Jacksonville Real Estate Blog Mar
15
Ok, this is definitely an out of the ordinary post for my blog. But I just had one of those moments where a company so blows it at customer service that I have to just tell a couple of people 
The company I am talking about here is none other then Microsoft and it involves my account at the Microsoft adCenter. adCenter is Microsoft’s answer to Google and Yahoo’s legendary pay-per-click business. Pay-per-click is an advertising method that places your ads next to relevant searches users make in the three search engines Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft’s new live.com search engine. The ads display next to search results and the advertiser pays only if the user clicks on the ad.
Google reigns supreme in this market, followed by Yahoo, and in a very distance third place is Microsoft’s adCenter. I have accounts at all three search engines, but I barely use the Microsoft’s adCenter account.
So I was a little surprised today when I got a call from Microsoft about a billing problem with my account. Microsoft called and told me they wanted permission to charge my checking account to correct an over-credit due to an error that occurred because certain clicks were inadvertently excessively charged. My impression was that Microsoft had some how credited back to my checking account an excess amount and wanted it back. I asked the amount they were talking about and the representative said it was around $600.
I told the rep I needed to look at my account because I don’t spend anything near that on adCenter. So I got her name, number , and extension and told her I would call her back as soon as I reviewed my bank records. I pulled up my banking record and saw there were no transactions pending or posted for the $600 amount. I looked at the adCenter account and can only find $50.80 worth of charges year to date.
So I call back the rep at adCenter, enter her extension, get told she is busy, and then the call was rolled over to another rep. The other rep tells me she will go get the first rep because she can’t find a ticket for my account, she returns and tells me the first rep will call me right back.
The first rep calls me back (with a trendy WebTv caller ID), I explained to the rep that there are no charges from Microsoft in the $600 range posted to my checking account. In fact, I had only spent $50.80 YTD, but in my adCenter account, it is showing a $580 credit. So I tell the rep, there is nothing posted to my checking account showing any overcharge so I am not giving Microsoft permission to charge anything to my account right now. I press her again as what the problem is with my account.
She finally explains that there was error where I was charged $32 per click for an ad where I had bid just $1 Microsoft then tried to fix the problem, but credited my adCenter account back DOUBLE the amount, leaving me with a credit in my account. The rep then says Microsoft can’t remove the credit from the adCenter account and wants permission to charge my checking account for the CREDIT they gave me by mistake! Microsoft wants me to pay them for the credit they gave me by mistake but can not reverse.
They are asking me for permission to charge my checking account for amount I won’t be spending for the next 30 months(YTD=$50.8; Monthly Budget = $50.80/2.5 Months = $20/month; Microsoft proposed charge = $600 = $600/$20 = 30 Months)
I went ballistic! I tell the rep you wasted a half hour of my time trying to get me to prepay the next 2.5 years worth of pay-per-click charges because you messed up and can’t reverse the credit you gave me!
Give me a break. I only kept my account open because I now have a $600 credit that Microsoft can’t remove.
Feb
15
24 condos up for grabs at Village Square
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Golf fanatics will be interested to learn that eight new residential floorplans are being offered at Village Square, located within the premier golf community of Palencia, south of Jacksonville. Residents there can live in a relaxed environment, play golf and be within easy walking distance of local amenities.
Village Square will have 24 residential condos which will be placed above 21 office and retail condos and they are all expected to be completed by the spring of this year. The residential condos will feature between one and three bedrooms with a minimum floor-space of 1,227 square feet.
Residents will enjoy fantastic views of the golf course, the tennis court and the swimming pool and of course each resident will have access to each of these facilities.
Each condo comes with its own private gated entranceway and reserved garage parking. Prices start in the $300,000 price area.
Jul
5
Buy a piece of peace now…
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Lake views, oak tree shades, peace and quiet….it could all be yours soon for the right price.
La Terrazza Luxury Condominium Homes announced the official opening of its sales center only 100 feet from Goodby’s Lake.
With the price tag starting at just under half a million dollars, you will not only get stunning and relaxing views but also the possibility of buying one of eight boat slips with access to the St Johns River. Plus later on down the line, you’ll get the chance to join a local yachting club.
The developers believe that those eager to escape the hustle-and-bustle of every day life will jump at the chance of living somewhere more relaxing. Trouble is that peace and relaxation will cost you $500,000.
Apr
25
Free property guide & CD on offer
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WCI Communities who are the developers of Costa Verano in Jacksonville Beach have got together with the Florida Chamber of Commerce to offer a freebie. They have produced a limited edition booklet called “Splitting to Paradise: Your Guide to Owning a Second Home in Florida.”
They have also thrown in a free road trip CD which you can play while travelling around Florida looking for that second dream home.
Just go to www.splitters.com and leave your details!
Apr
1
From Las Vegas to Jacksonville?
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It seems that Las Vegas is not so easy to turn a profit as everyone thinks. This piece from the Miami Herald profiles Jorge Perez who, along with actor George Clooney, planned to build condos near the Las Vegas Strip. Now the project has fallen through and they are now deciding whether to sell the 25 acres of land. Selling the land may also turn a profit so the situation is still salvageable.
While other developers insist their Las Vegas condo projects are going ahead as planned, Perez is already focusing on his other projects, including one in Jacksonville. No details yet on what that project is.
Mar
14
Springfield bounces back from spate of business closures
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Many have thought that the recent spate of business departures from Springfield was the start of something much worse. But developers, business owners and community leaders aim to prove that perception wrong. Apparently we ain’t seen anything yet.
Hot on the heels of departed businesses such as Henrietta’s, Boomtown Cafe and Theater, Epicurean Cafe & Market and Moe’s Tavern, other businesses are getting ready to move in and take over the vacant spots.
Some of the reasons for the resurgence of Springfield businesses include a lowering of rent prices, ongoing work to the streets
Dec
24
“Jacksonville is going to be the next major city in the Southeast,” according to Bayard Spector and to help that vision along, he plans to build the city’s tallest building.
$3.25 million has bought him a building at the corner of A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard and West Bay Street, near Jacksonville Arena. He now plans to spend another $100 million turning that building into a 700 feet, 70-story hotel and condo tower.
The building would also house a spa and a ballroom.
http://tinyurl.com/kxfv8
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