ASICMiner USB group buy- orders closed, pay for extra!

[oaxaca]

OK,

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket or anything.  I'm just trying to get it straight.

John gets 12 BTC for "assuming the risk of holding the escrowed Bitcoins".

   (Seems like a lot)

Arklan gets 6 BTC (in kind) for assembling and posting something like 50 packages.

  (Seems like a hell of an hourly wage)

There is a fee of .05 BTC each to cover shipping.

  (Seems low to me, but ...)

Again, nothing personal against anybody.

[arklan]

the 2% is john's fee, and is out of my control.

my "fee" wasn't even my suggestion, so i'd have no problem with less if there's a bunch of concern about it.

as to the shipping fee, if it's low, then i'm out of luck, aren't i?

[yxt]

Would typing on ~100 packets. --> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AkRHbOmCoH9PdEdWSkJ3MDFFelFkRVdjb280TUtqRWc&output=html
Find the fee rather low. Is a lot of work

BTW the EU group buy is now also in english: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=195037.0
maybe you want to adjust the op

[Klestin]

With current prices, john gets about $1400 USD. In exchange he takes the risk of 100 people inundating him if arklan drops off the face of the earth.

Arklan gets about $2400 (fee + shipping). In exchange he organizes this, packages 296 miners in ~100 boxes and ships them.  He also deals with "OMFG whar my package! WHAR?!?", and he accepts the risk that exchange prices drop precipitously and he must pay for shipping partially out of pocket. (Would advise that he converts the .05 BTC to USD as soon as possible to mitigate this).

In light of relatively thin choices of reputable escrow agents, I'm personally willing to live with 2%.  The .05 BTC + 3 units seems a reasonable cost to organize and ship, again IMHO.

[aahzmundus]

Put me down for 3 (I had a previous bid for 5, it got missed though... but I would only like 3 now)

[arklan]

Put me down for 3 (I had a previous bid for 5, it got missed though... but I would only like 3 now)

whoops! sorry bout that. 3 it is.

currently we have:
arklan 1 (+3 as fee for organizing the group buy)
bigbeninlondon 1
hephaist0s 3
BlackLilac Grant 10
johnny5 20
Stevenrm87 1
AForceNinja 5
DPoS 4
CanaryInTheMine 1
Bogart 10
Oaxaca 10
Photon939 2
purplesquid 10
zapeta 5
GreatBug 5
thoughtcourier 1
Herbalconfusion 5
Pez 1
finalmoney 10 - canceled.
cchan 5
el3ctrophile 4
logicbomb666 1
win07 1
bitcoinmike 4
noitev 1
DeveloperFish 5
chaxattack 2
muyuu 2
shep80 1
ensign_lee 5
wa4hsh 2
silverbox 1
Klestin 2
Timzim 4
CommanderVenus 1
twobits 3
lostmach 5
tigerfree 1
veryveryinteresting 3
SilentSonicBoom 1
aahzmundus 3

for a total of 151. 149 remaining! we're half way there folks!

[Klestin]

What is the plan for defective units? Is arklan responsible for testing/returning as needed before they are shipped to end users?  If an end user receives a defective unit, is there a plan for returning?  I'm assuming the units are guaranteed to the original buyer only (if that).

[Xian01]

So if I understand correctly, after all 300 units have been ordered, the lead time is ~25 days out before we receive product ?

I'm considering committing to an order for 10 units @ 21.013 BTC.

[arklan]

What is the plan for defective units? Is arklan responsible for testing/returning as needed before they are shipped to end users?  If an end user receives a defective unit, is there a plan for returning?  I'm assuming the units are guaranteed to the original buyer only (if that).

i have no problem testing them. i do not know what AM's policy is regarding defectives though.

So if I understand correctly, after all 300 units have been ordered, the lead time is ~25 days out before we receive product ?

I'm considering committing to an order for 10 units @ 21.013 BTC.

i'd rely on what the main thread says for this. which it seems you have. heh. yes, that sounds right. give or take.

[klondike_bar]

first - the price is at least 25% too high. these will be mass-made in only a few months time, probably by the time these are received and reshipped...

second: why would i trust you to re-ship tens of thousands of dollars in hardware, that you could make another 50K on by using yourself for a month....?

[Noitev]

first - the price is at least 25% too high. these will be mass-made in only a few months time, probably by the time these are received and reshipped...

second: why would i trust you to re-ship tens of thousands of dollars in hardware, that you could make another 50K on by using yourself for a month....?

um... escrow? and these are supposedly shipping in about 2 weeks...

