Butterfly Labs BitForce ‘SC’ Pre Order - a scam?

[Frizz23]

Today I tried to pre order a BitForce Single ‘SC’. Because the payment processing via PayPal didn't go through I repeated it 3 times. The 4th time it worked OK.

Surprisingly I now have 4 pre order confirmation eMails from BFL in my mailbox.

It seems the (external) payment processing (PayPal, etc.) is in no way connected to BFLs order page.

How will BFL ever be able to match orders with payments?!?!

Do they even intend to do that? Or is their plan simply to get as much money as possible - and run...

[1715444689]

1715444689

[1715444689]

1715444689

[crazyates]

When I ordered, I was having problems with StrongCoin (I've since ditched them), and I couldn't send payments. I had to try 6 times before I finally got my order thru on the 7th try. So technically, I have 7 orders (and order numbers) for a SC Single upgrade. However, only one of those orders has actually been paid (the 7th one), so that's the only order number that counts.

BFL has somewhere around 4,000 order numbers by now, but I suspect a lot of those are unpaid (and thus invalid).

[Xian01]

Surprisingly I now have 4 pre order confirmation eMails from BFL in my mailbox.

No. They are not a scam.

Their web ordering system isn't the most robust in the world, and it's possible to create multiple orders and get multiple emails "confirming" your order without having paid for them. Does not mean that your orders are legitimate as you have not paid for them.

It's a bug. Nothing to see here.

[Frizz23]

My main concern is that their order system seems to be in no way connected to their payment processing system.

I already paid (via PayPal) - but how will BFL match my payment data with my order data? Just based on my first/last name? I am pretty sure there are is more than one, lets say, John Smith that ordered from them.

Another concern: In case I have placed multiple orders - how will BFL determine which products I have ordered / which products I have already paid for? Just based on the total? E.g. I made one payment with 1932$ and one with 2208$? Do they use some kind of AI to exactly figure out that 1932$ is 3 x Jalapeno and 1 x BF Single + priority shipping?

[PulsedMedia]

My main concern is that their order system seems to be in no way connected to their payment processing system.

Doesn't need to be if the payments are manually verified. That's how things worked BEFORE internet

[JoelKatz]

Uncoupled ordering and payments systems are definitely a sign of a scam. Taking payment for pre-orders is also a sign of a scam. However, a company history of delivering actual innovative products is a big sign of a non-scam.

[PulsedMedia]

Uncoupled ordering and payments systems are definitely a sign of a scam. Taking payment for pre-orders is also a sign of a scam. However, a company history of delivering actual innovative products is a big sign of a non-scam.

PreOrders are not a definitive sign of scam. We begun with just preorders, waiting time was close to 2 months for DC to setup servers.
Pre-orders in certain industries is quite normal infact.

Uncoupled ordering and payments is not a definitive sign of a scam, A LOT of companies still operate that way. Even some major companies.
I can name a few DCs off the bat which operate this way, one rather large even which doesn't even have online billing system customers could access!

While neither is a good thing, it's not definitive proof of scam.

[JoelKatz]

While neither is a good thing, it's not definitive proof of scam.

I agree. They're just signs of a scam -- things that make it a bit more likely that an offer is a scam. And, on the other hand, this is a company with an actual history of successfully producing and delivering innovative products.

[PulsedMedia]

While neither is a good thing, it's not definitive proof of scam.

I agree. They're just signs of a scam -- things that make it a bit more likely that an offer is a scam. And, on the other hand, this is a company with an actual history of successfully producing and delivering innovative products.

Someone truly looking to make a scam will make every single effort not to look like scam.

[JoelKatz]

Someone truly looking to make a scam will make every single effort not to look like scam.

Yeah, true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_eZmEiyTo0

[BlackPrapor]

Someone truly looking to make a scam will make every single effort not to look like scam.

Yeah, true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_eZmEiyTo0

lol