Folks
As you may be aware, rather than annoucing the times of sales as we did with the original FCD, with everyone scrambling to their keyboards in the middle of the night, I spent a lot of time getting a pre-order waiting list set up, although if I am honest at times it feels like I should have left it the way it was!
If you were invited to purchase on Thursday or Friday, your name/email should be on this list (in email address order). If you’re on the list and didn’t receive an email from me, please email me at g6lvb at amsat dot org.
The waiting list software is not perfect: I used a third-party hosted eCommerce product to do it, and it took a very long time to set up (in fact, I did it while I was on “vacation” *cough* in September). In retrospect it took longer than it would have taken me to hand-code something myself. There are almost no eCommerce solutions that allow for waiting lists without taking credit card details first. As you may know, I have never been comfortable about taking payment unless I have a real product in stock ready to ship. So the waiting list solution I have takes very basic details only to allow an email shot as units become available, and only when we have stock available do we request payment.
Unforunately the software is less than helpful at informing those on the waitlist that they are indeed on it, so I have to run a semi-manual email shot on an ad hoc basis. I ran another one last night, so everyone on the waiting list up to about 2219UTC on 20 October should have received an email from me. If not, please check your spam folder. Let me know at g6lvb at amsat dot org if you have not received that email and I’ll see if I can find you. There were definitely some dodgy emails in there as I have received about twenty or so undeliverable email responses.
If you have placed an order with another party such as ML&S Martin Lynch & Sons or another reseller, then that is completely separate from the waiting list run on this website, and you should discuss your order directly with the reseller. As you would rightly expect, I have no access to their systems to see who has placed an order. The only thing I know is how many orders they have placed with me, and how many orders I have on my waitlist, and units are distributed proportionately. Therefore, there is no benefit to hedging your bets by placing orders with multiple outlets: in fact, in the long run it adds another big headache for us because we pay up-front for large bulk orders based on the demand shown by the waiting lists and forward orders from resellers.
I really, really hope this has cleared this up once and for all. I am starting to think that the old “scrum ordering” method had its benefits where we had no pre-ordering at all!
In the meantione I thank you all for your patience as we ramp up production over the next few weeks.
Many thanks, Howard
Thank you. I got your email last night, and hope I will get the payment request soon. Now I just wonder if I am up on the waitinglist or way down at the bottom. 😉
I think this way of pre-ordering is clearer and more fair than when people have to order all at the same time and miss out every time when you are in short supply.
Hi Howard,
Just got to wondering if my “invitation to purchase” had somehow got lost in the post! I got the e-mail confirming I was on the waiting list back in September but at that time you said you had 1,233 people ahead of me (gulp)… Thanks, David
Hello David
I have re-sent you the email.
Please note also that I’m away until Tuesday 4 December.
Many thanks, Howard
Hi Howard
I have ordered my FCD+ mid October. When can I expect my “invitation to purchase”?
Thanks
Gerald, OE2IGL
Hello Gerald
Expect an email in the next few days!
Many thanks, Howard
Hi Howard
I got my invitation last night but ordered your special 400MHz FCD+ some hours before. Hope that you are not confused now and I can forget your invitation.
Thanks, Gerald OE2IGL
Hello Gerald.
Yes, the special 400MHz versions were completely separate from the wiating list invitation, I did not attempt any de-duping from the waiting list.
Many thanks, Howard
Thanks Howard – Order placed with no problems.
cheers, David
hi Howard
hope you enjoyed your break,
any news on when i can purchase the fcd+ ?.
nothing in my e mailes yet.
Thanks Deborah.
Hello Deborah
You should expect an email invitation in the next week or so all being well.
Many thanks, Howard
Ordered on 21 October . Before Christmas?
Hello Colin
Yes you should expect an email invitation in the next few days.
Many thanks, Howard
Howard, ordered and received one of the special 400Mhz versions so my entry can be removed from the waiting list if this makes things cleaner and better for those left in the list (it’s on 2nd December and position number 1944 according to last nights e-mail).
Thanks for all you efforts in bringing such a sought after and fantastic device to the market place.
Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Hello Keith
Thanks for your note, it is likely that you’ll still receive an invitation, but you can ignore it: I am having a constant fight with the eCommerce system but there’s only so much I can realistically do without breaking it.
Many thanks again, Howard
I wrote my email adress on the waiting list but I can’t see the adress on the waiting list??
http://www.funcubedongle.com/MyImages/sale12101819.png
Hello Mensur
That .png is a very early snapshot from sevweral weeks ago. You should have received an email from me yesterday indicating acknowledgement, can you confirm?
Many thanks, Howard
Hello Howard,
I received e-mail. TNX!
Mensur Sakic
Hello, please add me to your waiting list for the FUNcube Dongle Pro+.
73 de
Juan
TG9AJR
Hello Juan.
If you follow the instructions on the ordering page here http://www.funcubedongle.com/?page_id=1113 you will be able to register your interest.
Many thanks, Howard