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This company is engaging in unethical and discriminatory practices.
I have engaged this company productively since their onset assisting with development and leading to their current user format.
I was invited to make recommendation upon which I have relied to engage my clients during my "Pro" subscription.
I have repeatedly instructed them to provide me space, not to use my personal email apart from my tech inquiries -- typically notifying them of features that don't work.
They have persisted in utilizing my email, which I find harassing and disrespectful of my professional boundaries.
Moreover, they used it to announce withdrawal of features that are critical to my clients and jeopardized my practice, cited other clients although not once soliciting input from me, thus marginalizing me, and presenting a discriminatory practice.
I contacted them to let them know my concerns as the ramifications became clear -- with 10's of institutions on the line.
These events occurred roughly over the course of a day. And I let Mindstamp know their practices were harassing and unfair.
In return they have made the spurious claim that I am in violation of their "terms" with abusive and harassing language -- which not once did I undertake. There was no abusive language.
They have increased my price both monthly and have suddenly offered a of $2000 fee for the option of "responsiveness" although no such listing is present on their website as of May 1.
This is unethical and punitive. For me to speak up for myself in the face of clear unresponsiveness and to save my educational practice is simply assertive.
Moreover, they repeated invited me to "partner," but presently deny it.
Their use of the term "abuse" and "violation of terms" is a spurious design to protect themselves, minimize their own actions, and discredit me for speaking up.
While they corrected the technical change, they have attached it to this unfounded smear and a sudden financial squeeze which is unethical and discrimatory
Contact by the Business I would like this business to withdraw their claim of "abuse," and "violation of terms", thus owning their role in nearly critically damaging my practice -- which is the only reason I contacted them. I would like them to withdraw their sudden increase to $1950 monthly fee in lieu of decent discussion prior to any enterprise discussion. I would like them to keep my fee at $99/month as their raise is clearly punitive and they initiated this event due to their withdrawal of critical services.
To Whom It May Concern:
Thank you for passing along this complaint. As a small startup team, we take customer service very seriously at Mindstamp. The unfortunate reality is that the complaint is a combination of misleading representations and more explicitly deceitful statements.
While the specific complaints are addressed below, as a Software-As-A-Service subscription company, our Terms of Service (https://mindstamp.io/terms) reserve the following rights which govern the relationship with our subscribers including this particular customer:
- That a subscription creates no agency, partnership or joint venture between our business and our subscribers.
- That at any time and at our sole discretion we can change features and functionality with or without notice.
- That we do not warrant our products and services for merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and that the sole recourse for a subscriber is to stop using the product should they find it unusable for their purpose.
- That, at our sole discretion and for any reason, we can accept or reject any subscriber's membership which grants them access to our software.
With respect to the specific complaints:
In late April, we made an update to our software that affected a feature to which the customer had grown accustomed. Though the new features provided all of the same capabilities (though arrived at through a different set of actions), and though our Terms allow us to make any change to features we see fit, the customer had a viscerally negative reaction that included sending us 10+ emails in the next 24 hours, including throughout the night, demanding the feature be changed back and labeling our work as:
- "An ungrateful dump"
- "Disrespectful"
- "Enraging"
- "Unethical"
- "A masterpiece in shambles"
We alerted the customer that we found the volume and tone of the messages to be abusive and offensive, and therefore a violation of our Terms of Service. We offered him two go-forward models.
The first would be a continuation of his PRO Membership, but at our current rate of $149/month on his next monthly renewal. This customer had originally subscribed at a lower rate of $99 / month before the plan rates were increased for all subscribers. He was the only customer paying this lower amount for the PRO subscription.
The second would be an Enterprise solution whereby we would create a custom environment and feature set specifically for his use. Effectively this would be a custom software development relationship and private environment where the customer would have direct feature control. This was offered at $1,950 / month, an entirely reasonable cost for a custom software solution.
Each offer was an attempt to provide a solution that would best meet his needs. Additionally, at any time the customer could downgrade to our CORE plan at $29 / month and, in fact, we encouraged and supported that decision if he felt that the features of our PRO subscription at the current price were not valuable to him. So in no way did we apply a 'financial squeeze'.
