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hollis27
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Post by hollis27 » Oct 8th 2002, 3:03 pm

Awww, come on! I could run a better company on NO experience.

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EmmBee
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Re: Murphy's Law *squared*

Post by EmmBee » Oct 8th 2002, 3:06 pm

Jason Rosenfeld wrote:Instead of using a good company to burn the bonus disc, we'll have Justin, our web master, do it, so we can save a few bucks!
I think these boards are bad for my blood pressure.

Let me get this straight... I preordered in February, lost 7 months of interest on 90 dollars (that went into AU's pockets instead), got charged an additional 70 dollars that I am still waiting to get back 8 weeks later, and in return I'm getting:

Free shipping, which it seems like everyone gets now...
A lunchbox that everyone is getting, IF they ever get them MADE...
A certificate of authenticity useful for proving I was AU's sucker...
and a homemade bonus disc?

I could just about die. I'm a sucker for extras and interviews. That disc was the only thing keeping me from switching to Amazon. But if it's not being professionally pressed, I can tell you right now my DVD player won't even play it. :evil:

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pgh kenny
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Post by pgh kenny » Oct 8th 2002, 3:49 pm

while all the things that jason listed in bold seem irrational...

they would make sense if a company had a severe cashflow problem and was flirting with bankruptcy. i lived through the evolution of cash flow problems at an engineering company (i.e. vendor non payment, bounced payroll checks), then chapter 11 (things will ge better soon we promise), then liquidation (opps sorry don't come to work tomorrow, but you can buy the office furnishings off of us for pennies on the dollar). the behavior in this current case does have it's parallels to what happened to me. you wouldn't beleive me if, i told you stories of what went on during that period.

so either:

a) au management is greedy, there is no cashflow crisis, and they are trying to hold onto our money as long as possible and earn some extra pennies on a short term investment cd and by skimping on production of the bonus dvd. maybe in addition they need to sweeten up their balance statement temporarily for one reason or another.

-or-

b) au management is having trouble meeting debt obligations, they can barely make payroll even though they've already banked all the money for the set, and shortly we will be left as unsecured creditors holding nothing but a credit card statement

i have no idea why any business that had hopes of staying in business would choose a)

if b) is true then none of the key players is going to admit to it, trust me

i have no idea which one it is. for everything that has happened so far, nothing seems impossible any more.
Last edited by pgh kenny on Jan 9th 2003, 2:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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pgh kenny
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Post by pgh kenny » Oct 8th 2002, 3:57 pm

and by the way jason, with your bold point-by-point post, you achieved a symphony of humor, rage, sarcasm and facts the likes of which i have never in a single post... :D :D :D the flood gates have opened!

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Post by Jason R » Oct 8th 2002, 4:11 pm

Believe it or not, that was me showing some restraint. Maybe next time, I won't.
pgh_kenny wrote:and by the way jason, with your bold point-by-point post, you achieved a symphony of humor, rage, sarcasm and facts the likes of which i have never in a single post... :D :D :D the flood gates have opened!

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Megs
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Post by Megs » Oct 8th 2002, 4:16 pm

Up until your last post, Jason, I was planning on sticking with AU. Now I'm not so sure. Should I just order it from Amazon? (*Not really wanting an answer.)

Man, this blows.

Me in the last few days:

:D :roll: :( :? :shock: :oops: :x :evil: :twisted:
"I have all these dreams where I know exactly what to say. And you tell me, you know, that you forgive me."

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StrawberryGirl
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Post by StrawberryGirl » Oct 8th 2002, 4:19 pm

Jason Rosenfeld wrote:Believe it or not, that was me showing some restraint. Maybe next time, I won't.
Let it all out Jason- I would imagine that you need a pretty big release right about now. What have you been doing to keep sane until now? Kickboxing? Heavy medication? :roll:

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Post by Jason R » Oct 8th 2002, 4:21 pm

A punching bag with the name "Ross" written on it.

I should add that I am pretty sure that if he has not already done so, Ross will be contacting BMG and letting them know that I am somehow responsible for this customer relations meltdown. Probably telling them not to take my calls, etc. as he told the lunchbox folks.

