Alpha Technology Litecoin (Scrypt) ASIC Miner Order Batch 1 Now!

[retro72]

i hate this: verspillow you are right in what you say but also:

1. They have said that the TOS changes apply only to new customers as they open the batch
2. The final product is not similar to the original in terms of hashing speed as well. Where they shot themselves in the foot is with energy efficiency. Their best bet is someone to deliver something like the one they promised and go beg him to label some for them so they can start shipping.

So if I'm in the amex seat i would still be troubled giving you money back at this stage.

What you need to understand is that you can cancel at any time for a FULL REFUND. That is the LAW. You don't have to give Amex an excuse, you just have to say I don't want it any more.

The Distance selling Regulations clearly state (page 25 question 3.48). http://www.doctronics.co.uk/pdf_files/OFT913%20DISTANCE%20SELLING.pdf

What specifically do I have to refund to the consumer if
they cancel?

3.48 The DSRs require you to refund any money paid by or on behalf of
the consumer in relation to the contract to the person who made the
payment. This means the full price of the goods, or deposit or prepayment
made, including the cost of delivery.


The problem is, as I stated earlier, with a charge back the CC company is not "jointly liable" this means they have to ASK for the money back. If the company says no, you're screwed. This is what has happened to Searing.

In the UK if you pay directly to the company ie do not go through a third party, Paypal, google checkout etc, you are entitled to make a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This makes the CC company "jointly liable" so they have to give you the money themselves, not chase the retailer for it. This gives you vastly more protection. Unfortunately, those that did pay with a card went through Paypal or Payza which means your only options are charge backs or Paypal/Payza disputes.

This is something you need to seriously consider before you throw any more money at this. The CC protection you get is pretty flimsy with a charge back. If the retailer disputes the claim there isn't really anything the CC company can do. Alpha will just say its in their T&Cs, you can point out that their T&Cs are illegal and point them to the UK DSR but you then have to hope the CC company gives enough of a damn to do anything about it.

Basically you have limited protection when paying with a CC through a third party or using charge back. If you think this option protects you from loss if Alpha fail to deliver, ship a sub par product or go bankrupt. THINK AGAIN.

[nwfella]

Most consumer product laws, and I believe the UK's as well, have no issue with a product being better than promised, but not getting worse.

* They claim increased hash speeds, which is a plus

So far, that's the biggest positive they are providing. Aside from that, they're removing core features (which are still on their product page and design). That's what I'm pointing out.

As to the TOS, they still are outside of the law by claiming partial refund allowance, and by claiming they only take orders from businesses.

I'll say they are.  One of the core features they have removed is the ability to hash!

Essentially I've paid 100% of the cost of their 50MH unit's for nothing more than a series of drawings and empty promises.  I suspect they will be cashing out my satoshi's and sipping mai-tai's by months end :/

[foodtalk]

Why doesn't everyone report them to BBC Watchdog?

They will get a camera crew down there and expose what the scammers are up to on TV.

You can report you stories here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74

[Nullu]

Why doesn't everyone report them to BBC Watchdog?

They will get a camera crew down there and expose what the scammers are up to on TV.

You can report you stories here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74

Cryptocurrency isn't well understood by the mainstream, and if you wanted Alpha-T to pack up and vanish, that's what would happen if Watchdog got involved.

[foodtalk]

Why doesn't everyone report them to BBC Watchdog?

They will get a camera crew down there and expose what the scammers are up to on TV.

You can report you stories here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74

Cryptocurrency isn't well understood by the mainstream, and if you wanted Alpha-T to pack up and vanish, that's what would happen if Watchdog got involved.

Looks like that going to happen anyway Nullu...

[Nullu]

Why doesn't everyone report them to BBC Watchdog?

They will get a camera crew down there and expose what the scammers are up to on TV.

You can report you stories here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74

Cryptocurrency isn't well understood by the mainstream, and if you wanted Alpha-T to pack up and vanish, that's what would happen if Watchdog got involved.

Looks like that going to happen anyway Nullu...

I'm afraid you're right, of course. Which is why energy should be spent bringing Alpha-T to charge.

If you want to have any real impact, then you need to speak to Trading Standards. If Alpha-T are breaking the law, they can bring them to charge. At the very least, the threat of taking them to Trading Standards should worry them, as it's going to be harder for them to scurry off into the night with them on their tail.

[anderl]

Today is July 15th. 23 hours left in the day for AT. 

Still no prototype
Still no chips
Still no cases
Still no psus
Still no cc processor

But don't worry, they guarantee you will get your miners in the next 2 weeks.  So what is the guarantee? What do customers get if AT can't fulfill the guarantee?