Unfortunately, in response to these offers the customer continued his abusive messages, including sending not one but two messages instructing Mindstamp employees to "*** off and go to hell" as part of a pattern of extended multi-email rants that were not in response to any Mindstamp communications.
We'd be happy to provide all email communications received from the customer and have them included in the official record of this complaint, as 'damning' does not go far enough to describe their content for anyone evaluating the inappropriateness of the customer's communications and the continued professionalism of our response.
In summary and with respect to resolution, we stand by the claim that the volume and content of the customer's communications was and continues to be offensive and abusive. In no situation is "*** off and go to hell" an appropriate or acceptable email to send in a business context. We have a right to protect our employees and will take all actions necessary to do so. In response to his unique feature needs, we offered the customer a custom tier of our product specifically designed to allow him to control features and functionality in a manner best suited to his business. At no time was this required, forced or otherwise compelled.
Ultimately, the customer cancelled his existing account and deleted all of his content from our platform. He then re-subscribed to the PRO tier on a new account at his own volition. We have respected the customer's request that we not contact him, though he continues to message our team.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
My first response is that I should get a lawyer.
I stopped reading at "misleading and deceitful," which I find shocking and untrue.
Perhaps a case of the pot calling the kettle, etc.
This company presents itself as a start-up but - I don't know if it's quite the Fortune 500 level - they are supported at the international tech level with experience negotiating multimillion dollar sales.
And are clearly skilled at striking down "truth to power" when I just want to maintain a safe business practice.
I have made every effort to work with them to the best of my ability and am not going to defend myself here from spurious smears or documents produce under duress.
I explained that I was working with 15-20 companies at the time they discontinued service, even if accidental, and I think anyone would experience this as extreme stress under any human consideration.
I asked them to give me and us some room to work it out. They have clamped down harder.
And as I continue to lose business as a result of the stress they engender, I will move on.
It's not worth it to me.
The purpose of Revdex.com was to address concerns regarding devastation of my business, not for a back and forth of defensiveness.
A sad and regrettable outcome from which I hope to move on and learn.
It was really just beyond my emotional skill set to work with this group.
But will not dignify it with any more responses.
Should have been long gone from here.
I wish them well.
Please note that Mindstamp never discontinued service to this customer. We simply changed a feature that he had grown accustomed to, as permitted by our Terms of Service.
Mindstamp has offered multiple go forward paths to support his specific business requirements and have not received a productive response in return. The customer cancelled his subscription for the second time this week. We remain committed to delivering an exceptional product for our users and wish the customer nothing but success going forward.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This is an outwardly consistent answer, but belies the truth of the experience here.
I will discuss in detail.
------------
"Please note that Mindstamp never discontinued service to this customer."
This is true. And I appreciate it. One of my concerns has been the stability of my stay on the site. And since it is clear it's of value not to discontinue, I will consider re-subscribing. But would like this resolved first.
"We simply changed a feature"
This is true. However, to those that don't know this site, it is like saying "we simply change the drug formula for a medication." Adults make changes planfully when other people are involved -- additions and departures have an impact. Adults in a position of power on whom people depend, know their each steps have consequences. Sites such as this also know that subscribers are both users and developers. And this site knows I am a developer who built with them and am also accountable for multiple users beyond myself. It's unethical to minimize this as a "simple change" when it affected many. It's like saying we simply made the wheel on the car square for some of our users.
