When an online form isn’t an online form

What is more frustrating than having an online form, that is in fact not an online form – companies, take note…

Using the Royal Mail ‘Smart Stamp’ system for a large mail shot before Christmas all was going well, when one of the envelopes didn’t print properly. Reading their helpful online information all I had to do was inform them that it hadn’t printed and they would refund my money – simple. I click the button to fill out the “online form”, fill it in and find at the bottom a PRINT button, print? Why would I want to print out the form, I’ve filled it in I just want to send it to you, where is the SEND button? In the small print at the bottom of the page I discover that in order to get my refund I need to print the form out and post – yes post it to the Royal Mail so they can process it.  Have I missed something here or in this day and age are we not trying to save the environment as well as increase the speed of data transfer?

The Royal Mail have gone to the effort of putting a form on their website, and they have a website, so they obviously appreciate the advantage of having one, so why would they have an ‘online form’ that isn’t actually an online form? It’s a form online, not an online form!

What is even more annoying is in order to use my ‘Smart Stamp’ account I have to login with my valid username and password, so they know who I am and can validate me, but in order to get a refund to my account I have to print off a generic form, where the only security information I have to give is my name – where is the security in that, or are the Royal Mail happy to give out refunds to anyone who is willing to fill in and send the form?

To any company that is looking to have an online form – please make sure it is an online form and not just a form online – otherwise customers will get very annoyed, and may even write a blog which may not be great PR for you. Thanks.