reductio ad absurdum

Something happened this week which has..... perturbed ......... So this post has jumped the queue...AND GUESS WHAT?... Its a RANT!!!!!!

Right from early beginnings I have been a closet geek.... I LOVE Gadgets... They make doing things exciting and give credibility and looks like you really know what your doing and..... who am I kidding, I just love gadgets especially at the mo .. Like I said, Closet Geek

So it soon became clear that following lots of checking out, reading up and asking thick questions to clever people with letters after their name that I coveted one particular bit of tech.. It wasn't the best by any shade, there were clearly some..... issues... compared to other units BUT one of its main features was all shiny and glittery... and I fell for it, managed to get someone to source it for me and placed an Order.

I soon became concerned.. and decided that the extra expense, delays and other factors were not worth the risk so I cancelled... OMFG! weren't expecting what happened next and I would clearly like to highlight that ... for once!... I somehow managed to retain some control.

So this is the conversation between myself and said Representative from Tech Co. I did also have some Ag pals who were very interested in its potential and could do someone a favour which maybe would pay back another day..... Yes I was trying to blag a deal but with genuine intent, you don’t get owt for nowt ya know..

I am in black, him blue, narration in green. This is edited to cut the chaf and remove names, a couple of add ins just as fillers.....

Hi _____, would be good to suss out fully the ----, spoke to you briefly last year at ---- about it.

I live in --------, between ------- and ------- for the UK guys to see who nearest, but work throughout the ----- and ----------, right round London down to West Country so able to get to most places some when if no one on my door step as such.

My number is -------------- and will look forward to someone getting in touch

Thanks

-----, the UK guys are --------------. Do you know them? ------------- is the main guy that is pushing the ---- throughout the UK. If it is a problem dealing with them, let me know and we can work something out. The new ---- (sub 4 cm accuracy) is in production now and ships beginning in late February to Europe. However, the website has correction tools for those that wish to dial things in even more. It is very flexible and a very powerful system.

 What is your specific profession? Are you a consultant to .................?

Hi -----, I am a just a contractor BUT with an added personal obsession about the soil want to use the ---- to monitor and log associated issues.

I have no problem with ___________ BUT they are 8 hrs away from me, --- miles so I doubt they will rush down to give me a demo that's all, its a long way down to here, I am below ------ in the truly busy bit of UK.

Anyhoo I will await contact from someone that end and hope that they are coming this way some point in near future.

Regards

Time moves on no contact...................

Hi ------,

Not had any contact from --------------yet, but its only a couple of days, I am impatient when on a run, was thinking on on the potential of the upgraded ---- and it makes it even more of a cert for what we are looking for, we are dead serious about purchase IF it can log, assess and map to what tolerances it being --------- for and you say.

Please keep informed of progress with the new ----, want to be certain of its performance ability and would be interesting to get a hint of its cost, I assume the ----will add to purchase and possibly licence costs??.

And if you want someone to take it into the Agricultural and Horticultural Markets my pal is extremely well placed.

As ever good to speak, will await contact impatiently and if you can get someone to indicate cost so we can discuss down here the merits of chasing you for one to see how it can actually perform.

Regards

No problem ----. We can deal directly with each other. The new ---- ships in early March. I have done some work already in Ag and it has great application there for sure. We have focused primarily on golf and sports turf first, but have plans for promoting throughout the Ag world as well. Let's talk about this soon and I would be very interested in speaking with your contacts. 

The retail on the ---- is $______ USD. We can talk about pricing discounts depending on what we do together. The cloud is included initially but will have an annual fee after the trial period. That fee varies on the level of features the user wants. We can talk about all of that when we connect. 

Right I will look into --------- think may be worth a trip up with this Ag guy of mine.

Any detail or resource on resources and ability of new unit not on website yet would be useful to know of as soon as you release or if you have on costs and levels of service and run costs for it all available now would be really useful so we can evaluate fully 

Regards

Hi ------, having spoken at length to my Agri pal and looking at what I am wanting to do this year it looks like they definitely want to evaluate the ---- fully, especially for the Ag market, and to do that they will buy one when they are over with the next gen set up.

So I suppose the next stage is to get a bit more tech detail from you in terms of the changes ie what, how, performance and the software alongside (as important as the ----) and the defined cost delivered of the unit over here to us. If you have the indicative year 2 cost would be useful to know.

