Stupid has two bad habits. He is trusting. And he keeps track of what he has read by the year of first publication. Let's discuss the second one first because the first one, first of all, is painfully transparent and only secondary to our story.

Stupid reads a lot. He has favorite authors. He reads everything of theirs he can find. So when he sees a book by a favorite author with a publication date close to the current year, he tends to buy it.

Stupid likes Lawrence Block. That is actually clever because Lawrence Block is a very good writer. He has written many books, so following him is especially rewarding.

Stupid had some free money on the Connect Books site owned by Sony Corporation. He saw a book there. It was, "The Canceled Czech". The publication date was 6/30/2007. Stupid thought, "Wow! A new Lawrence Block novel! He added it to his cart.

Stupid still had free money left on the Connect Books site owned by Sony Corporation. He saw another book there. It was, "The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep". The publication date was 6/30/2007. Stupid thought, "Wow! A another new Lawrence Block novel! He added it to his cart.

Stupid wasn't surprised that Lawrence Block could have two books published on the same day. He knew Lawrence could write a book in an afternoon, so why not? Stupid pushed the check-out button and downloaded the books and put them on his Sony Reader.

The first one, "The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep", seemed very familiar. Stupid went to the Lawrence Block official website (http://www.lawrenceblock.com/index_framesetfl.htm) and checked the Evan Tanner books. Much to Stupid's surprise he found the following: THE THIEF WHO COULDN'T SLEEP. Fawcett Gold Medal, 1966. 1966! That was over 40 years ago!

Then Stupid wondered about the second title, "The Canceled Czech". He was not surprised when he found: THE CANCELED CZECH. Fawcett Gold Medal, 1966.

Stupid was sad and happy. He was sad because the Sony Connect Ebook Store, whom he had trusted, gave him misinformation. If Stupid couldn't trust Sony, maybe he coundn't even trust his own mother!

But Stupid was happy too. Stupid was getting smarter!
:stupid:

One site (I think Amazon) listed the Beatles' Revolver with a release date of 2005. Since I had no free credit I stuck with my version from the 1960s.

mogui, we've all been there, we've all done the same thing. I remember buying a bunch of new scifi titles only to find that some of them I already had, they just changed the name. I learned to read inside the books very quickly after that.

:stupid:

It's especially annoying when books are re-released with a different title. Baen have done that a few times :). Eg, they recently released Poul Anderson's classic "Tau Zero" with a new name "To Outlive Eternity"; I only discovered that it was "Tau Zero" when I actually read it :grin:.

I did it once with a paperback, when I had bought and read the hardcover already. (C.J. Cherryh, Chanur's Venture.) Oh well, it was a good book, anyway.

You have excellent taste in books! I wasn't too bothered, because I buy every Baen "Webscription" release anyway :).

B3T

Stupid here buys books in two languages.
Stupid likes beautiful drawings on covers.
Stupid buys and goes home.
Stupid after two chapters thinks author stole story.
Stupid sees that translation has been done before by other person in other country with different title.
Stupid does that 6 times.

Now no more stupid, now printed Wiki lists.

they do this with music albums all the time, they ad a song or remove a song and call it an all new collection

now where's my radio

hehehehehe...

Yeah... been there, done that, bought the t-shirt...

Everything everybody listed except the other language *grin*

At least my short term memory is getting shorter and I can just keep on reading 'em for the first time.

The one that bugs me is when they get some writer to write something for someone popular. I remember when those first books came out marked "Alistair MacLean's <whatever>" and I hadn't read any of his since I was a kid and thought, cool, he's got a new novel and I'd read it and think hmmm.. he sure isn't as good a writer as I remember... Yeah, and then one time I pick it up and notice down at the bottom in tiny print it says "by Alastair MacNeill" .. He's probably an okay writer in his own right but he's not Alistair MacLean. :p Now I'm wary of anything that says xxxxx's <bookname>.

The one that bugs me is when they get some writer to write something for someone popular. I remember when those first books came out marked "Alistair MacLean's <whatever>" and I hadn't read any of his since I was a kid and thought, cool, he's got a new novel and I'd read it and think hmmm.. he sure isn't as good a writer as I remember... Yeah, and then one time I pick it up and notice down at the bottom in tiny print it says "by Alastair MacNeill" .. He's probably an okay writer in his own right but he's not Alistair MacLean. :p Now I'm wary of anything that says xxxxx's <bookname>.

