SynthModules

I think what is bothering people is that the screw up is continuing
1. Money was paid. This money represents a not insignificant "opportunity cost" 
to those who paid it. Also presumably, what was paid to Brice was an amount that 
allowed for profits for him. 
2. When he realized that the modules would NOT get out in anything resembling a 
reasonable time refunds should have been offered. I have not seen any refund 
offers.  presumably, he does not  have the wherewithal to make the refunds. 
3. So the money that was paid was likely spent . I am speculating here on what 
makes the most sense, given what I have read on this list since I have joined.  
 These assumptions are made 
because the reasonable alternative to havng a bunch of people on the list mad at 
you is to  offer refunds. The fact that they have not been offered means  that 
he cannot  do so, I assume. Although a scam was probably not originally 
intended, it may have become a  "scam" by default. I understand that there are peole who have written and say that the parts are all paid for and I have no personal knowledge that would contradict that. But as I said, the amount paid presumably would include a reasonable profit, which could be used to offer refunds to those people who feel they have waited long enough.A loan to  cover refunds would not be out of line here if  that  is  too burdensome. I think personally the damage can begin to  be addressed by laying  off the bull.
4. Most people understand this  sort of thing  and would accept a FULL mea 
culpa. That and a reasonable estimate , addressed to each customer of when they 
could expect their module personally, from the man responsible for the mess, 
would do us all ( and him too, in my opinion) a world of  good.
5. The explanations offered for  the delay do not make logical sense to me. The 
man cannot have "grossly misjudged the demand" because he was paid for each 
module. He knew exactly what the demand was for each offer he accepted , he 
certainly was the only person in position to estimate the amount of time it  
would  take to build each module, and  is  the only man to know whether and why  
he can/ cannot offer refunds. Failure to acknowledge this, or to give a precise, 
no bull explanation of what is going on only continues the wrong in my  mind . It seems that the misjudgments he has owned up to continue to this day since all of his  estimates given in the archives are not even close. At this point if he  says I cannot give refunds and I  don't know when,or if I will finish the orders I know have, some of us can walk away in peace. 
6. Instead I have only seen in the archives  deadline estimates that are now nearly a year and a half out of whack. I know some have shipped but Phil's point is that we don't know how many ( I ordered mine the day after AHMW 2004 and have not recieved it so if he is doing this in order he is at least behind from that point and we know from Phil that he continued to take orders for several months after he took mine). My order was taken after after he had built several of these so he must have some idea of the time it  would take.
In closing, for me, if he offers refunds and people decide they are willing to  wait, the pressure is  somewhat off. Unless there is a full acknowldgement of all the problems that have caused this  situation to be what it is, I will take little comfort in knowing that so  and so got their module. One would think that if he was getting caught up in any significant way, 2+  year old  orders would have been done by now. Or at least those of us WITH 2+ year old orders would have a personal and contrite communication from the owner with a reasonable timeline estimate on when the 2+ year old orders would be filled or a refund offer. So far, I have seen neither. . 
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Andrew D Kirch <trelane@trelane.net>






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