THE FRACTAL DEBACLE

[Meathead]

Someone should send Fractal a link to this thread...it'll make that cold Cliff fellow shed tears for what he has done.

I'm sure he is reading everything, he was online here not too long ago, typical of many men who manufacture products nowadays, lurking the internet forums like used car salesmen. If I bought within a month, I'll admit, I'd be upset but if I didn't, I'm the type of fully grown male individual with a nice package that would sell my ultra unit for $1,400.00 just to get rid of it right away and buy me a new II that's realer and juicier!

Cliff is a big meany!

I see what you did, good one...his name is Cliff.


It's a secluded feeling, owning yesterday's technology....

 

[Nico]

Its a damn good thing RT isn't like the other boards. Shit, there would be nobody here....

Totally agree, this is the best forum on the net, by far! I am happy to be a member here....

 

[RedRider]

Sooooo... you were upset that Fractal Audio released a surprise axe-fx II, went against your "business ethics", but you had no probs scooting to a new time zone and unloading your old axe before they knew about the announcement? Did i read that right??

This is the biggest one for me too....LOL....spends 3 days crying how Cliff/Fractal screwed him over, then continues to say how he screwed someone else over by doing hte same exact thing...???"Do as I say, not as I do!!"......ohhh but for him its not the same thing...LOLOLOL Gimme a break...

THere is someone else crying about how cliff said nothing new was in the immediate works.....7 FREEKIN MONTHS AGO!!!! WTF?? LOLOL

Those who bought in the Ultra inthe last few months, yup..bad timing...but even so...thats just the way it is. Even if you bought it in the last year, were you thinking you were going to sell it fast?? I mean unless you bought one with the idea that you were gonna sell it immediately you really have no complaint here...and even if you bought one to flip...well you gotta know that a product that hasnt changed in 4 freekin years HAS TO BE AT THE END OF ITS LIFE CYCLE. I mean really??? its bad timing if you bought in the last few months...but thats how it goes.

The minute they announce that new ones are on the horizon the old ones will stop selling immediately...so you hold off and keep your business going until it can be released. Its a freekin BUSINESS dude...not your best friend.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

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...

 

[sinfish]

who actually read this

I think the long and the short of it is.

I got fucked
I fucked someone else
I am pissed
I am not pissed
I am sorry for getting mad at the FA and I feel sorry for them.
I am not as fucked as I started off to be.
I am ready to do it again

 

[RedRider]

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...

If you had the unit for longer than the trial period (I wanna say it was 15 days or something like that, where you could send the unit back for a refund) you shouldnt have gotten jack shit back. A return policy is a return policy.

And a year???? DUde a year is an ETERNITY in electronic parts....your freekin crazy. If he announced a new one was in the works he would not have sold another unit for 12 months and probably would have been put out of business...like I said in another post on another forum....JUST FYI, all you guys buying an Axe 2, the Axe 3 is already in the works, dont know when it will be complete but you better plan your selling strategy now so you cant say you werent warned!!!

 

[bstaley]

11 months is a long time when you're talking about computers.

 

[Meathead]

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...

Name one technology company that tells you many months in advance that they are releasing a new improved product to replace the old one that they are discontinuing the old product. They would lose a ton of sales and possibly go bankrupt trying to introduce the new product.
It is not how it works...Especially in this new technology era, where when something's new something gets discarded.

How many Ford Focus buyers are pissed that their last year's model doesn't back itself in to a parking spot automatically? Why didn't Ford tell me to wait until next year???!!!

 

[RedRider]

11 months is a long time when you're talking about computers.

I can plan AND Make a human being fast than that!!! Yeah...its a long freekin time!!

 

[Ventura]

I love you to death Vent, but I just couldn't read all that. I think when I realized you weren't going to talk about fractals as a mathematical construct or a visual effect, I just lost interest. Plus, I'm not in the Axe-Fx market anyway. I wonder what fractals sound like anyway? They look cool as hell. That could be a project for a future lifetime. Create an algorithm that allows you to Hear the Mandlebrot Set. I like it, but I already have enough good ideas to fill three lifetimes, and I mostly just jam, game, and watch tv.

