I don't understand why the majority of those who have no dog in this fight have basically said:
Technology changes , big deal thats how it goes, stop bitching.
Or
Your axe 1 doesn't suck now , so just keep it.
The thing is all of you have missed the point entirely. I have not heard anyone complaining about anything other than not being told it was coming at all, and the repercussions of that fact.
in fact many have quoted posts at the fractal forum that could be called blatant lies stating otherwise. I was lied to in person. I asked if i should wait for axe 2 instead of buying an obsolete product. I was told that a new axe wouldn't be for a very long time less than a year ago. 11 months is not a very long Time in my book.
Ive read people comparing the situation to apple, motor vehicles and computers. Not one of them has admitted that apple, car manufacturers, and new computer tech, are ALL mentioned before the release date. Apple has press conferences, autos have coming soon ads and commercials, even all the new computer hardware if you know where to look. For example we already know a new tigersharc is on its way.
The singular point for me was that if the company had been honest about its intentions many customers could have avoided being screwed, particularly customers like me who bought days or weeks before the announcement. I just wanted the opportunity to choose to wait for the new tech or be satisfied with the old, either way I would have the option.
Im well aware that good business practice = unethical business practice.
Hmm, a tangent but that just brought Steinbeck to mind:
"It has always seemed strange to me... the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second."
Also the fact was that the correspondence between fractal and I about returning my unit, was downright short and nasty only, on their part. The tone changed only after they offered me an option and I accepted. It was as if they were hoping they could dissuade me with the 10 percent restocking fee that I had accepted as a loss and then were pissed it wasn't enough to make me go away. I could be totally wrong but it sure felt that way. They even forced my hand to ship them the unit overnight. After i waited 48 hours for a first response and then an additional 24 for an rma number. I was then told if the item didn't arrive the next day they would reject the return as the needed to erase my credit card info for security purposes. lame ass bs. If were currently working out a return together save my f'n cc number!
Not sure who was on the other end of each of my emails but someone at fractal IS a dick .
I am happy that I was able to return it and move on to the new tech. In that respect i was done a favor, which i do wholeheartedly appreciate. I did get the stock " your past the return dater, sorry" after all i was a few days past the return date.
In the end though I still feel a little bent over, I spent about $450 to test an axe for a little more than two weeks and sent a totally mint unit back to them, still had the f'n plastic on it. Its win win for fractal. Theyll sell it asap, and wind up having made full profit on an old piece of tech even after it is obsolete. Had they mentioned the release it would have personally saved me $500. Thanks fractal, I hope you enjoyed the lobster dinner and beer on the night of the release, it was on me...
