BackpackingLight.com

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Company response to customer’s complaints and claims:Customer claims that as a member, customer has “full access to
forums and both create and reply to forums”.Membership privileges are clarified with respect to forum use in company’s Policies, Terms, and Conditions of Use:https://backpackinglight.com/policies/#membershipCompany forums are moderated and subject to Forum Guidelines as outlined here:http://support.backpackinglight.com/article/48-are-forums-moderated-what-ar...⇄ has a history of posting to company forums comments that violated forum guidelinesConsequently, customer’s posts now enter a moderation queue and must be approved by volunteer community moderators prior to public postingCustomer claims that customer has tried to contact company several times about forum posting privileges being revoked.Forum Guidelines offer clear instructions for “How to Address Moderation Issues”Company provides an email address (***) specifically dedicated to these discussionsThat email address is monitored continuously by a minimum of five persons designated by company as members of company’s moderation teamRefer to “How to Address Moderation Issues” in Forum Guidelines:http://support.backpackinglight.com/article/48-are-forums-moderated-w...⇄ archives all emails, and search and review of the archive of the forum-mods@b***.com email address indicates that company has received no communications to this email address from customer.Company review of Customer Support ticket system (http://support.backpackinglight.com) archives indicated that customer filed identical customer support tickets requesting an account refund in May and requested "membership privileges be restored"Company's customer support representative responded to one of those requests and issued the refund within hoursCustomer support representative also responded to customer about request to restore membership privileges, but customer did not respond back to that communicationsThe remaining support tickets were closed, not responded to, and consequently filed into our support "spam" foldersCustomer claims that “company has done this [filtered members posts into a moderation queue or otherwise removed unrestricted forum posting privileges] to several paying members”.Customer claim that company has not practiced forum moderation in accordancece with its published guidelines (http://support.backpackinglight.com/article/48-are-forums-moderated-what-are-yo...⇄ is unclearCustomer claims that promises to change forum software features were not honored.An update was posted by company about these issues on June 19, 2017: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/the-bpl-website-is-being-migrated-to-a...⇄ specifically that the addition of software features (including moving “Gear Swap” posts) would be placed on hold until company’s forum software developer (“***”) released the update to vAs of June 2017, the software team at *** indicated that a “release was imminent”However, as of the date of customer complaint, the software update is still undergoing beta testing and a production-stable version has not been releasedCompany has no control over the updates and release of software it uses from third-party developers such as ***Customer has requested that customer privileges of being a member be restored.In accordance with company’s policies, terms, conditions, and forum guidelines as outlined above, customer privileges of being a member (including full access to members-only content and the ability to post to forums in accordance with company forum guidelines) were never removed from customer.What has been removed from customer is the privilege to post to forums without posts being screened in a moderation queueHowever, this is not a right conferred to members unilaterally and is a privilege that is removed from customers who habitually violate company forum guidelines.Company offers a 100%-guaranteed, no-questions-asked membership refund policy, which is communicated consistently across company marketing materials, forum guidelines documentation, and support policies, i.e., from http://support.backpackinglight.com/article/48-are-forums-moderated-what-are-you...⇄ [membership] benefits and privileges may change from time to time, and they may change during the course of your membership termIf these changes occur during the course of your membership term, and you are unsatisfied with the changes (including termination of your forum membership and/or other member privileges), you are entitled to a full refund of your membership fee.”Company acknowledges that its policies, terms, conditions, and forum guidelines may be unacceptable to some customers, and company offers a no-questions-asked product and service guarantee in order to provide a zero-risk option for customers to exit their relationship with us at any time.Company will honor customer’s request for refund accordingly, even considering that purchase was made years ago, in accordance with its 100% satisfaction-guaranteed-for-life product and service refund policy