I have 3 things to say on the record:

1) We owe a lot to BMG. If they didn't want to do this project, they didn't have to, and it was a lot more trouble than it was worth. They are not to blame for ANY of the problems encountered with this set.

2) All I have been trying to do all along is get these DVDs into people's hands. To do that, various parties have to get paid. There is lunchbox tin sitting in Hong Kong.

3) I am pretty tired of AU's bullshit. So, when I spot it, I will try to point it out to you.

Has the lunchbox manufacturer been paid? If not, why not? It is now October.

I may seem angry (I know I seem angry...), but I am not making stuff up. You can't make s**t like this up. I'm not throwing a tantrum either. I think I can speak for most everyone here that they just want this ordeal to be over.

Jason
Last edited by Jason R on Oct 8th 2002, 4:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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StrawberryGirl
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Post by StrawberryGirl » Oct 8th 2002, 4:35 pm

Jason Rosenfeld wrote:A punching bag with the name "Ross" written on it.
Can I have a turn with that? Actually, maybe as our "suprise trinket" that would make this all up to us- a Ross voudoo doll?

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Denie
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Re: Murphy's Law *squared*

Post by Denie » Oct 8th 2002, 5:23 pm

I've been reading all the posts regarding this Amazon vs. AU matter these last few days, and until now, I've been somewhat calm (maybe due to the Vicodin I was taking for my tooth extractions) about the whole situation. But now I am really pissed off.

I can't believe AU still owes the lunchbox manufacturer money! And they've bounced checks! The abhorrent behavior of AU towards everyone involved with this project is unforgivable. I was not going to cancel my order, if only because it meant I would get the bonus disc. Now I read that some amateur is burning the discs because AU is too cheap, (even though they charged an extra $60 for the DVDs), to hire a professional.
I am thisclose to canceling my order and telling Ross exactly where he can stick the bonus disc. :evil:

I hate being this upset. :( Maybe I need more Vicodin. :wink:
Jason Rosenfeld wrote: I, for one, cannot contain my rage any longer.

Doublecharges not bad enough for you? We'll triple charge people!

Then we won't respond to their emails!

Two months later, we'll still have their money!

We'll charge people up front and make vendors have to pull teeth just to get paid!

Then when we pay them, we will bounce the checks!

While everybody else is waiting for refunds or to get paid, we will be earning interest on the money in CDs!

It will be October and the lunchbox manufactuer will still be owed $8,600!

We won't just promise and miss one deadline! We'll promise 3 and miss them all!

Instead of using a good company to burn the bonus disc, we'll have Justin, our web master, do it, so we can save a few bucks!

leerosevere
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My rant morphed into an Ode to Jason. Go figure :)

Post by leerosevere » Oct 8th 2002, 5:26 pm

Jason Rosenfeld wrote:We'll charge people up front and make vendors have to pull teeth just to get paid!

Then when we pay them, we will bounce the checks!

While everybody else is waiting for refunds or to get paid, we will be earning interest on the money in CDs!.

It will be October and the lunchbox manufactuer will still be owed $8,600!

Well now I guess we all know why AU is taking so long to refund the overcharges! Gotta earn extra money first, right? I'm convinced they double and triple charged us deliberately. There's no way they could be *that* incompetent and keep making the same mistakes. And now that I've read they're not paying vendors and manufacturers, (and Jason) what they owe them either... Well there's no doubt in my mind that all of AU's actions have been motivated by pure greed. They saw how desperate we fans were for the DVD set, and knew they could take advantage of us.

You'd think a small grassroots business wouldn't display typical corporate greed (and indifference to public opinion) that large organizations usually do, but I must be naive.
Jason Rosenfeld wrote: Instead of using a good company to burn the bonus disc, we'll have Justin, our web master, do it, so we can save a few bucks![/b]

And WHY are we paying all that extra money for it? But of course they wouldn't want to actually invest that money into doing a GOOD JOB with the bonus disc!

It makes sense. Pricing the set too high, letting online vendors sell it too soon (benefits AU sooner), refusing to give us a discount or decent compensation (yeah I'll proudly wear that free AU.com t-shirt, because I'm DYING to promote your company), the amateurish job on the bonus disc, etc etc. It's all about cutting corners and making as much of a profit as they can. I fully expect them to cut corners with crappy shipping too, (if we ever get to the shipping stage).

