Umm, how and where?
That crappy SB site only allows US orders :/

Yeah that's true - I've been waiting to get an Empeg for quite a while now, I wasn't able to receive one of the Mk1s and when Mk2 was finally shipping, I decided to defer my order until the tuner module would be available... which still isn't.

So the day I decided to buy, the online shop was taken down and went over to Rio. I contacted Rio support about how I should be able to order there from outside the USA/Canada (Germany in my case) but simply got no reply.

I'm pretty disappointed about all this, especially since I've heard quite a few times that the shipping done by Empeg themselves worked out really well.

Till

I am actually in the same position. I decided upon not buying an Empeg back in May and was forced to choose an alternate system (normal CD changer) due to other projects that were taking quite much of my funding. Now that the car stereo got stolen I got into looking at Empeg again (either the 20GB or 30GB version, blue screen).

The SonicBLUE site does not ship to Europe (Finland) and I'm just too lazy to make any U.S. friends order it to me as usually one can get almost anything shipped here by providing the credit card number.. What is wrong? Can Empeg ship some Empegs to us Europeans or is that history now?


Amarth

Eventually we could collect users that have the same problem and make a bulk order through someone who'd be willing to forward the stuff to us?

I've been following Empeg for at least 2.5 years now and I want one. :)

I do not really know how we could accomplish this but maybe somebody has an idea... the most sensitive thing is, of course, payment. :)

Till

Well if you are really desperate to have an empeg, I live in Germany and have a Mk1 that I don't need any more ('cause I have a mk2) If you really are interested, just reply to this message & I will get back to you with more details ... Derek

(list 6284, Mk1 S/N 00299 4GB blue [for sale]. Mk2 S/N 080000094 6GB blue)

Eventually we could collect users that have the same problem and make a bulk order through someone who'd be willing to forward the stuff to us?

It occurs to me... an entrepeneur who recognizes the current international-sales situation at Rio could make a killing reselling them on ebay. The problem is that he'd get stuck with overstock as soon as Rio opened the international store.

___________
Tony Fabris

It amazes me that Rio cannot simply provide a phone number with a live person on the other end with a credit card machine. It doesn't really have to be much harder than that. I work for a small company and the last thing I can imagine doing is not taking the money from someone who wants to give it to you. A poor/simple system is better than not selling. That's just my opinion and to quote Dennis Miller 'I could be wrong'.

-Zeke

just say you weren't paying much attention...

It doesn't really have to be much harder than that.

Actually, it is much harder than that.

___________
Tony Fabris

Actually, it is much harder than that

How much harder could it be now than 3 months ago? Empeg themselves had a pretty decent and *very* efficient set-up, and they were just a small start-up company. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Rio *can* get themselves sorted out. Maybe they could hire/loan Rob for a while . . .



Henno
mk2 6 nr 6

All I can say is that Rob, Hugo, et. al. are probably watching this conversation, seeing people with money ready to spend, and are pounding on the Rio folks to get this working...

If it is any consolation, the RioStore link doesn't work for those in the US either:

"We're Sorry. The product you have selected is not available. Please click your back button to continue. (Error Number: 30060007 - 0)"

Paul G.
SN# 090000587 (40GB Green)

Edited by pgrzelak on 26/04/01 01:04 AM.

Yeah, something like that. There are some issues which are being worked through.

I think the first thing is to get the complete range available on the store that is supposed to be open already - i.e. the US store. I suspect that the reason the product is unavailable right now is because the range is being updated.

The eStore is operated outside of Rio so it can be a little more involved to get things up and running than you might expect. Nonetheless, once the glitches are worked out I think the operation will run smoothly.

