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Where oh Where Did the Recipezaar Go?
Update 8pm: Site appears up, loads slower than anything and is missing lots of images. See screenshot at the bottom of this post.
Last week we reported that Recipezaar was acquired by Scripps Networks for ~$25 million. The site claims 2.3 million pageviews and thousands of paying premium members in June 2007.
Early this morning I started to see a large increase in traffic from Google using the keyword "Recipezaar." Upon checking www.recipezaar.com, I am redirected to a Register.com landing/parked page. The domain status page shows a DNS change today to Register.com DNS servers.
Now the "where is the site" comments have started to appear on our initial acquisition post. Paying premium users appear very pissed off and rightly so. A couple comments stand out:
"Neat beginning – as a paid "member" of the recipezaar "community", I'm not liking this bobble at all. There have been issues with the site – growing pains – all in all a great place to go. Now the big change. Can't even access the site. How's about an email to paid "members" outlining the changes? Hmmmm…hope this doesn't bode of things to come…"
"What the heck is going on????????????? Where is recipezaar and more importantly where are MY recipes.Recipes created and photographed by me and saved to my private cookbooks. This is not a good start at all for recipezaar who posted information about the sale on their site and assured us that little was going to change. At the very least they could have informed us the loyal customers that the site was going to be down for a while."
So I ask? Where oh where did Recipezaar go? I have an email into the company for more details and if you have any details, send it in!
As of 8pm NYC time, this is what I see:
You are not the only one. For over a week now, I have been able to get to the site, but it locks up when I try to actually look up any recipes. I did get it work once, briefly, while I checked one recipe, but now it’s stuck again. This really sucks. I was just getting ready to renew my premium membership which had expired but, after all I have read, that won’t be happening. This is really a shame because I know that thousands of people all over the world loved this site as much as I did.
I have no problem with the fact that people made loads of money from this site; good for them, it was a great service. I don’t know how, though, they will ever regain the goodwill they have squandered by their “fixes” to something was never broken in the first place. Bah humbug to Scripps and their customer no-service turkeys. May they all roast…. oh well, you know where.
I will be glad to search their recipes, provide them to you, and with accruracy. ‘Zaar has made it difficult for many, especially those without “prepium” membership to navigate the website! I’ll do it for you 24/7, as I am a premium member and will provide YOU complete access, no charge, no fee……as a matter of fact, I’ll do all for you that ‘Zaar can, ‘cus I’m a member, and have access!! LOL Use me!
I haven’t been able to access ‘zaar since Monday. I have sent two e-mails to them with no reply. Can anyone tell me if the site is having trouble? Am I the only one? Does anybody know how to contact them? I really miss the site.
Where’s recipezaar—a site I visit daily & grab recipes from. Got 2 “best” zucchini recipes from there. I at least want the recipes saved into my cookbook that I haven’t had time to print out yet. Did experience some glitches earlier this year but never seemed to hear on news sources of its soon to be death.
What gives and is anyone getting to the site. I get that stupid redirect page. Perhaps I’ll go back to AllRecipes.
Vanaished, gone, its staff, its caring. This is one site that has gone to hell in a handbasket since its sellout to Scripps. The Staff could care less anymore. The IT if HORREDOUS, and it is a project to be had. I’m not even sure Scripps can wipe out the Staff folks from this dino! This has gone from one of the best websites available to to most “sucks” on the internet!
And to think it happened on my birthday, no less.
I just tried from my home computer – using OpenDNS – and landed on Recipezaar just fine. Currently 1817 PST – either it’s been fixed since I made it home or your DNS is slow and it should be going to the site. :)
Glad to hear it’s back though – I use it on a daily basis for dinner.
Michael – please see the screenshot at the end of the post. I can get to the site now, loads very slow and none of the images load.
Looks like you will be ordering in a pizza tonight.
The same thing happened to me as well the first time. About 10 minutes after my last comment I refreshed the page and it was remarkably faster and all of the images loaded.
Maybe the Zaar moved to a new host?
I wanted to get the ingredients for Muffintin Meatloaf for dinner, and now all I see is this gobbledygook. Maybe I won’t upgrade to a paid membership afterall.
