Problems With Your Gadgets? You Need a Consumer Advocate

I get lots and lots of e-mail. I reply to as much as I can â€" but certain categories, I’ll tell you right now, I can’t answer. “What should I buy?” questions, “Solve my technical problems” questions or “Endorse my book, app or product” requests. I hope it’s obvious that there’s no way I could answer all of those.

I’m increasingly convinced, however, that there should be a consumer technology complaint columnist. Many of my correspondents write to complain about problems they’re having with some product, company or service, and they’d like me to shame the perpetrators by writing about them.

Here are the sorts of things people write about:

I’ve been an enthusiastic user on my iPhone of CoPilot, a GPS navigation program. Recently I noticed that one of the modules for giving text directions would pop off, leaving me with just the map. I decided to re-download the app, now updated. I quickly found out that the new version would not work with my older iOS 5.1 operating system and required iOS 6.

I do not argue that they have a need to update their version in tandem with Apple. But to not support old-time users with the ability to re-install a previous version, is rude and a poor encouragement to brand loyalty.

Alas, the rapid appearance of new versions is simply the cost of playing the software game. As I’m fond of saying, buying a software program is more like paying membership dues than buying a vase and owning it. Unfortunately, that seems to be the way the world works.

I bought the new 2013 Nexus 7 tablet when it came out and was very happy with it. But I soon realized there is a HUGE problem. It has to do with how Nexus updates its software through Google Play Store.

Frequently, while downloading updates for all apps, Android users get a “Package File is Not Valid” error. Message boards say the solution is to clear Google Store cache, download cache, etc., but these steps don’t work. So you wind up with a list of 15 to 20 apps that cannot be updated, installed or uninstalled. My one-week-old Nexus in now a $260 paperweight. It’s surprising that this is so unreported in official reviews. It’s depressing there aren’t any official answers or solutions.

As with many software problems, this one is tough for me to condemn from my soapbox, because I haven’t seen it and it doesn’t happen to everyone. If anyone knows of a solution â€" maybe some Google engineer might happen on this post â€" can you let us know in the comments?

Last week I was heading home on the Metro North train. As I was exiting the train, someone turned to me and asked if I had left my Kindle. Nope - I don’t own one. My seatmate, who had gotten off the train 25 miles earlier, had left it.

I opened the device, located his Kindle e-mail address and fired off a message, in hopes of returning the device. I Googled the e-mail address, too; zilch. So, I promptly called Amazon.

Now, I understand that they would never provide me with the owner’s information. But I asked if they would forward my info along, or the Kindle itself, to the owner. After two very frustrating calls and four reps, the only options provided were: 1) bring it to local law enforcement or 2) recycle it.

Insane! A company such as theirs surely could reunite this expensive device with its owner, saving him from spending hundreds of dollars.

I did deduce that the owner lives near White Plains, and that he is likely a lawyer (based on his e-mail handle). I’m hoping he reads your column!

For years, the big hardware makers (Apple, Google and Microsoft, for example) have been reluctant to enter the returning-lost-articles business. There’s some reassuring evidence that tech and wireless companies are finally starting to address the problem. Maybe e-reader companies will start to prioritize such efforts, too.

I have been happily using Norton (Symantec) 360 and its predecessors for years. The programs have kept me virus free, and the backup feature has saved me from potential catastrophic data loss a couple of times. For several years I have had my subscription to the program on auto-renewal. Never again will I be so stupid.

I recently received notice of an upcoming auto renewal at a price of $80 per year for a personal license on up to three machines. I checked out what Amazon would charge for the same download â€" about a third of the Symantec price. How can Symantec get away with such piracy?

All I can do is to restate the lesson you’ve just learned: in software, cameras, accessories and other categories, you’ll almost always pay top dollar if you buy directly from the manufacturer.

Have you ever written about eBay/PayPal? They certainly do not play ethical with legitimate sellers, who are being defrauded by customers.

On 8/28/2012, I sold a copy of Adobe Creative Suite on eBay. When the buyer got the software, he complained that the serial number didn’t work, and asked for a refund. The eBay folks approved the refund, and advised him to return the software to me.

But when I received the package, what I found inside the software box was â€" a paperback book. “Clark Howard’s Living Large in Lean Times.”

I contacted eBay immediately about the fraudulent return; they advised me to file a police incident report. Meanwhile, the buyer disputed the credit card payment, and PayPal sided with him. So now he’s got both my software and my money. What am I supposed to do?

I’m afraid I have no idea. But if you think publicizing your sad tale might help â€" well, consider it done!

My trying to get to the bottom of these issues would take so much time, I’d have no bandwidth left for my primary column duties.

The world really needs a tech consumer advocate, a new kind of columnist who can get satisfaction for these unfortunate souls. Any takers?