The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

As someone who jumped in with some spare cash and has not looked back or concerned myself with actual delivery dates. I know it will come but the process we now have to go through is getting to be insane.

My order was charged to my account

Wed, Oct 1 2008DRAFT WDL POS($373.35)
GP32 DISTRIBUTION NEWCASTLE UP

I was refunded

Tue, Dec 2 2008DRAFT DEPOSIT POS$304.11
GP32 DISTRIBUTION BATTERSEA

And I am being told to reorder. I inquired about what happened to the rest of my money???

I was told

"Hi,

The difference in the price is due to the exchange rate at the time of the refund. As the bank has insisted we refund orders we have no control over this. But the re-order price will be approximately the same as the refund you have received.

We are really sorry for all the inconvenience this has caused."

--------------------------------------------------

I am starting to become concerned about this whole mess. How about anyone else?? I am planning on reordering still, and it sure as heck better not be more than $304.11 for my console and AV cables....

I still cannot reorder until they send a new link.
Is anyone else experiencing this same process and money discrepancy ?????

To be clear the pandora team has been responsive to all my questions and very courteous. But the process is now giving me some concerns

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

Yeah, I'm generally unimpressed with the delays, and mainly the lack of information and very very optimistic predictions for when things will be finished.

I'll probably still get one when the re-order link is finished (I'm in the UK so no money change issues for me), but really it's just a placeholder until the "N900" comes out.

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

I lost 8 euros in reordering, but that was because I reordered using a bank transfer and was charged with costs (I knew this beforehand, but used the transfer because I'm going to be off the grid soon). Had I used my credit card again, I would have actually gained about 5 euros.

It certainly is a big cr*pfest, but the blame is entirely on the effing bank, not the developers.

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

Penguinbait:
- You paid an amount X in dollars that was equivalent to an amount Y pounds at the time.
- You got refunded Y pounds, to a new exchange rate, amounting to Z dollars.
- When you re-order, you will have to pay that exact same Y pounds that you originally paid, and which you got refunded.
- To pay those Y pounds you now only have to pay Z dollars.

In other words, unless the exchange rate fluctuates a lot between you receiving the refund and you re-ordering you'll end up with losing whatever extra charges you had to pay at the time of the original ordering (and whatever charges you have to pay now). You _don't_ lose due to the exchange rate changes: The pound dropped compared to the dollar. You got less dollars back, but there are less dollars to pay, for the same reason.

Now, if that CC re-order link could just get ready.. apparently it depends on those final refunds reaching some US customers. It's all in the hands of that darn bank, apparently.

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

I've had this happen in the past: it isn't the retailer's fault, only the banks benefit from the difference in exchange rate. If you contact your card issuer they will usually be happy to issue a credit to compensate for the change in exchange rate.

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

the middle man always gets his money, no matter what happens...

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

I understand, and as I stated, I had better not be charged more than $304.11. However if I had at this point decided to NOT reorder, I would be out about $69. Quite honestly if N900 was out I would not even reorder, and I would just lose my $69. The Pandora console for me though was never about a maemo replacment, it was about having a handy dandy little gaming device that runs linux too.

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

Well there are obviously bank issues, but there are still delays in the LCD orders, they have not been completed (and the delivery date for finished devices was supposed to be over a week ago).

Add to that the fact that the cases have only just been finalised and nothing but prototypes still exist, and also that there are production issues with the boards + chips (i.e. sticking them on) which haven't been sorted and it's certainly not just the banks.

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

Well, it is about a lesson now: Never ever preorder anything from shady little startups that have no previous record of hardware manufacturing or design. And it does not matter how many "open source" stickers are plastered over their web page. If you are betting money, at least make good bets.

Re: The Pandora Cluster Bleep
 

Good bets are ones that are backed up by a credit card ;)

I'm not overly worried about the money (as in whether it's a scam), just that I can see the Pandora moving progressively backwards into the assumed launch date for the "N900" (which means it will be a waste of money to get a Pandora when I'd far prefer to hack on the "N900").