Well, even if Sean had answered you I doubt we would have seen a different personality from you here. You certainly seem very eager to vent your angst towards all things Slim.
A glut of Squeezeboxen on eBay? I see four of them up for sale, most of them look like they will be going for well over $150 which would bring the cost of upgrading to the new unit down to $100 or so after the coupon deal. If companies made it their habit to tell their customers about all their new plans, well in advance, or offer trade-in deals that cost them $$$ they would soon go out of business. Maybe you should inquire with Roku about what their upgrade policy is. Last time I checked they didn't offer even a 30 day money back guarentee. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Timothy Knight Nelson > Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 10:39 AM > To: Slim Devices Discussion > Subject: Re: [slim] RE: Trade-in of recent Squeezebox for > Squeezebox2 ? > > Sean, > > I understand that, but when you solicit personal email and > queue it to other departments while responding to threads > that don't even directly address you here... don't you think > that is a little backwards? It's not that you don't care: > it's that it *seems* like you don't care. > Even a couple of lines expressing minor sympathy, explaining > your policy and pointing out the "PONY" deal (which your > sales person did > not) would have diffused my frustration, while feeling > intentionally ignored intensified it. If that is too much, > then you need to rethink inviting such interaction with your > customers. Unfortunately, as your little venture grows with > (hopefully) continued success, you are going to face a > changing role, one that may be a lot less fun than when you > started. Such is the nature of success. > > For my part, I apologize if I have offended you or anyone > else here, and appreciate the time you all spent in sharing > your perspectives. My sleep-deprived state made the grapes a > bit more sour than usual. > > All the Best, > Tim > > On Mar 10, 2005, at 9:14 AM, Sean Adams wrote: > > > > > I received several hundred replies to the announcement and am still > > answering them. > > > > All sales questions went to sales, because that's who has the data > > about when and what you purchased, if you're in the 30-day > > no-questions-asked return period, etc. > > > > Most technical questions I answered myself, and some went to our > > support dept if I thought they could answer it better. > > > > It takes more than one person to do all of this. > > > > > > > > On Mar 10, 2005, at 8:57 AM, Timothy Knight Nelson wrote: > > > >> Jim, > >> > >> Very cute. I probably never would have posted at all, but after > >> reading Sean's welcoming "write me if you have any > questions" in the > >> SB2 announce and writing a very polite letter of inquiry to him, I > >> was a little miffed to receive an almost-form-letter from shipping > >> and sales (who I did *not* include when sending that message) and > >> nothing from Sean, who is happily posting the day away with all of > >> the SB2 fans. > >> > >> Not likely I'll sell my SB1 on eBay soon: looks like a > glut there, a > >> wait for an SB2 and still some problems with the new > software. Not > >> to mention the fact that if I buy now, Apple will no doubt release > >> their long-rumored "media hub" in a month and a day ;-) > >> > >> Cheers, > >> Tim > >> > >> On Mar 10, 2005, at 1:00 AM, Jim's Public email wrote: > >> > >>> After being subscribed to these lists for over a year, and never > >>> making a post I've got some catching up to do..... > >>> > >>> Tim, > >>> > >>> To make you feel better or at least send you to sleep :P > here is my > >>> story...... > >>> > >>> I'm from the UK but right now live in a country where > anything that > >>> gets imported gets taxed, and taxed heavily. I was even thinking > >>> one day of getting a overseas friend to send me a empty > box to screw > >>> customs over, then realised the rumours they tax carboard > are true! > >>> > >>> About one and a half years ago thanks to my grandmother I > bought a > >>> SlimMP3. It arrived and I had to pay something like US$100 in > >>> import duties, not to mention the additional postage. > >>> > >>> Upon recieving it when going to the website to check for software > >>> updates that very day (I had checked the day before) the > whole site > >>> had changed and was advertising the brand new SqueezeBox. > "[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> *&@#...." > >>> > >>> I moaned to myself for a while as I normally do and then moaned > >>> about the fact I had just got an out of date product and to be > >>> honest if I'd have been cunning and not had all the hassles of > >>> returning it within the 30-day period I would of packed > it up, gone > >>> down to the post office, taken advantage of the > no-questions returns > >>> policy and sent it back for refund. Paying yet more sky-high > >>> international postage, filling in special export/import forms, > >>> waiting for credit card refund, buying a SqueezeBox, wating for > >>> delivery, paying another lot of import tax, having a fear of > >>> sellotape & pensioners etc....... > >>> made > >>> me realise it wasn't worth