I-Mates are in North America

[werb]

We have been hit hard with emails and phone calls of our valued customers who have been waiting patiently. There is nothing that would make our sales team happier than to have the devices shipped to you the end customer. This entire process has been hard on us all, both customer waiting patiently and our team.

An end is in sight! And product is on the shelves again starting tomorrow, so if you wish to order this amazing device and help to support PPC Thoughts at the same time please use the following link.

http://estore.shopplex.com/app/storefront.aspx?cat_id=290&inv_id=31112230446767&modid=30214092059015&aid=5
(affiliate)

[Jason Dunn]

HOLY CRAP. 8O Incredible...

[Perk]

I browsed th site and found an address and phone number on this page. Just click on New York. Good luck! 8O

http://www.aramex.com/country_offices.asp?country=US

[wesley762]

watch out e-bay. those things have got to start poping up some where soon.

[iPAQ_ace]

Wow that's insane!!! That's Law and Order in real life...

I hope the shipment or contents was insured so that Tek'n'Toys isn't penalised with this large bill.

I'm hoping there is some way of tracking down from who and where the units came from if they are sold on e-bay by the serial number.

[Chafic]

I did go to the site and traked the numer. The only detail info that it shows is the sender and the receiver, nothing else.
However I noticed that the source is the UAE, does that mean these i-mates have the arabic stuff ??.
On another Note, I am sure they can be tracked thru serial numbers etc. I do hope however that it is a case of misplaced cargo

[Thinkingmandavid]

Wow, unreal, hard to believe. I sure hope they had those insured because that is a lot of money. sounds maybe it was an inside job, I wonder what the chances are of it being stolen if not inside.
It should not be that easy for them to keep track of their customers merchandise. It does really look bad on aramex.com since it was the first and for sure last time tek n toys is dealing with them.

[Programmer]

watch out e-bay. those things have got to start poping up some where soon.

Hey maybe I can get one at a great price! :twisted:

:splat: No tomatoes. I am just kidding!

-- Robert

[Jon Westfall]

1 word to describe this: wow

[tsb_hcy]

As long as the shipment was insured I'm all for it. Maybe I'll be able to pick up one to play with. It would make a nice companion to my e805. ;)

[latitude]

YES I SAY WOW...AND WOW YOU SHOULD ALL READ THE POSTS OVER AT POCKETPCPASSION.COM!

http://www.pocketpcpassion.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39242&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

:oops:

[Fzara]

HOLY CRAP. 8O Incredible...

Jason, perhaps a good idea would be to evaluate how much longer this goes on for, and if this chenanigan continues, to break your affiliation with Tek'n Toys.

My 0.02.

[xoiph]

I don't think it's Tek n' Toys' fault if a shipment was stolen. As long as they have enough to cover the current orders, I don't see why you should blame Tek n' Toys for anything.

^^^I retract my original statement after reading the PPCP forum^^^

[latitude]

Nope not their fault for a stolen shipment but you should read the posts on pocketpcpassion about Tek'nToys charging credit cards BEFORE they have shipped the product. Then when people cancel the order because they don't have it the buyer is left with a difference in exchange. THEY LOOSE MONEY AND HAVE NOTHING! That is really wrong. They never should have charged before they shipped something. Not to mention Todd releasing personal information about people (Names)...read it then you will say Holy Crap! Incredible

http://www.pocketpcpassion.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39242&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

[toml]

Okay, so the first shipment was stolen and you can't find any contact info for the shipper, so you order TWO MORE shipments shipped via the SAME SHIPPER? Huh?? Fool me twice, shame on me.

Anyhow, Here's the whois info for the aramex.com domain. It's got a few numbers in it, perhaps it will help you get ahold of them directly.

Registrant:
ARAMEX International
16515 145th Drive
Jamaica, NY 11434
US
+962 6 5522192


Domain Name: ARAMEX.COM

Administrative Contact:
Barghout, Hani [email protected]
16515 145th Drive
Jamaica, NY 11434
US
+962 6 5522192


Technical Contact:
Barghout, Hani [email protected]
16515 145th Drive
Jamaica, NY 11434
US
+962 6 5522192

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, perhaps a good idea would be to evaluate how much longer this goes on for, and if this chenanigan continues, to break your affiliation with Tek'n Toys. My 0.02.

You misintepreted my expression - I was in awe that the shipment was stolen, that's all. I've read the thread over at Pocket PC Passion, and it's gotten a little ugly...:? I don't want to get in the middle of this, but I do think that people need to understand what a painful position Tek 'n Toys is in, especially when dealing with another company for credit card processing that does things they're not supposed to. Things are rarely as simple as they seem, and a bit of grace and patience would go a long way. Sometimes I think the Internet has destroyed the virtue of patience forever - we want everything RIGHT NOW.... :|

[lanwarrior]

8O Oh.. my.. gawd...

