubt, that reps a jerk. But fuck am I sick of fucking customers.

@sickVisionz said:

Some no name company that makes a joke product that's worthy of a 3am adult swim infomercial commercial has bad customer service?!??!? I'm shocked. I found the whole thing to be funny. The customer was whiny and impatient. When you get customers like this, the best thing to do is to give them their money back and wash your hands of the situation. They aren't worth the trouble. The customer service guy was out of line but so was the customer. To me they are equally guilty.

The only person I think was in the wrong was the the PAX guy. He had zero stake in any of it and it seems extremely unprofessional to black list a company who seems like they make a reputable product solely because of a whining kid on the internet who didn't get special treatment and access to discounts that his order wasn't eligible for. It's a sad day when the whining internet kid who blows up on forums is able to take down a company singlehandedly.

But who cares, really? PAX is just PAX. If they're really in stores like the guy said and the product is good, there shouldn't be real issues.

Did you even read any bit of the conversation?

Either way, I shall declare your comment and opinion entirely moronic.

@sickVisionz said:

Some no name company that makes a joke product that's worthy of a 3am adult swim infomercial commercial has bad customer service?!??!? I'm shocked. I found the whole thing to be funny. The customer was whiny and impatient. When you get customers like this, the best thing to do is to give them their money back and wash your hands of the situation. They aren't worth the trouble. The customer service guy was out of line but so was the customer. To me they are equally guilty.

The only person I think was in the wrong was the the PAX guy. He had zero stake in any of it and it seems extremely unprofessional to black list a company who seems like they make a reputable product solely because of a whining kid on the internet who didn't get special treatment and access to discounts that his order wasn't eligible for. It's a sad day when the whining internet kid who blows up on forums is able to take down a company singlehandedly.

But who cares, really? PAX is just PAX. If they're really in stores like the guy said and the product is good, there shouldn't be real issues.

Paul Christoforo is that you?

Don't let these guys get you down. They just don't understand how big your balls are. You should just say something tough to let them know.

Wow... really?

I did some digging around on this and read some other email chains this guy had with customers who complained about shipping concerns, more the same. I'm glad I can sit back and laugh but feel awful for the people who gave him their hard earned money and have to deal with him. I appreciate how on twitter, he seems shocked to find out Kevin Kelly is no longer with G4 and has lashed out at Scott Lowe/IGN after he said IGN don't support him. John Drake chimed in as has Notch. Fingers crossed Cliffy B joins the party.

I know Jeff said on a jar time they get a shit ton of third-party peripherals that are garbage, I wonder if he or any of the staff have corresponded with this dude.

@Dross said:

Nice reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Avenger-Xbox-360-Adapter/dp/B0051JSJ44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324991181&sr=8-1

My favorite review so far:

I contracted polio after using this controller and it killed my dog. Now my life is in ruin and their customer service doesn't care.

Check out a blog post I put up a while back for a similar situation with an online retailer. Sometimes I wonder how people think they can be so rude to a customer and it not effect anything negatively.

All I have to add to this is:

Dave, dude, 38 is a "sad old man"? I mean, he's not young anymore, but a bunch of us in our thirties would appreciate some tact. Sheesh.

y'all realize you just activated his trap card right?

@niamahai said:

y'all realize you just activated his trap card right?

Holy shit, has high traffic has brought Penny Arcade down? That's pretty crazy.

I hope Jerry puts up his opinion of the matter. I love Mike and all, but Jerry can eviscerate with words like no other.

@Dross said:

Nice reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Avenger-Xbox-360-Adapter/dp/B0051JSJ44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324991181&sr=8-1

Wow. Right now there are 12 pages of "reviews" for this product on Amazon and fully half of them are from today (12.27.11) bashing on customer service. And it's only the morning. By the end of the day the real product reviews will be a drop in an ocean of vicarious customer service reviews. I kind of wanted to feel bad for the guy, customers can be dicks sometimes, but seriously, just the tiniest bit of professionalism - even failure to respond instead of idiotic responses - would have saved this guy...it's hard to feel bad about someone getting what they were begging for...if you can't handle business, don't pretend to be a big bizinus man.

Too bad PA is down though...bummer that.

Just saw a link to this story retweeted by Pamela Gay, one of the hosts of AstronomyCast. Safe to say this thing's outgrown the "video game enthusiast" container.

Wow, customer support at it's best!

Third party peripherals are shit, so it's understandable their level of customer service is on par with their product.

I just looked at that controller. It looks like it's on life support.

On his Facebook profile it no longer states that he is CEO or whatever of OceanMarketting. let's hope that's the case!

I think the OceanMarketting page is deleted all together!

The next generation in customer service.

Yikes!

I love everything about this story! Maybe the two T's in "Marketting" the most, but pretty much all of it is hilarious. Sad and gross, sure. But all assholes like that guy deserve to be publicly shamed.

This is fantastic. I'm loving every second of it.

@Dylabaloo said:

The next generation in customer service.

