Consumerist Worst Company in America

[InOnePiece]

[JaguarX]

hmmm interesting. Where are those people that want to flood websites with how bad NCSoft is? This is the chance to do it without risking making the cause painted in a negative light. Now is the time to let lose with everything you got and letting it have an actual effect. Lets get it!

[Illusionss]

Bad as NCIdiocracy is, I don't think they can hold a candle to such consumer-friendly outfits as Bank of America or Direct TV, two absolute legends of craptastic behavior.

At least NCS does not try to foreclose on your paid-for house, when you never even had the mortgage financed by them in the first place.

[JaguarX]

Bad as NCIdiocracy is, I don't think they can hold a candle to such consumer-friendly outfits as Bank of America or Direct TV, two absolute legends of craptastic behavior.

At least NCS does not try to foreclose on your paid-for house, when you never even had the mortgage financed by them in the first place.

touche.

[Des_Tructive]

I might be nitpicking, but they're talking about the worst company in America. NC isn't exactly in America anymore. It might be worth checking if it's even viable.

[Segev]

Bad as NCIdiocracy is, I don't think they can hold a candle to such consumer-friendly outfits as Bank of America or Direct TV, two absolute legends of craptastic behavior.

At least NCS does not try to foreclose on your paid-for house, when you never even had the mortgage financed by them in the first place.

I have got to see this story. Link?

(It will either fill me with rage, if it worked, or more likely amusement, as such blatant attempts at out-and-out theft backfire spectacularly.)

[Triplash]

such blatant attempts at out-and-out theft backfire spectacularly.

I knew a girl once whose uncle got arrested for stealing a canoe. Thing is, he got away with it at first... walked right out with it, bold as you please. He was out of their sight before anyone realized he hadn't paid for it.

They arrested him when he went back for the paddles.

[JaguarX]

I might be nitpicking, but they're talking about the worst company in America. NC isn't exactly in America anymore. It might be worth checking if it's even viable.

Well it does say companies that regularly provide services to Americans. Meaning of "regularly" depends on interpretation.

"As always, nominated companies must regularly provide goods and services to American consumers."

[Illusionss]

I have got to see this story. Link?

(It will either fill me with rage, if it worked, or more likely amusement, as such blatant attempts at out-and-out theft backfire spectacularly.)

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/homebuyers-strike-back-at-bank-of-america-after-foreclosure-mistake/article_41c54a6b-c135-5b25-9bb5-5d9be3cc618d.html

Bank of America is legendary for the most brazen, out-and-out predatory banking practices - perhaps of all time, and that is saying something. They are staffed by the clueless and owned by... well, I'd call them "actual vultures" but that would be a disservice to vultures, who at least serve a purpose in the great scheme of things.

This example here is one of many. A little research will enrage and enlighten you. I would deal with the Devil before I went near either BoA OR Wells Fargo.

[JaguarX]

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/homebuyers-strike-back-at-bank-of-america-after-foreclosure-mistake/article_41c54a6b-c135-5b25-9bb5-5d9be3cc618d.html

Bank of America is legendary for the most brazen, out-and-out predatory banking practices - perhaps of all time, and that is saying something. They are staffed by the clueless and owned by... well, I'd call them "actual vultures" but that would be a disservice to vultures, who at least serve a purpose in the great scheme of things.

This example here is one of many. A little research will enrage and enlighten you. I would deal with the Devil before I went near either BoA OR Wells Fargo.

Indeed.

[Segev]

I feel badly for the family there, but it warms the cockles of my heart to see the idiots running the farce got treated to a near-"foreclosure" of their own.

[HarvesterOfEyes]

I might be nitpicking, but they're talking about the worst company in America. NC isn't exactly in America anymore. It might be worth checking if it's even viable.

Let the website work out the geographic issues.

I suggest everyone like-minded send messages to the linked address: Subject="Worst Company Nomination", Body="NCSoft". If they get a disproportionate number of such nominations they'll have to at least mention it. [...and that would be a win for the good guys.]

Everyone else who thinks hell will rain down on us for daring to say that a company that totally sucks totally sucks, I'll just leave you this reminder: You're in charge of your own conscience (only).

[JaguarX]

You're in charge of your own conscience (only).

Can I use this as my sig?