Now what happened in that forum is super bad.. especially on Tek N toys side. I wouldn't spoil the story boys and girls.. but go over there and judge for yourself. I do not want to "imply" anything, since I may get whacked by certain "people".

[bjornkeizers]

Un-f'in-believable!

Well, whatever the case may be, they sure as hell have some pissed off customers over there. I wouldn't be surprised if they got out the torches and pitchforks...

[kamikun]

Jeez... that's just... that's just... crikey; I got no words for what's going on over there. (Apart from: What the *** was TnT thinkin' with that response???)

Look I know working Customer Service can wear on your nerves. But the place to let loose on the disgruntled customer is NOT in public, and definitely NOT in a public forum where your loss of composure is in recordable form and available for later download and browsing. And the form of your outburst should never leave you open to threats of legal action....

I don't have a clue what's really going down with TnT but speaking as someone who just yesterday sent them an email inquiry cause I was getting ready to make an order (actually a follow-up email as the first went unanswered for twelve days).... I'm gonna hold off - for awhile.

Scary.

[Boxster S]

So let me get this straight.

- TnT CHARGED their customers LONG before they even got the shipments of the product in.

- TnT then proceeded to "beat around the bush" when it came to shipment dates for said products. I'm not gonna say "lie" but a spade is a spade.

- Then, when customers cancelled their orders due to TnT not coming through with the orders, the customers were stuck with conversion fees b/c their CC's were charged when they SHOULDN'T have been in the first place??

HELLO!!! If TnT had not CHARGED customers in the first place before actually, PHYSICALLY having the products in their possession, there wouldn't be ANY problems with cancelled orders being charged extra funds due to conversion rates.

Then on top of that, posting a users full name and then saying that they would post ALL of his information save for his CC info is just downright DIRTY!

I don't see how PPCT could stay associated with this company.

[bjornkeizers]

You got it Boxster. They charged the customers when they ordered - the same day. When the goods weren't forthcoming, they ... well, lie is such a strong word - they just didn't tell the customer anything or a load of bollocks from what I read.

The cc exchange rate thing I can understand. It happens. But since they didn't tell the customers this could happen, and billed them regardless, it's definitely entirely TnT's fault.

And TnT's replys... well, if I was him, I'd turn it down a notch. Posting someone's info is definitely not cool, and this will cost him some serious business. I certainly wouldn't buy from them, and if I was PPCT, I wouldn't want to be associated with TnT right now.

[Boxster S]

You got it Boxster. They charged the customers when they ordered - the same day. When the goods weren't forthcoming, they ... well, lie is such a strong word - they just didn't tell the customer anything or a load of bollocks from what I read.

The cc exchange rate thing I can understand. It happens. But since they didn't tell the customers this could happen, and billed them regardless, it's definitely entirely TnT's fault.

And TnT's replys... well, if I was him, I'd turn it down a notch. Posting someone's info is definitely not cool, and this will cost him some serious business. I certainly wouldn't buy from them, and if I was PPCT, I wouldn't want to be associated with TnT right now.

Yeah, I COMPLETELY understand the exchange rate thing...but it wouldn't have even been an issue AT ALL if they HADN'T charged the customers long before actually receiving the merchandise for shipment to the customer.

This is just a seriously borked situation no matter which way you look at it

[octop8]

In their defence, I have to say that I received 3 emails explaining the situation since I placed my order for an XDA II backpack on 21/22 January. I guess I was lucky in that my credit card company rejected the charge (some strict policy on international purchases over the internet). But since I placed my order, I've been kept informed with at least 3 emails. And although charging customers before they receive the goods would be seen as an unacceptable practice, this is not a new business model on the internet. In fact, it is a pretty common one. One good thing about doing business over the internet is its instantaneous nature which eliminates the need for holding inventory.

[werb]

Well I must apologize for my actions here on this post. I have been run through the ringer over and over by people who will not attempt to communicate face to face but rather on a forum such as this and I had enough. If you feel me looking up your information to find out whom is making such comments is invading your privacy then well I am forever be considered Big Brother. I did not want this and believe me I have lost a lot of money by this situation. I don't understand why someone wouldn't work to find out why/how they have lost funds rather than just complain about it here. I have twice now asked for your assistance in retrieving information so we can get to the bottom of this but the fighting continues.

