Has all tech support gone dodgy?


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I keep hearing stories from people who call legitimate companies for tech support. Companies like

 

Netgear

Linksys

Avast

 

Pretty much any company a customer has told me they have called for tech support for any little issue first starts by telling them their computer has lots of bugs and viruses usually by running a stupid registry scanner then says it will cost them $200 dollars for them to clean it up.

 

Case and point.

 

I got a call from a customer this week, because she wanted to get her iPad mini connected onto her wireless network but she didn't know her wireless password (SHOCKER!) or how to find it. She said she called her local ISP tech support. They said, sorry can't help you but here is the number for Netgear.

 

So she calls Netgear, he remotes into her computer and instead of helping her find her Wifi password,  tells her that there are currently 11 people logged into her computer and that they might even be into her banking. She told me he had a black box open.

 

When I was on her computer did an Ipconfig I saw the following.

 

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection *11: (in fact I just did it on mine and my laptop says 11 too)

 

So my guess is he showed her that number and told her that is how many people are currently logged into your computer

 

She said he wanted to charge her I think it was $300.

 

All because she wanted help finding her wifi password. (She also had a strong Wifi password)

 

What the #### is happening to the support industry where this turns into common practice no matter who you call for help.

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My wireless hotspot read 34 , 35, 36 last night -- which is impossible.

The numbers are the times it reconnected.

And I record my passwords somewhere.

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Not all tech support.  Surface tech support has always been really good for me, they replaced a power adapter that went ###### up no questions asked, and did an advance exchange on my RT when the volume button stopped working.  MS support in general (for live services and stuff like that) has been pretty stellar. 

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Not all tech support.  Surface tech support has always been really good for me, they replaced a power adapter that went ###### up no questions asked, and did an advance exchange on my RT when the volume button stopped working.  MS support in general (for live services and stuff like that) has been pretty stellar. 

 

Do they sound like they are from India?

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What the #### is happening to the support industry where this turns into common practice no matter who you call for help.

 

I'll explain what's going on, but first I should tell you I've scanned your system and I recommend installing Virus and Registry Annihilator Pro Plus Deluxe 2.3. It will help limit those rootkit users that are accessing your backdoor from a bios loader. The torrent they've tracked has infiltrated your mother board. If you install a linux swapfile into your RAM you can stop the attack, which this software can do. After you've done that we can start on cleaning up your boot order as it appears your Hard Drive is fragmented. By the way, do you have a webcam?

 

It's only $500, Oh no, sorry, we don't accept paypal, but a money order is OK!

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Heh the tech support guy I talked to for the hell of it was convinced it was the things on my system causing the problem and not their own ******* software (which was the only reason I called really, to waste their money in the vain hopes something positive would happen.)

 

Nothing shady at least.

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I always use chat, never call. Hate phone support.

My LiveChat to Samsung resulted in the dumb suggestion to factory reset my tablet.

The real solution popped into my head a while later.

Just turn off the bluetooth on my laptop, which allowed my tablet to connect to the headphones.

Sometimes I am my own best Tech support. :p

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An hour ago I got a call from a customer who's wifi internet stopped working on her laptop

 

She called the ISP customer support and after seeing how it works via hard wire but not over wireless the support person came to the conclusion that she must have a virus on her system, and that she should subscribe to their Internet Security Package for $15 a month.

 

So then she calls me

 

I have her check to see if her wireless Network shows her as connected or not. It says there are no networks to connect to. So then I walk her through locating the wireless button she probably accidentally pushed. She pushed it and she was back on the internet.

 

This next one wasn't dodgy but just funny.

 

I got a call from a customer this morning who was unable to send Emails via outlook. She said she called her ISP and that they remotely connected into her computer and worked on the issue for 1.5 hours. They couldn't figure it out. They even tried creating a new account in outlook. That didn't work either.

 

So she calls me. I remote in.

 

I look through her SMTP settings for Midlands

 

I look at the port number... that's not right... and I type in 25.

 

I look at the server requires authentication and unchecked that box (that ISP has never used that)

 

I deleted the new account they created

 

PRESTO! She could send emails again :D

 

Total time : Less than 5 mins

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Some companies are a little ridiculous with support.

The one I have a problem with is Dell. I called in because my new printer wouldn't connect to an SMTP server (turns out it needed a firmware update). Dell told me that printer support doesn't work on Saturdays. I pointed out that the website was for US customers, not UK ones. I spent 20 minutes arguing that there's a printer team there who could help me - the fact that I was from the UK didn't affect the issue. He argued and refused.

I hung up, called the US number from Skype, got through to what sounded like the exact same call centre, and spoke to someone who solved the problem. Why they felt the need to argue for 20 minutes rather than just put me through is beyond me.

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So she calls Netgear, he remotes into her computer and instead of helping her find her Wifi password,  tells her that there are currently 11 people logged into her computer and that they might even be into her banking. She told me he had a black box open.

 

When I was on her computer did an Ipconfig I saw the following.

 

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection *11: (in fact I just did it on mine and my laptop says 11 too)

 

So my guess is he showed her that number and told her that is how many people are currently logged into your computer

 

She said he wanted to charge her I think it was $300.

