Hey, Wayne As I read it you're just expressing a low tolerance for risk. You don't want to lose your $100. I totally understand. As others have said before me, the signposts of trust you mention aren't exactly proof of trustworthiness. When I grew up, having a small community of knowledgeable people vouch for someone you didn't know was all you needed, and something you worked very hard to earn and keep for yourself. It's better than an eBay rating or an Amazon review. Yes, on rare occasion somebody took advantage but they only did that once. Their reputation was shot forevermore afterward.
So here's my vouchery: Jeffrey Birt - https://www.soigeneris.com/ "Your resource for hi-tech hobbies" I've bought test equipment, product add-ons like the backpack drives, and exchanged repair parts and user manuals with Jeff. Definitely subscribe to his Youtube channel because there's always something interesting on it. Gregory McGill - https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/ I've bought hard to find RAM modules for my Model 100. They work and fit beautifully. There's a lot of hard to find parts for old computers on his site. Stephen Adolph - http://www.bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=REX I bought two of the REX# modules. REX# in combination with the Backback drive is an excellent add-on to the Model 100. Being able to create RAM images is perfect for switching apps in and out. I highly recommend contacting the three guys that run the above sites and talk over with them how they stock product, process orders, and ship to a customer. Each operates their store a little differently. They are real people and I've had real conversations with them. Nobody talks to me at Amazon. Nobody human, that is. But Jeff, Greg, and Stephen are active in this group and all three respond to email. I sent Stephen an email requesting two of the REX# modules, he got back with me the next day confirming the order and the total with shipping which was a little less than $100 US. Then he hand-built and tested the modules, sent me a couple emails about how things were progressing, then shipped and sent me an invoice. I think the whole process took two weeks and that was during the pandemic and parts shortage late last year (which apparently is still ongoing). I was a total stranger to Stephen but he didn't invoice me until after the shipping company picked up the order. Stephen took all the risk on that order because the box was gone before I had made payment. He trusted me to follow through and do my part on Paypal. I don't think you have anything to worry about with any of the folks I've bought from. There are probably a whole handful of others I haven't mentioned that are just as trustworthy. Jerry On Wed, Dec 21, 2022 at 3:42 PM Mike Stein <mhs.st...@gmail.com> wrote: > Well put ;-) > > Interesting that clicking a button on a web site seems more effective than > exchanging an email with a seller. A friend of mine died a year ago and his > e-store site is still up as though nothing had happened; you could wait a > while for a reply ;-) > > A sign of the times I guess, when personal contact is perceived as riskier > than a flashy web site... > > I suppose folks are used to actual business sites selling stuff for > Commodores etc. instead of the more personal and friendly atmosphere in > this community, where even 'serious' sellers are active and accessible > participants. I'd think that just being on a site as community-based as > Bitchin100 would suggest that it's not likely a scam. > > m > > On Wed, Dec 21, 2022 at 3:28 PM Brian White <b.kenyo...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> The main REX info page has a large link that says "ordering information" >> >> So far so good. >> >> Following that link presents you with text that says "orders are accepted >> via email". >> >> It's not a big "buy!" button but it's hardly unclear. >> >> At that point I think any sensible person is now on the lookout for an >> email address. Yes, it's annoying that there wasn't a mailto: link right >> there in that line. >> >> And a few lines further down is something that is perhaps slightly >> cryptic, but also cannot be explained any other way than by being an email >> address, and it is far from uncommon to obfuscate email addresses on >> publicly scrape-able web sites. >> >> All in all, the prior text explaining that you need to send an email, and >> the page as a whole, provides sufficient direction. >> >> There is no store or cart system, but there absolutely is ordering >> information as advertised. >> >> It's at *worst*, ever so slightly 90's. Oh the baffling horror. >> >> But there is no way it's actually any sort of minimum requirement or >> obligation for an individual operating at this hobby scale to operate a >> full shopping cart web site, or even an Etsy or ebay store, even if some >> others do. "Order by email" is perfectly reasonable, and obfuscating that >> email from scrapers is also reasonable, whether you happen to think it's >> necessary or not. >> >> You could always build your own classic REX >> http://tandy.wiki/REX but I promise it's not as convenient as decrypting >> that order page. >> >> -- >> bkw >> >> On Wed, Dec 21, 2022, 11:01 AM Wayne Lorentz <wa...@lorentz.me> wrote: >> >>> No, there isn't an ordering link on the Rex page. Clicking on "Ordering >>> information" just brings you to a page that lists prices and methods of >>> payment. >>> >>> Perhaps it's my fault for not knowing that "twospruces / gmail" after >>> the sign-off was supposed to be an e-mail address, and that I'm supposed to >>> write a letter to someone at that e-mail address asking for information >>> about how I can order their product. My Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder >>> Ring is in the shop. What I expected was a link to a PayPal, or other >>> service ordering and payment page. He already has a PayPal account. >>> Making a proper, secure payment link only takes a few clicks. >>> >>> Gmail has the second-best spam protection on the planet (after >>> FastMail). It's not perfect, but there's no reason to obfuscate a gmail >>> address online anymore. That hasn't worked for years. Spambots know all >>> the clever tricks already. >>> >>> While it's nice that everyone in this community is happy to vouch for >>> him, how is someone who is not part of this mailing list supposed to know >>> that he's not some fly-by-night scam artist? Or perhaps dead, which >>> happens all too often in retro computing? Decode and send an e-mail, then >>> wait six months for a reply that may never come? Asking someone to send >>> $100 to another country requires establishing a basic level of trust. >>> >>> >>> On Dec 20, 2022, at 3:03 PM, m100-requ...@lists.bitchin100.com wrote: >>> >>> There's a ordering link on the Rex page >>> >>> https://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=REX >>> >>> >>> https://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ordering_Information >>> >>> Steve's email is on that page but he encoded it so he doesn't get spam. >>> Point is you can send him emails through that or he is also on this list. >>> >>> >>> >>>