I am not innocent here and I after taking time away to clear my head I am not proud of what I have done and said today. I do feel that any situation can be rectified but both sides must come to a COMPERMISE. I look at this situation with a ray of hope, as without it to point out the flaws in our merchant services we would have never have known that there was such a issue and it would have been allowed to continue. Due to the unfortunate nature of this issue we have been also charged (merchant fees of 3%) for orders that could have easily been cancelled/voided before the units were to ship to the consumer. With the level of cancellations we have received thanks to this post and the payments on the delayed shipments it will take us a long time to recover. This is not a plea for pity just the facts in the case. I started this company three and a half years ago because I saw a need for a retailer that cares about the latest and greatest products out at the time. Without companies such as Tek ‘n Toys there will be no one left to supply you the consumer but companies such as Amazon and Mobile Planet.

So with a nights sleep I thought as a customer and asked how would I have liked this handled? So as of right now all those that are out funds can email me at [email protected] will all relevant information of missing funds and I will out of my own account replace all lost funds. I hope that this will ease some of the mistrust and as for BuddhaBravo and Jazlee I apologies for posting your names and will have to live with the fact that I may have killed my own company in a moment of unimaginable frustration. To the entire community, I am deeply sorry and only hope that over time we can rebuild a level of trust.

Todd Werboweski

[werb]

I would like to clarify that AGB the distributor of the I-Mate products has been working with us at every step of this situation. They have bent over backwards to be of assistance, and we never intended to portray them in an ill regard. I would like to publicly thank AGB for all their assistance.

[Jason Dunn]

I don't see how PPCT could stay associated with this company.

Because I know most of what has really happened in my discussions with Todd, unlike you. Making accusations without all the facts is unfair, yet that's exactly what most of you have been doing. As usual, it's easier to mindlessly flame someone instead of listening to what they're saying and trying to understand the situation and why it happened.

I can understand why people are frustrated, and they have every right to be, but an ounce of grace and patience would go a long way here - Todd is obviously trying very hard to get this ugly mess resolved, and if he wasn't, he wouldn't be posting in public forums. It's not like he PLANNED for $177,000 USD worth of Pocket PCs to be stolen, nor did he PLAN for the credit card processing company to charge people's credit cards rather than just place a hold on them (which is normal).

Ugly things happen in life, and it's how you deal with them that matters.

[Boxster S]

I don't see how PPCT could stay associated with this company.

Because I know most of what has really happened in my discussions with Todd, unlike you. Making accusations without all the facts is unfair, yet that's exactly what most of you have been doing. As usual, it's easier to mindlessly flame someone instead of listening to what they're saying and trying to understand the situation and why it happened.

I can understand why people are frustrated, and they have every right to be, but an ounce of grace and patience would go a long way here - Todd is obviously trying very hard to get this ugly mess resolved, and if he wasn't, he wouldn't be posting in public forums. It's not like he PLANNED for $177,000 USD worth of Pocket PCs to be stolen, nor did he PLAN for the credit card processing company to charge people's credit cards rather than just place a hold on them (which is normal).

Ugly things happen in life, and it's how you deal with them that matters.

Mindlessly flame? Posting someone's personal information on a public forum then stating that they would post everything else but his CC number isn't flaming?

It just seems to me that this whole thing has been handled totally unprofessionally.

And the problem with the whole CC processing is moot. It is ULITMATELY TnT's responsibility as to how CC processing is handled. Sure, they may outsource it to someone else, but ultimately TnT is the one that has to answer to the customer. So to not know what's going on in your own "backyard" in regards to CC processing is being a little short-cited. Not knowing a detail like that about a company that is processing hundred of thousands of dollars for you is just beyond comprehension.

It just so happens that they were able to "get by" by doing so in the past if they had items on hand (and hence, the charges would be roughly in line with the shipping date). But when things get turned upside down (ala, delayed product shipment), the flaws were IMMEDIATELY brought to light.

And WHEN that was brought to light, the company should have done EVERYTHING in their power to rectify the issue instead of skate around the issue and place blame on other parties (which was the case at the beginning of this thread).

Delaying products is one thing...we all have it happen. But charging people beforehand, and on top of that people actually LOSING money b/c of cancellations and then saying that "We just now found out this was going on" is poor business practice and could have been totally avoided if they had properly researched their CC processing establishment beforehand.

Anyway, that's all I have to say right now about this.

[Fzara]

I agree, things happen. Todd will eventually have to re-build the trust towards Tek'n Toys, and prove to the community that they are a worthwhile company to do business with.

With respect to this whole issue, I feel the topic should be locked and all further inquiries, comments, or suggestions should be sent to Todd's email address, [email protected].

Again, my 0.02, but I also know what the problems are dealing with customer relations and it is not an easy thing to satisfy the many that deal with that company.