[TimtheEnchanter]

Unfortunately, these kind of contests will only become relevant when they can turn it into some kind of investigative reality show. And when a "winner" is chosen after a great deal of analysis, that company MUST be dissolved, regardless of how much money it has.

And I'm not just saying this for the sake of wanting to smack NCsoft around.

But yeah... what would be really funny right now is if NCsoft hadn't just bought a new U.S. HQ. Before that, the belief was NCsoft was going to pull out of America altogether. And then we could've said, "So THAT's why they left. They didn't want a chance to be nominated for this prestigious award!"

[Segev]

Eh. The market WILL take care of genuinely bad companies. It just takes time. And lack of crony protection of bad actors by the government, though even THAT will eventually fail (the problem being that it usually requires so much mercantilist-style winner-choosing by the government that the whole economy is falling apart before that happens).

[Golden Ace]

I feel badly for the family there, but it warms the cockles of my heart to see the idiots running the farce got treated to a near-"foreclosure" of their own.

oh yes.  indeed it did.

[Knight Light]

I don't know how many thought to check but last year's winning loser was EA.

http://consumerist.com/2012/04/04/congratulations-ea-you-are-the-worst-company-in-america-for-2012/

I see this as an indicator that they wouldn't throw out selecting NCSoft based on the criteria that they are "just" a gaming company.

I intend to forego some sleep time somewhen before the twelfth in order to draft my nomination. I want to include as many of NCSoft's individual atrocities as possible. Don't want to mount my assault with just a "You suck!"

I'm exhausted and losing conciousness as we speak so if anyone is bored and wants to make up a checklist of important arguments for me to follow later, be my guest.

Off the top of my head as I'm blacking out, going to include as separate points:

• NCSoft's treatment of its employees, from the subsidiary crews to the inhouse personnel.
• The unsavoury dismissal of Paragon Studios.
  
• The manner in which NCSoft informed their loyal customers that the world was ending.
• The fact that no matter how you cut it or spin it in business lingo, the bottom line is that it was hands down, no contest attack on a peaceful community; casualty of business war or not.
• How "fast" and timely NCSoft's response was to their customer's cries and pleas of "f no!!".
• The dubious credibility of the claim they made any attempt at all to sell the property to ensure its survival.
• NCSoft's ineptitude at public relations.
• The unceremonial sunsetting(hate that word) of a truly prestigious, profitable and unique product while being both unwilling and incapable of offering a genuine subsitute.
• The inability or unwillingness to provide any evidence to refute claims about City of Heroes profitability
• NCSoft's betrayal to its investors by allowing its brand to become synonymous with dishonor in any market.
• The fact that Kim Taek Jin is a smelly stupid dooty-head punk with no vision that writes checks his smelly stupid dooty-head punkass can't cash.

...

I'm gonna go take a nap. Ya'll think of any others you let me know. I may leave out that last argument once I wake up.

..maybe.

[General Idiot]

You know, given how the SimCity launch is going I suspect EA may win it this year as well. Underestimating demand worse than Blizzard did for Diablo 3 combined with colossally bad timing.

[srmalloy]

• The fact that Kim Taek Jin is a smelly stupid dooty-head punk with no vision that writes checks his smelly stupid dooty-head punkass can't cash.

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to retract that statement; it's demeaning to smelly stupid dooty-head punks to be associated with Kim Taek Jin like that.

[Illusionss]

Wow, EA beat out BANK OF AMERICA last year? lololol

Ok, I will bite and put in my vote for NCS, who is at least ten times more craptacular. At least EA hasn't taken content away from subscribers - that I know of.

[InOnePiece]

Friendly reminder that the deadline is tomorrow at 5pm Eastern, if you want to participate.

[JaguarX]

sooo any word on who won?

[TonyV]

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina!


...Oh wait, maybe I'm thinking of something else.

[JaguarX]

Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina!


...Oh wait, maybe I'm thinking of something else.

Ah yes the new Pope. first one from Argentina I think.

Finally got a chance to check out website and dont see any updates so I guess they still counting the votes for consumerist.

Think they use white smoke too when the choice is made?

[FatherXmas]

Ah yes the new Pope. first one from Argentina I think.

Finally got a chance to check out website and dont see any updates so I guess they still counting the votes for consumerist.

Think they use white smoke too when the choice is made?