[Xian01]

Put me down for 10 units @ 21.013 BTC

[arklan]

first - the price is at least 25% too high. these will be mass-made in only a few months time, probably by the time these are received and reshipped...

second: why would i trust you to re-ship tens of thousands of dollars in hardware, that you could make another 50K on by using yourself for a month....?

well, i have no control on the price ASICMINER is charging, so there's nothing i can do about that.

and yea - john has images of my drivers license, my face, my name, my address, all of it. IF i did a runner (not going to) not only does he have all that making me REALLY easy to track down, but my real name is arklan, and 99% of all the results on the net for that name ARE ME. effectively, i cannot dissappear even if i want to, unless i cut all ties to my family, friends and life as i know it.

if you think 300 USB miners are enough for me to do something like that, you're nuts.

heck, ya want even MORE confidence? 310 904 8610. anytime, day or night. had the number for over a decade.

oh, and:

currently we have:
arklan 1 (+3 as fee for organizing the group buy)
bigbeninlondon 1
hephaist0s 3
BlackLilac Grant 10
johnny5 20
Stevenrm87 1
AForceNinja 5
DPoS 4
CanaryInTheMine 1
Bogart 10
Oaxaca 10
Photon939 2
purplesquid 10
zapeta 5
GreatBug 5
thoughtcourier 1
Herbalconfusion 5
Pez 1
cchan 5
el3ctrophile 4
logicbomb666 1
win07 1
bitcoinmike 4
noitev 1
DeveloperFish 5
chaxattack 2
muyuu 2
shep80 1
ensign_lee 5
wa4hsh 2
silverbox 1
Klestin 2
Timzim 4
CommanderVenus 1
twobits 3
lostmach 5
tigerfree 1
veryveryinteresting 3
SilentSonicBoom 1
aahzmundus
Xian01 10

for a total of 161. 139 remaining!

[logicbomb666]

I don't understand why so many people are posting issues about the price in this thread. This thread is for people interested in the group buy.  If you are not interested, that's fine, nobody is forcing you to purchase the product.

If you have an issue with the price or product itself, take it up with the manufacturer.  Here is a thread about the product: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=195004.0

[Noitev]

I don't understand why so many people are posting issues about the price in this thread. This thread is for people interested in the group buy.  If you are not interested, that's fine, nobody is forcing you to purchase the product.

If you have an issue with the price or product itself, take it up with the manufacturer.  Here is a thread about the product: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=195004.0

+1

[oaxaca]

first - the price is at least 25% too high. these will be mass-made in only a few months time, probably by the time these are received and reshipped...

second: why would i trust you to re-ship tens of thousands of dollars in hardware, that you could make another 50K on by using yourself for a month....?

um... escrow? and these are supposedly shipping in about 2 weeks...

Just using the word "escrow" doesn't really answer the poster's question.
1. AM gets the BTC
2. Operator gets the hardware
3. Associates (buyers) hope the operator ships their units.

300 * 1.99 = approx  70,000 USD (at the moment).

The escrow agent is holding his identity as a guarantee, yet in reply#95 of this thread the operator tells us his name.  The escrow agent has since not disputed it.  A simple google search tells anybody more than they need to know.

klondike_bar has a real question that hasn't really been answered.  There is a small matter of 70k worth of goods that are not really protected by a damn thing.  I'm not claiming the operator will flee with the goods, but it has been done for a lot less.

My order in this group-buy still stands, but the question needs an answer.


EDIT: - After posting, I saw the operators post with his number et al.  Maybe that will be an answer.  Anyway, I'm sticking with my bid.

[arklan]

i really don't know HOW to answer it. i mean, i'm going to get the product and ship them out. and keep 4, the 1 i ordered and the 3 as a fee. i... i really am at a loss for how to provide any surety.  i'm open to suggestions though!

[PeZ]

What is the plan for defective units? Is arklan responsible for testing/returning as needed before they are shipped to end users?  If an end user receives a defective unit, is there a plan for returning?  I'm assuming the units are guaranteed to the original buyer only (if that).

We're going to have to create a defective group return thread so we can bunch 10 people together, return them, and then redistribute the returns. It's crazy.

[muyuu]

Is the price of 1 unit locked @ 2BTC static, independent of fiat/USD exchange value vs BTC ?

 

If you want a fixed price in fiat it's very simple, just buy the BTC now.

[veryveryinteresting]

Please downsize my order to two from the three I said previously. Checked my BTC, don't have as much as I remembered.

Should we go ahead and follow John's instructions for payment?