 

All because she wanted help finding her wifi password. (She also had a strong Wifi password)

 

What the #### is happening to the support industry where this turns into common practice no matter who you call for help.

 

This sounds very much like a scam support line.

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection *** has nothing to do with logged users.

How did she end up there?

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This sounds very much like a scam support line.

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection *** has nothing to do with logged users.

How did she end up there?

 

It's the number the ISP gave her.

 

Of course that number doesn't have anything to do with logged  users :D

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It's the number the ISP gave her.

 

Of course that number doesn't have anything to do with logged  users :D

 

That support post will cost you $50. You can pay by Paypal or Money Order ;)

 

Thanks.

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MS support in general (for live services and stuff like that) has been pretty stellar. 

 

Had quite the opposite experience with Microsoft Store. Their online store. At the end of the chat, they don't me that they don't offer support for what I was asking for, and that they cannot help me because I was not from the US. Which is just downright idiotic and the person that said that should burn in fire. :angry: If you have online stores for X regions, you offer support to those regions too, don't tell me that crap just because your own incompetence and brainless head have never seen daylight.

 

I tried so hard not to curse them, after spending 1 freaking hour in chat trying to get an answer to by questions.

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Had quite the opposite experience with Microsoft Store. Their online store. At the end of the chat, they don't me that they don't offer support for what I was asking for, and that they cannot help me because I was not from the US. Which is just downright idiotic and the person that said that should burn in fire. :angry: If you have online stores for X regions, you offer support to those regions too, don't tell me that crap just because your own incompetence and brainless head have never seen daylight.

 

I tried so hard not to curse them, after spending 1 freaking hour in chat trying to get an answer to by questions.

If you're as angry talking to them as you are writing this post then I wouldn't help you either. 

Maybe that's why I get awesome support, is I'm always polite, patient and courteous, and I always get what I want (even if it's a bit of a stretch as far as what they're supposed to do)

Try not being an ass for a change, see where it gets you. 

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If you're as angry talking to them as you are writing this post then I wouldn't help you either. 

Maybe that's why I get awesome support, is I'm always polite, patient and courteous, and I always get what I want (even if it's a bit of a stretch as far as what they're supposed to do)

Try not being an ass for a change, see where it gets you. 

 

Dude what the ###### is wrong with you? Did I wrote anywhere that any of us was impolite during the conversation?

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I look at the server requires authentication and unchecked that box (that ISP has never used that)

Ummm... What... Are you seriously saying an actual ISP today allows free access to their SMTP server... Over a standard port nonetheless... That's the most worrying part in all of that post...

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Had quite the opposite experience with Microsoft Store. Their online store. At the end of the chat, they don't me that they don't offer support for what I was asking for, and that they cannot help me because I was not from the US. Which is just downright idiotic and the person that said that should burn in fire. :angry: If you have online stores for X regions, you offer support to those regions too, don't tell me that crap just because your own incompetence and brainless head have never seen daylight.

I tried so hard not to curse them, after spending 1 freaking hour in chat trying to get an answer to by questions.

Their support is location specific, more than that it is location and product specific. Like you can technically get an Xbox One to Norway by way of import. But they have NO support for it here if you have problems. Which also means if you need service you need to have it shipped to the country you ordered from and then have it picked up by MS.

Of course you don't say where you called from and what the product and problem was so it's hard to judge.

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Dude what the #### is wrong with you? Did I wrote anywhere that any of us was impolite during the conversation?

Edit: He didn't say you were impolite during your conversation. If your previous post is of any indication, it doesn't seem like your conversation was very nice; I wouldn't want to help you if you acted (or said things) like this:

 

Had quite the opposite experience with Microsoft Store. Their online store. At the end of the chat, they don't me that they don't offer support for what I was asking for, and that they cannot help me because I was not from the US. Which is just downright idiotic and the person that said that should burn in fire. :angry: If you have online stores for X regions, you offer support to those regions too, don't tell me that crap just because your own incompetence and brainless head have never seen daylight.

 

I tried so hard not to curse them, after spending 1 freaking hour in chat trying to get an answer to by questions.

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Ummm... What... Are you seriously saying an actual ISP today allows free access to their SMTP server... Over a standard port nonetheless... That's the most worrying part in all of that post...

 

Unfortunately a lot of smaller isp's still allow open SMTP and port 25.    I work for a tech call center (Not a dodgy one, although some of the people I wouldn't put it past them)   We handle isp's throughout the U.S. and yes their IT staff still have not updated the security.  In fact we just finished a hell of a week with hacked modems for two of the companies, because they did not have the firewall enabled and UPnP disabled on them. 

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Tech support at the school I go to is horrible! They set all the Windows settings to classic,standard, disable animations, don't drag window contents when I drag the windows, etc. Then they also make the computers run slow by doing a server client login on an old network. So the teachers complain and a few weeks later they all get a group email says that you should be your own computer (but of course we won't service it), but buy a Mac because the HARDWARE keeps you from getting viruses. :P lol ppl are just crazy sometimes. 

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