Longtime readers of this blog may not have ever seen this side of me, nor have my real life friends. But I can be a wee bit fierce sometimes. I am grateful for the outcome. This is not a review, per say, of this company's practices, but I share the email thread with you so you can see for yourself.
On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 1:53 AM, Brenda Clews wrote to Podbean.com:
Subject: My Files Deleted?
Notes: I uploaded a file in 2009 that appears to be gone. This is very upsetting as the hard drive that file was on is defunct. Podbean had my only copy. Can you retrieve it? http://brendaclews.podbean.com/2009/08/04/white-fire/ I did not know you deleted files. Most sites do not do this - at least without warning. Sorry to be a bother, but I really would like to download that file. Thanks, Brenda
Contact Podbean 9:47 AM (3 hours ago) wrote to me:
Brenda, Your files were not lost. They were mis-set after a system move. If the files are important to you, you are recommended to use one of our paid plans . Should there be any further question, please feel free to contact us. Have a nice day.
Podbean Team www.podbean.com
To get latest system status update, please follow us on Twitter @podbean_com
Brenda Clews 10:01 AM (3 hours ago) to Contact:
I am shocked. You didn't even *inform* me that my files were deleted! A "paid" plan will get my file back??? Wow. Ok, I am blogging this experience and posting on Facebook and Google+ and everywhere else I can find. I'll just relate my experience which = bad reviews.This is not a good way to treat people who try your site out. Wish I'd never gone near it. And would like to warn others who might consider your site. It's NOT worth it.
Contact Podbean 12:24 PM (1 hour ago) to me:
What ? We restored your account and you gonna to bad-mouth us.
Brenda Clews ✆ 1:42 PM (6 minutes ago) to Contact:
I am so glad and very grateful!
Now that the broadcast is downloaded, you can delete it if you wish. I use a Google Sites site to host .mp3s now, and there is also the trusty Internet Archives.
I know you guys have to eat, live, and so on, too, and need to charge for your services. Only it's not so good to remove a 'freebie's' file without informing them, and then to ask for payment for them to get it back.
But... eh, that's business for you.
Thank you,
Brenda
_
Yes, I got my file back, for which I am most grateful. But I did not like having to let the tigress out to snarl and gnarl at them to get them to behave with a modicum of business ethic! There is not a word of this in their FAQ, or anywhere else on the site that I was able to find before I initially contacted them.
Not a side I normally exhibit, and most people who know me don't know how I can bare my teeth when necessary. Ok. I lost it.
And I don't think this has happened in at least 7 years - when I had to deal with the moving company that transported my household goods from Vancouver to Toronto and offered storage in a warehouse in an outer suburb for $200./month and then more than doubled it to $450./month when my stuff got to Toronto. They could not legally throw my goods out because I had paid them a couple of thousand dollars. I refused to pay for the storage, many cross calls ensued, and when I called about 8 months later, they relented, and finally honoured their original quoted price and let me retrieve my goods before they had even received the bank draft (brothers and a son are awfully handy to have in times like these - we went and moved everything to another downtown storage place in an afternoon).
Sometimes, you just have to let your tigress out. :)
