Controller Company Berates Customers, Penny Arcade. Bring Popcorn.

Reader Dave has sent us a rather interesting conversation he’s had over the past few weeks he’s had with Paul Christoforo, a PR rep from Ocean Marketing, representing the makers of the Avenger controller accessory.

It is entertaining reading.

Initially the correspondence was between Dave and Christoforo, but once things get interesting he ccs us via our tips email address, and around the same time Penny Arcade’s Mike Krahulik gets involved.

It’s a long, entertaining mess, one which reflects about as poorly on a public relations representative as you could imagine.

To give you an idea of what’s involved, here’s an excerpt:

Yes it can be used with xtend play if you remove the stand and no one is allowed to cancel and re order if we catch anyone doing it we will simply just cancel your order all together and you can buy it retail somewhere else.

Things happen in manufacturing if your unhappy you have 7 days from the day your item ships for a refund. You placed a pre order just like any software title the gets a date moved due to the tweaks and bugs not being worked out and GameStop or any other place holds your cash and im sure you don’t complain to activision or epic games so put on your big boy hat and wait it out like everyone else. The benefit is a token of our appreaciation for everyone no one is special including you or any first time buyer . Feel free to cancel we need the units were back ordered 11,000 units so your 2 will be gone fast. Maybe I’ll put them on eBay for 150.00 myself. Have a good day Dan.

This is not a YouTube commenter, or a forum troll, this is the PR representative of a video game controller accessory. But know that this is nothing compared to what happens when Krahulik gets involved. If you love internet drama, head here to read it all.

Just Wow! [Penny Arcade]

Discuss

(74 Comments)
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  • [–]

    sig

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    you have no idea how happy i am that kotaku picked this up. Can you guys ask the company for a response to the situation? I would love for the company to be aware just how much this dude has damaged their reputation. Hell i would even pay money to get that guy fired after that!

  • [–]

    Ripley Newbold

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    I think its very interesting how he name drops you guys and says “LOL Thanks for the Free PR I know the Editor N Chief of Kotaku , IGN , Engadget I’ll be meeting them at CES”.
    And now your the ones who are helping orchestrate his downfall. I highly doubt he knew you guys personally but even if he did, being “Important” (I use the term lightly) is no excuse for being an ass hole.

    So please tare into this piece of crap. Companies need to know treating their paying customers like shit is unacceptable.

    • [–]

      shodannet

      Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 10:53 PM

      I really want all the sites that he supposedly contacted to really drop a bombshell on him.
      I like how he realised how he really put his foot in his mouth AFTER he goes “I love penny arcade!”

      • [–]

        Mic

        Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 1:43 AM

        IGN have already posted on his twitter to stop associating himself with them, wanting no part in his actions.

        • [–]

          Nathan

          Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 2:51 AM

          I’m re-tweeting anything I can find about it @ https://twitter.com/#!/TheZeppster

          Its beyond terrible what they have tried to get away with, and honestly I don’t think they estimated the power of the internet when it comes to negative PR these days. Sad thing is this guy is the president of the company, so him losing his job is slim, just gotta spreading the bad word until his company sinks.

          Good to see all the names he dropped in support of him, all coming out on twitter and their blogs saying they want nothing to do with him at all and have no support!

  • [–]

    Chazz

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    Wow. That’s all I can say really…

  • [–]

    Chazz

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 9:53 PM

    HA. The dude is the president of Ocean marketing.

  • [–]

    Khuntza

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 9:58 PM

    I just read that whole thing.. wow

    Love his attempts at name dropping.. he just comes off looking like an asshole.. There is bad publicity, then there is being a total douchebag and being exposed for it..

    Is it just this controller and the xtend thing that they sell? can we get a list? I just want to be sure that I NEVER buy one of their products, even by accident.

  • [–]

    Dani

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 10:11 PM

    Wow so that’s my order gone! What a bellend!

  • [–]

    lambomann007

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 10:32 PM

    That dude is going to be sooo fired.

  • [–]

    Chazz

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 10:34 PM

    Whoops. The name-dropping backlash begins;

    http://i.imgur.com/HKFpc.png

  • [–]

    scree

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 10:38 PM

    um, the link is no longer working

    • [–]

      Chazz

      Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 10:42 PM

      Just head to PA’s site, it’s on the front page.

  • [–]

    garnet 23

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 10:53 PM

    haha not buying anything from them

  • [–]

    Eric Vong

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    LOL’d Hard. Man I love Mike. Troll of Great Justice.

  • [–]

    quicktooth

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    This is the sort of guy who loses a ton of money for his company. And to even think he’s in PR. Impossible. Pissing off some of the most popular and influential people on the internet, not to mention his company’s CUSTOMERS- he’s essentially waving a giant penis in the face of the world (who PAY HIS SALARY) and imagining it’ll make his company lots of money. Notice that IGN have already denied any support for him- this guy will be fired; and probably sued. His company really will be able to claim damages from him. Who will want to buy their stuff now? As a side note, it’s baffling to watch him try belittle Penny Arcade for a lack of fame or influence; does anyone understand what he’s thinking??

    • [–]

      Chazz

      Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:16 PM

      He’s the president of Ocean Marketing it seems.

  • [–]

    Eric Vong

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:16 PM

    Also, he really needs to spell check his emails after rage-typing. That was terrible for a 30 something year old. Hard to read and painful to bear as a former English major student lol.