[Meanotor]

Looking at their website, I think they've packed and gone, they're not deleting posts anymore.

[st4nl3y]

  

[Bobsurplus]

  

He's a terrorist not an Indian!

[gpufreak]

Looking at their website, I think they've packed and gone, they're not deleting posts anymore.

On their contact page there is no phone number anymore.

[kebabman]

Apparently their credit card processor is up. 

[Searing]

Hey Searing thanks for bad news mate

Well for me i have not approached the cc company because if i pick up the phone i would not be able to provide a valid argument. It's not end of July yet so while retro72 is 100% right in it being a game of music and chairs by end of July, there is simply no grounds for claim at the moment.

However, once the s hits the f, i'm not expecting anything less than 100% refund. Can you please clarify if you paid with regular amex? i know gold and platinum have all sorts of insurances associated with the card by default, my favorite being price protection guarantee: if i buy something and its advertised price within a given radius is much lower, they give me the difference to the lower limit (kind of rip-off protection).

Gl with TOS but i'm sure the card issuer will have to go to insurace to pay back, they can't just say the guy went bankrupt, what kind of protection is that?!

well i did pay them under their TOS thus the problem with amex saying it is 'fraud' however...I did pay via paypal and cc protection..they no longer offer that or any other cc protection method of payment for the last 70% ..BUT they claim that I have to pay in 5 months via wire check xfer or bank xfer (no protection) so amex is trying to figure out how they can penalize me for not paying in 5 months if my original payment method (paypal) is no longer available and they still don't take credit cards..thus how to pay under the original TOS of paypal and cc protection...seems a rigged game...pay via unsecured methods or not get your 30% paid under paypal and cc back..extortion

i am pretty sure amex is working as hard as possible they said surely not to pay the last 70% ...so they will likely go after them..but they also said
that alpha does not take amex/cc nor paypal ..they may have no way to get the $$$ back and only course of action then is small claims or regulatory agency
which is on  me

also with amex you have 30-45 days to pay your bill w/o penalty so ..they took that long to tell me this and wait for a reply from alpha  (alpha sent proof i paid the 30% via cc so claim it is not fraud on the card on 33rd day more or less)
so if it takes another  33 to 45days ..well likely will be no money left...so anyway alpha not taking paypal/cc ..how does amex get the $$$ back..

anyway I have a Titan coming so paying 1700 bucks even if they woulda shipped today I probably would have at best only got ROI on the unit anyway..and rumor is
the Titan is gonna go (1st batch is 300mh) to 350mh 2nd batch is already 400mh...so what the heck it is a wash...a little humble pie is good for my ego..

i can take it as equip loss for a few years and in actual cash applied to tax man get prob around 250 usd back off my 667 I paid them....so will be down like 467 as a loss
more or less

well...them's the breaks I will likely look at previous threads on the UK consumer protection links but with all the silence from alpha (they were supposed to start shipping units today) lol

I suspect they are already bankrupt and filing info on such for personal protection and the $$$ sent in full or 30% or whatever is likely lost from if not a scam very poor management etc

so it goes live an learn

Searing

Apparently their credit card processor is up. 

well if you've read my posts you know how well this has worked out for me with a cc company that actually is trying....i mean amex folks have been literally on the phone with me
for 1/2 hour shots..trying to write the disputes up in such a way I'd get my $$$ back they say it I am completely right I should get my 30% for no product back that I paid under paypal esp since they don't allow paypal anymore and the business only option as a waive of consumer protection they literally laughed at..that being real....and of course the no option in the 5 months to pay in a protected manner via paypal or cc option ..thus they too think it is extortion..you pay the remaining 70% via our rules (unprotected wire xfer only) and in full or we keep your original 30% down payment even if we send you zip...in other words what drives amex nuts is if they can get away with selling 30% of 'nothing' on paypal then 'anyone' can and then not taking paypal ..alpha then goes shady and say wire xfer only..it i think gives amex the hibbie jeebies on the kinda of crap places would try to pull via paypal and cc option ion amex...consumers would be epic

so amex folks are plenty p/o'd enough to want to get this back for me for that reason alone..alpha is selling promises at 30% and keeping the cash w/o giving you the option to safely pay the remainder (has to be in 5 months with no paypal and cc option too boot) ..ie extortion....(well hell at least i got amex fired up)

so again 1 in 5 shot  I may get $$ back but reading above and with the problems I'm having with a multi-billion dollar cc company amex scratching their head on how to get me my $$ back (man I must have wasted so far 3 hrs of amex rep time...just getting them up to speed on this and winding them up..not to mention what they are spending employees etc to talk to me and investigate)

