Announcement from EZ Read/Astak Team

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by Steven Lake

Regardless of what happened internally (which, due to legal reasons we'll never know), the best thing Astak can do is to chalk this up as a learning experience, and then start applying some serious customer service. Honestly, if Astak wants to beat out all the other ebook companies, they're going to need to apply some major customer service on all fronts. They're also going to need to start listening to their customers a whole lot more. Happy customers bring more customers and happy customers are repeat customers. It's a simple rule of economics. Make your customers happy in whatever way you can, and you are guaranteed success in everything you do. Make those same customers angry and you will fail in the most miserable way possible.

There's a slight detail missing from your otherwise logical argument: that Astak remains in, and intends to remain in, the eReader business. I believe they have already exited: all their hardware eReaders are "out of stock". I DO believe they are trying to find a soft-landing for existing customers, and a practical way to handle warranty on the existing base.

Cancelling forward contracts with manufacturing partners meant no further inventory and the real reason RobertB was let go -- the division was being shut down. But unlike business closure (bankruptcy) of several other eReader vendors, Astak markets many other products and is healthy: it's just not going to do eReaders any longer. So -- it needs to keep existing customers happy within the terms of their agreement -- 1 yr warranty? battery replacement? -- and allow the calendar to take care of the rest.

[DaleDe]

You are certainly entitled to your beliefs but that does not make them true. Certainly Astak remains in the eBook selling business and they intend to continue the eBook Reader business.

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

...Cancelling forward contracts with manufacturing partners meant no further inventory and the real reason RobertB was let go -- the division was being shut down...

This would be better stated as "might well prove to be the real reason". We have already been admonished for speculation regarding company policies and actions as opposed to speculation about forth-coming products, dreams, and vaporware.

On the other hand, expressing a belief regarding the absence of future products is just as viable as anything else since the company is pretty mute -- even about FW updates.

I don't really care one way or the other. I'm just sucking up to the MR Team by attempting to sound mature and supportive of the MR mission statement.

[dacattt]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

I don't really care one way or the other. I'm just sucking up to the MR Team by attempting to sound mature and supportive of the MR mission statement.

And doing a very good job of it.

[Steven Lake]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

There's a slight detail missing from your otherwise logical argument: that Astak remains in, and intends to remain in, the eReader business. I believe they have already exited: all their hardware eReaders are "out of stock". I DO believe they are trying to find a soft-landing for existing customers, and a practical way to handle warranty on the existing base.

Cancelling forward contracts with manufacturing partners meant no further inventory and the real reason RobertB was let go -- the division was being shut down. But unlike business closure (bankruptcy) of several other eReader vendors, Astak markets many other products and is healthy: it's just not going to do eReaders any longer. So -- it needs to keep existing customers happy within the terms of their agreement -- 1 yr warranty? battery replacement? -- and allow the calendar to take care of the rest.

Well, here's the kicker for you. They're *not* exiting the business. Why? They're sending me one of their new 6" ereaders for review. (I am still chief editor for Raiden's Realm, so I still do hardware reviews periodically) Plus I was promised one of their new 7" tablets at some point once it's available for review. That tells me that they're anything but giving up on the ereaders. As for why the site is down, and all content listed as "out of stock", the only explanation I've been given is that it was done intentionally due to the site being revamped. The only reason it's been like this so long is because they hit a snag in the upgrade process, and thus it's taking longer than planned. Originally they only intended for it to be down a day or two, not several months.

[eGeezer]

Yeah, well, the lack of communication with potential customers only adds to the problem.

What would it take to put up a little update on the site the IS up, occasionally, thereby showing that they are not only still in business, intend to be in business, but care about having customers left over when they finally show back up on the web with a functioning website? (That's a rhetoric question, btw)

I am, however, glad to hear indications that they plan to stay in the ereader business, but nature abhors a vacuum, and so do potential customers. So in absence of "real" information, we are left to guess and wonder aloud.