As for Rio Sales hiring/borrowing me - no chance! I'm quite happy with my new role in product development

Rob

Tony,
I respectfully disagree. Basic order fulfillment: recieve money, ship goods. There are lots of side issues certainly, but this is the core of it if the company is willing & volume is managable. I know, I work for a 15 person company that ships 2500 base units a year and ~13,000 accessory parts shipments per year netting about $14 million in sales. I don't know how many units Rio's Empeg division is shipping per day. I understand delaying until all the sales aparatus is in place, but I don't agree that this has to be the case. I simply believe that a vigorous company will fulfill the customer's desire to spend money regardless of internal issues. This can be chaotic & difficult for its employees, but refusing to sell is not good buisness practice, and I'm sure Rio knows this.

-Zeke


just say you weren't paying much attention...

I agree with this. It seems like maybe it was a mistake to take the store down until the new webpage and store were ready to go. Its their choice though, and I am sure there were other reasons that we don't know about for doing it this way.

Sean

80000078

Is there ANY word about when can the European (or well, outside US) people start ordering Empegs? An estimate or such.. I am currently out of any sound (except the V6 purrrrring) in my car, I don't think that I want to wait for another three months until I can buy an Empeg..

It's sad that Empeg could not keep a sales division open as a reserve (probably since you guys moved to new positions / SonicBLUE wouldn't allow it ?) to keep people getting these amazing devices. I'd gladly tell my friends about Empeg if I had one ;)...


Amarth

Since we (empeg) no longer have any direct involvement with sales, we can't give an estimate (because we don't know). There are a lot of people pushing for this and a VP I spoke with yesterday expressed surprise that the UK (European) eStore wasn't open yet. There has been a lot of reorganisation at Rio UK recently which probably accounts for this.

My guess is that we'll know when the store will be open just a day or two before it happens.

Rob

sniff

Hi

My company are a pretty big customer of RIO, so I asked if they could do an exception. They was not willing to and told me the real problem.
They are only able to produce 50 players a week, so they don't even have enough for the american marked.

So what I have decided to do now is get a friend in the states buy it for me.
Is there any waranty problems related to this ? Is there a form I fill out and send to you when I get the unit or is it registred on the one who buy it for me ?

Best regards,
Jon

They are only able to produce 50 players a week, so they don't even have enough for the american marked.

I'd like to know who told you that!

Rob

Hi Rob.
I'm sorry, but I don't have his name. Our sales person who are dealing with RIO contacted him for me. If it's important, I can ask him if he can give me his name. Your reply sounded like we have got incorrect information ?

Best regards,
Jon

It would be interesting to know who supplied the information, as I'm not sure he has all the facts. I'm not aware of any shortage of this product - but hey, I'm out of the sales loop these days.

Rob

Rob,

It's a local employe at empeg, uk. I will ask our sales person if he can give me his name, so that there will be no more missunderstandings.

I'm still crazy about getting this device, so before I get my friend ordering it. can you answer my previous question about warranty ? :)

Best regards,
Jon

A shortage of empegs - now there is a strange thought. Perhaps some form of queueing mechanism with a registritation process... I wonder where Rio can get hold of one of them...

Paul G.
SN# 090000587 (40GB Green)

It would be interesting to know who supplied the information

.. must have been one of your clones ...

(O|||||O)

I spoke with Daniel and Andrew in customer services and neither of them knew of this. Are you sure you don't mean Rio UK at Winnersh?

Rob

There will be no problem with the warranty. There isn't currently a registration form, but there will be one at the web site soon. In any case you should keep the original proof of purchase, just in case.

Rob

Hi said empeg, but he might have meant RIO. I'm waiting for his answer, I will post it to you private when I get it.

Best regards,
Jon

Great :)
I'll start start ordering it then :)

Best regards,
Jon

The SONICblue store states that they're Out of Stock when you try to order any of the players.. funny. Empeg was doing so well processing and manufacturing them.

It BURNNNSS (the money).. please let me order an Empeg right now.. I can't take it any longer. How about it, Rob, if you just "picked up" some Empegs from wherever they are made right now and made us small people a little shipment (credit card orderable) so we can get our hands on the machine?