First one from the "New World" (first outside of Europe since Peter).  Took over 500 years.

[Taceus Jiwede]

First one from the "New World" (first outside of Europe since Peter).  Took over 500 years.

Ah what!  I voted for Bono.  He has a deep dark secret why he has to be number 1 at everything you know.

[FatherXmas]

Actually it turns out there were a few others from outside of Europe in the early days of Christianity.  My bad.

[TargetOne]

sooo any word on who won?

This was just the nominations round, where people can suggest any company they [dis]like. They'll tally the results, and in a few days will announce the companies with the most nominations, then put it up to a vote by the general public to see which one wins.

And as much as I might want to see NCsoft up there, I'm feeling no love for EA either these days.

[LadyWizard]

Anyone want to lay money we lose to EA after that Simcity debacle on the 5th?

[InOnePiece]

Didn't make the bracket...

http://consumerist.com/2013/03/18/here-are-your-contestants-for-the-2013-worst-company-in-america-tournament/#more-10122750

[Illusionss]

OOoooo, Paypal vs. Sallie Mae. Most of the other face-offs are pretty clear-cut, but that's a toughie.

I would totally LOL if EA took the crown three years running. Man. That's some epic craptactular right there.

[General Idiot]

Apple vs Microsoft in the first round, that's mean.

[TargetOne]

Didn't make the bracket...

I didn't expect that NCSoft would even be considered. The entire active player base of CoH was, at best, a hundred to two hundred thousand people. All the companies in the WCIA 2013 challenge, by contrast, have tens of millions of customers. Many more opportunities to piss people off. 

[TargetOne]

I would totally LOL if EA took the crown three years running. Man. That's some epic craptactular right there.

EA only won once, in 2012. To be fair, the award has only been given out since 2006.

It would be great if they DID win twice in a row, though. And since the actual title of the award itself is "The Golden Poo", well... "craptacular", indeed.

[LadyVamp]

Bad as NCIdiocracy is, I don't think they can hold a candle to such consumer-friendly outfits as Bank of America or Direct TV, two absolute legends of craptastic behavior.

At least NCS does not try to foreclose on your paid-for house, when you never even had the mortgage financed by them in the first place.

They foreclosed on our up to date paid for game.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Apple vs Microsoft in the first round, that's mean.

Well, let's see... they both can be accused of having monopolies. Somehow I save far more money when I stay away from Apple though. Hmm...

[Segev]

Well, let's see... they both can be accused of having monopolies. Somehow I save far more money when I stay away from Apple though. Hmm...

Er, no. Since they are direct competitors, they cannot, by definition, be said to have monopolies. Duopolies, perhaps, but even then, there tend to be a number of smaller options in the field, even if they're not as influential as those two big ones.

[JaguarX]

So who won?

[Xieveral]

So who won?

Voting is still going on. From the look of it, the final round of votes may end up being between Bank of America and Electronic Arts.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Voting is still going on. From the look of it, the final round of votes may end up being between Bank of America and Electronic Arts.

The world had better be careful. They might end up partnering.

[DJMoose]

The world had better be careful. They might end up partnering.

SHHHH!  Don't give them ideas!  This would cause the end of the world as we know it!

[LadyWizard]

haven't figured out how ticketmaster managed to beat carnival for worse

[Kistulot]

Has everyone seen EA's responses?

As a supporter of various human rights (avoiding getting political, don't want to make your jobs harder mods!) I find this... offensive:

EA Plays The Blame Game (Or How I Learned To Keep Reading And Love The Fail)

[dwturducken]

[Osborn]

[TimtheEnchanter]

EA failed to change the Origin EULA to a less intimidating one with regard to privacy, even after it caused a massive panic. EA did respond to the panic, and assured the public this was not the case, but none of the changes in the EULA had ANYTHING to do with the item that scared people the most. The Origin EULA gives them the right to snoop around your entire computer. Not just elements of your computer that pertain to relevant information (what other EA games you own, your system config, etc), but everything.

EA conspired with LucasArts to raise the licensing fees for Star Wars in order to force SOE to close Star Wars Galaxies.

EA was the first gaming company to hire professional trolls to go into forums and get threads locked that were painting them in a poor light.

