Examples of Bad Customer Support: Berkley Softworks
05 January 2026 • by Bob • Support
Back in the 1980s, I used an OS named "GEOS," which provided a Mac-like interface on Commodore's series of personal computers (both the C64 and C128). I purchased the OS and several of their applications, all of which used "serial numbers" to confirm legitimacy of ownership. Since I had spent a considerable amount on my GEOS-related purchases (which seemed like a fortune since I was a young, enlisted soldier in the military), I had no problems with GEOS' anti-piracy measures. I thought that it was perfectly reasonable for Berkley Softworks (the makers of GEOS) to ensure that other users were paying for GEOS, just as I had done.
However, when GEOS released a major OS upgrade that I had purchased legitimately, for some inexplicable reason GEOS generated a new "serial number" when I was installing the update instead of reusing the old number. As a result, none of my previously registered applications worked. Instead, each application greeted me with some sort of "You are using this software illegally" message, which was far from the truth, and this angered me to no end since - as previously mentioned - I had spent a considerable amount on my GEOS purchases.
Since I was in the military and stationed overseas in Germany, making a technical support call to Berkley Softworks in California meant staying up until the wee hours of the morning so that I could call them during their operating hours in the USA. That was a VERY expensive international call, only to be told by Berkley Softworks that what I needed to do was to box up all my GEOS disks and send everything to them, and in return they would send me all new software. Sending packages across the ocean in the 1980s was a loooong process - quite often by boat - which could take a couple weeks in each direction. Another potential delay was the fact that I was sure that Berkley Softworks probably wouldn't feel that my predicament was an urgent matter, so they probably wouldn't get back to me in an expeditious manner. Realistically speaking, Berkley Softworks' suggestion meant that I probably wasn't going to be able to use my computer for several months.
My situation was completely unacceptable to me, and rather than wait for Berkley Softworks' suggested "send and receive" process to unfold, I decided to figure out how their system of serial numbers worked. I spent a few nights disassembling their code (all in 6502 machine language, mind you), and I eventually figured out how GEOS created their serial numbers, which APIs returned the values that were checked, how each application used serial numbers, etc. I took detailed notes that I may still have lying around somewhere, and I must admit, GEOS was rather tricky about how it did things. For example: a couple GEOS applications hex-encoded their copy protection functions by XORing the actual bytecode with "0xAA" or similar value to obfuscate the code, which only slowed me down a little. In the end, I wrote an app that I called "Serial Killer," which replaced the GEOS APIs that did all their serial number checking, and in the end I was able to use my OS again. The few days that I spent hacking GEOS took far less time than sending all my disks to Berkley Softworks and waiting for them to eventually respond.
Now, whether I was angry enough at Berkley Softworks for being schmucks and therefore gave away my "Serial Killer" app to other people so they could use GEOS without paying for it is a question that is lost to time.
POSTSCRIPT:
See the Reader Mail submission from "Cpt Nathan" on page 10 of Info Magazine issue 14 (1987) for a description of similar unsympathetic behavior by the makers of GEOS.
FYI - in addition to GEOS itself, I purchased the following list of accompanying software for GEOS from Berkley Softworks: geoCalc, geoDex, geoDraw, geoFont, geoFile, geoPaint, geoPrint, geoProgrammer, geoPublish, geoSpell, and geoWrite. As I said earlier, I spent a great deal of my hard-earned cash on Berkley Softworks' products, which is why it greatly angered me when everything that I had purchased legally ceased working due to GEOS' copy protection.
Ranger Up - A Sad Tale of Customer Service Failures
31 December 2019 • by Bob • Rants, Military, Support
As a veteran, I love Ranger Up's products. Sometimes their products make me laugh, while at other times their products make me proud of my time in the service. In fact, I wear at least one of Ranger Up's t-shirts every week. But my love for that company was seriously damaged when they completely failed again and again to fulfill a very basic order. To better understand what I mean, here are the details:
I placed an order near the end of November for three products that I wanted to give as Christmas presents to my son-in-law, who is a fellow veteran. Two weeks later, I received only one of the products, even though Ranger Up's website and email notifications claimed that the order had been fulfilled. I understand that mistakes happen, especially around the holidays, and I wasn't concerned because there was still plenty of time to rectify the situation. To that end, I tried using the contact form on Ranger Up's website, then I tried using the web-based chat on their website, then I tried sending emails to their customer service address, and I left a couple voice mail messages at their customer service telephone number. I heard nothing from all of these attempts. Once again, I understand that the holiday season is busier than normal, but still - I heard not the slightest peep from Ranger Up.