So big whoop..they have a cc option up now

I SURELY would not pay them in any manner wire xfer nor 70% cc option via their bank or whatever...if amex is having fits on how to get my $$$ back

so no...I'll sit this out and watch from the rail yard for the large train wreck...I"m out....if amex can't resolve this only option is the UK consumer links posted previous in this thread
but pay them by cc now after all this or wire xfer...I could be bill gates and they would not get 1700 usd out of me anyway! it is all their way or the highway..i'm taking my marbles
and leaving the sandlot....its all fixed..

my advice don't pay more now run away....somewhat burnt 30% is better then 100% deep fried

my 2c worth

Searing

[kebabman]

Not sure how it affects your claim, but in the cart, they take AMEX as a payment method now Searing.

[Bobsurplus]

via Imgflip Meme Maker

[Searing]

Not sure how it affects your claim, but in the cart, they take AMEX as a payment method now Searing.

yeah well they don't seem to be shipping by the 15th do they

but that I admit is somewhat encouraging that they are trying....but again ......I am past the 5 month refund option and for those 5 months I would have
been under the deluded notion that I could have paid at that time (or now) and have 60 days of amex protection if they did not ship or pay me back
I have discovered that is not the case...under their scenario even with the amex as a cc option they will not have to pay me the 30% back anyway
and if i did pay today the last 70% they likely would not have to ship anything for another 45 to 60 days I think it is for amex...so sure if I want to
pay remainder and go BFL route and maybe get my item ..depending on how screwed they are around Sept 1st or so more/less..well that don't fly
with difficulty/Titans/etc anyway..but again they could still just cancel cc option in 30 days and you'd be again in the boat everyone was in when
they canceled paypal .their TOS does not show when it is shipped

but again...the 5 months I was penalized for not getting a refund was due to me not paying the 70% in full because no cc option or no paypal
thus now because I did not pay i either pay the rest or CAN'T get my 30% refund and i stress again...NO TIMELINE of when the product is gonna
ship in their  TOS

so it is a butterfly labs scam now...they may ship you something like BFL does 1 year late

naw I will take the loss

imho they are stringing this along as far as possible cause they can't get the product out in a reasonable amount of time or so it seems

Searing

[smoothie]

Has Fiaz gone silent? Where is that update promised 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9...n..days ago?

[Bobsurplus]

Has Fiaz gone silent? Where is that update promised 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9...n..days ago?

He's a goner! I imagine they packed up and moved pack to Pakistan or wherever they came from.

[Searing]

Apparently their credit card processor is up.  

lol all they're doing is just scraping the last bits of money they can scam before they pack their bags and run away.

don't give in to their bullshit.

Heh..this morning when I called Amex they told me I had little option perhaps..they said..because alpha had no cc nor paypal for them to use as leverage

heh..called them up on the above and said that if alpha is taking cc again and amex...got them all wound up and ready to go on the dispute(s) again

(motivation...these amex people really really do not like the idea of 30% down vaporware with paypal an cc option ...paypal cc option suddenly cancelled
..no way to pay the  last 70% till prob 2 weeks or so I think it was before your 5 month no refund window passes.. (when were we allowed to pay 1st week
of june?) and only then those 2 weeks window pay only via a wire xfer or no refund on the 30% runs out cause 5 months is gone....


suddenly they offer cc option again thru bank including amex today ...told amex they thought it was suspicious as hell and probably alpha will pull it like they
did paypal when they get enough of the folks paying 70% remainder....when chargebacks come alpha will close down this bank cc option maybe amex lady said..
same trick as paypal ...borderline legitimacy...then poof not an option

Eureka! says the amex lady..they are taking amex again..we have a hook (or something like that)..they again have a lever...so the hound of amex are released again!

the games afoot....anyway my odds probably now are 2 out of 5 refund...

if nothing else keeping the amex folks productive in  a 'quest like manner' they seem to like rooting out scammer's perhaps they have a 'pool' or rewards
thingy...or it is more fun then telling folks their cc balance on the phone....

I did ask if I should just pay 100% and then ask for it all back...they said that would be unwise....now that alpha takes cc/amex..does not mean for how long...

not a good sign when amex says not to pay amex to a merchant that is taking amex cards....then I said it was thru their bank amex person is  like yeah
they could jerk that like they did paypal ...the cc accounts at alpha's whim..so again they said they would not pay last 70% from what I told them so far

all this drama...thought I'd escaped such when I made it out of the BFL Gulag ..guess not....

interesting times

Searing

[bumface]

if they start shipping in a day , everybody here will look like an assclown with al that reporting talk