Ya, I know it's far from how it should be done but.. well, Rio or whatever SonicBLUE isn't doing too well with the sales right now... I'll hate myself but I don't think I can wait much longer without decent audio equipment in my car, it'd be a WASTE to spend over $2000 on a set that doesn't play .mp3's.. (and no, I don't want to buy a temporary set)..

You sure you couldn't, well, throw in a couple of players for old times sake / relinguishing memories how Empeg once was shipped right? ;) Ok I know this is a desperate attempt made to fail.


Amarth

Well, I don't quite understand why SB didn't simply leave old, perfectly working system in place while preparing the new one. Perhaps that would have postponed shifting of several guys@empeg to new jobs/responsibilities, but we would not have this ugly gap, just when empeg cleared the backlog and started shipping normally.



Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

Exactly. Should've used that chance at #14229 when I was presented one.


Amarth

Well, I don't quite understand why SB didn't simply leave old, perfectly working system in place

I doubt anybody understands this. To me this demonstrates why start-up companies *can* find their place among the well established conglomorates just by taking customers serious. Though I can imagine that stocks are deplenished (bad planning, SB to blame too, I think), I can't think of any reason why SB would restrict sales to US residents only: payment is by the same credit card and I'm sure DHL or FedEx, or whoever can deliver any SB shipment internationally as easy as in the US! And all the approvals/custom forms have already been put in place by Hugo et al.

Remember the section in the survey where we were invited to post comments on the empeg now being carried by SB? I warned them not to crush empeg by big company red tape. It seems they didn't take that comment seriously either.

Anybody from SB willing to comment? time, where are you?
Rob, hasn't the time come to help them out a bit and how them how they can be more effective by keeping things simple?

Henno
mk2 6 nr 6

I'm willing to pay 15% extra for a new empeg sent to me by Empeg/SB if I just can get one ordered and on its way this week..;--) Come on, I'm desperate. Break into SB, pick up one package and send them in a brown box or something..

20% extra!!

;)

25%!

I think I'll just let you continue until my next car is financed.

Rob

Ok. I hear you. Sorry for not responding sooner, but I don't get much time to surf this site from work so it frequently happens later at night... Plus, I'm still trying to get the hang of the best way to manage reading the threads that go through this board. I must say the activity level here is great!
------------------------
Believe me, I'm screaming too. It is beyond embarrassment that we've taken so long to get things moving. We have finally launched our estore in the UK--except there are no Rio Car Players for sale there yet!! You'd already expected that didn't you?!? I believe the reason they are not available there is because presently all units are sent to our warehouse in California. Thus there are none in stock at our UK facility. Seems silly to ship them back and forth and back again and I know that has contributed to part of the delay on that side.

With regards to unit availability in the US: As part of our roll out to the retail channel, we're amid a repackage of the current stock to be fully Rio branded product. Why this is taking so long is beyond my ability to understand, but it is the case. I know it is partially due to incomplete products (some units were missing power supplies) and others were not labeled as we'd required, bla, bla, bla--it doesn't mater why except to say that we didn't execute very cleanly on this.

My hope is that the full line of players will be available from our estore by this weekend. Accessories to follow shortly.

Regarding the UK estore, I expect it may take a few more days (dare I say a week?!?) to get this squared away--but we will. Thanks for understanding and I do apologize for the inconvenience that we've caused.

Please feel free to email me directly and I'll see what we can work out... (hmm, Rob must be looking at a pretty cheap car...)

Thanks for the great answer Time. Seems like you just saved me from ruining my financial situation since I was already opening my checkbook (in all this despair) to get ready to pay Rob whatever his car to-be is worth!! hehe.. Sorry Rob, guess you should have accepted an earlier offer heh. No really, at 25% extra I would've been already strained beyond limits.. I trust my credit card (the one that still has any life in it) would've screamed its last time for that...

Feel a bit less restless now .


Amarth