Slog - Comments on Best Buy? http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy Speakeasy, the great, locally-owned ISP, just announced it's sold out to... Best Buy. Price: $97 million.... Copyright 2008 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:21:45 -0800 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:50:54 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by speakeasy customer speakeasy has been stagnant for years service wise, adding no new features for the same prices from four years ago. Ever since they went corporate its been all downhill, they deserve each other.

]]> speakeasy customer http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684057 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684057 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:59:31 -0800 Comment by elswinger I miss the original Speakeasy Internet Cafe. Heard some cool jazz there.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684062 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684062 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:05:07 -0800 Comment by speakeasy customer #2 i've heard speakeasy used to be great but speakeasy SUCKS now and i'm sure it'll only get worse. they're probably the biggest nightmare of a company i've ever dealt with.

my favorite speakeasy problem (out of about 20 i had) was getting other people's voice mails -- maybe 10 a day -- for about 2 months after starting my VOIP phone service. i didn't realize people sobbed into other people's voice mails so much.

]]> speakeasy customer #2 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684074 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684074 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:19:52 -0800 Comment by Scott I can't believe that they were only worth $97MM. They had fewer customers than I thought, but after taking $50MM in Venture Capital, nobody made out on this deal, and I'm really surprised.

I've had consistently good service from Speakeasy over the last 6 years or so, and even when I had a lot of trouble with VOIP (which was much more likely my house), they went to great lengths to help fix it - plus they're still the only clueful customer service group I've ever worked with. I'm hoping BB doesn't crush them, though I would save money by going with anyone else.

]]> Scott http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684078 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684078 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:26:16 -0800 Comment by Scott whoops, I don't actually know how many customers they have - the article mentions "broadband voice customers," which I read as "broadband customers" the first time. Clearly the vast majority of their customers will be broadband-only.

]]> Scott http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684080 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684080 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:28:14 -0800 Comment by keenan #2 - I was being a drunk lover at the old Rendezvous the night that interfect Cafe burned. The whole bar went outside to watch. excellent viewing!

]]> keenan http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684084 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684084 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:32:07 -0800 Comment by Matt from Denver I had speakeasy DSL when I lived in Seattle but couldn't transfer the service to Denver because I was originally living in the sticks with my inlaws before I got my house. I still have speakeasy email (didn't want to hassle with giving everyone my new email) but I'm going to drop it because they require you get something called Reverse DNS if you want to send email through their accounts without using their service. Sounds like a complete hassle.

]]> Matt from Denver http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684086 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684086 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:36:03 -0800 Comment by blogNation I woke up this morning to an announcement that Speakeasy ws being acquired by Best Buy. Was this an April Fools Joke? I checked my calendar. No, today is March 27.

What do I think of when I hear the name "Best Buy"?

1) High Prices
2) Bad customer service
3) False Advertising

I have first hand experience with each of these. The really bad thing is, the Best Buy corporate office stands behind these attributes. I sure hope these attributes do not get passed down onto Speakeasy. If they do, Speakeasy is going to start losing loyal customers.

]]> blogNation http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684092 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684092 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:37:17 -0800 Comment by Charlie from chcs.com There are very few local providers left, for the simple reason that tech support is complex, and it costs a lot to provide. Customers say they want service, but they buy on price.

My company has provided web design, email and web hosting since 1997, but we just about break even doing it, because it's hard to compete. So if you want to support local businesses, you can -- we're not hard to find -- but be willing to pay a little more.

]]> Charlie from chcs.com http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684114 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684114 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:10:27 -0800 Comment by Fnarf We have been a loyal customer of Speakeasy's for a decade. However, I took a vow a while back to never do business with Best Buy again. I actually cut my Best Buy credit card up and mailed it to the CEO, earning me a call from his secretary, which I declined to take. I intend to keep the vow.

Know any good business ISPs? That are still willing to do DSL bridge groups?

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684118 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684118 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:14:59 -0800 Comment by keenan your new email addy fnarf@stranger.coim

they are fools not to be paying you for your generosity of spirit and insight

]]> keenan http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684138 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684138 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:38:26 -0800 Comment by elswinger Just in case you didn't already know, Best Buy bought Magnolia HiFi awhile ago. Now they have their eyes on Ivar's and Dick's.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684153 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684153 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 10:59:37 -0800 Comment by chris I learned lisp by reading the common lisp manual at speakeasy the coffee shop. they had those crazy ncr x terms, but I was too cheap for them, so I used the free ttys. good times.

]]> chris http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684168 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684168 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:16:35 -0800 Comment by Joe And just a few days before the end of the month. That's convenient. They'll be getting my cancellation notice shortly. Now that I'm not running servers from home or anything else that needs a static IP, I really don't need to pay more for them; and if I'm going to pay more to a large, ugly corporation, I might as well go to Verizon and get wireless thrown into the deal.

]]> Joe http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684173 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684173 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:19:52 -0800 Comment by Matt from Denver Elswinger @ 12 - I can't tell if you're joking or not.

]]> Matt from Denver http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684185 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684185 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:29:28 -0800 Comment by elswinger Matt, not about Magnolia Hi Fi, but I was joking about Ivar's & Dicks.

A friend went to Magnolia Hi Fi to buy a flat screen because he wanted to shop local, but knowing Magnolia's policy was to match local newspaper ads. Best Buy was selling the TV way below wholesale, and the Magnolia guys were pissed because they had just been bought by BB.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684195 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684195 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:36:54 -0800 Comment by elswinger PS go to the wiki to see what else they have bought.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684201 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684201 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:41:28 -0800 Comment by Matt from Denver Thanks els.

]]> Matt from Denver http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684217 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684217 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:57:28 -0800 Comment by Tiz After Best Buy bought the Geek Squad the service went way down hill (according to my mother...who's not exactly anti-corporate).

]]> Tiz http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684285 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684285 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:46:04 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Well, Speakeasy's service can't really go DOWN, because it's nonexistent now. I used to have a rep I could call with questions or problems, but now I have an imaginary rep who never answers any calls or emails. We've been an excellent large customer for a decade; it's time to find a professional company -- and not a bunch of lying scumbags like Best Buy. I hope they go out of business.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684310 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684310 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:03:28 -0800 Comment by Gomez HAHAHAHA HIPSTERS

Comscab will be waiting with open arms, but those open arms will cost you $110 in installation and about $58 a month. LOL.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684634 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684634 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:41:41 -0800 Comment by nerdster Gomez, would you care to enlighten us?


How on earth could an ISP possibly be hip?

]]> nerdster http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684667 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/best_buy#c684667 What the Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:50:54 -0800