It's about time.I've heard from another Earth Class Mail user who feels betrayed by their outrageous price increase. While Earth Class Mail President and COO Sarah Carr has been too cowardly to post to Twitter or comment to this Blog about Earth Class Mail's vile price hike on loyal users, you can imagine my amazement to learn that she replied directly to one of the loyal users she betrayed. That user contacted Earth Class Mail directly about ECM's reprehensible actions, and received a reply from none other than Sarah G. Carr herself.
Here are some choice words, straight from Sarah Carr:
Thank you for being a loyal customer of ECM. I am sorry that the price increase is causing you to reconsider continuing your service.
Come on Sarah, are you really "sorry" that loyal customers are reconsidering? With a price increase of over 100%, what did you expect?! And if you you really want to thank loyal customers of ECM, you would grandfather them in at a reasonable price. Actions are louder than words. They should have taught you that even way back at Lehigh. Carr continues:
Unfortunately we cannot continue to serve our customer base at the size it is without raising our prices.
Funny, here is a whole list of alternative online postal mail services which offer their services at sometimes half of what you now do! So clearly it is possible.
Our cost to serve our customers is out of line with our current pricing and we need to bring them more in line.Unfortunately we cannot grandfather our existing customer base, as we could not maintain that base at current pricing and stay viable.
Well, that's the heart of it all right there. Fine. But why then did Earth Class Mail allow users - and worse - encourage users, to change all our addresses over to Earth Class Mail? You sell us the service at one price, then lock us in by having us change all our addresses over to your service, and then you brazenly more than double your prices? Is that even legal?
Again, you have this great concern about staying "viable," but St. Brendan's Isle, Bongous, My RV Mail, Paperlessmail, UK Postbox, Private Box, Virtual Postal Mail and Zumbox all seem to be viable companies without shafting over loyal customers. Earth Class Mail stands alone at having betrayed the trust of their loyal customers and raising prices on them over 100%.
I hope that you will continue to value our service and stay with us, but I also understand that you may no longer see the value in our new pricing plans.
You MUST be kidding. What did they teach you at Lehigh? Actions speak louder than words and any "hope" you have would be far better placed in being reasonable with your loyal customers. We valued your service tremendously at the prices we originally signed up with. We valued it still when - at Earth Class Mail's encouragement - we changed all of our addresses over to our Earth Class Mail addresses. We stopped valuing your service when you indecently raised prices on us over 100%. Your actions are reprehensible, so yes, you had better believe that we "no longer see the value" in your new pricing plans.
Sarah G. Carr, you should be ashamed of yourself and the way that you have mistreated and misled the loyal customers who helped Earth Class Mail get started. You remain a fine example of what's wrong with corporate America and how not to treat customers.
So here they admit that they need to raise prices. But in the previous email, it was many customers finding they pay less under the new plan. So... the first email was a lie, I guess? Or does "many customers paying less" somehow provide ECM with more revenue?
ReplyDeleteTheir dishonesty here also does not score them any points.
Agreed, Sarah Carr et al have handled the situation very badly in every respect.
ReplyDeleteThis whole Earth Class Mail price hike saga reminds me of the eMusic price hike and ensuing P.R. fiasco.
ReplyDeleteI am a bit late to this party but I too was really put off by the massive hike in rates. I agree that the USPS offers many services at a much lower rate but for people like myself who spend half the year out of the USA, the USPS offers no help. Who can afford to have their FCM forwarded to parts unknown plus trust that their tax documents will arrive.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I think ECM has found a niche. Also unfortunately, I think their "new and improved" interface is far less user friendly than the first and their address recognition software is abominable.
Lastly, the cost of scanning is outrageous and I agree that loyal customers should have had a better set of choices. All they have managed to do for me is to cause me to look every day for a more affordable option.
I am a long term customer and ready to leave with the price hikes.
ReplyDeleteObviously they have not been profitable or able to cover their costs. They still might not be able to and close.
Maybe you can do a poll to see where the best place to move our business is and we all go there or coordinate a mail campaign.
I just got hit with the price hike myself, wasn't paying attention and I figured that my plan would renew like always. Like others I got "upgraded" to that ridiculous essentials plan.
ReplyDeleteI'll go back to a local PO box unless anyone posts an ECM alternative that isn't so abusive? Their service was barely OK at the old price, but now? You have to be kidding! Seeya--
I highly recommend Traveling Mailbox. They offer customer support 7 days a week and their prices are very affordable. Their service is as close as it gets to me actually sifting through my mail on a daily basis. In addition, they do not require a postage deposit and will even ship my documents and packages without paying up front. There base plan gives you 100 page scans per month for only $15/month!
ReplyDeletePlease folks, run away from ECM as fast as you can.