[Kakyou]

I have to say that I am not just a little disappointed with iRex's attempt at a webstore. They certainly don't seem to have worked out the kinks, but in the meantime they seem to be pushing for ways to generally abuse and alienate a fanbase for their product even before it really has a chance to get off the ground.

As with many of you I have opted to join iRex's "paying beta tester" group. And with most of you I have yet to receive any product. And with most of you, iRex accepted my order and payment weeks ago, and with most of you I have received little to no communication from them.

Doing a brief webseach I came across a few notes that iRex should certainly take note of if they want to stay in business, let alone outside of the courtroom.

The FTC website states that unless otherwise noted, you should receive your product within 30 days of placing your order. Placing a "4-6 weeks" disclaimer on their website after the fact does not meet this condition. It must be stated clearly at the time of the transaction. Maybe I missed something when I used the webstore, but I do not remember seeing any such disclaimer before or at the time of purchase.

It also notes that payment is made at time of shipment. Depending on your credit card company, payment before shipment can be against the credit agreement for the vendor. My check of card vendors shows that Visa does not allow pre-billing unless it is for deposit and must be agreed to by the purchaser. MasterCard does not allow for pre-billing unless it is noted in the terms of sale. Amex allows pre-billing provided you receive your goods before you statement is due.

I'm not saying we should all start writing letters to our credit card companies or cancelling orders, but I can't help but be disturbed by the half hearted, amateurish way that iRex is putting into its first and only product. Those on this website obviously are dedicated to the future of eBooks and the perception and proliferation of electronic media. I think we hope for the same attitude for product vendors who are joining this market (with some notable black sheep in the past) and It just bugs me to see such a sloppy attitude with customer service.

It's easy to deal with delays. You just beef up your communication. That cant' be hard with a customer base in three digits. If you can't deal with even a hundred orders a week, you are just not trying. If you are a month late on product shipment after repeated product delays, a well drafted email to a group of rabid enthusiasts (who will be either singing your praise or cursing your shoes all over the internet when this is said and done) doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

We are giving iRex free advertisement. But we will determine the tone and content of that advertisement. It's disappointing that such a forward thinking company doesn't seem to grasp that.

Anyway, I continue to wait with the rest of the riffraff. Continue to drool over photos of the lucky few. Continue to check my email in vain hopes. Continue to think of other things I can do with the money should I go ahead and write a grievance to my credit card company.