You HAVE to read the book "CHAOS" by James Gleick, this is a BRILLIANT book and a definite recommended read for anyone out there interested in periodicity, universality, relativity, and micro macro mathematics and physics. Excellent book.

V.

 

[geetar_geek79]

who actually read this

haha. we need a CliffsNote version...

 

[Ventura]

who actually read this

I think the long and the short of it is.

I got fucked
I fucked someone else
I am pissed
I am not pissed
I am sorry for getting mad at the FA and I feel sorry for them.
I am not as fucked as I started off to be.
I am ready to do it again

Not quite. I didn't give a shit about my "situation". I covered "my situation" as best I thought possible, and I was lucky it worked out. I was looking at if from a corporate, massive, public ass-rape due to all the things mentioned in my previous post. My words on the FAS site [potentially] fueled a lot of people to take action; and that's it that's all. I thought the "countdown to -what you have is now obsolete so lets celebrate- was weak", whatever. I was pissed FOR the people, not me, fuck it, I'm small fry, I'm talking about the 100's possibly 1000's of peeps who ordered right before this bitch came out, and who asked if something better was....

Hey, I explained all this before.

The purpose of my post was to clear the air with Cliff. Period.

V.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

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 not 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...

If you had the unit for longer than the trial period (I wanna say it was 15 days or something like that, where you could send the unit back for a refund) you shouldnt have gotten jack shit back. A return policy is a return policy.

And a year???? DUde a year is an ETERNITY in electronic parts....your freekin crazy. If he announced a new one was in the works he would not have sold another unit for 12 months and probably would have been put out of business...like I said in another post on another forum....JUST FYI, all you guys buying an Axe 2, the Axe 3 is already in the works, don't know when it will be complete but you better plan your selling strategy now so you cant say you werent warned!!!

I stated in my post that they had done me a favor and i appreciated it. Glad to know you think I didn't deserve it.

I disagree with you about the time frame. I did understand that the axe had been around for 4 years which is a very long time for a computer to be current . That is the reason i asked about a new model, to avoid the situation I wound up in anyway. 11 months is not a very long time, especially when standing in front of a person and asking them if you should buy now or wait for the new tech. They then assure you it will be a long time and nothing is even in the works. Guess what! with the admitted three years of r and d that went into the axe 2 they had already been working on it for at least two years at that point, it was 2/3rds of the way complete yet told me "nothing was in the works". Then as referenced from the fractal forum they stated seven months ago again, "nothing in the works".

Would you argue that its good business to deceive your customers in order to make more money, am I crazy because I find this lying unacceptable or am I asking for nothing more that honesty which the last time I checked was a desired personalty trait for all people.

I do understand computer gear value changes rapidly, i have built tons of computers. And no i am not crazy in fact quite the opposite.

How about addressing my main point which is that they kept the release a secret and subsequently screwed some customers which pretty much no one else does?

My complaints are very specific to my situation and should not be lumped in with the bulk of people whining they bought an axe fx two years ago and now it already obsolete, I understand electronic obsolescence quite well, it's the lying and also the nasty treatment that has me most upset.

 

[bravedude2]

 

[freeballinusa]

Man the only thing more epic that a Cameron thread is a Fractal thread.

hmmmmm, you'll probably release a CCV II and just drop the original CCV without any notice.

GET HIM!!!!

I was thinking the same thing, as soon as the CCV revision II drops the "must haves" will immediately abandon the original and start dumping them on the used market.

See ya'all that's the "Old" "Digital" thinking creeping up again __ Our Beloved "real" amps do not automatically get obsoleted, And many may prefer an older model haha I hope he DOES make a CCVII right away as my orig will be even rarer haha

I have a ton of digital gear and vintage digital.. but I have not liked it so much for guitars/./.

Recording Equip and some few keyboards.. ie: AMS/Usra Major/EMT reverbs____ Cetain Keys DX7 etc.

*THE ONLY issue I can see is the accusation that Fractal was not forthright when connacted.. In which case they should make those instances right -- (if- as it is hearsay)

The rest of the crying is not man enough for even a faky digital amp! (Sorry, those things do not sound real...)