Yep, I was caught out in exactly that way when the first of "Tom Clancy's Op-Center" series came out. I bought in, mistakenly assuming it was written by Tom Clancy. I was sadly mistaken in that belief :grin:.

On 08/08/07 Stupid emailed the following to Sony Support:
If you examine my account history, you will find two ebook purchases on 7/27/2007 totaling $12.78. Both books were displayed with an alleged publication date of 2007. I bought them because I thought they were new releases! When I started reading them, I remembered having read them before. When I checked the author's website, I saw they had been published in 1966 -- more than 40 years ago!

Please correct your publication dates where they are incorrect so your customers can make informed buying decisions, and credit my account with $12.78
Thank you

On 08/08/07 Stupid emailed the following to Sony Support:
If you examine my account history, you will find two ebook purchases on 7/27/2007 totaling $12.78. Both books were displayed with an alleged publication date of 2007. I bought them because I thought they were new releases! When I started reading them, I remembered having read them before. When I checked the author's website, I saw they had been published in 1966 -- more than 40 years ago!

Please correct your publication dates where they are incorrect so your customers can make informed buying decisions, and credit my account with $12.78
Thank you
I hope Sony will refund your money since it is their mistake.

:stupid:

I've done that with music a few times. And for whomever mentioned Baen above, that's also been done with Drake's Slammers and the Falkenberg's Legion stories. (Though each had minor edits/additions to the stories themselves, it was still essentially the same story.)

In those cases there isn't a lot to be done, but it would be nice is Connect would list a "first published" date in addition to the date that their e-version was published. I don't suppose Sony did anything 'wrong' by listing their publication date as the publication date, but it does seem a little misleading.

I hope Sony will refund your money since it is their mistake.

They could argue that if they published it in 2007, then 2007 is the publication date for their version of it. caveat emptor and all that.

They could argue that if they published it in 2007, then 2007 is the publication date for their version of it. caveat emptor and all that.

Aye, but if they expect readers to choose the moral high ground and not to steal their ebooks, a lot of those same readers will feel they have some right to expect fair play from them. That's hardly the main point though...

They need to remember that for most of us, it's not hard to take a few months break from buying that caveat'illicious product by just reaching behind us and pulling vol 1 of 20 of something off the shelf. It's a convenience they're selling, not a need. This has not happened collectively before because... well, we're readers.. by nature solitary. Many of us have had better things to do historically than yatter at each other. What was once though a community of "a minority of readers with an active social gene" is expanding with the aid of this ereader and ebook temptation. It's been my pleasurable experience to find that most readers are intelligent kind hearted folks that are resistant to the herd mentality. Nonetheless, for the first time we are drawn together by something.

It will be interesting to see if what I just said is true and if it is, if they'll recognize it.

Yes! If Sony is truly attempting to create an eBook market, and not just playing, they might care that we have a shopping experience with them that is satisfying and pleasurable. Sony, was it good for you?

This particular Stupid likes to check copyright dates as well as publication dates to avoid problems like that in the future. Copyright dates can still change, especially with edits and such, but usually get closer to the original publication date.

Stupid wrote to Sony on 08/08/07. On the same day he or she received an autoresponse (love those headless chickens cackling in the background) as follows:
-----------------------
Your question has been received. We promise to respond to your incident as soon as possible, usually within one business day.

To update this question by email, please reply to this message. Because your reply will be automatically processed, you MUST enter your reply in the space below. Text entered into any other part of this message will be discarded.

[===> Please enter your reply below this line <===]

[===> Please enter your reply above this line <===]
-----------------------
Stupid did not choose to update his question. Stupid's Connect Support status remains "waiting". No credit has been entered into Stupid's Connect store account. On the 13th of August he or she received the following:
-----------------------
Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support
center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

We will assume your issue has been resolved if we do not hear from you
within 48 hours.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

To update this question by email, please reply to this message.
Because your reply will be automatically processed, you MUST enter
your reply in the space below. Text entered into any other part of
this message will be discarded.

[===> Please enter your reply below this line <===]

[===> Please enter your reply above this line <===]

ATTENTION AOL USERS: To update your question from our support site,
click the following link or paste it into your web browser.
http://ebooks.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ebooks.cfg/php/enduser/acct_login.php?p_userid=i_a_n_r@yahoo.com&p_next_page=myq_upd.php&p_iid=933&p_created=1186566830


Subject
---------------------------------------------------------------
Incorrect sales information on Connect Store site


Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Jane) - 08/13/2007 12:30 PM
Hello,

Thank you for contacting Sony Connect!

