Comedy web ordering with the Carphone Warehouse….

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I’ve just tried to order my son a new LG Cookie for Christmas from the Carphone Warehouse. Tried being the operative word here. I’m absolutely amazed at how we’re still struggling to get the whole on line ordering experience right. I’d filled in the form, and the list of errors were almost as long as the form itself.

I’d like to think that I’m not really that big of an idiot that I can’t get an on line order form right…but Carphone warehouse succeeded in spectacular fashion. So when the website even gives me 3 errors regarding my home phone number I’m left wanting to click the close icon.

Error #1 – the phone number is too long. Why ? See error #2.

Error #2 – the phone number has spaces in it.

Error #3 – the phone number is invalid.

Forgive me for thinking that it’s really at the bleeding edge of technology to determine whether a phone number is valid or not. With or without spaces. Id entered 3 phone numbers. So there was a total of 9 errors, just for the phone numbers, when the code could easily have stripped out the spaces, or even god forbid, used something as technologically advanced as a regular expression to make sure it was valid.

After fixing the errors I’m left with the final error. It appears my credit car information is  invalid. Why? Oh, we won’t actually tell you that. We’ll just say that there’s *something* wrong. Did anyone do *any* usability testing on this? I can’t believe it. Absolutely atrocious for a single page form.

Thank you Carphone Warehouse. And, Goodbye.

Oh, if anyone from the Carphone Warehouse by chance happens to read this, I’m available to help you out. Trust me, you need all the help you can get.

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