AnotherUniverse.com Site SNAFU

[andrewgd]

Check out their page, and try to browse through their merchandise. Half the links return an error. Or do a search. Either way, you get this:
----------------
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][TCP/IP Sockets]General network error. Check your network documentation.

/store/queries/searchresults.asp, line 6
---------------

So, if they are waiting for more money to come in before returning refund requests, they're S.O.L.

The only merchandise you can get to is what is directly linked on their front page. Notice how MSCL is still their "Today's Top 10". Also note that a small amount of images are not coming up. It looks like a deteriorating site, with no upkeep.

If they are supposed to make money off their website, they aren't presenting a very good front. Who would want to shop at a store where half the merchandise is on the floor?

[lance]

Andrewgd,

So do you think AU is going down for the last time or this just AU business as usual?

Best,

Lance Man

[andrewgd]

I don't know what Ross' priorities are. I'd expect that he'd want to make quite a bit of money at the moment, so he can pay off all his debts. The only way I can see him making the money is to sell through his stores, or sell online, and he has said himself that his online business reaches more people than his stores. Plus, Comics and Comix have multiple till taps against them. Zero profit, and cost of merchandise, means that the stores are losing money fast. Plus, with their comics being over a month late, I'd imagine they've lost many of their regular customers.

I don't know what is more profitable, comics or collectibles (posters/toys/statues/etc), but I know as a collector myself that there are easier (and cheaper) ways to get comics than online. I have even bought collectibles from AU (before RR got his dirty hands on it). Its hard to find some of that stuff in stores, especially the anime stuff. If I were him, I'd make damn sure that part of my site were working, and up to date. Their "New Comics" list is at least 3 months old now.

But its not up to date and working correctly. Which could very well mean that he's giving up on it. Who wants to bet that he is looking for someone to buy the AnotherUniverse.com domain?

Just my guess, but I'd imagine it will deteriorate until the comic stores start making a profit. Which could be never.

(I just noticed it is no longer returning the error. I guess they are reading here But, everything on the site is too old to be relevent, and 1/8th of the images don't work.)

[Natasha (candygirl)]

I guess they are reading here

Funny you should mention that - whenever I see that there are a bunch of guests at the AU forum, I always wonder which one is Ross

[phelix]

Check out their page, and try to browse through their merchandise. Half the links return an error. Or do a search. Either way, you get this:
----------------
Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][TCP/IP Sockets]General network error. Check your network documentation.

/store/queries/searchresults.asp, line 6
---------------

Well, there's a pretty nasty worm going around that's hitting MS SQL servers hard.

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/0 ... ad&tid=109

It will be sweet justice if Anotheruniverse.com is 0wned by some script kiddie

[Cap'n Fool]

It will be sweet justice if Anotheruniverse.com is 0wned by some script kiddie.

Followed by bitter irony if said kiddie manages to hack our CC info.

Cap'n Fool

[andrewgd]

I've noticed that the AU website is now 3 months behind schedule with their inventory, and their "New Comics" listing is 6 months old.

How again do they expect to make back the money that they owe us?

[Jason R]

Are they selling any new DVD sets?

[Nostradamus]

I still see no mention of American Entertainment Group (AU wearing a bushy moustache and glasses) on the website, even though AEG was supposed to take over its operation some time ago.

[raprazant]

I've noticed that the AU website is now 3 months behind schedule with their inventory, and their "New Comics" listing is 6 months old.

How again do they expect to make back the money that they owe us?

as the author of the original AU site, its incarnation with fandom and ross's current incarnation for which he still owes me multiple g's i can explain why this is the case. the frontend site was designed to interface with an automated warehouse fulfillment system that would feed correct inventory quantities back to the frontend at chosen intervals. since this backend system does not exist ross and his lackies are now forced to do this manually. given the fact that there are 1000's of products in the database updating their quantities manually in a timely manor is near impossible. don't expect any improvement... ever unless he decides to invest the 20 or 30 g's necessary to bring a legitimate fulfillment system online.

-sa

[Natasha (candygirl)]

ever unless he decides to invest the 20 or 30 g's necessary to bring a legitimate fulfillment system online.

Ha, the combination of Ross doing something "legitimate" AND having to spend a buttload of money to do it - sorry, that just cracks me up.

2 legit 2 legit 2 quit

Thanks for the update!

[Jason R]

I suppose that when you cannot get any new products you have to push your back issues. Check out the site now. "Need Back Issues?"

No, but apparently Ross needs someone who he can sucker into selling him new comic books.

The MSCL collection is still listed as their top seller, and they are still lying to customers, by telling them the lunchboxes were ready to ship in December.

I wish there was a way to force them into pulling blatant lies from their site.

[andrewgd]

Check out the site now. "Need Back Issues?"

Thats such a laugh.

I don't see any images available for any of the back issue comics I pull up. I know if I visit a site and see broken image links, I stay far far away. If they can't keep the shop clean, how can I trust them with my CC#. Wish I knew that before...

I notice now that thier "Daily Buzz" goes from 11/14/02 to 4/1/03. Who's authoring the new Buzz's? Apparently the newest one that isn't just a copy of a press release is "by By Staff".

http://www.anotheruniverse.com/buzz/ind ... 2003#12641

Yup, bye bye staff!

The MSCL dvd site says "The bonus disk includes a completely original interview with Winnie Holzman, Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick and an hour of material licensed from the Museum of TV and Radio."

Has anyone called the Museum and asked if this is true? I'd assume that would be pretty easy to do...

[Jason R]

I have no doubt that Ross was able to license the material.

However, I doubt very strongly that he paid the museum. I have their contact info, so email me if you want it. I just don't have time to do everything I want to do.

[andrewgd]

They've taken their "new comics" list off of their front page. They probably don't want people to see that the newest comics they've gotten in are 3 months old.

Ha ha! I just noticed that you cannot have more than one type of item in your shopping cart. Each time you go add something to your cart, its a completely new cart. HA! I don't think they actually expect to make any more money from the website anymore...At least if they do, they're the dumbest shits in the world, but I guess we've proven that already.

Also, their Verisign certificate expired two months ago. In which I found quite an interesting line:

CN = http://www.anotheruniverse.com
OU = Terms of use at http://www.verisign.com/rpa (c)00
OU = AnotherUniverse.com
O = American Entertainment
L = Sacramento
S = California
C = US

This certificate was issued 2/12/2002, and already it was part of American Entertainment. Just another fact to pile on the load of s**t that they say AU was taken over by them.