[Kati Compton]

And the problem with the whole CC processing is moot. It is ULITMATELY TnT's responsibility as to how CC processing is handled. Sure, they may outsource it to someone else, but ultimately TnT is the one that has to answer to the customer. So to not know what's going on in your own "backyard" in regards to CC processing is being a little short-cited. Not knowing a detail like that about a company that is processing hundred of thousands of dollars for you is just beyond comprehension.

<snip>

...is poor business practice and could have been totally avoided if they had properly researched their CC processing establishment beforehand.

I am not commenting on how they handled the situation after this happened, but it seems quite possible that either the credit card processing company could have lied to them about the issue (and therefore they would not have known before now), or they trusted that the processing company would just behave properly. It's actually a bit difficult to get a non-paypal credit card processing system (having been privy to the process a while ago), and it's even harder to find one that does it for a reasonable %. So there may not have been room to ask many questions back then. And they state that they're looking into rectifying the situation now that they know it exists.

So on this particular sub-issue, I (personally) would not be quick to blame them.

[newbe]

I also posted this on Pocket PC Passion.

I never posted anything on this site, I have visited this site, and read several of the posts when I was doing my homework, where to purchase my I-mate. I placed an order about a month ago with Tek-n-Toys. I too am frustrated that I do not have my new cool PDA phone to play with, and I am limping along with a regular cell phone (I switched carriers and my previous PDA Phone is locked to their network). However, I do not believe that venting, on this site, and jumping to conclusions, regarding the integrity of this company, will relieve my frustration, or fix the problem for that matter. I have not considered canceling my order with Tek-n-Toys, nor do I doubt that I will receive my product very soon. Why should I doubt them, they have been straight forward with me through this entire crisis. Their problem is not an internal problem to them, but an external problem. They can only communicate to us the information that is provided to them, if they receive inaccurate (or incomplete) information, then what are their options? I believe, they are trying to deal with the problem the best way they know how. Any company can be considered a “great supplier” when there are no problems with their supply chain. However, the real test of a company is how they react and respond to problems. In my experience, I think they have done a great job. 1) They have remained in communication with me regarding the delays. A lot of companies cease all communication during such a crisis. 2) They have provided me with tracking information and the name of the carrier (how many companies will do this honestly?). 3) When the delay was discovered, they ordered a replacement shipment. They could have waited to recover the initial shipment, or get reimbursed for that shipment before outlaying more capital. 4) They do not have a history of taking advantage of their customers. I could not fine many negative posts on this site prior to this incident. 5) They offered a full refund (yes, I mean a full refund). I am reading about some charge vs. credit differences due to exchange rates, but I am sure those will be fixed. They do not have control over the exchange rate (in fact it could have just as easily gone in the buyers favor). 6) My credit card has been charged also, but not in deceit, these things do happen.

We must also take into consideration, what financial and emotional strain this is putting on them.
In summary I realize that I am purchasing a device that is just now being introduced into North America, and it is shipping halfway across the globe. This typically is not a big deal, and we are all spoiled because it is done so effortlessly. But, in my experience when something goes wrong, it goes really wrong.

I would like to commend this company for the way they are dealing with this problem and doing the right things. If you cannot share my view, at the very minimum give them the “benefit of the doubt”.

[Jason Dunn]

Mindlessly flame? Posting someone's personal information on a public forum then stating that they would post everything else but his CC number isn't flaming?

I agree that it was inappropriate for Todd to do that, but let's keep this in perspective: only the name of the person was revealed, nothing else. Todd was obviously upset and made a poor judgement call - I've certainly done that in the past, so I can't throw any stones here. Can you?

It just seems to me that this whole thing has been handled totally unprofessionally.

Agreed, but it was on both sides though - customers have as much responsibility to be courteous and polite as the vendor does, but let's face it, as "Internet consumers" today, most of us lack patience and understanding when it comes to these things. The people posting on Passion under handles and not their real names makes it very hard for Todd to address the concerns of the people posting. And let's face it, in a virtual world, it's all too easy to hide and make false accusations. Todd should not have reacted the way he did, but he's human like the rest of us, and if someone was more or less calling you a crook in a public forum read by 1000's of people, could you really react with 100% peace and calm? I'm not excusing what happened, but to pretend that there are no mitigating factors is ignorant.

And the problem with the whole CC processing is moot. It is ULITMATELY TnT's responsibility as to how CC processing is handled.