doing. > >>> > >>> Still I was just happy to have it. All my original CD's > are in the > >>> UK, so being able to remotely control, select and hear > 320kbps MP3's > >>> coming out of my hi-fi was wonderful. That's all I > wanted back then > >>> - > >>> at that time my experience of Internet Radio was worse than my > >>> experience of Windows ME and I thought wireless > networking was some > >>> fancy term a radio salesman used to impress the ladies. > When I saw > >>> the "Buy Now" button that's what I wanted to do, at that > time it was > >>> the right decision. I got what I wanted when I paid for > it. Would > >>> be on par with you if I ended here.....but it gets worse..... > >>> > >>> About 2 months ago I discovered FLAC and took my daughter out of > >>> school and bought a pet monkey so they could spend a whole month > >>> re-ripping all my music. Thanks to FLAC I had lossless > copies of my > >>> music, my daughter had learned 4 letters of the alphabet and my > >>> monkey now knew how to operate 2 lossless encoders > (however I'd be > >>> lying if I told you FLAC was his preferred format). > >>> > >>> Also thanks to FLAC I now had the perfect excuse to buy a > Squeezebox > >>> and develop a new strange obsession, this time for audio > >>> fingerprints. > >>> So I got the Squeezebox which involved paying more sky-high > >>> postage and tax. Despite the fact that this package was > wrapped in > >>> more sellotape than the last I was actually on and listening to > >>> Cloud Nine in true lossless audio (RIP George). Plus > Internet Radio > >>> actually did what it said. I'd not had such a easy to use and > >>> rewarding technology experience since I saw the "It's Now Safe To > >>> Turn Off Your Computer" > >>> message back in 1995. > >>> > >>> I have still not decided what to do with my old SlimMP3 - > sell it or > >>> buy a mini-hifi and use it in the dungeon? > >>> > >>> Now with history's strange way of repeating itself imagine how I > >>> felt a few days ago learning about the Squeezebox2 - just > 2 months > >>> after buying the SB1. I shouldn't have read the specs on > it - FLAC > >>> related features, serverless internet radio....this was even more > >>> tempting than trying to lick my own elbow....Even worse > was I looked > >>> at the photos. Seeing those "analog" VU meters made my > eyes widen, > >>> reading the specs made my ears and other body parts > twitch and not > >>> seeing a "Upgrade your SB1 to a SB2 for $50" sign made my stomach > >>> start fearing a frugal diet of just pasta, monkey and water. > >>> > >>> My eyes/ears are saying buy it. My brain is saying "You can't > >>> afford it", "Those new features are not essential". This time > >>> Granny cannot help me as she was sold to pay for my > initial SlimMP3 > >>> purchase. I went to see my Doctor for help but was told > I needed at > >>> least 1 kidney to live having sold the other to pay for the SB1. > >>> Yes I was a bit frustrated, but hey that's life. > >>> > >>> Just like I was doing last week I can manage perfectly > well with the > >>> SB1 as long as I take my tablets. The SB1 was 10/10 > rating for me > >>> last week, now it's 9/10 as I can't give the SB2 11/10 > unless I go > >>> all Spinal Tap on the ratings system! > >>> > >>> It's not SlimDevices fault I bought when I did, it's not > really mine > >>> either. It's just unlucky. Do I cry and moan in emails about it? > >>> Or > >>> do I just sit and laugh to myself about it and turn what was > >>> supposed to be a quick response into a overly-long novel? > >>> > >>> I've learned if I'm gonna get a SB2 I had better do it > now, because > >>> in > >>> 1 years time if I get one with my luck a SB3 will appear 1 month > >>> after purchase. Personally I am sure I have psychic > powers and this > >>> is my way of predicting new Slimdevices products. > >>> > >>> You have to remember that whilst it's quite possibly the > most sexy > >>> piece of electronics ever invented - that is all it is. It's not > >>> cheap, but you didn't have to remortgage your house to > buy it. In > >>> your case nobody was physically hurt, nobody died. You just got > >>> unlucky. Get over it, keep what you've got or sell and upgrade. > >>> > >>> But please don't post to these newsgroups trying to look > for answers > >>> and solutions from the Slim team or to vent you anger at them. > >>> They're not a evil money-chasing empire who only give the > impression > >>> of being a nice, open "we care" company who listen to their > >>> customers. > >>> I believe they really do care, obviously they care about making > >>> money but they also know that most of their business is obvioulsy > >>> generated by a great product, word of mouth, the openness of the > >>> product and the great support. They might fit into the same > >>> crossword space but Slim are not another Sony - if you > want further > >>> proof check the website, do you see any robotic dogs? > >>> > >>> However cool/nice/open/warm/welcoming someone is it's not fair to > >>> take advantage of their traits and expect them to solve your > >>> misfortunes. > >>> As the reply to you said, a line has to be drawn somewhere - at > >>> least you got a human reply. Before the SB2 launch they could of > >>> stopped selling