Credit Card Orders

[craigix]

Hello everyone,

Sorry about this slow credit card reorder process, please don't get angry at us as we can only move at the pace of the bank who started all this mess (and probably wish they had not done it now).

We want the make sure ALL card orders are refunded before we put up the reorder pages, and the reorder pages will probably go in batches, ie UK first, then euro then the rest of the world to avoid any server issues.

Please try to be patient and not give us a hard time (believe me the bank situation is a nightmare enough).

Also please don't request charge backs - this only leads the bank to believe they were 'right' to do this and weakens our argument that there were wrong - they have also told us they plan to charge us $38 for every charge back they receive just to kick us while we are down due to their actions.

They are refunding the orders but they are doing it very slowly, almost in an awkward manner.

Please try to work with us though this, it is the last step in a long project and we have worked past so many other major issues put in our place in the last two years - we just need your help to knock this one down too - and don't worry I'm keeping a diary of all the interesting attempts to try to derail the Pandora project and will post them soon.

Also remember that you won't lose your place in the queue and work continues full time while all this is happening - there are some very nice announcements coming up in regards to the drivers for the Pandora 3d, dsp, video in the next few weeks too which will again make the Pandora even faster and more complete.

If you liked Skeezixs Pandora benchmarks vs. other handhelds and thought they were impressive, well, prepare to turn it up to 11.

 

[solidstate]

Thanks for breaking the silence on the Credit Card Reorder situation, I can now relax, sit back and wait for further instructions.

Incidentally, once the credit card order system is up and running will you be informing people via emails, a forum post or a blog post?

 

[White Demon]

Hey Craig, I read in another thread from Chip that when you put up the cc reorder pages, you're gonna do it UK first, then Europe, US, ROW.

Due to problems with differing exchange rates, surely it would be better to do it Europe, US, ROW (or US, Europe, ROW) with UK being last, since they are the only ones that don't have to worry about exchange rates?

I would have theought this would be the most logical way, so that everyone who isn't in the UK will have the least amount of difference in exchange rates between the refund/reorder as possible.

 

[paolo]

Hello everyone,
...
We want the make sure ALL card orders are refunded before we put up the reorder pages, and the reorder pages will probably go in batches, ie UK first, then euro then the rest of the world to avoid any server issues.
...

ehm, as suggested in the re-order mail, I *already* reordered by direct-bank transfer , do this mean I've got to chase and cancel the transaction (if still possible) and wait for some kind of reorder page? Hope not.

 

[Tor]

If you already paid by bank transfer you're in the clear, according to everything I've read so far (tons!). So, just sit back and relax.

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

Hey Craig, I read in another thread from Chip that when you put up the cc reorder pages, you're gonna do it UK first, then Europe, US, ROW.

Due to problems with differing exchange rates, surely it would be better to do it Europe, US, ROW (or US, Europe, ROW) with UK being last, since they are the only ones that don't have to worry about exchange rates?

I would have theought this would be the most logical way, so that everyone who isn't in the UK will have the least amount of difference in exchange rates between the refund/reorder as possible.

Sounds like a GREAT idea. Please Craig, consider this.

 

[mechanizeddeath]

Thanks for the update, Craig.

 

[paolo]

If you already paid by bank transfer you're in the clear, according to everything I've read so far (tons!). So, just sit back and relax.

just can't wait to plug my pandora to whatever I see (fridges, petrol stations, ticket machines, microwaves, tv, phones, boars, mangos.....) and manipulate :lol:


Everything should have a barcode.... right... and a com port

 

[pstudio]

Are there an estimate on when we'll have to do our reorder. Personally I wouldn't mind if we had to wait until next year. It's Christmas time right now, so I wouldn't mind having some few extra bucks on my bank account.

 

[Prometheus]

We want the make sure ALL card orders are refunded before we put up the reorder pages, and the reorder pages will probably go in batches, ie UK first, then euro then the rest of the world to avoid any server issues.

To be honest, I don't know about anyone else, but personally I figured that this was the case from the moment the e-mail went out - it never seemed to make much sense to me to take re-orders whilst still sending out refunds.

QUOTE

and don't worry I'm keeping a diary of all the interesting attempts to try to derail the Pandora project and will post them soon.


Oooooooooh, gossip. :lol:

Nah, kidding. I'm guessing this is to do with The Pandora Story?

QUOTE

Also remember that you won't lose your place in the queue and work continues full time while all this is happening - there are some very nice announcements coming up in regards to the drivers for the Pandora 3d, dsp, video in the next few weeks too which will again make the Pandora even faster and more complete.


Sweet. Looking forward to it.


Thanks for the update, Craig, as ever.

 

[rmm2131]

Hey Craig, I read in another thread from Chip that when you put up the cc reorder pages, you're gonna do it UK first, then Europe, US, ROW.

Due to problems with differing exchange rates, surely it would be better to do it Europe, US, ROW (or US, Europe, ROW) with UK being last, since they are the only ones that don't have to worry about exchange rates?

I would have theought this would be the most logical way, so that everyone who isn't in the UK will have the least amount of difference in exchange rates between the refund/reorder as possible.

Sounds like a GREAT idea. Please Craig, consider this.


Yeah Craig could you not royally(get it royal, Queen, England, hey hey hey) screw the rest of us by favoring the UK customers this time in lieu of the exchange rates issue.