Agreed, it's 100% Tek n' Toys responsibility for ensuring that their customers are satisfied. But guess what? Not everything can be solved overnight - I've been chatting with Todd today, and he's actively working to fix this. Not taking responsibility would mean denying that there was any sort of problem, but he hasn't done that - he's simply explained what caused the problem, and now he's trying to fix it. I'll leave it up to Todd to explain what happened, but let's just say that the CC processing company screwed up in a very, very big way. Yes, it's Todd's responsibility to make things right, but trying to get ANOTHER company to do the right thing isn't always easy.

I've seen snippets of this even with subscriber services - I'm amazed at how often things seem to go wrong. I shipped someone three micro lights, and after over a month, they never arrived. The person was gracious enough to give me the benefit of the doubt and requested them again, and I sent them out - and, thankfully, they arrived. But if that person had sent me an angry email claiming that I had stolen their money and not shipped them the product, I'd have a hard time keeping perfectly calm. It's not easy when someone insults your honour and integrity...let's keep that in mind when judging Todd's actions.

[JustinGTP]

Jason!

I agree with everything you have said so far. Things can happen to everyone and this obviously happened to Todd - I've talked to him through email before and he seems reasonable, professional, etc. etc.

I think that everyone should really look into what has really happened, seek first to understand. All of this negative impact will surely hurt the image of Tek 'n Toys, but people, you are not making it any better! I want to see how you would handle this situation if your were in Todd's shoes....

-Justin.

[tsb_hcy]

My prediction? TnT is going down, and deservedly so. I can't believe they would post personal information in a forum. IMO, they should face a fine that makes their stolen shipment look like pocket change and jail time for that. They spent three years building a company then took it down in three minutes. Pathetic.

I beg PPCT to drop this pathetic excuse for an affiliate ASAP.

[Jason Dunn]

I beg PPCT to drop this pathetic excuse for an affiliate ASAP.

Actually, what I'm going to do is give Tek 'n Toys some time to sort this whole mess out, which is something that some people aren't letting them have. When things like this all go wrong at the same time (shipment stolen, credit card company charging cards when they're not supposed to), it can't all be solved in 24 hours. I know for a fact that Todd is working very hard to get everything sorted out, and I'm going to give him some time to do that. This time next week I'll evaluate where things are and see if orders have been fulfilled, refunds processed, etc.

I'd respectfully ask everyone here to do that same, and to keep the mob mentality to a minimum - we don't need it here.

- Jason

PS - I think one thing we're forgetting is how easy it is to attack a small business when it's run by a PERSON and not a giant CORPORATION. People have had similar screw-ups with big vendors like Amazon, but the type of anger expressed is very different because there's no face to the group. Try to remember you're dealing with another human being here and extend a bit of respect and grace, ok?

[tsb_hcy]

Amazon never posted my personal information anywhere. :|

[Kati Compton]

Amazon never posted my personal information anywhere. :|
No, but other big companies have sold my email address to spammers.

[tsb_hcy]

Maybe, but they explicitly say they have the right to do so in the fine print. Did you bother to read it? However, TnT directly promises not to do so and I quote:

"We are the sole owners of the information collected on the Tek `n Toys Inc. website. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily provide us via email, online check-out process, or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone. We will use your information to respond to you regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization other than specific organizations that we work with during the process of fulfilling your order (e.g. couriers)."

Those companies that sold your e-mail address were given the right to sell it by you when you agreed to their statements.

I should also note that today the TnT people have AGAIN released confidential information on PPCP. TnT people have also been harassing customers by e-mail and even OVER THE PHONE. Stop the madness, stop the affiliation before PPCT's reputation is taken down a notch due to this lunatic.

[Jason Dunn]

I should also note that today the TnT people have AGAIN released confidential information on PPCP. TnT people have also been harassing customers by e-mail and even OVER THE PHONE.

I've been reading the thread as well, and assuming that you're talking about Todd's final post today, the only information that was posted was the name of the attorney that a customer was using - but the name of that customer was never posted (it said "Name Withheld"]). Please explain to me how the name of an attorney is confidential information? And the hypocrisy of BuddhaBravo is incredible - he objects to Todd publishing his real name (which I don't think is a big deal anyway), but then he proceeds to publish an ENTIRE private email discussion between himself and Todd? :roll: Two wrongs don't make a right, so if BuddhaBravo did it to retaliate at Todd, it was equally as stupid. The behaviour of certain people in that thread, and in this one, disgusts me. :?

If a customer is posting in public forums that he's being denied a refund, why is it harassment to try and reach that customer to process their refund? BuddhaBravo is grandstanding, claiming one thing while doing another - I believe he's doing this on purpose, to what end I don't know.

Stop the madness, stop the affiliation before PPCT's reputation is taken down a notch due to this lunatic.