"that he had grown accustomed to"
This minimizes and provides a fraction of the meaning to me and my users. There is a history with this feature, beginning 5 months prior in October, 2019. At that time and after 3 months of collaboration with the company, they again, albeit inadvertently, altered this feature. I did not pressure them to change it back. But made it clear that, in it's altered state, my use of their program would be problematic. We had a deep discussion of the feature, with multiple emails, design collaboration and sharing of ideas. They said at that time they were happy to reconsider its design. Now, deep into my commitment to the site, they suddenly drop the feature again. My site's use of Mindstamp does not exist without this one feature. I am dependent on it, which is enormously different from a feature I am "accustomed to" Accustomed makes it sound like I am petty an annoyed and self-absorbed. The feature allows medical students to learn anatomy and without it they cannot. It is critical to distance learning of medicine during a time when cadaver labs are closed and medical education is at risk. My use of Mindstamp is an innovative effort to bring this platform to teaching to a place that has meaning. This was certainly a quick "push through" and perhaps inadvertent. But denial, or lack of awareness of the history, does not justify minimizing the depth of my response. They have had a partner in me that bring this tech and this work -- their work -- to a meaningful place. While the statement is smooth and readable, it turns their back on our joint commitment to creating this feature and valuing its meaning. Moreover, each school I work with has multiple students. With the loss of the feature goes the loss of my clients. Moreover, this change came at at time when the Covid-19 crisis saw a huge increase in interested in distance learning and interst in my site. I was having 3-5 meetings a day during March and April and had showed multiple schools this site and this particular feature; and had made promises of service to each of these schools and billing plans. For this company to say I had simply "gotten used to it" denies the the investment I made in them and that this change set me up to break commitments and promises to many others in a very adult world. It was irresponsible. What's so difficult here is reading all this after making over a year commitment to this group, studying their platform, offering tech suggestions, engaging, considering their working culture, trying to value all of it and build. And then to be minimized -- it's really hard. I encourage them to see all that rather than be so defensive.
"as permitted by our Terms of Service."
Perhaps, but if you are bringing on clients, make these changes, see your customers lose business and then say, well it's because you could -- what kind of commitment do you make with your email invitations of feedback, customer outreach and promise of stabilityt? What is your commitment to us?
"Mindstamp has offered multiple go forward paths"
I don't see it. I received an offer to talk and wasn't ready. I asked for some stabilizing terms and did not receive them. I did not want to "meet the bully in the school yard" without first being secure. The accusations and terms attached to returning the feature -- which you did and thank you -- lead this, overall, to be a traumatic experience. I'm not sure what the other offers were. Unless you are referring to charging me $1950 per month for the opportunity preserve features that should have had a basis anyway. I am interested in a clarification. Or if you consider a go forward path requiring that I communicate in a way that does not account for a state of trauma or duress - an impossible request. I mentioned the change made the site dysfunctional and of course this was traumatic.
"to support his specific business requirements"
What business requirements are these? Please clarify. A secure environment? Planfulness and communication about features.
"and have not received a productive response in return."
The operative word is "productive" This was a traumatic business experience during which -- for two weeks -- I barely slept. It's no different from expecting a soldier returning from combat to sit at the table and function immediately as a parent or spouse -- and then on top of it to expect perfect role and responses. When their not there -- to threaten with with divorce. The denial of the trauma and stress this incited is not at all incorporated, nor reasonably attended to here. That's not how people work. I am ready to discuss a go-forward path now a week out from this. In the middle of it I was unable. Is your door closed? My professonal work is in grief. Some families can't function after a loss. Would you expect to sit in business meeting the day after the funeral and then say, "we didn't get a productive reponse"?, "Well we offered it." I have asked for some psychological-mindedness in the matter and explained in countless ways the stresses of the past weeks. But I have not seen something close to openness on the matter. Investing in your clients means considering and committing to the process. And what you describe sound off-handed, take-it-or-leave it and quite convenient for it not to work out. I'm still committed but not to something degrading and destabilizing. So I ask that you reach out again and consider the benefit of talking away from the time of crisis. You'll have to decide if want to acknowledge it. But I know it's true. You may not want it to exist, but it does. This was traumatic.
"The customer cancelled his subscription for the second time this week."
True. It is a stress to work under accusations of "deceit" and "misleading." The resolution here isn't to just resubscribe, there's some work together. I'm trying in various ways to stay connected -- to see what works. Why didn't I receive a response to my emails during my second subscription?
"We remain committed to delivering an exceptional product for our users and wish the customer nothing but success going forward."
Is this closed door? Are you wanting to make this final. I am not accepting this as resolution. You had a customer on board for a year, from day 1. I jumped on the Pro subscription practically the same day I met your team. What does it mean then that with the change of a feature, there is an uproar, we can't connect, he can't stay, but I keep trying. You want to list my second cancellation as some lack of commitment? Where are you in committing to a process. Or is this a convenience to have me out. I am presume the door is open. It is if you want.
