Author: Olly

  • 123 Reg – Online Experts?

    Wooow. Honestly, this blew my tiny mind.

    Ok, so I had a customer who uses 123-Reg’s super duper website builder CMS thingy. All good, right? Hmm...

    So they had the eCommerce bolt-on and ran their online store from this “CMS” that was provided by the dodgiest URL ive ever seen in my life;

    https://online-experts.agency/

    Like, wtf. Im getting red flags already. Dodgy domain, dodgy domain extention.

    Anyway – my client had hit the wall with what was possible with this site builder, they were getting increasingly frustrated dealing with their “support” agents, so came to me and we built them a new site and used the Online Experts CMS data export options to pull my clients 1000’s of products into a CSV for importing into their new shiny website.

    All seemed good…

    Oh wait, no options? It seems all the data was present, SKU,. product name, image references, descriptions, prices, etc…. But no variations/options?

    Ah.

    Looked at the export options (there aren’t any) so decided to reach out to their “support” agents to see if they could advise how I could get my clients data off this system for him…

    Ok, so the regular 123 Reg support portal with the ticketing system is absolutely GARBAGE anyway, and unsurprisingly its not where you get support for the “Online Experts” side of things. That department has ZERO access to the 123 reg support tickets.

    Marv.

    So I got a phone number, it rang twice and then a lady answered it sounding as if the phone ringing had surprised her. I explained the issue, she seemed instantly out of her depth and after a short phone call she assured me it would be looked at, and I left her to it.

    A week passed, nothing.

    I rang them again and they informed me that the customer had been emailed. I do not believe them as my customer LIVES in their emails. I get instant replies when I contact them.

    I was given some fluff by another “Support” agent who was about as helpful as the first lady (not helpful at all) and I was informed that it would be dealt with asap and someone would contact my customer.

    They didnt.

    Once again, I rang and this time spoke to a lad that seemed to empathise with the position we were in. An entire project was now stalled because my customer wasnt able to get an export of HIS data. I’m sure this is against privacy/data laws or something.

    I was given his managers email address, and I emailed her. This was her response;

    Erm, Sorry?

    You cannot export data from your own database? Are we rate or what?

    Online Experts, apparently!

    Why would you ask the design team about a data export query? Do they export data using Photoshop? Pfft..

    That leaves my client in a position where his team now have to add 1000’s of product options into his new store manually, after they’ve adde3d them manually over the years to their first website.

    Its disgusting that 123reg will allow people to build their businesses up on this platform and then essentially leave them totally stranded and in the sh!t if they ever want to move away.

    So if you use the 123 reg ecommerce site builder addon thingy – then be warned! It may be cheap, you may be able to build the site yourself – but if your business does well and you outgrow the 123reg online shop site builder platform then you will have to start from SCRATCH as you cannot get all your data out of it! For google fodder sake its also called the 123reg MMAW service.

    20 years experience in making small businesses succeed. Hmm OOOOKKKK!!!!!!!!

    If you’re having trouble with them, then use the following contact details to get in touch with their receptionists… I mean “Support ” agents.

    0207 023 9300

    lucie_onlineexperts@123-reg.co.uk

    support@onlineexperts.zendesk.com

     

  • Remember 2020?

    Wow. 2020 was a thing?

    I started the year homeless, single and with an uncertain future.

    I ended the year with my own house, a focused – rock solid plan for the future of my business (that is solely mine now, too) and if I play my cards right there may be a relationship with an amazing female on the horizon too.

    Bring it on 2021 and beyond!

  • Enforcing a cleaner future?

    Ok, so the last year has been a rollercoaster for all. Lockdowns, tiers, masks and other nonsesne – it has created a few positives tho, and im going to talk about them, init.

    1. People go outside more. I have walked a dog every day for the last 16 years or so, and I have noticed SO MANY MORE PEOPLE out in nature, enjoying the fresh air etc. THIS IS GREAT!
    2. I havent heard the phrase “Binge Drinking” in years. Literally.
    3. Town centres dont smell like piss.
    4. Most people are thinking more about their health and hygiene and trying to make better choices.

    I wanna talk more about the 4th point there, as I am a Vegan and cant help shake the idea that if more people were Vegans too, we wouldn’t have ended up in this mess? (the Rona started from someone eating a bat, not a stick of celery)

    I see lots of my friends getting bikes, going out running, and trying to be better versions of themselves. I love this.

    I also see shops and things being more proactive in regards to hygiene, things are cleaner, and a cleaner world is a healthier world.

    A friend of mine has recently started a Wheelie Bin Cleaning business, and we got talking about whether or not certain things should be compulsory – like having your wheelie bin cleaned. For how much it costs, and for how many germs and nasties must live/grow in there. Urgh. Surely its a no brainer?

    Also things like petrol pumps, card machines, ATM’s and other communal “things” – these should ALL continue to be cleaned more often, kept sterile etc. I’m not suggesting we should make absolutely everything germ free as we still need to build up our immune system, but minimising unwanted and dirty horrible bacteria and horrible sh!t is surely what we all want?

  • InterfaceFM Scam | IntrefaceUK Typo

    InterfaceFM Ltd Is not a scam – their emails are being spoofed and the scammer registered a similar domain name and set the “Reply-to” address as his.

    Ha. Welcome to 2021, where the world is broken and the scams have evolved. My accountant actually sent me this as he was suspicious;

    He was confused as we have never dealt with this company.

    I checked them out, they are legit. Hmmm

    Looked at the details of the email closer, ah ha!

    If you look at the spelling of the reply to address, its not INTERFACE its INTREFACE – Sneaky fookin prawns, eh!

    So the email appears to come from a legit source, a real company – confusing! But on closer inspection the reply-to address is slightly different meaning you’d reply and think you were requesting info from the legit company but some scamming bastard would be replying instead.

    I have informed GoDaddy, I have informed InferfaceFM Ltd

    InterfaceFM Ltd Is not a scam – their emails are being spoofed and the scammer registered a similar domain name and set the “Reply-to” address as his.

    Karen​ McGargle karen@interfacefm.com karen@intrefacefm.com