Stop being such an alarmist! The only reputation you should worry about is your own - I'm going to stick by what I said, which is give Tek 'n Toys a week to work out this problem, then find out if the issues are resolved or not. It's grossly naive to assume that this can all be solved immediately, and Todd has proven himself to an honest businessman thus far, so I believe he has earned the benefit of the doubt here.

Besides, what exactly is your stake in this? Did you order an iMate from Tek 'n Toys? Did they deny you a refund? Or are you "fighting the good fight" for others? You seem particularly angry about this issue, and I'd like to know why.

[Paragon]

Sorry Jason,

I was afraid that when I closed the thread at Passion that some would float over here to continue the battle.

Listen you guys, Jason and the folks here at PPCThoughts don't need or deserve this battle. As I said at Passion a few times, sit back take a breath and give it a day or two. I'm quite certain that Todd and Tek N Toys will sort this all out. It is impossible to do that when you are constantly bombarded with accusations, and having every word you say micro analyzed.

The time for accusations is over. Its now time to let him do what has to be done to repair the situation.

Dave

[DaleReeck]

I've been supportive of TnT previously in PPCP (and was even thanked by their phone rep for being understanding). But today, after being told by phone earlier in the week that product will begin shipping on Wednesday of this week (I ordered a backpack), I got an email saying that "hopefully" they will ship out starting Friday. Also, all accessory orders cannot be filled from that shipment and the remainder will ship out early next week. I don't know if they mean it will ship from them to me early next week or if the shipment to their warehouse from the distributor will ship early next week, meaning I get it late next week (I ordered overnight).

I don't know if I'm in the tomorrow (Friday) shipment or the next week one. I ordered more than three weeks ago, so I assume I will be near the top of the group and may get in on the Friday shipment, meaning I get it Monday. I don't know for sure. But this is the third time I was told a shipping date was occurring, only to be put back again. The email today I got said that the orders were picked up today from customs and they assume its on its way to Boston (a distribution center?). Also, they ASSUME? How can they not know for sure? Anyways, according to those tracking numbers that were posted earlier in the week, two shipments have been sitting in customs since Monday. If those web pages were accurate, then what exactly took so long to get those orders moving? Customs fault? TnT's fault? I don't know that either.

The bottom line is, my patience is wearing thin here. I'm sticking with them because they are still my best chance for getting the backpack early (thanks HTC for having your thumb up your butt getting these accessories out months after the XDA II's release). But TnT's performance so far, especially communication and in what is essentially controlling their own stock, has been poor. There's no excuse. I believe that TnT is trying to sort this out and is not purposely being deceptive. But my advice to them is, try harder.

[tsb_hcy]

I should also note that today the TnT people have AGAIN released confidential information on PPCP. TnT people have also been harassing customers by e-mail and even OVER THE PHONE.

I've been reading the thread as well, and assuming that you're talking about Todd's final post today, the only information that was posted was the name of the attorney that a customer was using - but the name of that customer was never posted (it said "Name Withheld"]). Please explain to me how the name of an attorney is confidential information? And the hypocrisy of BuddhaBravo is incredible - he objects to Todd publishing his real name (which I don't think is a big deal anyway), but then he proceeds to publish an ENTIRE private email discussion between himself and Todd? :roll: Two wrongs don't make a right, so if BuddhaBravo did it to retaliate at Todd, it was equally as stupid. The behaviour of certain people in that thread, and in this one, disgusts me. :?

If a customer is posting in public forums that he's being denied a refund, why is it harassment to try and reach that customer to process their refund? BuddhaBravo is grandstanding, claiming one thing while doing another - I believe he's doing this on purpose, to what end I don't know.

Stop the madness, stop the affiliation before PPCT's reputation is taken down a notch due to this lunatic.

Stop being such an alarmist! The only reputation you should worry about is your own - I'm going to stick by what I said, which is give Tek 'n Toys a week to work out this problem, then find out if the issues are resolved or not. It's grossly naive to assume that this can all be solved immediately, and Todd has proven himself to an honest businessman thus far, so I believe he has earned the benefit of the doubt here.

Besides, what exactly is your stake in this? Did you order an iMate from Tek 'n Toys? Did they deny you a refund? Or are you "fighting the good fight" for others? You seem particularly angry about this issue, and I'd like to know why.

That guy never promised in writing that the e-mail was confidential and private. TnT promised in writing that all information from the customer was confidential. The two can't be compared.

I understand you have your own view in the matter, but I wouldn't risk the reputation of my website for some lunatic.

The reason I posted is because I believe in privacy. I almost always use proxies when I surf and carefully read the fine print whenever I submit info. TnT has broken contract and should be punished by law.