Await your thoughts and info

Thanks for the interest ----. The 2^nd Generation is officially out in 3 weeks. It is phenomenal. Integrated ---- in the unit with 25 cm (10”) accuracy so it becomes a very good --- tool for site specific monitoring. All marketing material and promotional videos and such will be available in a few weeks as well. We are taking orders now as the demand is growing rapidly around the world.

The Ag market is wide open over there so you are keen to be thinking along those lines. The “Reseller/distributor” pricing for the units which we anticipate will not rise over the next 2 years is as follows:

Is this enough info for now? I’d be happy to do a web demo for you of the new system at a time that works for you. I’m traveling the remainder of this week and the middle of next week but could work out a time that works.

No that's ace for now thank you very much, will discuss here, when the other info is available to send we will digest and WILL take the first unit to assess. Will look at the web demo to sort convenient slot with time shifts!

These guys are VERY interested in the agricultural side and through the Buying Circle Association set up can furnish the whole of the UK.

We will discuss this onwards

thanks again

Hi ------, would like to go for this, have sorted an easy 'way' to obtain first unit through another pal, ---- who runs a ------------------- 

Will all then try, evaluate and suss it out and take a view from there.

I am paying for this ultimately for myself, for personal research and use, not through any of the companies or work but will look to how can be involved with any potential 'income streams' if I get the right people talking to you after.

Excellent, excitedly anticipating seeing just how good they are.

Regards

----, per your request, see attached quote. This is the best discount I can give and is priced per our conversation that you wish to distribute to agricultural opportunities. 

For agriculture, we can deal directly with you. If this quote meets your satisfaction, please respond with your approval and we will have our accounting arrange the wire transfer of funds prior to shipping. Once we establish a relationship, we can offer terms in future orders especially if you represent our product to the agricultural and landscape markets.

Feel free to call me with any questions at all. Thank you for your interest in the ---- system.

March 3

Hi ---- can you please process the order for the first unit. Please send payment request ASAP and I will get ------- to sort payment 

Regards

OK ----. You will be contacted by our accounting to arrange the payment. Thank you!

Hi ------- no bill yet

Thanks

The ---- will not ship until April 10th and the bill will be generated just prior to that ----. You will be contacted by our accounting office. 

Excellent thanks, just checking as it was quiet

Regards

Patiently wait until 12^th April

Hey ----, hope you had a good weekend, looks like your nice busy with the ----, here and there....  think you gonna get some air miles down this year for sure...

Not heard anything yet ref my one, getting itchy ... want to see what she can do... not chasing per sa just want an indication of timing so I can keep telling myself to be patient.

Thanks

No reply received.......................

16^th

Hi -------, 

Do you have an update on the ------ please

Thanks

20^th

No reply still so I contact through their main website, starts getting a bit ..... funny

--------, I responded to your inquiries about the ------ and received another message from you through our web system. As I explained, the ------s are all shipping on backlog of about 30 days. I am certain yours will ship by the end of this week, but you will be notified by accounting ahead of time for payment and tracking info. We appreciate your patience and understanding as you join the ever growing ----- network of users worldwide.

Thanks -----, apologies, am getting tech impatient, you last thought it would be about 10th that's all so just wanted to check timings.

Regards

1^st May..

I have enough............

Hi -----, situation has changed here so I need to cancel the order for the ---- pls.

Part financial, part time is getting on so I am ordering an alternative.

Regards

It was shipped this week and on its way to you. It's too late to cancel. 

With the greatest respect -----, I have been chasing like mad, no information, no bill, no nothing... I was told the 10th April and as far as I was concerned it wasn't coming yet, if it was you should have told me.

Sorry but I have made other arrangements now. 

I'm afraid if you refuse delivery you will still be responsible for shipping expenses which are not inexpensive to you. If you need extended terms to pay for it, just let me know but it is already en route. 

Look ----, get funny with me if you like, when I asked for info on it back in March and you said your words:

The ----- will not ship until April 10th and the bill will be generated just prior to that -----. You will be contacted by our accounting office. 

I asked again for info 16th April.. no reply so I thought you may be busy and asked through website, you replied... there a 30 day back order and.. your words

 ' but you will be notified by accounting ahead of time for payment and tracking info.' 

well that didn't happen did it and I have had to make other arrangements with an alternative.