After several days of hearing nothing, I followed a friend's suggestion and I reached out to Ranger Up's Facebook account. To my amazement, I heard back in a few hours, whereupon I was informed that I needed to allow 2-3 business days for follow ups from Ranger Up's staff due to the holiday volume. (I had already done that, of course.) But I was assured that someone named "Regina" would follow up with me that day to get everything squared away.
But I heard nothing more that day. Nor the next day.
As I mentioned before, the missing items were meant to be Christmas gifts, and by that time it was already a few days away from Christmas. With that in mind, I reached out to Ranger Up's Facebook account again, and I informed them that I had already waited longer than their requisite 2-3 business days, yet I still had not heard anything from them - despite assurances that I would hear from them on the same day that I had contacted them through Facebook. I pointed out that in order to receive the rest of my order in time for Christmas, Ranger Up would have have to ship my remaining items by 2-day mail. The following day I received an apology for my order "falling through the cracks," and I was assured that Ranger Up would ship the rest of my original order via FedEx, and Ranger Up would cover the additional shipping costs. (Just to be safe, I bought my son-in-law a couple extra gifts.)
A day passed, then two, then three... and eventually Christmas arrived - but still I had received nothing from Ranger Up. On the day after Christmas, I received an email that my order was finally on its way. By this point, I didn't hold my breath.
I'll spare you the additional details and cut to the chase - the remaining items from my order arrived today. FIVE. DAYS. AFTER. CHRISTMAS. More than a week after I was assured that my order would arrive in time for Christmas, more than two weeks after I first contacted Ranger Up to let them know that there was a problem, and more than a month after I placed the original order, which for any other company would have been plenty of time for the holidays.
At the end of the day, I'm a realist; I completely understand that things go wrong. And I'm patient; I do not call companies and scream at people who are trying to do their jobs. And in the grander scheme of life, missing a couple gifts for the holidays is a really small thing; I have my health, I have a wonderful wife, I have great kids, and I have cute grandkids.
But all that being said, Ranger Up failed. Big time. Again. And again. And again.
On Ranger Up's contact page, they proudly proclaim the following:
"From August 26th to 5 January 2016, Ranger Up used a third-party partner for customer service and fulfillment. During that period of time many orders did not get fulfilled and many customers were ignored. Those days are over. We will get back to you within 1-2 business days, and we will remedy all issues to your satisfaction. We learned the valuable lesson that no one cares about our customers as much as we do and we look forward to being us again in 2017."
From my perspective, it seems as if nothing has changed; my order was not fulfilled, I was clearly ignored, I did not hear from Ranger Up within 1-2 business days, and they certainly did not remedy any issues to my satisfaction.
Ranger Up's website also proudly proclaims the following: "Founded by veterans with an ethos forged by service." I'm not sure how things work in the military now, but in my day a soldier who demonstrated that level of failure again and again would have had his butt kicked over and over until he learned how to do his job.
This Scammer Picked the Wrong Geek to Mess With
08 December 2016 • by Bob • Microsoft, Support, Windows
What a great way to start my day. I just received a call on my work phone from an anonymous number where a guy with a thick accent on the other end of the line began his pitch by claiming, "This is Windows Technical Support. I am calling you today because we have been receiving a bunch of messages from your computer which are telling us that..."
Hehe... seriously? This clueless dude had no idea he was dealing with a Microsoft employee. But then again, I had a busy day planned, so I had no time for squabbling.
I quickly cut him off and said, "Look, I can save us both a bunch of time. Do you know who I work for?"
The would-be con man was immediately taken aback and momentarily at a loss for words, but he managed to eke out a hesitant "No" as a reply.
I continued by saying, "I work for Microsoft."
The scammer attempted to regain his composure and started to reply with, "Oh, then you must know..."
I cut him off again and I asserted, "Yes, I do know. I have worked for Microsoft for over 20 years, and I know that Microsoft does not call customers like you are doing. You are a liar. And what you're doing is illegal."
Predator had turned to prey, and the hapless dolt on the opposite end of the phone began to mumble, "Honestly, sir, I... uh..."
And then I heard nothing but dial tone.
Yup, that was a great way to start my day.