[Kriiden]

EA failed to change the Origin EULA to a less intimidating one with regard to privacy, even after it caused a massive panic. EA did respond to the panic, and assured the public this was not the case, but none of the changes in the EULA had ANYTHING to do with the item that scared people the most. The Origin EULA gives them the right to snoop around your entire computer. Not just elements of your computer that pertain to relevant information (what other EA games you own, your system config, etc), but everything.

EA conspired with LucasArts to raise the licensing fees for Star Wars in order to force SOE to close Star Wars Galaxies.

EA was the first gaming company to hire professional unicorns to go into forums and get threads locked that were painting them in a poor light.

I knew EA was bad...but sending in people to lock threads? Wow...that just lowers my opinion of them even further.

[Osborn]

...
EA was the first gaming company to hire professional unicorns to go into forums and get threads locked that were painting them in a poor light.

Do you have proof of this last item? Not because I doubt you (because I don't), but because I want to read it.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Do you have proof of this last item? Not because I doubt you (because I don't), but because I want to read it.

Most of the really good stuff on this is long gone now. The SWG forums near the shutdown were a treasure trove of information on all sorts of behind-the-scenes stuff. There were lots of links to all sorts of things, including research on a pro-troll effort (they were on the SWG forums too, trying to tell us how stupid we were for not worshiping SWTOR like a god).

The only thing I could turn up is the 4chan thing, but that article came up months after the fact.

http://www.cinemablend.com/games/EA-Viral-Marketing-Exposed-Big-Buyout-Horizon-40885.html

This alleged EA troll effort has created a lot of speculation since then, that other companies have picked up the strategy. You'll notice random folks around here, wondering if NCsoft has ever tried to send anyone to cause trouble here. And there was a lot of paranoia about it on the NCsoft forums during the final months of CoH as well.

[Osborn]

Most of the really good stuff on this is long gone now. The SWG forums near the shutdown were a treasure trove of information on all sorts of behind-the-scenes stuff. There were lots of links to all sorts of things, including research on a pro-unicorn effort (they were on the SWG forums too, trying to tell us how stupid we were for not worshiping SWTOR like a god).

Yeah, while I don't think SWTOR is all that bad, I wouldn't want like, say, CO closed down for CoH or vice verse. I wish though that CoH got the sort of emulation support that SWG did though.

This alleged EA unicorn effort has created a lot of speculation since then, that other companies have picked up the strategy. You'll notice random folks around here, wondering if NCsoft has ever tried to send anyone to cause trouble here. And there was a lot of paranoia about it on the NCsoft forums during the final months of CoH as well.

EA didn't in any way create that strategy, it's older than the internet, but it does disturb me and anger me that they would participate in it.

People need to realize that sort of thing is going to be found out more often not and then punished for it when it does happen.

[Kistulot]

People need to realize that sort of thing is going to be found out more often not and then punished for it when it does happen.

The problem is that these companies are in it for the profit, and unless you stop buying wholesale from companies that you feel don't deserve your service, they wont learn. I know people who agree that Activision/EA/Ubi are terrible, then buy their games anyway. I know they publish a lot of games, but it's kinda the only way to send a message.

[TimtheEnchanter]

The problem is that these companies are in it for the profit, and unless you stop buying wholesale from companies that you feel don't deserve your service, they wont learn. I know people who agree that Activision/EA/Ubi are terrible, then buy their games anyway. I know they publish a lot of games, but it's kinda the only way to send a message.

It's a pretty useless sentiment, unfortunately. Civilization in general has no unity. There is no core source of communication that allows the populous to come together over an issue and fight for it. Corporations on the other hand, are exactly that - an organization united in its cause.

You might as well be expecting a billion headless chickens to have a chance at beating a well-trained and disciplined army. And I'm not just talking about the information age where media entertainment can perpetually distract us from more important issues. "Oh crap, we're losing our right to bear arm... oh look, Rihanna is takin her clothes off!"  When was the last time a boycott accomplished anything? I'm willing to bet that the only times that has ever worked, is in small towns against businesses that only operated in that same small town.

Globalization, and the ability for a business to cover such a large area of the world, is how that "Too big to fail" phrase came about.

[Kistulot]

But when it comes down to it, what else can you do? Speak up about the practices you dislike, and refuse to insentivize their continued development unless they're willing to change away from things that you find intolerable.