 

[CronoTrig]

The only solution that will not have me chargeback my order is if I am able to reorder in a CDN amount equivalent to the GBP amount I was refunded (197.77 GBP converted to CDN at the time of the refund transaction). I don't know how you plan on doing the reorders, but I hope you do it in a manner that will not have international buyers losing out on even more money. I full well understood that I would be paying in GBP at the time of order (which is almost a 2:1 conversion from GBP to CDN, nothing close to the approximate $330 USD advertised), but the fact that you are putting it on the customer to pay any extra forex fees due to a problem with a bank chosen by you doesn't make sense. The fact that you are putting up reorders for international buyers last makes even less sense. I was fully prepared to wait until next year for manufacturing to finish. I was fully aware of the initial price I was paying for my Pandora, and that's it. With the current situation, I am willing to understand that banks are slow, and work at their own pace to refund our orders. That's completely understandable. But what I won't stand for is having you, as a company, somehow put the blame on the consumer and have us paying extra, however large the amount may be. It's the principal of it that matters, and I'm sure a lot of people agree with me.

 

[EthanGray]

The only solution that will not have me chargeback my order is if I am able to reorder in a CDN amount equivalent to the GBP amount I was refunded (197.77 GBP converted to CDN at the time of the refund transaction). I don't know how you plan on doing the reorders, but I hope you do it in a manner that will not have international buyers losing out on even more money. I full well understood that I would be paying in GBP at the time of order (which is almost a 2:1 conversion from GBP to CDN, nothing close to the approximate $330 USD advertised), but the fact that you are putting it on the customer to pay any extra forex fees due to a problem with a bank chosen by you doesn't make sense. The fact that you are putting up reorders for international buyers last makes even less sense. I was fully prepared to wait until next year for manufacturing to finish. I was fully aware of the initial price I was paying for my Pandora, and that's it. With the current situation, I am willing to understand that banks are slow, and work at their own pace to refund our orders. That's completely understandable. But what I won't stand for is having you, as a company, somehow put the blame on the consumer and have us paying extra, however large the amount may be. It's the principal of it that matters, and I'm sure a lot of people agree with me.

I have to agree whole heartedly with this. When I originally paid it was 352 I was only refunded 287 I am seriously reconsidering reordering at this point for fear that the machine will end up costing me more than 450 all told.

 

[TaG]

Thanks for the update Craig.

Shame really that after all the complaints that need Craig to tell everybody x & y, when he does post the complaints start over - do you guys ever consider why the devs say less and less these days?

As to how much it will eventually cost, this has been explained endlessly in the other threads but no one seems to take any notice. The fact that you're not prepared to wait for the final outcome before making more threats I find sad. Whilst we are at it, this is a *community* project. Where do you think all the software and such is coming from? Antagonise the community is not a good starting point.

 

[mechanizeddeath]

and don't worry I'm keeping a diary of all the interesting attempts to try to derail the Pandora project and will post them soon.

Oooooooooh, gossip. :lol:

Nah, kidding. I'm guessing this is to do with The Pandora Story?


You know, I often laugh at suggestions of "conspiracies" regarding anything, but in the case of this project, I'm beginning to suspect some kind of malice towards the Pandora team. To put it another way, I think there's at least one Donkey Kong continuing to roll barrels at the team.

Or, it could just be a simple case of Murphy's Law in action.

 

[ckblackm]

As to how much it will eventually cost, this has been explained endlessly in the other threads but no one seems to take any notice. The fact that you're not prepared to wait for the final outcome before making more threats I find sad. Whilst we are at it, this is a *community* project. Where do you think all the software and such is coming from? Antagonise the community is not a good starting point.

It's very easy for one who doesn't have to worry about the difference between paid/refunded to feel "sad" for those who do.

 

[noisome]

Also please don't request charge backs - this only leads the bank to believe they were 'right' to do this and weakens our argument that there were wrong - they have also told us they plan to charge us $38 for every charge back they receive just to kick us while we are down due to their actions.

Have there been a lot of chargebacks already?

Noisome

 

[mazza558]

Any new ETA for that elusive completely assembled Pandora?

From MWeston's wording in the "Pandora Weight" thread, it appears that he already has one completely assembled. Some forum members also weren't sure whether "next weekend" meant the weekend that's just past, or the upcoming one.

 

[smanky]

Have you filed a formal complaint against your bank? If you haven't, you should. You should even consider taking some legal action against the bank if possible. But still, you all are the ones who chose the bank, and I don't see that as any of our faults.

Hey Craig, I read in another thread from Chip that when you put up the cc reorder pages, you're gonna do it UK first, then Europe, US, ROW.

Due to problems with differing exchange rates, surely it would be better to do it Europe, US, ROW (or US, Europe, ROW) with UK being last, since they are the only ones that don't have to worry about exchange rates?

I would have theought this would be the most logical way, so that everyone who isn't in the UK will have the least amount of difference in exchange rates between the refund/reorder as possible.

Exchange rates fluctuate so there's no guarantee that the exchange rate will be higher or lower at any given time in the future, so it doesn't really matter what the order is.

How does a chargeback differ from a refund?

 

[joa]

Up to 11! I can already hear the sustain!

argh, that stupid bank If they do charge you £38 for even one chargeback make sure you take them to small claims court. It doesn't matter if it's in their T&C's. Their T&C's aren't allowed to be unlawful.

And they have to be able to account for the whole £38 and how they come to such a stupid figure, Going by that it probably costs about £3 in paper & admin.

Goodluck on this last hurdle craigix. So when will see a first pandora