 

[moltenmetalburn]

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...

Name one technology company that tells you many months in advance that they are releasing a new improved product to replace the old one that they are discontinuing the old product. They would lose a ton of sales and possibly go bankrupt trying to introduce the new product.
It is not how it works...Especially in this new technology era, where when something's new something gets discarded.

How many Ford Focus buyers are pissed that their last year's model doesn't back itself in to a parking spot automatically? Why didn't Ford tell me to wait until next year???!!!

Sure thing, apple, since everyone is throwing that out there it seems. Lets see iPad 2 is most popular right now.

Ipad 2 announcement was on march 2,2011
Ipad2 release date was on March 11' 2011

This example is only one weeks notice but everyone knew it was coming, the rumors surfaced 6 mo earlier.

Windows 7 announced June, 2009 and released october, 2009

Four months in advance.

Let also not forget about NAMM people, ALL or our music gear is announced ahead of time which lets you prepare, no fractal booth at NAMM.

 

[Doubleneck]

Apple is making customers aware of the new operating system coming out in the summer.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/

 

[moltenmetalburn]

Apple is making customers aware of the new operating system coming out in the summer.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/

I just bought a mac mini with snow leopard but I knew lion was coming and chose the current mini with leopard. No qualms about that one.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

You shop for a product, make a purchase, and the next day a better version comes out...nothing sinister from the seller, that's just bad timing for the buyer. The fact that forum people and email reps didn't give you a heads up, well they are so low on the totem pole they may not even know the timeline of the creative development team. Nor should they, they are in sales, meaning sell today.

 

[ttosh]

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 not 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...

If you had the unit for longer than the trial period (I wanna say it was 15 days or something like that, where you could send the unit back for a refund) you shouldnt have gotten jack shit back. A return policy is a return policy.

And a year???? DUde a year is an ETERNITY in electronic parts....your freekin crazy. If he announced a new one was in the works he would not have sold another unit for 12 months and probably would have been put out of business...like I said in another post on another forum....JUST FYI, all you guys buying an Axe 2, the Axe 3 is already in the works, don't know when it will be complete but you better plan your selling strategy now so you cant say you werent warned!!!

I stated in my post that they had done me a favor and i appreciated it. Glad to know you think I didn't deserve it.

I disagree with you about the time frame. I did understand that the axe had been around for 4 years which is a very long time for a computer to be current . That is the reason i asked about a new model, to avoid the situation I wound up in anyway. 11 months is not a very long time, especially when standing in front of a person and asking them if you should buy now or wait for the new tech. They then assure you it will be a long time and nothing is even in the works. Guess what! with the admitted three years of r and d that went into the axe 2 they had already been working on it for at least two years at that point, it was 2/3rds of the way complete yet told me "nothing was in the works". Then as referenced from the fractal forum they stated seven months ago again, "nothing in the works".

Would you argue that its good business to deceive your customers in order to make more money, am I crazy because I find this lying unacceptable or am I asking for nothing more that honesty which the last time I checked was a desired personalty trait for all people.

I do understand computer gear value changes rapidly, i have built tons of computers. And no i am not crazy in fact quite the opposite.

How about addressing my main point which is that they kept the release a secret and subsequently screwed some customers which pretty much no one else does?

My complaints are very specific to my situation and should not be lumped in with the bulk of people whining they bought an axe fx two years ago and now it already obsolete, I understand electronic obsolescence quite well, it's the lying and also the nasty treatment that has me most upset.

I understand what you are saying, but what is a business supposed to do when they are probably in the R&D phase? Based on all amp builders and Fractal with their foot controller we all know estimating a time of release is not easy, hell they did the countdown and have no products to ship yet. So do they tell you 11 months ago to wait? Do they tell that to everyone? If they did the Axe FX II would not have been created because they would have to close doors.

Do they do things a bit different? Yes, the countdown was a kick in the nuts and a small bit of warning like you see in most tech circles would be nice.

However 11 months is a long time and in no way was it unethical to tell you anything different almost a year ago. At that time they probably did not know when it would go live and they probably had quite a few pending development ideas and projects going on.