Netronix's 13.3 on Indiegogo $699

[Question Mark]

27 Days ago, Peter promised worried backers of their Indiegogo campaign that an update would be forthcoming.

Peter Carotenuto Campaigner 27 days ago

we will post an update soon kovirobi. Thanks for your support!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...ader#/comments

Since then, there has only been silence from both Peter and Michael on their Indiegogo page, despite continued requests for an update from their backers.

However, both Peter and Michael have found time to upload videos to their YouTube channel. Indeed, Peter recently managed to find the time to post several videos about convenience stores and snack food in Japan. Backers of their Indiegogo campaign will undoubtedly be pleased by his sense of priorities.

https://www.youtube.com/user/goodereader/videos

[Nate the great]

So did anyone actually get an ereader?

[baljo]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

So did anyone actually get an ereader?

I actually got mine in August, and it almost lives up to my quite low expectations. It could be faster, have more memory and be less buggy. It's also somewhat difficult to find apps working on Android 4.0x, but if you mainly read PDF's and want to do some scribbling, then it's kind of ok.
I would not however recommend others to buy it, the technology is already outdated, and the support and communication from GoodEreader is non-existing. Personally I'd wait for the new Onyx Max 13.3 reader if I already wouldn't have the GoodEreader...

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

So did anyone actually get an ereader?

Yes, a number of people did receive devices earlier this year. Some were well pleased. Others less so. There were several returns due to faulty hardware, and there was at least one refund. There was a forum for users set up for a very brief period of time, and there was also a support page for a bit longer. Both have disappeared.

On their website, they claim to have sent out more than 400 units.

Good e-Reader is proud to launch our first 13.3 inch e-reader. This product received over $400,000 in funding from Indiegogo over the course of the past year and we have shipped out over 400 units to our backers.

https://goodereader.com/blog/product...-13-3-e-reader

However, unless some of those backers placed bulk orders that seems unlikely as there are backers with relatively early order numbers who have still not received their orders.

Lewis Cividin 6 days ago

Order #241 for the 13.3 inch ebook here, Christmas 2017 maybe? :|

...

Patrick 17 days ago

Order #295 on June 17 2016. Still waiting for my order. All quiet on email now and no updates, seriously anyone thinking about ordering from these guys save your money.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...ader#/comments

It also seems that they were not sending out the devices in sequential order so that some backers with later order numbers were getting them before those with earlier order numbers. On at least one occasion, they were apparently even unaware that they had already sent a backer his device.

erik.bosquet 2 months ago

@Thomas Vikstrom. How is it possible that you received your unit (0rder nr 499 as you stated) before others with lower numbers? Including myself


Gaze 2 months ago

We have order 423, which we placed a year ago. Given that later orders are shipped, can we expect the shipment in this batch and have confirmation soon?

Thomas 2 months ago

@Erik: Good question. honestly I don’t know. I commented here a few times and have sent a couple of direct e-mails during the last months (did not receive any response to them), but as same has been done by many others with lower order numbers, I don’t know why they shipped to me before. I hope they’ve shipped to others from this batch as well, it’d be nice if these people would comment here with their order number.

Michael Kozlowski Campaigner 2 months ago

Thomas has your unit been sent out yet?

Thomas 2 months ago

@Michael: Yes, I actually received it 2 weeks ago :-)

Lee 2 months ago

My order number is 39. Please give me back my money as my patient had used up.
Did not reply to individual backer with any means. Shame on you.

Peter Carotenuto Campaigner 2 months ago

you have been emailed Lee

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...ader#/comments

So, are they thieves or just exceedingly incompetent?

They have delivered some devices. Whether they'll follow through with the others remains to be seen. Their silence doesn't do much to inspire confidence and I'm not certain what legal avenues backers have open to them.

[Nate the great]

Thanks for the info, everyone (karma has been sent your way)

[doubleshuffle]

What an entertaining comment thread on Indiegogo...

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

What an entertaining comment thread on Indiegogo...

Unless you happen to be one of the backers still waiting for a device or a refund.

And it was so unnecessary. It boggles the mind how they were able to bungle what was initially a very successful campaign and to severely damage any credibility they might have had in the process.

