In general, we thought our Internet service provider, Databank, Inc. of Lawrence Kansas, offered a good deal: 300 hours of monthly connect time for $20/month. But like any service provider who fails to provide good service, they can expect angry customers and a lot of bad feelings when things go wrong.
Some time in September Databank's service went from good to horrible in the Washington, DC area. The company had planned a major service upgrade and botched it. Unfortunately Databank's overburdened technical support department made the problem worse by first ignoring, then ultimately blowing off inquiries about service.
Meanwhile we had to log onto our Internet provider by calling the New York port via long distance or else by using Databank's 800 number, which costs $7.50/hour. Either way it cost us money and time and generated a lot of ill will. Had Databank not been double- and triple-billing us all those months (which we finally straightened out), we would have quit this service when we found out. As it is, we prepaid for a lonnngg time, and it wasn't worth picking up and moving. Sometimes we could actually log on locally, but service was still spotty.
I have lots of mail documenting our exchanges, not all of which shows on this page. Now that Databank is effectively dead, we're more interested in correspondence with former Databank subscribers than with Tech Support.
Here's a sampling of our encounters with Databank Tech Support:
On Monday, October 16, 1995, Bud Stolker wrote:
When do you expect your service to improve in the Washington area?
I'm still experiencing mostly busy signals and no-answers from the local number. Today was typical-- this morning I couldn't get on at all. This afternoon (5:00 pm local time) it took 48 redials to get through. Those redials gave me a mix of busy and no-answer signals.
From your point of view, is your Washington upgrade finished, or are improvements still in the future? If you're still not finished with the upgrade, when can we expect improvement?
On Tuesday, October 17, 1995, Databank Technical Support replied:
Most of the hardware that we need to add the 70 new lines is already installed. All we have yet to do, is finialize our negotiotians with a company in the Vienna, VA area.
I ask you to please stick with us, because once we add these new lines, our service will greatly increase. We will have local tech support that are certified in WindowsNT, and will be able to correct any problem ON SITE.
On Wednesday, October 18, 1995, Bud Stolker wrote:
I would still like to know WHEN you will have your new lines up and running. For one thing, your service has been close to absent in the DC area for--what?--two months or so, and it's incredibly annoying, not to mention expensive, to have to use the 800 number or a long distance connection to log on. Second, I have a few clients who want Internet connections. I can't recommend Databank in good conscience if I can't even log on locally. When you're available you're a good deal, but lately you're just not available!
So when will you have your 70 new modems up and running? Tomorrow? Next week? Another month? Next spring? When?
Please respond.
On Wednesday, October 18, 1995, Databank Technical Support responded:
Your message to support@databank.com has been forwarded on to the appropriate department. They will be dealing with your questions or problems and will return a reply.
Thank you once again for your patience. You should receive an answer or solution very soon.
Bud, this has been passed up the ladder to someone who assumably has an questions.
A postscript: We received no further response from Databank on this matter. In November the service went away again, as did Databank's 800 number. We could log in via DC or New York, but the server never signed on, and we were unable to access our mail and Web pages. We had to give up on our Databank connection.
url: http://landmark.org/databank.html
Last update: 1-8-96