[Joebill]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

Yeah, well, the lack of communication with potential customers only adds to the problem.

What would it take to put up a little update on the site the IS up, occasionally, thereby showing that they are not only still in business, intend to be in business, but care about having customers left over when they finally show back up on the web with a functioning website? (That's a rhetoric question, btw)

I am, however, glad to hear indications that they plan to stay in the ereader business, but nature abhors a vacuum, and so do potential customers. So in absence of "real" information, we are left to guess and wonder aloud.

Exactly.

I realize not all web site makers are highly skilled. I certanily don't see myself as a web site guru; however, I have 15 web sites, and updating them takes little work.

I know someone who is trying to get tech support for their Astak reader, and getting no response for weeks. So I do wonder if they are staying in the field, or pretending. The screen has a problem, and a RMA number to replace the screen doesn't take over a month to deal with.

My next ereader will likely be a BeBook, or maybe a LBook

As someone who has done tech support for over 20 years, I seldom believe silly reasons why something is taking months to accomplish.

[Steven Lake]

I don't claim to be a website guru either, but even I have enough common sense not to put a website into "standby" mode until it's 100% ready to launch, and even then I try to minimize downtime as much as possible. That's just good old fashioned common sense. I've even done minor development work on a live site in order to avoid any downtime.

[Xanthe]

Ah, well, they lost me as a potential purchaser. I had been planning on getting a Plus, instead I'm going to try out the new Sony 350. Too bad, there were many things RobertB told us about the Plus that I liked.

[jenifer.ezread]

Originally Posted by Joebill

I know someone who is trying to get tech support for their Astak reader, and getting no response for weeks. So I do wonder if they are staying in the field, or pretending. The screen has a problem, and a RMA number to replace the screen doesn't take over a month to deal with.
.

Can you please PM me this customer's information so I can contact with them and get them some help?

[jenifer.ezread]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

I am, however, glad to hear indications that they plan to stay in the ereader business, but nature abhors a vacuum, and so do potential customers. So in absence of "real" information, we are left to guess and wonder aloud.

I do apologize to everyone for this recent confusing with eReaders being "Out of Stock" on the site. At my request to change the sign to say something more helpful like "Under Repairs", I haven't heard any response from site tech.

As mentioned in another thread, there are things we cannot legally disclose as a company. Unfortunately, it makes us appear completely absent. A number of members on our team, including myself, have read all of these comments and speculations on the forum, and again, have no room to properly respond.

We are still offering our device support 100%, as well as my sometimes faulty attempt to catch any tech questions that forum-goers do not have the answer to.

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by jenifer.ezread

...There are things we cannot legally disclose as a company. Unfortunately, it makes us appear completely absent. A number of members on our team, including myself, have read all of these comments and speculations on the forum, and again, have no room to properly respond.

Jenifer, its good to see your responses, even if this is all you can say.

Really, just jumping in once in a while to say "we are still here, but cannot respond to specifics at this time. Thank you for your continued patience", lets us know Astak has not gone away. An it also makes up for the unfortunate message the closed website sends.

Thanks again, Jenifer. I personally really appreciate it.

[jenifer.ezread]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

Really, just jumping in once in a while to say "we are still here, but cannot respond to specifics at this time. Thank you for your continued patience", lets us know Astak has not gone away. An it also makes up for the unfortunate message the closed website sends.

Thanks, eGeezer. I will definitely continue to relay our cryptic company information as it comes out!

In all seriousness, I hope that our team can get this eBook reader situation sorted out soon. It is clearly not helping our business, and especially not our company image.

I will do my best to keep you guys all updated.

[Joebill]

Originally Posted by jenifer.ezread

Can you please PM me this customer's information so I can contact with them and get them some help?

I sent you a PM. Thank you.

[Solicitous]

Do we start the speculation? I'm putting money on the A6 and A9 (Jinke products). LBook are saying they will be available Winter 2010, so we'd be getting close to that time of year.