Gripes about Prentice Hall Java Book

I bought a Java book and the included CD-ROM disc was defective. I tried to clean it and tried it two different computers. There was a spot on the disc however, that would not come clean and rendered it unreadable on both computers.

The book included instructions about replacing a defective disc which said to send an email message to Disc_exchange@prenhall.com. My wife sent them an email message today.

The book is Just Java2 Fourth edition. The author is Peter van der Linden. The ISBN number is 0-13-010534-1. The publisher is Prentice Hall.

The email was responded to quickly (next day or so) and the response said a replacement disc would come in 5 to 10 business days. Not quite.

No replacement CD-ROM yet. Its now 13 business days. My wife emails Prentice Hall again. No reply.

Still no replacement CD-ROM. Send another email to Prentice Hall. This time we get an auto-reply message that says it will take 5 to 10 business days to get a replacement disc. This was automated reply, not a reply from a person.

Still no disc and I can't keep nagging my wife to send more emails. I send Prentice Hall an email saying that I need a replacement CD-ROM disc. I don't bother to mention that it has been a month since my wife first wrote. I get an automated reply very quickly that says:

Subject: Out of Office AutoReply: defective cdrom disc
"Thank you for your e-mail. You should receive your replacment CD within 5 to 10 business days."

Suspecting that everyone gets the same automated reply no matter what the message, I decide to ask Prentice Hall a question -- how will I know when they mail the replacement disc? This email generates no reply at all.

I email Prentice Hall yet again asking the same question. I have been giving them my name and address in each message, just in case they actually wanted to replace the disc. This is what I said:

I wrote to you on March 2, about a defective CD-ROM included with a Java book. You responded the same day with an automated reply that I should receive a replacement CD-ROM in 5 to 10 business days.
How will I know when you mail the replacement CD-ROM? Will you email me when the disc is sent?
The book with the defective CD-ROM is Just Java2 Fourth edition. The author is Peter van der Linden. The ISBN number is 0-13-010534-1

Realizing the email address I had been using was a dead end, today I went to the Prentice Hall web site and found a web page for the book. There is a link on this page for feedback and, lo and behold, you can write to customer service about the CD-ROM. I did. I told them my tale of woe. The web site said to expect a reply in the next business day.

Back to the web page for the book. Back to comment on the book again. Again, a comment to customer service saying that my replacement CD-ROM is overdue. I include my email address in the hope of a reply. The web page responds with:

The information you submitted has been emailed to the appropriate person. If you included your email address, you may expect a reply by the next business day.

Your submission to webmaster@prenhall.com about User Feedback has been received and is currently being processed. Your case number for this submission is PHE Case: 78209.

Why a comment about a specific book went to the webmaster, beats me. I guess the webmaster does not care about comments, I never got an answer from this.

Sent two more emails today. One to the old tried and false address of disc_exchange@prenhall.com. This was ignored.

The other email was to a new address for feedback that I found on the Prentice Hall web site (ptr_feedback@phptr.com). To my surprise, I got a reply from the feedback email address immediately:

Our apologies for the continuing problems you have been having. I will personally see to it that you receive your replacement CD ASAP. Thank you for your patience,
Craig

True to his word, the replacement CD-ROM came in the mail two days later. It was sent March 22, 2001 by UPS Second Day Air. Interestingly, the disc was addressed to my wife, not me. I mentioned in the feedback email that I first requested the replacement disc on January 23, 2001. Craig must have researched this and found my wife's name and address and sent the replacement to her.