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Previous: Akeelah and the Bee DVD box credits | Main | Next: Embassy Suites exit signs
November 21, 2006 12:03 AM
Broken: Mellon investor services signup
Andrew Midkiff writes:
There are several layers to this broken experience with signing up for Mellon investor services online. First, it starts with an envelope from a recent mailing telling me to visit " www.melloninvestor.com/isd."
When you type that URL in a browser, you get a 404 "page not found" error.
I knew enough to try it without the isd and eventually found the URL at https://vault.melloninvestor.com/isd/Default.asp?PLID=MEL.
I didn't have an account set up yet, and so I needed to get a PIN. The next picture shows the way to get a PIN. So far, I was doing ok.
I then got the following picture which is the error telling me that I've either not gotten a PIN yet, I've entered an invalid investor ID number (entered incorrectly or used a social security number), or I've entered an invalid PIN.
The last bullet point, about exceeding the maximum login attempts, is confusing. Is it telling me that one possible problem might be that I've exceeded the number of log in attempts? or is it telling me that is the case? I'm not sure...
The only one of these reasons that can possibly be true for me is the second option - "You have entered an invalid Investor Identification Number (Investor ID)." Since I know I didn't type in a social security number and a PIN had nothing to do with it since I didn't have one yet and was trying to get one.
So, I try again making very sure that I type in the investor ID# correctly. It's a 12-digit number with no dashes or spaces. I hit the button again, and get the same error.
I then tried to "Chat live" with a Mellon Help Desk Specialist and get the next image telling me that the help desk has gone home for the night. Why offer me the help desk live chat option if it isn't available!?!
Mellon investor services gave me a bum URL and the application failed when I did everything correctly. I even tried their site on both Firefox and IE, just in case, and it didn't work in either browser. Then they wouldn't let me get any help because it was 7:12 p.m, when most people are doing such investor-related things.
Ooh...the URL http://www.melloninvestor.com/isd works for me...
Hmmm. I can tell you from experience...if the online broker web page is so poorly designed as this when trying to set up new business, it may be unreliable during high volume times when it comes to trades (as in when the stock you own is tanking and you need to sell NOW!!!!!!!!). Personally, I'd look for another broker.
Perhaps the URL problem was fixed between the time that this submission was sent to This is Broken and the time it was posted-it worked for me, too. I know I once saw a listing for a free pattern on the internet in a product catalog (from KnitPicks, the Gift List Scarves, if anyone really wanted to know) and the pattern was not available on their site for several days! It is possible that the company had not yet set up that page when you recieved the envelope. Also, one of the possible problems was: "You have not established a PIN. Please return to the main Log In Page and follow the instructions provided to establish a PIN" Could it be that the button is actually what was broken because it did not work to establish a PIN? Or that it did not establish a PIN quite the way you would expect it to?
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Previous: Akeelah and the Bee DVD box credits | Main | Next: Embassy Suites exit signs
Wow, how could one site be so bad? FIRST!!!
Posted by: tjbugs1 at November 21, 2006 12:34 AM