When publishers determine the pricing for print books (their “List Price”),
they determine a separate List Price for the eBook version which is usually less
expensive than the print counterpart (sometimes 40% less). CONNECT then
provides an additional 20% discount to the customer. Some publishers have decided to
keep their eBook prices the same as print book prices, other book retailers may
discount that print title more than 20%, which would result in a deeper
discount. We continue to work with these publishers to urge them to discount their
eBook List Prices to provide you with the best eBook experience possible.

Separately, please keep in mind that with eBooks, there are no shipping fees or
sales tax, and you get the benefit of instant gratification.

If the information I have provided does not completely answer your question,
please update this incident so I may be of further assistance to you.

Customer - 08/08/2007 02:53 AM
If you examine my account history, you will find two ebook purchases on
7/27/2007 totaling $12.78. Both books were displayed with an alleged publication date
of 2007. I bought them because I thought they were new releases! When I
started reading them, I remembered having read them before. When I checked the
author's website, I saw they had been published in 1966 -- more than 40 years ago!


Please correct your publication dates where they are incorrect so your
customers can make informed buying decisions, and credit my account with $12.78
Thank you

Auto-Response - 08/08/2007 02:53 AM
Thank you for contacting CONNECT!

This message acknowledges receipt of your request for help. We will reply as
soon as possible.

If you need to add information or cancel your question, you can do so by
updating it through the questions subarea of the 'My Support History' section of
http://ebooks.custhelp.com, our support website.



Question Reference #070808-000003
---------------------------------------------------------------
Product Level 1: eBooks
Product Level 2: Billing (Purchase) Inquiry
Date Created: 08/08/2007 02:53 AM
Last Updated: 08/13/2007 12:30 PM
Status: Waiting
Operating System: Windows XP SP2
Browser Version: Mozila Firefox
Connection Type: High speed DSL/Cable


[---001:002891:17963---]
-----------------------
On the 14th Stupid naively entered the following into the reply space delimited by the markers: "Issue not resolved. Request human intervention."

Hmmm. Maybe the naquita generators are offline :shy:

Sorry to say this mogui but this last post cracked me up, I was laughing like crazy. You have a nice way of setting up 'the abscense of relations' between a computer and a human being. In French we call it "Un dialogue de sourds" roughly translated to 'a dialog of deafs' (like one at each end of a phone line)

I hope you won't get the 'run around' for too long yet and that the problem will be resolved. :thumbsup:

This very morning Stupid received another email from Sony Support. It has been seven days since he or she made his or her request for resolution of this problem. The excerpt from the email, below, which is not unlike the others, invites Stupid to have a telephone conversation with "live support technicians", which suggests Stupid had been previously corresponding with the dead ones thus accounting for the torpidity of their response.
----------------------
Discussion Thread
---------------------------------------------------------------
Response (Jane) - 08/14/2007 12:40 PM
Hello,

Thank you for contacting Sony Connect!

The issue you describe will require more extensive troubleshooting than can be
effectively handled through email. In order to save you time and potential
frustration, please contact our Support Team by phone. This will allow our live
support technicians to diagnose your issue further. We are available, toll-free,
at: 1-866-919-SONY (7669) from 10AM to 7PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday,
and from 11AM to 3PM Eastern Time Saturday and Sunday. Please have your
incident number available to expedite your service. We look forward to hearing from
you!
If the information I have provided does not completely answer your question,
please update this incident so I may be of further assistance to you.

Customer - 08/13/2007 07:42 PM
Issue not resolved. Request human intervention.
---------------------
Unfortunately Stupid is allergic to black holes. He or she doesn't wish to spend an afternoon on hold, even on a rainy day. Stupid is starting to think of Sony as a husband. What to do?

Thinking that Jane might like to have a new friend in China, Stupid replied: "Hi Jane. I would be happy to talk to a live person. Please call +86 158 xxxx xxxx. Thank you."

mogui, please don't use DeepSkyBlue as a text color. It's very hard to read as the contrast is poor and the color is just way too bright. Thanks!

mogui, please don't use DeepSkyBlue as a text color. It's very hard to read as the contrast is poor and the color is just way too bright. Thanks!
Thanks. It is hard to know what others see. On my LCD monitors here, even the blue scroll bars in Windows are hard to see, but the DeepSkyBlue is OK. One of my newsletters comes in light gray text, and I have just given up on it. Your color choices work for me.