    • [–]

      bazuden

      Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:05 AM

      His 125 strong PR team forgot to tell him that you lose all credibility when your emails look like a text message from a 16 year old.

  • [–]

    Khuntza

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:16 PM

    Scott Lowe from IGN on twitter…
    .@OceanMarketting Please refrain from referring to me or IGN as support for you, your company or your clients. You do not have it.

    Paul Christoforo the douche from OceanMarketting..
    @ScottLowe your a douchebag anyway Scott we sent you how many units for review , How many conversations You were the unprofessional one

    This guy just doesn’t know when to stop.. The funny part is that his marketing company also does ‘reputation management’ haha..

    • [–]

      Chazz

      Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:41 PM

      Looks like Paul took down the facebook page for Ocean Marketing.

      • [–]

        Chazz

        Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:43 PM

        And now the facebook page for the controller is also gone.

        • [–]

          Eric Vong

          Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:50 PM

          LOL

        • [–]

          sig

          Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:53 PM

          you’re like santa! Just bringing good news instead of presents :)

          • [–]

            Chazz

            Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:01 AM

            Seen the oh-so professional webpage yet?

            http://www.oceanmarketinginc.com/

            • [–]

              Lobo

              Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:03 AM

              The quote on the front page seems kinda ironic now eh?

              • [–]

                Chazz

                Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:05 AM

                I love that quote being there. This whole situation is almost too perfect.

            • [–]

              Quodd

              Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:10 AM

              Oh write I haven’t see bubble 3d glass buttons used on a website since I was in grade 10 (and that was well over 10 years ago!)

  • [–]

    stevo

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:23 PM

    “p.p.s. Welcome to the internet, bitch. That’s how I roll.”

    Give this man a medal!.

  • [–]

    Lobo

    Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    I’m enjoying the hell out of this. Dude is a nut.

    http://imgur.com/a/co8js

  • [–]

    FitzBatman

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:06 AM

    As a marketer I find this amazeballs. Good holiday fun laughing at clowns.

  • [–]

    Kreedz86

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:16 AM

    These are the kind of stories I like to see. Please follow up on this, I’d love to see this dickhead go down in flames, along with their product.

    Perhaps we will get lucky and the company will have to sell their Patent rights to a competitor, then we can get the controllers and customer service all at once.

  • [–]

    Quodd

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:16 AM

    It’s like GASP, but with gamers!

  • [–]

    4len

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:18 AM

    single.. best… thing… EVER!!!!!!!! Wow, this guy literally has amazing potential to be sued for this by the Avenger creators! Fuck.. It just takes 1 idiot to fuck it up for everyone

  • [–]

    Khuntza

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    http://www.natesnetwork.com/Poor-customer-service

    Another prime example of Paul and his one man company..

    • [–]

      AlexPants

      Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:20 AM

      Curses, you beat me to it! :p

  • [–]

    AlexPants

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    Tracey retweeted another story related to this guy on her Twitter not long ago, its also a good read.

    http://www.natesnetwork.com/Poor-customer-service

    • [–]

      Anon

      Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 2:59 AM

      Holy shit, it seems like the guy got trolled after a while then. And I don’t mean Nate.

  • [–]

    McGarnical

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:22 AM

    Are we all overlooking the fact that the product in question is an amazingly awful (at best) cheat / (at worst) scam?

    Once you take a look at the “Avenger”, you really shouldn’t be surprised that the president of the company is an arrogant deluded loser.

    Also, reading between the lines in the email chain, I’m guessing this product is a ripoff of another one.

    This guy is a crook.

    • [–]

      Khuntza

      Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:25 AM

      We’re way past the crappy factor of his products..

      Its all about watching the fallout against him now.. There is some funny stuff going down on twitter right now.. @oceanmarketting (note two ‘t’s)

      • [–]

        McGarnical

        Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:28 AM

        I’m late to this party. I can’t get over that “controller”!

        • [–]

          Chimpanzee That!

          Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 10:18 AM

          That is one fuck ugly controller. This guys also going out of business, no chance of him being hired to promote things in the future. Wonder if the manufacturers can sue him for damages.

          He also writes, spells, and thinks like a five year old, what the shit?

    • [–]

      SilentWolf

      Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 1:55 AM

      Even if it is an amazing innovation, think about where he will be in the long term. It will get large sales at the start, but it will slow and he will need to produce a new product, after which everyone in the games industry will refuse to support him and he will realise the the power of reputation.

      • [–]

        SilentWolf

        Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 1:56 AM

        EDIT: That is, if he is even more involved than just being a PR spokesperson.

    • [–]

      Mic

      Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 1:57 AM

      The problem is, is that the controller is helpful when looked at as an aid for disabled gamers.

  • [–]

    bazuden

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:33 AM

    A link from TheSlorg’s World, about an Aussie bloke who experienced Ocean Marketing’s charm a couple months back:

    http://www.notgoodenough.org/viewtopic.php?p=329158

    • [–]

      Poida

      Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 3:35 AM

      ” So if your all fired up and have nothing better to do with your life then knock your self out partner ride wallaby till and legs fall out and go walkabout” He sure got told!

  • [–]

    tokyodove

    Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:37 AM

    -hes in his 30s
    -he has a full time job
    -that job is working public relations

    yet he still types like a 12 year old. if nothing else he should be fired for butchering the english language

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