This company is engaging in unethical and discriminatory practices.
I have engaged this company productively since their onset assisting with development and leading to their current user format.
I was invited to make recommendation upon which I have relied to engage my clients during my "Pro" subscription.
I have repeatedly instructed them to provide me space, not to use my personal email apart from my tech inquiries -- typically notifying them of features that don't work.
They have persisted in utilizing my email, which I find harassing and disrespectful of my professional boundaries.
Moreover, they used it to announce withdrawal of features that are critical to my clients and jeopardized my practice, cited other clients although not once soliciting input from me, thus marginalizing me, and presenting a discriminatory practice.
I contacted them to let them know my concerns as the ramifications became clear -- with 10's of institutions on the line.
These events occurred roughly over the course of a day. And I let Mindstamp know their practices were harassing and unfair.
In return they have made the spurious claim that I am in violation of their "terms" with abusive and harassing language -- which not once did I undertake. There was no abusive language.
They have increased my price both monthly and have suddenly offered a of $2000 fee for the option of "responsiveness" although no such listing is present on their website as of May 1.
This is unethical and punitive. For me to speak up for myself in the face of clear unresponsiveness and to save my educational practice is simply assertive.
Moreover, they repeated invited me to "partner," but presently deny it.
Their use of the term "abuse" and "violation of terms" is a spurious design to protect themselves, minimize their own actions, and discredit me for speaking up.
While they corrected the technical change, they have attached it to this unfounded smear and a sudden financial squeeze which is unethical and discrimatory
Contact by the Business I would like this business to withdraw their claim of "abuse," and "violation of terms", thus owning their role in nearly critically damaging my practice -- which is the only reason I contacted them. I would like them to withdraw their sudden increase to $1950 monthly fee in lieu of decent discussion prior to any enterprise discussion. I would like them to keep my fee at $99/month as their raise is clearly punitive and they initiated this event due to their withdrawal of critical services.
To Whom It May Concern:
Thank you for passing along this complaint. As a small startup team, we take customer service very seriously at Mindstamp. The unfortunate reality is that the complaint is a combination of misleading representations and more explicitly deceitful statements.
While the specific complaints are addressed below, as a Software-As-A-Service subscription company, our Terms of Service (https://mindstamp.io/terms) reserve the following rights which govern the relationship with our subscribers including this particular customer:
- That a subscription creates no agency, partnership or joint venture between our business and our subscribers.
- That at any time and at our sole discretion we can change features and functionality with or without notice.
- That we do not warrant our products and services for merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and that the sole recourse for a subscriber is to stop using the product should they find it unusable for their purpose.
- That, at our sole discretion and for any reason, we can accept or reject any subscriber's membership which grants them access to our software.
With respect to the specific complaints:
In late April, we made an update to our software that affected a feature to which the customer had grown accustomed. Though the new features provided all of the same capabilities (though arrived at through a different set of actions), and though our Terms allow us to make any change to features we see fit, the customer had a viscerally negative reaction that included sending us 10+ emails in the next 24 hours, including throughout the night, demanding the feature be changed back and labeling our work as:
- "An ungrateful dump"
- "Disrespectful"
- "Enraging"
- "Unethical"
- "A masterpiece in shambles"
We alerted the customer that we found the volume and tone of the messages to be abusive and offensive, and therefore a violation of our Terms of Service. We offered him two go-forward models.
The first would be a continuation of his PRO Membership, but at our current rate of $149/month on his next monthly renewal. This customer had originally subscribed at a lower rate of $99 / month before the plan rates were increased for all subscribers. He was the only customer paying this lower amount for the PRO subscription.
The second would be an Enterprise solution whereby we would create a custom environment and feature set specifically for his use. Effectively this would be a custom software development relationship and private environment where the customer would have direct feature control. This was offered at $1,950 / month, an entirely reasonable cost for a custom software solution.
Each offer was an attempt to provide a solution that would best meet his needs. Additionally, at any time the customer could downgrade to our CORE plan at $29 / month and, in fact, we encouraged and supported that decision if he felt that the features of our PRO subscription at the current price were not valuable to him. So in no way did we apply a 'financial squeeze'.