I changed the text color to Red and it's now readable. And as for being on hold. I've called the Connect Store's 800 number and I've not had to wait.

Stupid woke up this morning to find another polite email from Sony Support. It was a repeat of previous emails, adding only Stupid's latest message to the thread. It suggested that, should a reply not be forthcoming within 48 hours, the support issue would be deemed closed. Since he or she had not gotten a call from them, he or she wondered if they had read the email containing Stupid's phone number. Stupid had seen headless chicken chatbots on the internet before. He or she wondered what his or her idol, Alan Turing, would do. Stupid decided to do a test, so Stupid inserted a new message into the response section of Sony Support's email and sent it back to them. Stupid thought that if a human were reading the emails, he or she would get an intelligent reply, but if the email was only seen by a machine, the reply would be a nonsensical repeat of previous emails from Sony Support. Stupid's reply follows:

"I first saw the Sony Reader discussed in a Mobileread forum. It made me want one for my own. Soon I was in Fry's with my money in my hand. Publicity on Mobileread is important to the ebook community. Readers look back over old posts to see what they should buy."

Stupid knows that Sony Corporation is just chock full of honest sincere people who want to do the right thing. Stupid understands the lengths to which Sony Corporation would go to maintain its reputation for prompt, helpful, friendly, honest, sincere -- yes, even healthy and brave customer support! Stupid believes Sony didn't get to be one of the world's top virtual entities by being lax careless, indifferent, torpid, foolish, arrogant and dishonest. Stupid is pregnant with anticipation!

Stupid is pregnant with anticipation!Okay, that's a mental image I didn't need. :laughboom:

This stupid also did not have much of a wait calling Sony support...

On the 20th of August the Sony Connect store made an adjustment to Stupid's account. Stupid is greatly encouraged. He or she waited to see if Sony would send a support email to announce the fact, but none appeared. Stupid then tried to purchase a book with the returned money. He or she was disappointed to find that there was no way to use the money. Stupid sent a reply to Sony Support within the special delimiters that Sony Support requires. It reads as follows:
"[===> Please enter your reply below this line <===]
I see that you have entered an account adjustment of $-12.78 into my connect store account. Thank you! Now can you please tell me how I can use this money? It was not added back into my Launch Promotion Balance which is still at $0.47. I selected a book to purchase. It appears in my shopping cart, but there is no cash balance showing in the cart and apparently no way to check out the purchase. What do you suggest?
[===> Please enter your reply above this line <===]"
Stupid is excited over the possibility that he or she may soon be able to buy a new book!

Very nice of Sony!

The $12.78 was most likely returned to the credit card on file.

The $12.78 was most likely returned to the credit card on file.
Ah, but there is no credit card on file.

In an other line...

Stupid spent 5 minutes running for a watch before read time, only to remember Stupid has a wonderful little clock on his reader! :laugh4:

In an other line...

Stupid spent 5 minutes running for a watch before read time, only to remember Stupid has a wonderful little clock on his reader! :laugh4:
And how many times have I hunted for my cell phone when the time was right there in the corner of my computer screen?

But even more wondrous:
One year I thought a long time about a gift for my (former) wife's birthday. Finally I settled on a kitchen hand mixer. It was a good one and I had it wrapped beautifully.

On that special day when she unwrapped it she had the most curiously inscrutable look on her face. I asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

She replied, "Two things are wrong." Her frank manner was a little frightening. "You don't give the woman you supposedly love a kitchen tool for her birthday!"

Oh, oh. I knew I was in trouble. I asked, "What is the other thing?"

She replied, "You gave me the same thing last year!"
:oops2:

ouch.

And how many times have I hunted for my cell phone when the time was right there in the corner of my computer screen?

But even more wondrous:
One year I thought a long time about a gift for my (former) wife's birthday. Finally I settled on a kitchen hand mixer. It was a good one and I had it wrapped beautifully.

On that special day when she unwrapped it she had the most curiously inscrutable look on her face. I asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

She replied, "Two things are wrong." Her frank manner was a little frightening. "You don't give the woman you supposedly love a kitchen tool for her birthday!"

