I’m not having a successful etailing holiday season. Last week, I shared my tales of woe with both GoodEve LTD and Sears.com. And, this week, I felt compelled to send another email detailing my disappointment with a shopping experience.

At the suggestion of the Zazzle customer service representative with whom I spoke, I submitted the following email to Zazzle.com’s business development email address on 12/9/13 at 2:03pm:

“Why is Windows 7 no longer supported for customized images?

I have tried for 2 days to upload an image from my Windows 7 laptop to create a custom mug. After hours of frustration, I called the customer service line early this morning. I was told that the wait was long and I could have an agent call me back if I left my number. I left the number, and 4 hours later, I tried calling again since I hadn’t heard back.

This time, there was only about a five minute wait. The customer service representative listened to my problem, suggested I try a different browser (I was using IE, so I tried Chrome). Still no response when I tried to upload a photo. Then she told me that my operating system was too old. I was shocked! Windows 7 is not an old operating system, and Windows 8 is almost universally disliked by users! But she said that the new Zazzle personalization system can’t upload photos from Windows 7. She was very nice about it. I’m not complaining about here. I’m complaining about how Zazzle has decided to block the majority of Windows users from using photos to customized gifts. And you are a customization site!!!

I believe that this move on your part is very short sighted. I just googled, “how many windows 7 users vs windows 8?” I did not find a specific response, but I did find links such as “Windows 7 market share still growing despite newer operating systems” from the LA Times, published just six days ago. Also, “Forget Windows 8.1, Folks Want Windows 7,” from Daily Finance, published five days ago.

All this suggests that Zazzle’s commitment to customers is not very deep. Sure, you will accept any returns for any reason. Sure, you have good prices and products. But if you are ignoring the needs and preferences of most Windows customers, you are not demonstrating an understanding of your customer base. You used to support Windows 7—I’ve uploaded photos in the past. The fact that you no longer do this, nor is there any workaround, like sending the image to customer service and have them work through the design with you, simply lets me know that Zazzle no longer cares about me (a regular Zazzle customer for three years), and others like me, and no longer wants my business.

I have obliged by taking myself off the mailing list. However, I would really appreciate an explanation from business development on why this decision was made and how you could have thought it was a good idea to willingly lose so many potential customers.”

I received the following response from Zazzle development@zazzle.com immediately:

“Automatic reply: Why is Windows 7 no longer supported for customized images? Response:

Due to the number of emails we receive, we cannot promise to respond to every email, but we do read them all! We’ve forwarded your email to the appropriate group, and if there is an opportunity for a partnership, we will be in contact.”

I don’t expect to hear back because my email has nothing to do with a partnership. But I really hope that I do get some feedback from Zazzle. I’d just love to hear the reasoning behind the move from supporting one of the most popular operating system to one that is constantly being bad mouthed by the very customers Zazzle claims to serve.

I went to Vistaprint and created, ordered, and had an acknowledgment for the customized mug I wanted within five minutes…and it was much less expensive. (Isn’t it great?)