ross's number

[Jason R]

Very perceptive.

I hope to be able to issue a position on whether I believe that there is any likelihood that double bills were intentional. If the data indicates that this is the case, I will issue a statement, which I hope that you can use in your disputes.

I could be way off base, but I think what Jason is trying to imply here is that double billed customers may be able to use this e-mail as part of their dispute package.....that this e-mail coming from an employee of AU shows that AU is definitely aware of the double bill problem and it hints at the fact that the double bills might have been intentional.

[pgh kenny]

I know the board has already discussed this, but I just think it is so slimy that for new orders au.com does not advertise that the lunchbox and bonus dvd ship at a later date. That probably violates some postal regulation.

I just hope that everyone who kept their orders with au.com doesn't let them off the hook for the other $40 to $55 of merchandise you are still owed. I know some of you are amazed au.com actually sent the dvd's out, but remember they still owe you a bunch of stuff. So, if they don't deliver the remainder of the order soon, keep up the pressure.

[Jason R]

I agree, pgh_kenny. Don't throw them a parade for doing the bare minimum you'd expect a retailer to do (namely, shipping the product that you paid for, probably 2x).

It will be interesting to see how product finds its way to customers. It will be *very* interesting to see how the bonus material plays out.

I am not even going to go into double bills. A customer CCed me on an email from Mike McCullough. Here is what he wrote:

>Thank you for a nice letter. I have, indeed , forwarded your other e-mails
>to the appropriate parties regarding your refund. Since you understand the
>kind of environment we work in, I will tell you the Gods honest truth. Wade
>and I are not the ones that actually make the decisions regarding when and
>how many refunds can get done. There is a list and we are responsible with
>putting people on that list when we are made awhare that a double or triple
>charge has occured. You are on that list..probably a couple of times. We are
>refunding people everyday as funds become available. Every customer's
>over-charge is exceedingly important to us and we want to get it resolved as
>soon as is humanly possible. In the meantime, I'm not about to try to
>convince you not to file with the appropriate authorities. I understand the
>frustration of our over-charged customers. No offence intended, but threats
>don't speed the process up any. You do what you need to do and what you feel
>is in your best interest and we will keep doing everything we can to speed
>the situation along.
>
>Respectfully,
>Mike McCullough

Notice how he wrote "when funds become available". Why are they not available, since the money is not rightfully theirs in the first place?

I know the board has already discussed this, but I just think it is so slimy that for new orders au.com does not advertise that the lunchbox and bonus dvd ship at a later date. That probably violates some postal regulation.

I just hope that everyone who kept their orders with au.com doesn't let them off the hook for the other $40 to $55 of merchandise you are still owed. I know some of you are amazed au.com actually sent the dvd's out, but remember they still owe you a bunch of stuff. So, if they don't deliver the remainder of the order soon, keep up the pressure.

[andrewgd]

Notice how he wrote "when funds become available". Why are they not available, since the money is not rightfully theirs in the first place?

Wow. What f#cking balls they all must have. I can't wait until they are lopped off by the FBI.

[Denie]

Notice how he wrote "when funds become available". Why are they not available, since the money is not rightfully theirs in the first place?

I can't really say too much, but I think I know exactly how a company like AU operates. (I may have worked or may be currently working for a company that might do some of the things AU does.) Namely, waiting several days before crediting cards to help ease the cash flow. A certain individual in a company I know spends money, both on personal and business items, as soon as it's in the bank. Unlike AU, a charge is usually credited within 7 to 10 days of "cancellation" but I may have been told to "wait a few days" before refunding a credit card.
Bottom line: it's all about cash flow.

[pgh kenny]

Notice how he wrote "when funds become available". Why are they not available, since the money is not rightfully theirs in the first place?

Wow. What f#cking balls they all must have. I can't wait until they are lopped off by the FBI.

I'm not angry at everyone that works at anotheruniverse.com, just the person or persons making the decisions. If your boss tells you to to do something and you'd like to keep your job, you do what your boss says. In this economy, I'm not going to fault anyone for wanting to keep their job.

I think the biggest thing hurting us is that it is tough to convince people outside this project that what happened really did happen. I don't think there is a double charge refusal to refund chapter in the "investigators guide to internet fraud". I suspect an 8-month advance payment on a product that is just now partially shipping is also very rare.

[Jason R]

I named all of them in my IFCC complaint. I don't know if I blame all of them. The "whistleblower" is obviously playing games, but hopefully they will all be questioned.

Notice how he wrote "when funds become available". Why are they not available, since the money is not rightfully theirs in the first place?

Wow. What f#cking balls they all must have. I can't wait until they are lopped off by the FBI.

I'm not angry at everyone that works at anotheruniverse.com, just the person or persons making the decisions. If your boss tells you to to do something and you'd like to keep your job, you do what your boss says. In this economy, I'm not going to fault anyone for wanting to keep their job.