Delays happen. Especially on new tech. And there are invariably bugs in new software. Most people get that.

A little bit of timely and clear communication and common sense would have gone a long way to keeping their backers happy.

Instead, they took their backers for granted.

And what pops up now when you google their device? Their Indiegogo page. Not likely to encourage too many sales on either Amazon or their own page, especially when newer tech is coming out for much the same price.

[doubleshuffle]

Of course it isn't nice for the backers, most of whom probably weren't aware of the Tweedles before they started selling e-readers. But for someone who has followed them a bit, it was a disaster waiting to happen, and there is a certain morbid satisfaction in watching it unfold exactly the way it was bound to. (Though some details developed differently - I never expected them to find that many backers, and when they did, I was wondering for a little while if they might actually make their project work for their customers. Call me naive...)

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

Of course it isn't nice for the backers, most of whom probably weren't aware of the Tweedles before they started selling e-readers.

That would initially have been me. A quick glance at their website seemed to suggest that they were genuine. There was a working prototype and they were based in Canada... I was very nearly ready to put money down.

Then, I came here and started reading about some of their past endeavors. After that, I looked more closely at their website and videos. That convinced me to just wait to see how the campaign unfolded. Glad I didn't make the leap even though I would have preferred a dual touch device.

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

But for someone who has followed them a bit, it was a disaster waiting to happen, and there is a certain morbid satisfaction in watching it unfold exactly the way it was bound to.

Indeed, that's why I have continued to follow their campaign so closely even though I purchased a Max. It has been jaw dropping to watch some of their blunders such as running a promotional campaign to attract new backers yet not extending the same discount to existing backers who have waited more than a year to get the device and were still waiting. Or shipping the devices wildly out of sequence (How is it possible that order #499 got his device when order # 39 was apparently still waiting?).

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

(Though some details developed differently - I never expected them to find that many backers, and when they did, I was wondering for a little while if they might actually make their project work for their customers. Call me naive...)

It really looked promising for a while. It should have been a success. The actual device doesn't look too bad were it to receive an update to the software to work out a few of the bugs.

[Question Mark]

Previously, I had been more inclined to think that the folks at Good eReader were just incompetent and that they would eventually deliver devices to those of their backers still waiting. Now I'm beginning to wonder if that will indeed turn out to be the case.

Not only have they been very silent about what is happening, but Peter has changed his profile on their now defunct Indiegogo campaign page so that it now just says "P" instead of his full name which he previously used. Not an encouraging sign. It's almost as if he wants to distance himself from the campaign.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the mention of class action lawsuits that some of their disgruntled backers are openly contemplating in the comments section.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...ader#/comments

[Question Mark]

Over on the Good eReader blog, they gave a very favourable review of the Max 2.

In the comments section, one person suggested that this would kill the 13.3" Good eReader, as if it wasn't dead already. A Good eReader mod then implied that they might have a new device in the works.

Wonder if Indiegogo will let them start up a new campaign. Perhaps they can offer the still waiting and very disgruntled backers of their former campaign a good deal on the new device.

Apples • 11 hours ago

Guess that kind of kills any future for the Good Ereader 13.3" device now.

Good E-Reader Mod • 8 hours ago

Who knows, we might have something new planned soon, you heard of IMX.7 right?

https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...#disqus_thread

[fgdas]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

Over on the Good eReader blog, they gave a very favourable review of the Max 2.

In the comments section, one person suggested that this would kill the 13.3" Good eReader, as if it wasn't dead already. A Good eReader mod then implied that they might have a new device in the works.

Wonder if Indiegogo will let them start up a new campaign. Perhaps they can offer the still waiting and very disgruntled backers of their former campaign a good deal on the new device.

Can't wait. Sooner the better. Looks like promised Dasung 13.3" ereader.

[baljo]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

Previously, I had been more inclined to think that the folks at Good eReader were just incompetent and that they would eventually deliver devices to those of their backers still waiting. Now I'm beginning to wonder if that will indeed turn out to be the case.