Fantastic... XD

Should be interesting to see how this plays out. >:D

Gary Whitta found the best review.

I was following this on GAF this morning. I think we should start a countdown on how long it will be before he is canned and an official announcement is made. I say by 3PM EST.

Amazing. This situation is so fucking absurd, but goddamn if technology isn't great. Today will most likely be the worst day of his 'career'.

How can someone be so idiotic. I guess he really just doesn't give a shit, and doesn't care if the business tanks.

Man, reading his Twitter is like reading the lies of that one douche in high school that never really left high school and continues to just be a douche who thinks he's worth something when he's not.

Also, Ocean Marketing? Never heard of it. What brands do they create? The "bro" mentality of Call of Duty? The "rape" mentality of the Straw Dogs remake? It's the only two things I could imagine them making based off the picture of that twat.

God, I REALLY hope someone pins this fucker to the wall...hard...without any lube.

OH SHIT! HE CALLED SCOTT LOWE A DOUCHEBAG!!!

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM POPCORN!

I won't lie - I hope this ends with that Paul dood fellating a .45 in a cheap hotel room.

He has started deleting tweets. He started with the one he called Scott Lowe a douchebag.

This is my new voicemail message:

"Son Im 38 I wwebsite as on the internet when you were a sperm in your daddys balls and before it was the internet, thanks for the welcome to message wurd up"

Maybe he'll call in the Redner Group to do some damage control.

@Beforet said:

I'm so happy to see a company self-destruct in real-time.

"Previously on Ocean Marketing...". :D

@Dross said:

Nice reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Avenger-Xbox-360-Adapter/dp/B0051JSJ44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324991181&sr=8-1

Thats fucking hilarious!!!!! 100 reviews posted today!

Has anyone posted about what IGN is saying about them?

@Dross said:

Nice reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Avenger-Xbox-360-Adapter/dp/B0051JSJ44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324991181&sr=8-1

Wow. Right now there are 12 pages of "reviews" for this product on Amazon and fully half of them are from today (12.27.11) bashing on customer service. And it's only the morning. By the end of the day the real product reviews will be a drop in an ocean of vicarious customer service reviews. I kind of wanted to feel bad for the guy, customers can be dicks sometimes, but seriously, just the tiniest bit of professionalism - even failure to respond instead of idiotic responses - would have saved this guy...it's hard to feel bad about someone getting what they were begging for...if you can't handle business, don't pretend to be a big bizinus man.

Too bad PA is down though...bummer that.

Looks like he deleted his twitter account. :)

His twitter account has disappeared. I'm almost starting to feel sorry for the guy.
Ok not really.

@TheSouthernDandy said:

His twitter account has disappeared. I'm almost starting to feel sorry for the guy. Ok not really.

https://twitter.com/#!/OceanStratagy

Actually, they just changed their twitter account name:

https://twitter.com/OceanStratagy

New developments, looks like his website is full of stolen articles:

http://www.examiner.com/video-game-industry-in-national/ocean-marketing-gaming-pr-rep-to-avoid-at-all-cost

And there seem to be other cases with that asshat berating customers:

http://www.notgoodenough.org/viewtopic.php?p=329158

Oh good - I was worried his bitchin' photos of him with Tony Hawk at a Best Buy were lost forever.

And he spelled 'strategy' wrong...

@TheSouthernDandy said:

His twitter account has disappeared. I'm almost starting to feel sorry for the guy. Ok not really.

https://twitter.com/#!/OceanStratagy

It's fun watching this douchebag's company crumble in a matter of hours.

From his bio:

Favorite Books
I dont read books unless I have to

Favorite Movies
Goodfella's, Casino, Bonnie Brasco

This alone has completely made my entire post-Christmas Monday. And I even have hotwings for the show. d( '-' )z

This.... this is fantastic

@CptBedlam said:

From his bio:

Favorite Books
I dont read books unless I have to

Favorite Movies
Goodfella's, Casino, Bonnie Brasco

Didn't know there was a sequel to Donnie Brasco!

This Paul guy is a real piece of work. Makes me wonder if he's alright in the head at all.

Some no name company that makes a joke product that's worthy of a 3am adult swim infomercial commercial has bad customer service?!??!? I'm shocked. I found the whole thing to be funny. The customer was whiny and impatient. When you get customers like this, the best thing to do is to give them their money back and wash your hands of the situation. They aren't worth the trouble. The customer service guy was out of line but so was the customer. To me they are equally guilty.

The only person I think was in the wrong was the the PAX guy. He had zero stake in any of it and it seems extremely unprofessional to black list a company who seems like they make a reputable product solely because of a whining kid on the internet who didn't get special treatment and access to discounts that his order wasn't eligible for. It's a sad day when the whining internet kid who blows up on forums is able to take down a company singlehandedly.

But who cares, really? PAX is just PAX. If they're really in stores like the guy said and the product is good, there shouldn't be real issues.

https://twitter.com/#!/oceanmarketting

This is getting funnier by the minute...