Oh, oh. I knew I was in trouble. I asked, "What is the other thing?"

She replied, "You gave me the same thing last year!"
:oops2:
Unforgivable... cause for separation.

In Texas, it might pass for a reason "he needed shootin'" -- if you get the right jury, of course. :cowboy:

In Texas, it might pass for a reason "he needed shootin'" -- if you get the right jury, of course. :cowboy:

Hey you're the judge of that!

Some things are hard to admit.

Another time I was shopping at a local supermarket in the US. I had gone around the store several times and my shopping cart was full almost to overflowing. Later as I was putting the groceries into the back of my minivan I thought, "Hmm! If I had paid for these, they'd be in bags, wouldn't they?" I put everything back into the cart and wheeled it back into the store. I passed the manager on the way in. He was shaking his head. So was I.

Stupid was pleased to get another email from Sony Support this morning. It again invited him or her to respond within 48 hours lest Sony deem the support issue to be closed. Again the email contained the convenient delimiters within which Stupid could frame his or her response. Stupid eagerly checked his or her account at the Connect store and determined that nothing had changed. With a sense of urgency Stupid composed the following response to Sony Support:

[===> Please enter your reply below this line <===]
I checked my Connect store account this morning and the $12.78 which you graciously restored to my account is still not accessible to me. My Launch Promotion Balance is still at $0.47. Had the money been added to the Launch Promotion Balance, I could use the money ($13.25). But the money has gone into an electronic abyss that is inaccessible to me. I have a book sitting forlornly in my Cart with no way to proceed to checkout.

I completely understand why Sony Corporation might be feeling a little passive-aggressive toward me. I have not been the best customer over the years. I never bought a Walkman, preferring to use cheaper alternatives. I did buy a nice pair of Sony headphones in 1988 which are the best I have ever owned except for the Sennheisers which my ex-wife got.

I now regret not supporting you more on the Betamax thing. I bought VHS instead -- VCRs and video cameras. And recently I bought a Canon camera instead of a Sony because I really didn't want to use the Memory Stick because I already have so many SD cards. And I have never owned a Trinitron or a DAT tape machine or a MiniDisc player. So sorry Sony.

But I did buy a Sony Reader. I really like it and I can use my SD cards with it too. I think that if we can restore relations, I will even consider buying a Blu-ray device in the future. I am a big Ray Charles fan. What does Toshiba know anyway?

We must act quickly. My Launch Promotion Balance is set to expire in only six days. So please accept this apology from me and just think of me as an old friend which you have come to better understand. Here's hoping our reconciliation goes well!
[===> Please enter your reply above this line <===]

Stupid hopes his or her email will warm the hearts of all the busy folk at Sony support and they will fix Stupid's broken Connect Store account. Stupid is eager to read the Lawrence Block novel, Hit Parade, which is sitting there in Stupid's Cart. Stay tuned. Will Sony fix Stupid's account in time?

One never knows, humor might catch the attention of a busy drone....

Ah, but there is no credit card on file.

Crediting it to a non-exsistent credit card shouldn't deter A company Like Sony.

Hahaha! You are just killing me Mogui.. just killing me..


Stupid was pleased to get another email from Sony Support this morning. It again invited him or her to respond within 48 hours lest Sony deem the support issue to be closed. Again the email contained the convenient delimiters within which Stupid could frame his or her response. Stupid eagerly checked his or her account at the Connect store and determined that nothing had changed. With a sense of urgency Stupid composed the following response to Sony Support:

[===> Please enter your reply below this line <===]
I checked my Connect store account this morning and the $12.78 which you graciously restored to my account is still not accessible to me. My Launch Promotion Balance is still at $0.47. Had the money been added to the Launch Promotion Balance, I could use the money ($13.25). But the money has gone into an electronic abyss that is inaccessible to me. I have a book sitting forlornly in my Cart with no way to proceed to checkout.

I completely understand why Sony Corporation might be feeling a little passive-aggressive toward me. I have not been the best customer over the years. I never bought a Walkman, preferring to use cheaper alternatives. I did buy a nice pair of Sony headphones in 1988 which are the best I have ever owned except for the Sennheisers which my ex-wife got.

I now regret not supporting you more on the Betamax thing. I bought VHS instead -- VCRs and video cameras. And recently I bought a Canon camera instead of a Sony because I really didn't want to use the Memory Stick because I already have so many SD cards. And I have never owned a Trinitron or a DAT tape machine or a MiniDisc player. So sorry Sony.