There is nothing like the ----...not even close -----. Either you wanted a ------ or you didnt. The ------ was shipped and if you refuse delivery you will still be responsible for shipping. Of course it is your call and if you refuse delivery, you can mark the reason that you didnt get it fast enough.

This is certainly not the way to cancel an order with no notice. It's your call and while I certainly apologize for the ---- not arriving sooner, it's demand is due to its incredible value which I thought you want. If you want cheap and less value, then of course the ----- is not for you. You may have made other arrangements but we shipped what you ordered which did not have any stipulations by you for timing of delivery. We expect you to at least be respectful and responsible for your order. And I have remained in contact with you without delay answering your questions when you had them. 

With the greatest respect -----, you are not doing a very good job of appeasing me, in fact this email conversation is starting to grind now. I know the potential, I have assessed all the main players, I have always had reservations over the accuracy and the figures quoted seemed to change on every enquiry. I was willing to accept that on the basis that it was a real innovation BUT please do not throw 'this is not the way to cancel' at me as as far as I was concerned what YOU said would happen didn't.

Time was not the issue here, it was lack of confidence that it was coming any day soon.

------, this is very unprofessional. If you want the ----, keep it and pay your bill. I will deduct $--- for your troubles. If you don't keep it, you can pay the shipping you are responsible for and use something less than the ----. 

We kept our end and made your ---- and shipped it as soon as we could based on the order of shipping from hundreds around the world. Getting an email like this is the very first time anyone has ever communicated to us like this and the very first cancellation out of many hundreds of orders...all who understand and wait patiently for their order realizing this is the most innovative device in the industry. If that is not important to you, then please use someone else's product and you can regret it later. 

We wish you luck with your decisions. 

Good luck to you ----. I certainly wish you well. 

Look -----, FACT: You DID NOT communicate that it was shipping, I DID NOT KNOW it was Shipping, YOU said your Accounts dept would contact BEFORE shipping, they HAVE NOT.. Please stop having a go at MY professionalism and look at yours, if you don't do what you say you are going to do the more people will probably do the same.

We wish you luck with your decisions. 

Send me the shipping details with my name and address and tracking number right now, show me it has shipped and I may feel a little sorry but at the moment because of this situation and how it has been handled I am now bloody glad I bought a -----!

-----, our accounting department handles that and I'm sure they will be glad to send the info to you. Also, if they didn't call you it is because I approved terms allowing you to pay the bill when you receive the ----. We have thousands of customers who we certainly do our best to keep happy but you gave us an ultimatum and no choice to remedy this issue. And now you are makimg demands. It makes it difficult and nearly impossibke to appease you. If my offer is not good enough for you, i cant chsnge that. And if i remember correctly, you chose to circumvent our distributor to your betrer interest. You simply bugged out of your order and bought something of less value. That's your right and your choice and we have no choice but to respect that, so again, we wish you the best of luck. 

When you realize the value we offer and wish to reorder a ----- or if you have any desire to do so moving forward, you may do so through our rep in your region. 

Good luck to you!

------, it's too late and after this little email spar I can genuinely say I am extremely glad I took the decision I have and that I haven't involved the Agricultural contacts beyond getting them excited but telling them repeatedly when asked when it was coming that it would be soon. This has done me NO favours credibility wise.

As for the boys in --------- they couldn't be bothered to contact or inform me either so that was the main reason for going direct as well as the interest my pal had for the Agricultural Market.

Basically I have lost confidence in the product coming any day soon and bought the best alternative.

Get over yourself, let people know what is happening and when, don't change what is discussed and agreed for your own ends

Good luck you're gonna need it

No worries ------. Our sentiments as well. Good luck to you. 

So what shall I do with the ----- when it arrives as it is clearly shipped

It has been redirected to our distributor over there and they have been made aware of your actions. They will certainly find a home for it immediately. 

My  final thoughts and comment:

Wow... Couriers and Postal Service must be excellent over there, switching recipients and addresses mid service, that is some set up........... 

Yes I was looking to get a deal, who doesn't.... but there was no bullshit there, had serious Ag people waiting to assess.

My main concerns were actually that the parameters at which they said it would work kept changing and not for the better.. Spec information was not forthcoming either... This thing is not cheap ! You would expect information to be flowing...
And the suns been shining! I need to play with this now...

Make your own minds up from above. I don’t like being bullshitted, fobbed off, lied to and then bullied into anything. I have a slight feeling that I made the right call somehow....