The tone of Ross' posts seems to be "poor me I have so much work to do" so I wouldn't be surprised if he's actually *hoping* people will cancel their orders, so he doesn't have to deal with this anymore. Yeah I know that sounds crazy 'cause wouldn't AU lose a lot of money if people bought from Amazon instead? Maybe not, considering all the money they've stolen and the profits made on top of the original orders. I just hope they don't declare bankruptcy (to avoid paying people back and/or avoid having to ship the extras later). Yeah I'm paranoid. But it would also explain AU's apparent indifference about losing customers to the competition, and the fact that Ross almost seems to be *encouraging* people to cancel their orders now.

Isn't it ironic, the people who really *do* work hard, rarely complain about it or seek pity. Thank you Jason for being honest and being here for us. I admire the way you're dealing with all this stress, and some undeserved backlash.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to call Jason a hero who championed a great cause. :) It's not his fault that others involved are corrupt and have selfish motives. Although AU didn't make the decision for the right reasons, ultimately it's a great thing that MSCL will be available - through many vendors.

No matter what happens with AU Jason should be proud because the DVDs wouldn't exist if it weren't for him. Take a look at all the online petitions out there...Not many get results. I've signed a bunch and this is the only one that has. Jason deserves all the credit, in my opinion.

One way or another (I'm betting through Amazon) we'll be able to own our favorite show. At last! I remember that fact and want to celebrate, despite everything. In my experience the things most worth having, are the hardest to get. It's all worth it. Jason, you've done a wonderful thing and I, for one, will never forget it.

leerosevere
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Post by leerosevere » Oct 8th 2002, 5:33 pm

Oops, didn't mean to echo your bankruptcy theory unnecessarily... It just took me awhile to compose my long rant/ode and I didn't see your post until now. I really thought I was saying something new! :lol:

pgh_kenny wrote:while all the things that jason listed in bold seem irrational...

they would make sense if a company had a severe cashflow problem and was flirting with bankruptcy. i lived through the evolution of cash flow problems at an environmental engineering company (i.e. vendor non payment, bounced payroll checks), then chapter 11 (things will ge better soon we promise), then liquidation (opps sorry don't come to work tomorrow, but you can buy the office furnishings off of us for pennies on the dollar). the behavior in this current case does have it's parallels to what happened to me. you wouldn't beleive me if, i told you stories of what went on during that period.
Last edited by leerosevere on Oct 8th 2002, 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Natasha (candygirl)
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Oct 8th 2002, 5:35 pm

Sounds like a new member of the IJJTBB!

JASON! JASON! JASON!

:D

Hang in there - we'll buy you a beer no matter what happens with AU.

Jason R
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Post by Jason R » Oct 8th 2002, 5:37 pm

I started out as a marketer and now I feel like an online Al Sharpton or some s**t.

Just in case some future clients says "that Jason guy's got a screw loose, he's gonna fly off the handle if we use him," let me say for the record that I am pretty confident that there has never been a company as incompetent as AU.com.

Online marketing is a two-way street. You can make 3,000 sales in a month, and you can lose 3,000 sales in a month. Know why my company is called Dry Grass Partners?

Because dry grass is volatile. Throw a match on it and it goes up in flames. When they are good flames (i.e. lots of happy customers) this volatility is a good thing. When they are bad flames (i.e. lots of angry customers) this is a bad thing. I warned AU that they would get burned if they didn't heed some of my advice.

I knew that if other retailers could get it, it would go on sale at Amazon for much less than the pre-orderers paid. (ask Gord, I said this pretty much verbatim).

But, holy s**t! I never imagined that Amazon would sell it for sooooo little! $67 plus you can get added discounts! Even in my situation, I have to say that it's a fantastic price. Who am I to tell you not to save yourselves $45 bucks?

Gord was joking with me today. He said I could write two books about this experience:

1) How to Sell a Niche-Market Product
2) Just write the previous book backwards.
Last edited by Jason R on Oct 8th 2002, 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Natasha (candygirl)
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Oct 8th 2002, 5:40 pm

Don't worry, I'll smack you the day you morph into Louis Farrakhan.

:wink:

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