savedbytechnology.com misleading?

[coyote]

A few days ago I saw notice on their products page that they are carrying a Vocoda chip for the Redsound DarkstarXP2. I've wanted one of these, but Redsound had not manufactured any yet that I was aware of (there were Vocoda chips for the original Darkstar). I had previously emailed savedbytechnology.com to have them confirm that the chip would indeed work in the XP2; they sent back an email containing the exact sentence from their website.

 

This made me slightly uneasy. So I contacted Redsound myself, and found that they still haven't manufactured this chip - and they warned me against any claims to the contrary. On Monday, I informed savedbytechnology.com that the product wasn't what they claimed, and they should change their website to reflect this. They said "must have been an oversight, we took the adcopy directly from Redsound". They updated their website yesterday - and the claim about the Vocoda being XP2 compatible is still there!

 

This is the type of episode that convinces me not to do business with an agent like savedbytechnology.com. They are guilty of laziness & misleading at the very least, and quite possibly of deliberate deception.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

I can speak to both sides of this debate.

 

I imagine that Saved by Technology is not being purposefully misleading. They were issued a statement by the manufacturer which was put on their site. They wouldn't have invented the statement.

 

However, during my time inside manufacturers, it was often that plans (feature sets, release dates and so on) changed. It was tremendously difficult to get the initial information I sent to the retailer switched to reflect the new info.

 

So, lazy? Perhaps. A victim of poor communication? Maybe. But misleading? I really doubt it. They've been a legit dealer for a long time; one doesn't stay that way by offering poor business practices.

 

- Jeff

[zeronyne]

Jeff, I'm totally with you on this. It's just that the Vocoda chip has been a HUGE sticking point for the hundreds of us who bought the XP2 at Guitar Center with the understanding that it was or would be available.

 

I'm looking at an email right now from Red Sound's customer service email address telling me that they should start production within a few weeks. This is dated March of 2003.

 

So you are right, in my opinion. I think SBT.com is guilty of lazy updating. But I wonder how many people ordered it and are waiting.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Originally posted by zeronyne:

It's just that the Vocoda chip has been a HUGE sticking point for the hundreds of us who bought the XP2...

Ah, I see.

 

Yes, I've been on the back end of this type of thing many, many times. It sucks all around.

 

I will say this: the only source you should listen to is the manufacturer. You'll never get the chip before they ship it. And when they ship it, it's doubtful that any single retailer will have it before the others (within the standard range of ship times, like within a week).

 

Point being: keep listening to what Red Sound is saying. They'll be the first to tell you when it's available. No retailer can tell you with any more degree of certainty than they.

 

- Jeff

 

- Jeff

[Vortex]

I wouldn't be holding your breath on the Vocoder chip!

I had the original Darkstar. The Vocoder chip was a big disappointment. Really crap.

 

The synth was neat though...

[techristian]

I have learned from experience never to buy a piece of technology based on what IT MAY BECOME. There are always promises and vaporware. By the time the upgrade is released there will be a similar competitors product on the market with the upgrade already installed, and it will cost the same price as you paid for the original. Only buy the product if you can make IMMEDIATE use of it and can't live without it. Otherwise wait the 6-18 months.

 

Dan

 

http://musicinit.com/pvideos.html

[coyote]

I got the XP2 because it was cheap and cool. The Vocoda is an afterthought, but I'd still like it if it ever comes out.

 

The things that have bugged me about SBT.com are:

 

a) RedSound says they never claimed any available Vocoda would work in the XP2, and specifically warned me that offers such as this were bogus. This leads me to believe that SBT didn't get that line from RedSound.

 

b) I specifically asked SBT to make a little effort verify the compatibility. Instead of doing this, they merely sent me the same line as in the web ad - as if that would convince me.

 

c) Given an update of their site two days after I let them know their ad is mistaken, SBT still hadn't corrected it. I thought that was part of the point of updating a site? So here we are, four days after I told them their info was erroneous - and they still haven't corrected it.

 

My instincts are simply telling me that this is something other than innocent oversight.

[Anderton]

<>

 

Words of wisdom.

[Groovepusher Sly]

Originally posted by techristian:

Only buy the product if you can make IMMEDIATE use of it and can't live without it. Otherwise wait the 6-18 months.

About the only thing that fits that discription is food.

There's no electronic device or equipment I can't wait the obligatory 6-18 months for. Or at least until qualified and respected reviewers like Mr. Anderton have given them the once over.

 

Sly