object(RzDbException)#9 (6) { ["message:protected"]=> string(29) “Unable to connect to database” ["string:private"]=> string(0) “” ["code:protected"]=> int(101) ["file:protected"]=> string(30) “/var/www/html/php/RzDBData.php” ["line:protected"]=> int(32) ["trace:private"]=> array(4) { [0]=> array(6) { ["file"]=> string(35) “/var/www/html/php/Rz/Mail.class.php” ["line"]=> int(319) ["function"]=> string(8) “RzDBData” ["class"]=> string(8) “RzDBData” ["type"]=> string(2) “->” ["args"]=> array(0) { } } [1]=> array(6) { ["file"]=> string(30) “/var/www/html/php/MySmarty.php” ["line"]=> int(77) ["function"]=> string(14) “getUnreadCount” ["class"]=> string(6) “RzMail” ["type"]=> string(2) “->” ["args"]=> array(0) { } } [2]=> array(6) { ["file"]=> string(30) “/var/www/html/php/MySmarty.php” ["line"]=> int(96) ["function"]=> string(8) “MySmarty” ["class"]=> string(8) “MySmarty” ["type"]=> string(2) “->” ["args"]=> array(0) { } } [3]=> array(4) { ["file"]=> string(23) “/var/www/html/index.zsp” ["line"]=> int(2) ["args"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(30) “/var/www/html/php/MySmarty.php” } ["function"]=> string(12) “require_once” } } }
I’m getting to it fine from two different ISPs, computers, and two different DNS providers.
I would almost say it was a hiccup in the transfer of assets from one company to another, but it’s much to early for that to be occurring.
The site is loading slow as molasses but what is new – it’s recipezaar and it’s been slow for years.
Michael, I am getting a landing page on register.com. I have tried now with 2 different ISPs. I am guessing that one of two things is occuring:
All I know is there are loads of pissed off customers!
Submitted by Buster's friend on July 23, 2007 – 4:21pm. Subject: Who ran off with Recipezaar? From: http://www.lostremote.com/2007/07/19/scripps-buys-recipezaar/ "18. Marion Cook | July 23rd, 2007 at 12:16 pm I called the number for register.com was given an email address for Troy Hakala – troy@recipezaar.com and a phone humber (removed) not sure if they are good or not but I sent off an email 19. Chef Vseward | July 23rd, 2007 at 12:31 pm Hello everyone, I am a member of Recipezaar also. Just thought I would pass on a message from Troy. There is no reason to panic, recipezaar will be up and running the same way in no time. Hang in there ~V Troy Hakala 23 Jul 2007 11:13 Recipezaar Staff Sorry, it’s a problem with Register.com and DNS. It’s fixed but will take some time for it to propagate around the world and to to be fixed for everyone. Scream if it’s not okay again in an hour." *********** I imagine this is PST hence the time difference. I would love to have someone tell me why this heavily trafficked site didn't even make use of "site redirect" or even "site under construction" with a bit of info rather than this approach? Ohhh, it seems it is Register.com's errors/omissions. They were not forthright with this info when I called their number plastered on their junky pseudopage besmattered with popups! A suggestion for getting your recipes was also mentioned on the aforementioned site – Googling your zaarname & recipezaar to come up with your cached recipes is intrepid & resourceful but should be entirely unnecessary for PAID "PREMIUM MEMBERS". Let's hope Recipezaar doesn't end up looking or acting at all like the Register.com junko site & that Troy doesn't change his telephone number anytime soon!
As a paying member also, I am furious that the site is being redirected! Does anyone have a customer service contact # or email address for them so we can voice our displeasure? I’ve got all my recipes in there!
It is unfortunate that there are no real avenues to contact (other than the ones posted earlier which have NOT yielded acknowlegement). I would’ve preferred a more direct communication conduit – but none was available! I paid my “PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP” fees & simply trusted the service I bought would be there. Sales happen & transition times seem to affect only the customer (my experience as long-term ATT wireless customer being “sold” to Suncom springs to mind – now a Verizon wireless customer, NEVER to return to the aforementioned two). I appreciate it when my mellow isn’t harshed by not getting services I have paid for. My mellow is greatly enhanced when the services I paid for don’t have to be hunted down & thrashed to perform for me. My $50 is but a drop in the proverbial bucket but, coming from my bucket, it is more valuable to me. It is unfortunate that all the blah, blah about “customer service” falls right away – I mean, really, any other businesspeople out there who think they have such a robust client base as to fall entirely off the internet map without a “site redirect” or “pardon our re-construction”?
As of 17:05 EST, the junky Register.com “linkfarm” with all its nasty popups is all one can access; at least from my ISP that is.
it’s working fine here
Fact is, YOU will never get a direct comment from ANYONE at this company! You can refer to them as “Liza”, “Kathie”, Whatever….as long as you attach ” Zaar ” STAFF to thier names. Actually they’re so despirate for relief, they’ll almost answer to anything……Incidentally, the “STAFF” that I knew corporately meant Stand Tall And Find Falt (STAFF), yep that is/are the folks at ‘Zaar. I have NO regard for this company, and NO regard for Scripps buying them out. Just wait, Scripps will sell this MAMMOTH for next to nothing just to rid itself of the stench!