Paying people to actively frustrate you isn't smart, even if not paying them wont cause them to change overnight.

Decrying them while paying them won't work either.

[Illusionss]

EA failed to change the Origin EULA to a less intimidating one with regard to privacy, even after it caused a massive panic. EA did respond to the panic, and assured the public this was not the case, but none of the changes in the EULA had ANYTHING to do with the item that scared people the most. The Origin EULA gives them the right to snoop around your entire computer. Not just elements of your computer that pertain to relevant information (what other EA games you own, your system config, etc), but everything.

This is the EXACT REASON none of the Dead Space games are on my computer! Who the ****!!!!!  do these people think they are, what gives them the sheer RIGHT to think they have a right to pillage and cherry-pick through my computer, snooping out what interests them! THIS BUNCH NEEDS A REALITY CHECK! And until they get one, they will not be getting my cash!  God its like corporations are mad with power or something!

[Osborn]

Also being like "Oh well, people aren't organized and so we can't do anything, so neither will I!" is a self fulfilling prophecy.

[Kistulot]

Also being like "Oh well, people aren't organized and so we can't do anything, so neither will I!" is a self fulfilling prophecy.

Tis! That's why while I don't feel the need to organize or do anything all the time (CoH activisim I have time for, rallying against every triple A publisher, I just dont have the time or the care) but I feel like I do my part in not encouraging them at least. Not helping them isnt the same as stopping them, but when a good cause crops up I tend to try helping, too.

[Shenku]

I know people who agree that Activision/EA/Ubi are terrible, then buy their games anyway.

That right there is exactly the problem, spurred on by the brainwashed mentality that we need to drop $60 on the latest game that's only half finished, then another $15-$60 for the remaining parts that were held back as either DLC or as "Awesomest FPS 2!"... (Example: Halo 4 almost seems to be using the same model as Sim City, since everyhing but the way-to-short-cause-it's-only-part-1 Master Chief story requires XBox Live... You can't even do local multiplayer matches anymore without XBox Live it seems...)

Some people are willing to boycott, sure, but the larger majority is too sheeple-minded to think for themselves, or quite simply there are no legitimate(i.e. not blatant rip-offs) substitutes out there, and very few large corporations actually care more about their customer satisfaction than the Uncle Scrooge McDuck piles of money they can swim through.

[Xieveral]

EA "won"

http://consumerist.com/2013/04/09/ea-makes-worst-company-in-america-history-wins-title-for-second-year-in-a-row/

[JaguarX]

The problem is that these companies are in it for the profit, and unless you stop buying wholesale from companies that you feel don't deserve your service, they wont learn. I know people who agree that Activision/EA/Ubi are terrible, then buy their games anyway.

And that is exactly what they counting on.

EA probably get a good laugh out of winning that poll each year because they know people know they are terrible, people gripe about them day in day out, yet, still rush to the store, stand in line at 4 am waiting for the store to open to fight each to buy their latest game anyways. As long as people continue doing that, they probably dont give a hoot if they win that title for the next 20 years. And the devil inside me, asks this, Can you really blame them? It's like that woman that complains about how terrible her boyfriend is to her, and how he cheats, and how he's in and out of jail and how he never gets a job and etc but never leaves him even though her life is not in any danger. What incentive is it for him to change if he is gettign what he wants and the person he wants doesnt seem serious about ever leaving him?

[Segev]

Globalization, and the ability for a business to cover such a large area of the world, is how that "Too big to fail" phrase came about.

Actually, the phrase "too big to fail" is a misnomer. When it's said, it's usually by politicians who really mean "too big to be allowed to fail," and who are using that as an excuse to inject public money and regulation onto a company that would otherwise fail. It's the antithesis of a free market and globalization; it's government choosing who gets to win despite their bad economic decisions.

Companies are never too big to fail; anything can fail if it makes enough bad choices and unsustainable expenditures of resources. Even those companies propped up, mercantilist-style, by crony (so-called) "capitalism," will eventually fail when the government that decided they get to "win" runs out of money. That usually means a collapse of that government's finances, however, so really, everybody except the elite few skimming money off the transfer from earners to spenders is better off if we don't allow such shenanigans and instead allow companies that are failing to simply fail. Then, people learn from their mistakes and do better next time to avoid the same fate.