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[Fedup]

Also, from the emails that I received in response to that interview, a great number of them coming from other reporters, many seem to oppose the very idea of exclusives. They feel that an exclusive is like a license to provide bad service. They have been proven right about that and I have been proven wrong.

I wouldn't say you were proven wrong, I would say that AU has just created a bad association with the idea. If Another Universe had delivered on the hype, the concept of exclusives would be quite marketable. The fact that cancellations from this forum haven't been 100% attests that the idea isn't completely off-base.

Well I suspect there are only a couple of reasons why 100% of people haven't been cancelled in descending order of importance:

1) People do not think they will get their money back due to AU's track record of not refunding illegal double and triple charges and their refusal to cancel orders. Au has basically created an enivornment where people *fear* they cannot get their money back even if they want to.

2) People really want the bonus that AU is supposed to deliver and are wiling to put up with AU's crap to get it.

3) People haven't been double charges and are unaware of the fiasco that is AU.

But, I agree, if AU has come through this with flying colors, they would have been sitting pretty and might have been *the* place to go for niche-market DVDs.

[Howard]

It's still viable in some ways, as retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City often "brand" their own version of a product with a bonus or giveaway. I've made purchases with Best Buy on many occasions for just this reason.

Exactly why I bought my Spider-Man DVD gift set from Wal-Mart. On top of all the regular goodies the gift set had, Wal-Mart was giving away (of all the simple little things) free Spider-Man comic books. Cost to them? Hardly zip. But it was enough.

[Minerwerks]

1) People do not think they will get their money back due to AU's track record of not refunding illegal double and triple charges and their refusal to cancel orders. Au has basically created an enivornment where people *fear* they cannot get their money back even if they want to.

2) People really want the bonus that AU is supposed to deliver and are wiling to put up with AU's crap to get it.

3) People haven't been double charges and are unaware of the fiasco that is AU.

#2 is sort of my point. The bonuses are something that people want, and that is influencing some not to cancel.

I've read people here worrying that even if they cancel, they won't get their money back, so I don't doubt that at all. But I don't know if that's the #1 reason people aren't cancelling. Wouldn't the majority of orders have been placed on credit cards? There have been plenty of talks here about how to successfully get credit card companies to handle this situation and credit the card back.

[Fedup]

I've read people here worrying that even if they cancel, they won't get their money back, so I don't doubt that at all. But I don't know if that's the #1 reason people aren't cancelling. Wouldn't the majority of orders have been placed on credit cards? There have been plenty of talks here about how to successfully get credit card companies to handle this situation and credit the card back.

I don't have any hard numbers, but it seems to me that more people were worried about getting their money back (mind you also that AU still hasn't said what is actually on the bonus disc, so people really don't know what they'll be getting).

It seems to me that this is the process that one has to go through to cancel an order, and when there's no *guarantee* that it will be returned, people opt to say with AU because at least they'll get something for their money (note the first step has to be to try to get the refund through AU, which is what any CC company will tell you):

1) Notify AU of intention to cancel order via phone or email (which Ross or Wade will reply will be handled with a week or so)
2) Wait weeks for refund
3) Refund does not appear (repeat steps 1 and 2 until you're so pissed off you continue to step 4)
4) Contact CC company
5) Learn that charges over 180 days old cannot be refunded or need appropriate documentation
6) Wait for CC company to get fund from AU, which we know are crooks and probably keep funds in personnel bank accounts
7) Hope that the CC company can received fund back from AU


There are no two ways about, AU has made it *very* difficult to cancel orders, and the fact that people have to resort to contesting the charge through their CC company is ridiculous.

Did I mention that while AU uses these delay tactics that the money they illegally took from us is earning them interest?

I agree with you though, I don't think the idea of an exclusive products is inherently flawed.

[SanDeE*]

There are no two ways about, AU has made it *very* difficult to cancel orders, and the fact that people have to resort to contesting the charge through their CC company is ridiculous.

And along with your list, Fedup, there is also the fact that if you were able to contact your CC company in time and get a chargeback from them, AU "punishes" you by cancelling your order WITHOUT telling you. This happened to me back in mid-August (when the DVDs were supposedly coming out on Sept. 17th, and they were still the only retailer). I had to call them to make sure my order was secure. Now I HAVE officially cancelled, and it's as though a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Aaaaahhhh. = sigh of relief.

[Jason R]

That's one problem. I also fear that AU is going to ship the product even to people who wanted refunds.

There are no two ways about, AU has made it *very* difficult to cancel orders, and the fact that people have to resort to contesting the charge through their CC company is ridiculous.

And along with your list, Fedup, there is also the fact that if you were able to contact your CC company in time and get a chargeback from them, AU "punishes" you by cancelling your order WITHOUT telling you. This happened to me back in mid-August (when the DVDs were supposedly coming out on Sept. 17th, and they were still the only retailer). I had to call them to make sure my order was secure. Now I HAVE officially cancelled, and it's as though a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Aaaaahhhh. = sigh of relief.