the SB1, gone on holiday and not sold > anything for a > >>> month - but then you'd be complaining that you cannot buy > one, we'd > >>> all be complaining there was noone from the complaints > department to > >>> play online tic-tac-toe with and they'd all be > complaining of sunburn. > >>> > >>> Nobody gets an easy ride from me so either Slim got > lucky, their PR > >>> departments mind-control experiements are working well > (never look > >>> at the Slim display for more than 32 seconds) or I > genuinely respect > >>> their ethics and love the products they produce - even when they > >>> become instantly "obsolete" after they've cunningly > delayed the next > >>> product launch until just after I've ordered. > >>> > >>> So other than the practical solution of keeping or > >>> selling/upgrading, if you're still upset then you could > go down the > >>> pub and just hope the beer you get is not the funny tasting stuff > >>> from the bottom of the barrel :D > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> /Jim > >>> Obviously bored contender for title of unluckiest SlimDevices > >>> customer > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>>> Hello Timothy, > >>>> > >>>> Unfortunately we do not have any trade in programs for > our products. > >>>> It is always difficult to make a smooth transition to a new > >>>> product, and as you said, you have to draw the line > somewhere. And > >>>> in fairness to other customers, we need to be consistent > with this > >>>> policy. > >>>> Please > >>>> let me know if you have any other questions. > >>>> > >>>> Kind Regards, > >>>> > >>>> Brian Helmle > >>>> > >>>> -- > >>>> Brian Helmle > >>>> Sales and Shipping > >>>> Slim Devices > >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>> (650) 210-9400 > >>>> > >>>> From: Timothy Knight Nelson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>>> Date: March 9, 2005 10:57:41 AM PST > >>>>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>>> Subject: Trade-in of recent Squeezebox for Squeezebox2 ? > >>>>> > >>>>> Dear Sean, > >>>>> > >>>>> First off, thanks for making a great product. Despite my > >>>>> frustrations, I think you have a winner here and I wish you all > >>>>> the best. My story in brief... > >>>>> > >>>>> I received a Wireless Squeezebox in late January with the > >>>>> intention of ripping my entire CD library to Apple Lossless > >>>>> (several hundred > >>>>> CDs) on a dedicated disk and serving them across my wireless > >>>>> network to my stereo. Along the way, I discovered that > trying to > >>>>> stream Apple Lossless across an 802.11b network (even with great > >>>>> reception) > >>>>> results in a lot of dropouts, even with almost no other > traffic on > >>>>> the network. So, after much cursing at having paid for the > >>>>> wireless version, I started drilling holes and > installing network > >>>>> cables. > >>>>> After placing the Squeezebox on the wired network, things are > >>>>> smoother but I still have occasional dropouts, especially when > >>>>> there is other activity on the network. Although there > has been > >>>>> some cursing at not having 10/100 in the Squeezebox > (like pretty > >>>>> much every other cheap networked item on the market in the past > >>>>> few > >>>>> years) > >>>>> I decided I could live with it: I really like it on the > whole, and > >>>>> there is no other option that comes close. > >>>>> > >>>>> So, naturally I am dismayed to surf to your site today and > >>>>> discover the dawn of the Squeezebox 2. If I were > serving out mp3, > >>>>> I wouldn't care less, but the faster connectivity of > the new unit > >>>>> is exactly what I need for this application. Clearly, > if it were > >>>>> within 30 days of my ship-date (Jan 20) this thing > would be back > >>>>> in the mail to you > >>>>> already: but I am now just beyond that horizon. I > understand you > >>>>> have to draw the line somewhere, but I'd be willing to pay some > >>>>> kind of upgrade or trade-in fee to get a V2 unit, since > this one > >>>>> will continue to be a source of frustration here. > >>>>> > >>>>> So, the question: is there any chance you can offer a > trade-in or > >>>>> upgrade on recently purchased (e.g. since Jan. 1?) > Squeezeboxes? > >>>>> I believe it is in your long-term best interest to take care of > >>>>> customers that are in my situation: a big part of choosing the > >>>>> Squeezebox over your rivals at Roku was your respective > >>>>> reputations for customer service. > >>>>> > >>>>> Best Regards, > >>>>> Dr. Tim Nelson > >>>>> Stanford Linear Accelerator Center > >>>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> Discuss mailing list > >>> Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com > >>> http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Discuss mailing list > >> Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com > >> http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss > >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Discuss mailing list > > Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com > > http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com > http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss > _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