I think the biggest thing hurting us is that it is tough to convince people outside this project that what happened really did happen. I don't think there is a double charge refusal to refund chapter in the "investigators guide to internet fraud". I suspect an 8-month advance payment on a product that is just now partially shipping is also very rare.

[Rickie Love]

Holy s**t!! I hadn't read this thread today, thinking it only had to do with Ross's phone number...

But WOW When I mentioned to folks earlier that they should keep up pressure, well, I had no idea how truly f*cked up things really are.

Speaking of AU, I have a question for you, Jason - not lumping you with AU, btw:

Is the good news of which you speak ANYTHING to do with getting our money back for, say, cancelled orders?? 'Cause to me, this is all reading like the money is GONE. But it's also reading like they're about to get the big bang from the Feds or something. They can be forced to give back money, right?? Accounts can be frozen? Or, are we screwed if our banks or Visa can't help us? Can you give ANY more info on this please?

As for 'Poor wade': Give me a giant break - that condescending little asshole deserves what he gets.

[Rickie Love]

Just looked over my post, and oops! Sorry, I was reacting to reading this thread - including the submitted Clyde thread from July - in its entirety, all at once. And WHOA!!

Potty mouth, potty mouth... Well, I guess AnotherBunchofA**holes.com can inspire anyone!

[mephisto]

I'm not angry at everyone that works at anotheruniverse.com, just the person or persons making the decisions. If your boss tells you to to do something and you'd like to keep your job, you do what your boss says. In this economy, I'm not going to fault anyone for wanting to keep their job.

I completely agree. And hey, neither Kenny nor I can be suspected as AU investors

I'm certainly not happy that Wade et al. didn't stand up earlier and refused to work for the weasel. But I don't know their personal situations (needing a job, having a family). Yes, it shouldn't matter for the customers. But in the real world you may do some unethical or illegal things because you're afraid of loosing your job.

IMHO Ross is responsible. And if I'm not completely wrong also Mike (who came from Ross's private company C&C) and probably the accounting department-lady. I don't know how far the board of directors (if existing) is involved. So perhaps they should be blamed too.

[Rickie Love]

While I totally get that if you need the job 'that badly' (if that is indeed Wade's or anyone elses position), you could find yourself working for a weasel and doing what said weasel tells you to. It was the way I was repeatedly treated - like a complete and utter idiot for daring to question anything - that made me say what I did. Wait: Nah, I can't excuse his behavior OR his actions, he's not THAT stupid, seems like he could've done something else. Who really cares about Wade or any of the others at this point - bigger fish to fry, hu?

I hope.

(sigh....)

[HeatherK]

Well if I read that moviepoop shoot article correctly, it made it sound like AU *knew* way back when that they could only keep orders open just so far in advance before the credit cards would time them out or something. Makes it sound like the double-billing was intentional in order to keep the orders open. Jerkwads. Had they told us this, I'm sure there could have been some less slimy way to accomplish it!

[Lurker1999]

Well if I read that moviepoop shoot article correctly, it made it sound like AU *knew* way back when that they could only keep orders open just so far in advance before the credit cards would time them out or something. Makes it sound like the double-billing was intentional in order to keep the orders open. Jerkwads. Had they told us this, I'm sure there could have been some less slimy way to accomplish it!

The more I think about this, the more I think this is a total and complete lie. If you look at how Animeigo does its preorders they take orders months in advance (in excess of a year) without authorizing the cards and only billing once their product is ready to ship. If the card comes up with an error, that order doesn't ship and the customer is contacted. None of this bill-months-in-advance bs that AU pulled.

I guess we all were fooled by our desire to get this once exclusive product. Clearly now it's just become a scheme for Ross to get as much money into his personal account as possible. Hopefully someone with a nice pair of bracelets comes calling soon.

[pgh kenny]

If this type of fan-driven nich tv-to-dvd model were ever attempted again, I think the correct thing to do would be for the retailer to check the validity of the card via a small pre-auth, let the pre-auth run out and then actually bill when the product is ready to ship. I would think that 85% of the cards would still be valid by the time the product is ready and that many of the others would update their card info to receive the product. I also wouldn't object to a small $5 to $10 initial charge in return for something like a bumper sticker, small poster, key chain, bookmark, something along those lines.

I don't think large retailers like amazon.com will ever be a part of the nich tv-to-dvd market... and why would they take that risk when they can jump in once the demand has already been established by the smaller company that was willing to take the risk. The big problem is that the small retailers that might be willing to take risk are less likely to have enough capital to front the project. And we've all seen what happens when the small retailer doesn't have the cash...

[mephisto]

And we've all seen what happens when the small retailer doesn't have the cash...

Wait a minute - did I miss something? AU doesn't have money? But we all prepaid. What happened? And Ross promised to fix every problem.



ok, I guess due to "last-MA-exam's eve" my humour is even stranger than on normal days