I'd never order such an overpriced, overrrated PPC/phone myself. If it had a 4" VGA screen, CF II, wifi and an external antennae and was under $600 I'd jump on it. :mrgreen:

[DaleReeck]

Overpriced, yes. Overrated, no. The fastest PPC I ever had. Also, personally, I like no extenal antenna. An antenna sticking out ruins the form factor for me. A PPC is big enough. I don't need another inch sticking out from it. No antenna also means that it passes the flight attendant test - you know, those flight antendents who don't understand the concept of phone off/PDA on. No antenna means that its not an obvious phone :)

[Jason Dunn]

That guy never promised in writing that the e-mail was confidential and private. TnT promised in writing that all information from the customer was confidential. The two can't be compared.

Pure semantics. Private conversations between two people should never be put in a public forum read by 1000's unless both parties agree. It's simply a moral issue and a respect issue.

I understand you have your own view in the matter, but I wouldn't risk the reputation of my website for some lunatic.

Is it possible for you to discuss this issue without hurling insults? It's petty.

TnT has broken contract and should be punished by law.

He's a human being who made a mistake - it's that simple. If Todd had published the guys name, phone number, address, and credit card number, yes, I would agree with you. But it was just his name - that's a very minor breech of privacy in my view, but then again, I use my real name pretty much everywhere - I don't have anything to hide, and I don't comprehend the whole "handle" concept very well. I don't think he SHOULD have done that - it was an error on his part - but let's keep this in perspective shall we?

[DaleReeck]

Yeah, I'm not a big "handle" guy either. People tend to be braver behind the keyboard when they use handles than if they are using their real name. Not all people. Many just think it's cool. But I'm not big on it.

[DaleReeck]

it was an error on his part - but let's keep this in perspective shall we?


Unfortunately, this is the "laywer era", where the slightest indescretion has people threatening lawsuits. People have become more and more selfish as time goes on. Some won't give a break no matter what and will jump on the smallest hiccup in life as if it were a grave injustice to them. We are not just the "me" generation anymore, we are the "me and only me RIGHT NOW!" generation :) You see it in the forums too. Whenever a company does something that upsets people, doesn't fix a device, doesn't offer an upgrade etc, you know that someone will eventually let loose with the "lets start a class action lawsuit" post.

I'm not saying to let your be walked over. But the fuse is so short these days, no one will give people a chance.

[tsb_hcy]

All a crook needs is your name to start the process of getting a SS number/card, driver's license, bank account and CC. It is foolish to use your real name online. I have nothing to hide, I just don't want to make myself an open target. I admit the possibility of this happening to a single individual is remote, but why take that risk?

Also, it has never been immoral to post e-mails coming from companies online. The practice is quite common and accepted. I am surprised to see anyone dispute this. Regardless, the law was not broken by the guy posting the company's e-mail, but it was broken by TnT posting personal information.

I'm all for giving second chances, but TnT doesn't deserve one for their flagrant disrespect for the law and for privacy. Let's not even get into harassing/threatening e-mails and/or phone calls. Let's not get into all the lies, broken promises and delays.

I am not sure about the penalty, but if my search effort was correct, TnT could be punished with a fine up to $250,000 and/or 5 years in prison.

[Jason Dunn]

I was hoping people would cool down and stop the lies and slandering, but since they haven't, this thread is now locked. I will unlock it again next week to re-open the issue as to whether or not people have either received their hardware, or received their refunds.

[Jason Dunn]

As I committed to, I'm unlocking this thread to continue a rational discussion of this issue and ensure that all Pocket PC Thoughts readers have been taken care of. My purpose in posting this is not to speak for Tek 'n Toys, but to ensure everyone involved that I'm staying close to the situation to make sure that everyone is treated fairly in this.

I've been asking Todd almost every day what the status is, so I'm quite aware of the issues he's been having. There are two issues of importance here: customers getting 100% of their money back, and customers getting the hardware they ordered.

On the refunds front, I've been told that all but two refunds have been processed. One is from a customer who was out about five dollars short on the exchange, and Todd is sending him a company cheque today, so that should be solved. It's important to understand that if a customer is charged the equivalent of $800 USD, Tek 'n Toys can only refund that amount - and, because of currency fluctuations between USD and CND, some customers lost money on the refund. Any customer who contacted Tek 'n Toys with proof of the short was given a 100% refund. Why does Tek 'n Toys need proof you might ask? They can't see the exact amount that was charged on the credit card - they only know the amount that they charged, and refunded, but the real amount will vary from credit card to credit card.

The only other incomplete refund is from a customer who is refusing to provide proof of the short, and is referring all attempts by Tek 'n Toys to his lawyer. Since getting a lawyer involved never got anything finished quickly, I'm confident the fault for the delay lies with that customer and not Tek 'n Toys (there's only so much a company can do if the customer refuses to cooperate).

