chemistry
i tried to download an ebook of my lab book for chemistry. i thought this would be a cool idea... saving money and paper and my back. so i found one on thomsonlearning. com. DO NOT (i repeat) DO NOT EVER ORDER ANYTHING FROM THEM EVER!
what should have tipped me off was the fact that every online ebook site looks like a one of those used car lots, with none of the links working or half of the images not loading. but this thomson site looked legit. had the logo from pearson (another educational publisher) i buy the damn ebook and go to download it. what else should have tipped me off was that the landing page for the download said you had to have acrobat reader 6 or 7, but NOT 8. excuse me? i've never had versioning problems with acrobat reader. i had 8, but i thought, "what's the worst that could happen?"
well, it has this automatic software detection software that won't download anything unless you have the right software. but there's this button that basically says, "well, hotshot, if you think you're so smart and you think you have the right version, go ahead and download anyway. it's not our funeral." so i click on it.
i get this error:
400 Bad Request
(7) Invalid deploy site for order source 400027
The deploy site keyname from request (tltsprod/Http://glassbook.ebooks.thomsonlearning.com/fulfill/genurl.asp?storeid=400027&bookid=isbn%3A049506386X&dlname=tltsprod) does not exist in Database
so i call their customer support the first time (1). she tells me that that's a tech support question. ok, then you should have had your tech support number on your site. she gives me another number. i call them (2). they say they only do customer service for (product here). i need to call for (this product). ok, none of this is mentioned on the site. of course. so she gives me another number. i call it (3). it's the same number as the first one. so this new chick gives me the real tech support number. i call it (4). again, the wrong one, but this chick transfers me to the "real" tech support. i get a surly guy after waiting for about 20 minutes on hold. he said it was behind a firewall. try it on line. ok. he hangs up.
then i talk to annette and she tells me how to check my firewall. i do. we don't have one (way to be safe, place i work for). so i get pissed. but i figure i'll still give it a try when i get home.
i try it when i get home. no dice. of course. so i call them again (5). i wait, on hold, all the way to school. i had to hang up because i don't get reception in my class.
i muddle through my class without my lab book, thanks to some cool people. the next morning, i call, on speaker phone (6), and sit on hold for, i think, about a half hour. finally, i try their online live chat. this dude on the chat says they'll have to reset the activation and i should retry in an hour. one hour goes by. i try it again.
400 Bad Request
(7) Invalid deploy site for order source 400027
The deploy site keyname from request (tltsprod/Http://glassbook.ebooks.thomsonlearning.com/fulfill/genurl.asp?storeid=400027&bookid=isbn%3A049506386X&dlname=tltsprod) does not exist in Database
i am now homicidal.
i get back on the live chat and get some chick, who tells me that it's their busy time and that i'll have to wait until i get an email from the lead tech guy when the ebook is ready. grrrrrrrrrrrr.
so, in the middle of writing this rant, i get a phone call from Ann at thomson learning. she wants to credit my account for the ebook i was trying to purchase and all she needs is my credit card number and 3 digit code. hmmmm... why, i ask. she said to credit my account. then i ask, "because i won't be able to get the ebook i wanted?" yes, she says. she said the tech guy didn't know how you got that isbn to download, but that book doesn't exist in ebook form.
no wonder i was having so much trouble.
but i still wasn't sure it was a legit call and asked for her phone number to call her back. i did and she credited my account. sigh.
my homicidal rage is now calming to puppy-kicking anger. now if you'll excuse me, i have to go find this lab book for less than $80. used.
what should have tipped me off was the fact that every online ebook site looks like a one of those used car lots, with none of the links working or half of the images not loading. but this thomson site looked legit. had the logo from pearson (another educational publisher) i buy the damn ebook and go to download it. what else should have tipped me off was that the landing page for the download said you had to have acrobat reader 6 or 7, but NOT 8. excuse me? i've never had versioning problems with acrobat reader. i had 8, but i thought, "what's the worst that could happen?"
well, it has this automatic software detection software that won't download anything unless you have the right software. but there's this button that basically says, "well, hotshot, if you think you're so smart and you think you have the right version, go ahead and download anyway. it's not our funeral." so i click on it.
i get this error:
400 Bad Request
(7) Invalid deploy site for order source 400027
The deploy site keyname from request (tltsprod/Http://glassbook.ebooks.thomsonlearning.com/fulfill/genurl.asp?storeid=400027&bookid=isbn%3A049506386X&dlname=tltsprod) does not exist in Database
so i call their customer support the first time (1). she tells me that that's a tech support question. ok, then you should have had your tech support number on your site. she gives me another number. i call them (2). they say they only do customer service for (product here). i need to call for (this product). ok, none of this is mentioned on the site. of course. so she gives me another number. i call it (3). it's the same number as the first one. so this new chick gives me the real tech support number. i call it (4). again, the wrong one, but this chick transfers me to the "real" tech support. i get a surly guy after waiting for about 20 minutes on hold. he said it was behind a firewall. try it on line. ok. he hangs up.
then i talk to annette and she tells me how to check my firewall. i do. we don't have one (way to be safe, place i work for). so i get pissed. but i figure i'll still give it a try when i get home.
i try it when i get home. no dice. of course. so i call them again (5). i wait, on hold, all the way to school. i had to hang up because i don't get reception in my class.
i muddle through my class without my lab book, thanks to some cool people. the next morning, i call, on speaker phone (6), and sit on hold for, i think, about a half hour. finally, i try their online live chat. this dude on the chat says they'll have to reset the activation and i should retry in an hour. one hour goes by. i try it again.
400 Bad Request
(7) Invalid deploy site for order source 400027
The deploy site keyname from request (tltsprod/Http://glassbook.ebooks.thomsonlearning.com/fulfill/genurl.asp?storeid=400027&bookid=isbn%3A049506386X&dlname=tltsprod) does not exist in Database
i am now homicidal.
i get back on the live chat and get some chick, who tells me that it's their busy time and that i'll have to wait until i get an email from the lead tech guy when the ebook is ready. grrrrrrrrrrrr.
so, in the middle of writing this rant, i get a phone call from Ann at thomson learning. she wants to credit my account for the ebook i was trying to purchase and all she needs is my credit card number and 3 digit code. hmmmm... why, i ask. she said to credit my account. then i ask, "because i won't be able to get the ebook i wanted?" yes, she says. she said the tech guy didn't know how you got that isbn to download, but that book doesn't exist in ebook form.
no wonder i was having so much trouble.
but i still wasn't sure it was a legit call and asked for her phone number to call her back. i did and she credited my account. sigh.
my homicidal rage is now calming to puppy-kicking anger. now if you'll excuse me, i have to go find this lab book for less than $80. used.
posted by mikraas at 11:28 AM
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