Announcement from EZ Read/Astak Team

[John F]

Originally Posted by jenifer.ezread

We are currently remodeling the eBookstore and it should be live this week. ...

I don't see a difference. What's changed?

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by jonc3b

Have a look at the BeBook 'Mini' at Netherlands supplier at http://mybebook.com/, this is Europe's version from same manufacturer as ezreader . it too is out of stock with a message "Temporarily out of stock. Available Monday 01 November, 2010". Appears there may be a manufacturer issue?

The key here is that BeBook indicates ON THE WEBSITE the units are TEMPORARILY out of stock, and even provides an anticipated restock date (which, of course, can be updated if things don't go as planned).

It is merely the type of customer-oriented courtesy we have been suggesting to Astak for over a month.

>> Astak

[Spiffy]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

The key here is that BeBook indicates ON THE WEBSITE the units are TEMPORARILY out of stock, and even provides an anticipated restock date (which, of course, can be updated if things don't go as planned).

It is merely the type of customer-oriented courtesy we have been suggesting to Astak for over a month.

>> Astak

I'm wondering if Jenifer is always kept in the loop. This sounds like a classic example of someone down the chain having to answer/support people with as little specific information as possible.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

The key here is that BeBook indicates ON THE WEBSITE the units are TEMPORARILY out of stock, and even provides an anticipated restock date (which, of course, can be updated if things don't go as planned).

It is merely the type of customer-oriented courtesy we have been suggesting to Astak for over a month.

>> Astak

What I saw, was the BLACK was out of stock and the expected deliver date of the OEM build by the Jinke factory (very normal).
Big companies can keep the pipeline full.
Smaller companies have to wait until they need a minimum-build quantity
Sometimes they guess the timing right and a color never goes out of stock.
In this case, they probably had to pick up the slack left by Astak and are all the way to the bank, but the shelves went bare earlier than expected.
Jennifer is not being kept in the loop any more thn RobertB was, which has got to suck as the person taking the public heat.
J demand a raise

[jenifer.ezread]

Originally Posted by John F

I don't see a difference. What's changed?

When we do revert to the new site, you will DEFINITELY notice! It is a complete overhaul. I expected the new site to be launched today, but it is clearly taking longer than I anticipated.

[jenifer.ezread]

Originally Posted by Spiffy

I'm wondering if Jenifer is always kept in the loop. This sounds like a classic example of someone down the chain having to answer/support people with as little specific information as possible.

I'm going to have to agree here. I am not positive about when our stock will return, but I'm sure SOMEONE in the office does. This may require a James Bond suit and some microphones disguised as pencils to solve this mystery...

In all seriousness, I will ask my boss today if he can give us all a "guesstimate" date as to when stock will return. I've heard from a coworker that things should be back to normal in about two weeks.

[Xanthe]

You are between a rock and a hard place, Jenifer. Ask for that raise.

[ReaderEatter]

Originally Posted by theducks

What I saw, was the BLACK was out of stock and the expected deliver date of the OEM build by the Jinke factory (very normal).
Big companies can keep the pipeline full.
Smaller companies have to wait until they need a minimum-build quantity
Sometimes they guess the timing right and a color never goes out of stock.
In this case, they probably had to pick up the slack left by Astak and are all the way to the bank, but the shelves went bare earlier than expected.
Jennifer is not being kept in the loop any more thn RobertB was, which has got to suck as the person taking the public heat.
J demand a raise

Dear Ducky:

Jennifer is a good and gifted person who needs a job and like most young people tows the line. She NEVER emails me and I find that strange... but maybe she is ordered to not do so.

The problem with Astak is that, like most Chinese companies, responsibility is delegated but authority is never given. Poor Jenifer simply is given what they think she should know. She cannot control hardly anything and her voice must be low.

Astak is NOT a bad company or anything... they have seen finances crumble and have reacted by micro-managing. Their focus is on cutting costs and not on growing sales by getting the word out (my personal opinion only and not at all a condemnation). I am glad NOT to have to worry anymore about their plight. It is tough for them!

