It’s great until things go wrong...

While spending three years in Japan Line was like my best friend. It kept me in touch with friends, coworkers, and businesses alike. The free messaging and calls made it easy to keep my phone bill steady and the high quality stickers offered a fun way to quickly remain a part of any conversation and convey a range of emotions beyond what basic texting pictograms.

Even when I returned to the U.S. I was able to remain in touch with my friends around the world by using the PC version. It worked beautifully for months, even after I got a new phone I continued to use Line on my PC because it was so convenient and fun. It survived several upgrades and then magically this week I was logged out. No problem I thought it is attached to my e-mail address I can simply log back in. But no it want’s a verification code from my phone, a phone I no longer have access too. No problem I thought I’ll simply e-mail or call Line and get this straightened out.

However, what I found is a company that clearly only cares about its customers when it is convenient for them. Why is there no adequate customer service!?! There is no way to contact Line with a specific problem by e-mail, phone, or chat. I tried Line’s pre-fab FAQ style "Help” section only to find answers so basic they almost don’t need to be put in a help section in the first place. Further investigation showed I’m not the only one. Line’s Facebook page has hundreds of posts and comments from frustrated users hoping someone, anyone will listen to them. When I talked to friends most said they eventually just gave up and created all new accounts. It seems pretty money-hungry to me, but the app frequently informs you that in switching to a new phone, changing e-mails, or using Line on any new device you will loose all previous chats, contacts, and purchases.

I mean really did you think nothing would ever go wrong? ever? Do you think people never change phones or e-mails. I loved this app in Japan but is now one of my least favorite companies to deal with. To anyone looking into Line, its saturation into smartphone culture, particularly in Asia, makes it a convenient and attractive communication tool for individuals and groups. But BEWARE, cross-your fingers and toes that nothing ever goes wrong. If it does Line will happily cut your tether then charge you for a new one, as they skip forward to a new unsuspecting user.

We used to be so good together about LINE