Unfortunately, in response to these offers the customer continued his abusive messages, including sending not one but two messages instructing Mindstamp employees to "*** off and go to hell" as part of a pattern of extended multi-email rants that were not in response to any Mindstamp communications.
We'd be happy to provide all email communications received from the customer and have them included in the official record of this complaint, as 'damning' does not go far enough to describe their content for anyone evaluating the inappropriateness of the customer's communications and the continued professionalism of our response.
In summary and with respect to resolution, we stand by the claim that the volume and content of the customer's communications was and continues to be offensive and abusive. In no situation is "*** off and go to hell" an appropriate or acceptable email to send in a business context. We have a right to protect our employees and will take all actions necessary to do so. In response to his unique feature needs, we offered the customer a custom tier of our product specifically designed to allow him to control features and functionality in a manner best suited to his business. At no time was this required, forced or otherwise compelled.
Ultimately, the customer cancelled his existing account and deleted all of his content from our platform. He then re-subscribed to the PRO tier on a new account at his own volition. We have respected the customer's request that we not contact him, though he continues to message our team.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
My first response is that I should get a lawyer.
I stopped reading at "misleading and deceitful," which I find shocking and untrue.
Perhaps a case of the pot calling the kettle, etc.
This company presents itself as a start-up but - I don't know if it's quite the Fortune 500 level - they are supported at the international tech level with experience negotiating multimillion dollar sales.
And are clearly skilled at striking down "truth to power" when I just want to maintain a safe business practice.
I have made every effort to work with them to the best of my ability and am not going to defend myself here from spurious smears or documents produce under duress.
I explained that I was working with 15-20 companies at the time they discontinued service, even if accidental, and I think anyone would experience this as extreme stress under any human consideration.
I asked them to give me and us some room to work it out. They have clamped down harder.
And as I continue to lose business as a result of the stress they engender, I will move on.
It's not worth it to me.
The purpose of Revdex.com was to address concerns regarding devastation of my business, not for a back and forth of defensiveness.
A sad and regrettable outcome from which I hope to move on and learn.
It was really just beyond my emotional skill set to work with this group.
But will not dignify it with any more responses.
Should have been long gone from here.
I wish them well.
Please note that Mindstamp never discontinued service to this customer. We simply changed a feature that he had grown accustomed to, as permitted by our Terms of Service.
Mindstamp has offered multiple go forward paths to support his specific business requirements and have not received a productive response in return. The customer cancelled his subscription for the second time this week. We remain committed to delivering an exceptional product for our users and wish the customer nothing but success going forward.
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
This is an outwardly consistent answer, but belies the truth of the experience here.
I will discuss in detail.
------------
"Please note that Mindstamp never discontinued service to this customer."
This is true. And I appreciate it. One of my concerns has been the stability of my stay on the site. And since it is clear it's of value not to discontinue, I will consider re-subscribing. But would like this resolved first.
"We simply changed a feature"
This is true. However, to those that don't know this site, it is like saying "we simply change the drug formula for a medication." Adults make changes planfully when other people are involved -- additions and departures have an impact. Adults in a position of power on whom people depend, know their each steps have consequences. Sites such as this also know that subscribers are both users and developers. And this site knows I am a developer who built with them and am also accountable for multiple users beyond myself. It's unethical to minimize this as a "simple change" when it affected many. It's like saying we simply made the wheel on the car square for some of our users.