Hang in there with Jenifer. Her intentions are definitely good.

Bob

[Solicitous]

Hi Bob, I agree that we should hang in there with Jen, but not wanting to come across rude or arrogant, but how long should a consumer "hang in there"? I for one would like to see Astak grow, offer more products, remain competitive etc, but I am finding it rather difficult to continue on.

Looking at the issue of the website reporting out of stock, well it costs nothing for someone to do a quick addition and put in a header saying "expected stock/dispatch X-Date", but the opportunity cost to the company in potential lost revenue could be a reasonable dollar. A consumer isn't going to look at the product and see "out of stock" and check back over a prolonged period of time to see if they have any. Maybe a week or two, but then they will look elsewhere for a similar product. Having an expected stock/dispatch date people are more likely to hang in there.

You start to read around the forums and you see it clearly that once people know some firm dates, people tend to hang on in anticipation. LBook are talking expected date of the new 6" made by Jinke, nothing from Astak. Is it coming? is it not? Is Astak going to be stocking new models?

International ordering, can I buy internationally still? buy.com are the site that apparently has stock of the EZ line, but wont ship to me. The US dollar is weak at the moment so international buying is prime, but I can't, nor can any other person outside of the US buy products with ease. This is something that has been mentioned many a time.

The ereader market is really competitive, both with price and products on offer. It just really feels at times that our business isn't wanted.

[SmartyPants]

well said Solicitous.
Astak does not seem to respect its existing customers or seem to be concerned about getting any new ones.
This forum is a way for the company to get a direct input from those that bring in revenue. That input does not seem to be welcomed nor acknowledged.
NOT the way a company that struggles to stay in business should be acting.
I dunno... Astak was my first e-reader, so i kinda feel a bit betrayed. Silly, huh...

[dacattt]

Originally Posted by SmartyPants

Astak was my first e-reader, so i kinda feel a bit betrayed. Silly, huh...

It's my first too. Don't think it's silly.

I think it's the possessiveness that comes with really loving a new toy/tool. We've heavily invested in our e-readers (think car fanatic about his car), so we're very sensitive/alert to what the manufacture is doing.

Kinda just how we human apes are wired.

[Joebill]

I was testing a computer I had fixed earleir today. I decided to check ezread.com and found right on the first page: 3 EZ steps to create and publish an ebook.

1) login free account. No fee for publication, ever.

2) create an ebook with templates

3) sell your work on ezread

What do you think of this ?

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by Joebill

I was testing a computer I had fixed earleir today. I decided to check ezread.com and found right on the first page: 3 EZ steps to create and publish an ebook.

1) login free account. No fee for publication, ever.

2) create an ebook with templates

3) sell your work on ezread

What do you think of this ?

Dunno, I'm still being pushed to the old site. Going to www.ezread.com redirects me to global.ezread.com. Last week I could see the new site briefly but now I can't.

Still unhappy about no encryption when entering your login details or making purchases, don't feel all that confident in buying if my details are being sent in clear text.

[Elfwreck]

Still out of stock at Astak. Still no indication at the site that these will ever be available again. (White ones cost $30 more than any other color?)

I still want one, but I've stopped pointing other people at them. I have three friends who've gotten Kindles or Sonys in the last few weeks. (One is thrilled with her Sony Touch; she wouldn't have wanted an EZReader 'cos she loves the touchscreen. But the others would've seriously considered it for the superior filetype support.) Most of my friends read lots of fanfic--they care less about bookstore support than how well it deals with user-loaded content.

And they're buying whatever's available when they've decided "I'm going to get an ebook reader now."

[jenifer.ezread]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

Dunno, I'm still being pushed to the old site. Going to www.ezread.com redirects me to global.ezread.com. Last week I could see the new site briefly but now I can't.

Still unhappy about no encryption when entering your login details or making purchases, don't feel all that confident in buying if my details are being sent in clear text.

I just wrote our engineer about this to see if we can fix this issue. I'll let you know when I hear back.