Next, on the issue of the hardware, 2/3rds of the iMate Pocket PC Phone Editions have been shipped out to customers. The remaining 50 or so have been stuck in customs since the 9th of February (I've logged on and looked at the shipment status) - the shipping company (this is the first time they've been used) apparently botched the paperwork somehow, and despite three phone calls a day from Tek 'n Toys to the customs department, thus far there's no (or little) forward movement. When you consider these devices are coming from Dubai (the Middle East), into the US, then into Canada, it puts some of the delays into perspective. Meanwhile, Tek 'n Toys has been receiving small shipments of iMates via UPS, and fulfilling the orders as best they can. Remember that if the first shipment hadn't been stolen, there would be no availability issues.

There has been some very harsh criticism of myself for sticking by Tek 'n Toys throughout this situation, and I hope the above explanation is sufficient for those who doubted that this would have an acceptable ending. Tek 'n Toys is, in short, the best vendor I've ever worked with. I've been partnered with Amazon and many other large companies, and they wouldn't give me the time of day. To them, I was just another Web site - just a number. Tek 'n Toys respects their affiliates and communicates with them regularly, and that's not a relationship I will ever easily abandon, provided the affiliate partner does business in a fair and ethical manner. I'm satisfied that Tek 'n Toys has done exactly that, through some very difficult situations beyond their control.

Further comments welcome...

[Jeff Rutledge]

Glad to hear that things seem to have been resolved. Hopefully the level of conversation will be a little cooler now that some time has passed.

[JustinGTP]

Indeed,

Todd wouldn't do anything to potentially damage his business on purpose. As they say, things happen.

-Justin.

[DaleReeck]

Unfortunately, my accessory ordered (backpack) is part of those customs shipments. At this point, I really don't care who's fault it is. It is beyond me how no one can get an answer from anybody about the shipments.

It would help to know exactly what the holdup is. Unfortunately, while "generics" are communicated, they are not very helpful in really knowing what's going on. For example, I don't know what "little movement" means. Did Customs tell TnT what needs to be done, but TnT can't get it all together? Is the shipper or the shipping company declining to rectify the proper paperwork or do what it needs to do? Or does customs not say what the problem is?

If its the first one, then TnT just needs to get it done. If phone calls aren't getting it done and they have to fly someone out to NY for a face to face, then so be it. If its the second one, then maybe its time to get legal pressure involved, if possible. If its the third one, then see my "face to face" suggestion. Its unacceptable and incompetent, even for our Customs Department, to be that clueless and uncoorporative. DEMAND that Customs gets to the bottom of it. Make someone there responsible and let them know that their life is OVER until this gets resolved.

I'm just tired of waiting. Get it done.

[DaleReeck]

FYI, I noticed for the past day that the shipping numbers provided don't work anymore. The aaramex web site comes up blank when those two numbers are entered, so I'm not sure what thet means. Its probably just a glitch.

[Jason Dunn]

Unfortunately, my accessory ordered (backpack) is part of those customs shipments. At this point, I really don't care who's fault it is. It is beyond me how no one can get an answer from anybody about the shipments.

Maybe it's time to cancel your order then and get a refund? It might be the best option considering your frustration level...(I'm sure I'd be frustrated too).

[DaleReeck]

Unfortunately, as frustrated as I am with TnT, I may be even more frustrated at HTC, who apparently is completely incapable of producing products at anywhere near the level of stock they need to be. This phone has been out for months, yet the phone is still difficult to get and the accessries impossible. The backpack in particular cannot be had anywhere. I haven't found a single place that has it. TnT claims the backpack is in their held customs shipment, so they are still my best chance to get one - which to me is unbelievable considering how long the phone has been out and how long backpack was supposed to be available already (it was announced as "available" in January I think). Yet no one has it. Other accessories are just as difficult, if not impossible, to find.

There is no excuse for HTC taking this long to get production going on these units and accessories.

[werb]

We have been forced to order from another supplier and are told that the shipment will be sent out to us on Sunday. We are using UPS for the shipping and should see the devices mid next week (Tuesday). There are still the two shipments being held by the US customs office as well, so we will have an abundance of I-Mates and accessories very soon.

Todd Werboweski
CEO
Tek 'n Toys Inc.

[werb]

Hello,

This is to let all involved know that I-Mates have been delivered to our distribution center as of 20 minutes ago! Accessories will be following. If you have ordered an I-Mate you will have your tracking information sent to you by 6:00 PM PST. If there are any questions please email [email protected]

PS. There are lots left over for purchase today!