Not only have they been very silent about what is happening, but Peter has changed his profile on their now defunct Indiegogo campaign page so that it now just says "P" instead of his full name which he previously used. Not an encouraging sign. It's almost as if he wants to distance himself from the campaign.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the mention of class action lawsuits that some of their disgruntled backers are openly contemplating in the comments section.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...ader#/comments

I'm one of the (un)lucky 'fools' who participated in the campaign. I actually did receive my reader in August, way before many others with lower order numbers. Don't ask me why, I don't have a clue.
It was a big surprise to see that they seem to have received another shipment and are fulfilling some of the remaining orders
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...r#/updates/all

One can wonder why they've been completely silent for months, why not try to calm down the backers with regular updates...

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by baljo

I'm one of the (un)lucky 'fools' who participated in the campaign.

Making a foolish purchase does not make one a fool. Most of us have made purchases at some point that we later regret.

Now if you were to back a subsequent campaign by Michael and Peter for a second generation model...

Originally Posted by baljo

I actually did receive my reader in August, way before many others with lower order numbers. Don't ask me why, I don't have a clue.

Very odd that. Some backers with very low order numbers still appear to be waiting. How did they manage to ship devices so badly out of sequence? It made me wonder if they were shipping devices out first to backers in locations who could more readily come after them.

Originally Posted by baljo

It was a big surprise to see that they seem to have received another shipment and are fulfilling some of the remaining orders
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...r#/updates/all

Well, I hope that update was true and that the remaining backers will either get a device or a refund. However, Michael's numbers don't seem to add up unless they were also making a lot of sales outside of the Indiegogo campaign.

Originally Posted by baljo

One can wonder why they've been completely silent for months, why not try to calm down the backers with regular updates...

Yeah, that was so incredibly weird. Perhaps Netronix got a bigger order from somebody else and decided to fulfill that one first. But then why not just explain to people what was happening and where they stood in the queue?

Also, it was very strange when Peter changed his profile to "P" when he had been previously using his full name. Why would he want to distance himself from the campaign if everything was on the level?

What a strange way to handle what was ostensibly a successful campaign and to further tarnish their reputation.

Hopefully, if they do get around to fulfilling all of their back orders, they will then find the time/resources to put out an update to help stabilize the firmware issues that a number of people were complaining about.

[Question Mark]

The plot continues to thicken...

On their website, the folks at Good Ereader are apparently running a Valentine's Day promotion for their 13.3" and 6.8" devices and making some rather questionable claims:

The Good e-Reader 13.3 and 6.8 inch e-readers are on sale for Valentines Day. You can now get the both of these devices with a free accessory pack, which includes a stylus, case and power charger. These two e-readers have sold thousands of units and many people are using them on a daily basis. The Good e-Reader 13.3 is retailing for $699 and we have dozens in stock. The Good e-Reader 6.8 retails for $199 and is our latest generation model.

https://goodereader.com/blog/electro...#disqus_thread

Now, if they happen to have dozens in stock, it makes one wonder why there are still backers on their now defunct Indiegogo campaign page complaining that they have received neither a reader nor a tracking number. Some of them have relatively low order numbers and have been waiting for over a year.

And, if they have truly sold thousands of these devices, it kind of makes one wonder why Michael only claimed that over 500 people were enjoying their Good Ereader devices in his most recent update to the now defunct Indiegogo campaign page:

Since we launched the crowdfunding campaign we shipped off 3/4 of all the orders that were placed with us. Over the course of the last year we have shipped hundreds out every quarter! I have received many emails from people who love their device and its appreciated.

I apologize that some of you have been waiting a long time for their device, but unlike most other crowdfunding campaigns, we actually delivered a quality product that over 500 people are enjoying.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/1...r#/updates/all

As one commenter on their website noted, that would suggest that upwards of 1500 people are not enjoying their Good Ereader devices. Of course, it could also mean that they have sold thousands of them, shipped out a very few, and pocketed the rest of the money.

So, either they have produced a crappy device that not many people enjoy or they have scammed upwards of 1500 people... Or perhaps Michael is simply lying about the number of units they have sold.

Not a very good way to conduct a legitimate business. Perhaps that's why Peter Carotenuto changed his profile on the Indiegogo page to simply read "p" when he had previously been using his full name. Certainly seems to suggest that something shady has transpired that he would like to distance himself from.