"that he had grown accustomed to"
This minimizes and provides a fraction of the meaning to me and my users. There is a history with this feature, beginning 5 months prior in October, 2019. At that time and after 3 months of collaboration with the company, they again, albeit inadvertently, altered this feature. I did not pressure them to change it back. But made it clear that, in it's altered state, my use of their program would be problematic. We had a deep discussion of the feature, with multiple emails, design collaboration and sharing of ideas. They said at that time they were happy to reconsider its design. Now, deep into my commitment to the site, they suddenly drop the feature again. My site's use of Mindstamp does not exist without this one feature. I am dependent on it, which is enormously different from a feature I am "accustomed to" Accustomed makes it sound like I am petty an annoyed and self-absorbed. The feature allows medical students to learn anatomy and without it they cannot. It is critical to distance learning of medicine during a time when cadaver labs are closed and medical education is at risk. My use of Mindstamp is an innovative effort to bring this platform to teaching to a place that has meaning. This was certainly a quick "push through" and perhaps inadvertent. But denial, or lack of awareness of the history, does not justify minimizing the depth of my response. They have had a partner in me that bring this tech and this work -- their work -- to a meaningful place. While the statement is smooth and readable, it turns their back on our joint commitment to creating this feature and valuing its meaning. Moreover, each school I work with has multiple students. With the loss of the feature goes the loss of my clients. Moreover, this change came at at time when the Covid-19 crisis saw a huge increase in interested in distance learning and interst in my site. I was having 3-5 meetings a day during March and April and had showed multiple schools this site and this particular feature; and had made promises of service to each of these schools and billing plans. For this company to say I had simply "gotten used to it" denies the the investment I made in them and that this change set me up to break commitments and promises to many others in a very adult world. It was irresponsible. What's so difficult here is reading all this after making over a year commitment to this group, studying their platform, offering tech suggestions, engaging, considering their working culture, trying to value all of it and build. And then to be minimized -- it's really hard. I encourage them to see all that rather than be so defensive.
"as permitted by our Terms of Service."
Perhaps, but if you are bringing on clients, make these changes, see your customers lose business and then say, well it's because you could -- what kind of commitment do you make with your email invitations of feedback, customer outreach and promise of stabilityt? What is your commitment to us?
"Mindstamp has offered multiple go forward paths"
I don't see it. I received an offer to talk and wasn't ready. I asked for some stabilizing terms and did not receive them. I did not want to "meet the bully in the school yard" without first being secure. The accusations and terms attached to returning the feature -- which you did and thank you -- lead this, overall, to be a traumatic experience. I'm not sure what the other offers were. Unless you are referring to charging me $1950 per month for the opportunity preserve features that should have had a basis anyway. I am interested in a clarification. Or if you consider a go forward path requiring that I communicate in a way that does not account for a state of trauma or duress - an impossible request. I mentioned the change made the site dysfunctional and of course this was traumatic.
"to support his specific business requirements"
What business requirements are these? Please clarify. A secure environment? Planfulness and communication about features.
"and have not received a productive response in return."
The operative word is "productive" This was a traumatic business experience during which -- for two weeks -- I barely slept. It's no different from expecting a soldier returning from combat to sit at the table and function immediately as a parent or spouse -- and then on top of it to expect perfect role and responses. When their not there -- to threaten with with divorce. The denial of the trauma and stress this incited is not at all incorporated, nor reasonably attended to here. That's not how people work. I am ready to discuss a go-forward path now a week out from this. In the middle of it I was unable. Is your door closed? My professonal work is in grief. Some families can't function after a loss. Would you expect to sit in business meeting the day after the funeral and then say, "we didn't get a productive reponse"?, "Well we offered it." I have asked for some psychological-mindedness in the matter and explained in countless ways the stresses of the past weeks. But I have not seen something close to openness on the matter. Investing in your clients means considering and committing to the process. And what you describe sound off-handed, take-it-or-leave it and quite convenient for it not to work out. I'm still committed but not to something degrading and destabilizing. So I ask that you reach out again and consider the benefit of talking away from the time of crisis. You'll have to decide if want to acknowledge it. But I know it's true. You may not want it to exist, but it does. This was traumatic.
"The customer cancelled his subscription for the second time this week."
True. It is a stress to work under accusations of "deceit" and "misleading." The resolution here isn't to just resubscribe, there's some work together. I'm trying in various ways to stay connected -- to see what works. Why didn't I receive a response to my emails during my second subscription?
"We remain committed to delivering an exceptional product for our users and wish the customer nothing but success going forward."
Is this closed door? Are you wanting to make this final. I am not accepting this as resolution. You had a customer on board for a year, from day 1. I jumped on the Pro subscription practically the same day I met your team. What does it mean then that with the change of a feature, there is an uproar, we can't connect, he can't stay, but I keep trying. You want to list my second cancellation as some lack of commitment? Where are you in committing to a process. Or is this a convenience to have me out. I am presume the door is open. It is if you want.