But I did buy a Sony Reader. I really like it and I can use my SD cards with it too. I think that if we can restore relations, I will even consider buying a Blu-ray device in the future. I am a big Ray Charles fan. What does Toshiba know anyway?

We must act quickly. My Launch Promotion Balance is set to expire in only six days. So please accept this apology from me and just think of me as an old friend which you have come to better understand. Here's hoping our reconciliation goes well!
[===> Please enter your reply above this line <===]

Stupid hopes his or her email will warm the hearts of all the busy folk at Sony support and they will fix Stupid's broken Connect Store account. Stupid is eager to read the Lawrence Block novel, Hit Parade, which is sitting there in Stupid's Cart. Stay tuned. Will Sony fix Stupid's account in time?

:rofl: "... the Betamax thing ...."! :roflmfao:

Stupid looked at the calendar. It was the 31st of August, but in the US, he or she knew, it was only the 30th. Stupid looked at his or her account at the Sony Store, knowing that this day, his or her Launch Promotion Balance of US$0.47 would disappear.

Sony had sent Stupid another headless-chicken email message asserting that his or her support ticket would close, no doubt with the finality of a guillotine, should Stupid not respond within 48 hours. That had been one or two days ago. It no longer seemed to matter.

The US$0.47 was still there. The money refunded, the US$12.78, had not been added to the Launch Promotion Balance.

Stupid felt his or her plea for reconciliation had been rejected even though he or she had been very polite and apologetic. Stupid had even refrained from mentioning the battery fiasco, knowing Sony might be sensitive about that and Stupid didn't want anyone to hurt themselves.

Depressed and disillusioned, Stupid opened a bottle of French red table wine, lit some candles and turned on an old Edith Piaf CD. He or she thought the wine and the music suited the mood. Then Stupid turned on his trusty Sony Reader. He or she was reading a Joe Haldeman novel about the impending death of the universe. It seemed appropriate too. Stupid read until his or her lips were tired and then went to bed.

Stupid looked at the calendar. It was the 31st of August, but in the US, he or she knew, it was only the 30th. Stupid looked at his or her account at the Sony Store, knowing that this day, his or her Launch Promotion Balance of US$0.47 would disappear.



I'm mad at them and I don't even have one.

Hahaha nice those stupid story.
Well, I wonder what will happen now.

Stupid awoke on the morning of September 1st. He or she checked the time in the US on the computer. The business day of August 31st had closed. Stupid checked his or her Connect Store account to see if the chimeric US$12.78 had reappeared in a useful form. Nothing had changed.

Then Stupid opened his or her email. Stupid was excited to see that there was something there from Sony Support. Stupid read the first paragraph. It said:
"We have not heard from you concerning your request for support in the 48 hours since we sent you a response. Consequently, we have changed the status of your question to SOLVED."

Yee haw! Stupid was so happy. He or she wondered why Sony Support hadn't done this in the beginning, almost a month ago. Stupid was reminded of the Indiana legislature who, introduced House Bill #246 in the House of Representatives that attempted to legislate the value of pi (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_341.html) to be a rational number. Alternatives such as 3.2 and 4 were proposed. The bill failed to pass, but they didn't have Sony's omnipotence either.

Stupid reflected that it seemed as if those with the most power to effect cultural change were the definers of reality. Stupid wondered whether, should Sony declare that Stupid had a new Walkman in his pocket, Stupid would be expected to pay for it. He or she had never before heard of solipsism as a business model, but he or she realized that a company that would put rootkits (http://news.com.com/Sony+pleads+innocent+in+latest+rootkit+fiasco/2100-1029_3-6205494.html) on music CDs had a new vision of reality.

Stupid understood why Sony Support hadn't been able to solve the fantasy money problem is 24 days. Sony Support was probably busy apologizing to everyone for the rootkits and the flaming batteries, so they used their headless chicken expert system support software to deal with minor issues such as missing money. Stupid wondered if Sony shouldn't open a subsidiary just to handle complaints. They could call it the Sorry Corporation.

Speaking of the rootkit fiasco, I understand they did it AGAIN on memory sticks....

Sorry to hear about your woes, Mogui. I think I'd have been stunned if they had actually correctly refunded your money, though. :(