I had begun refutations, but I can't keep pace with all who insist upon correcting me, so I yield. I had no idea this list was full of COOs for major retailers or subject matter experts on point-of-sale controller backbone communications and transaction syncing... here I though I knew something about it, having JUST published the new docs for IBM's ACE v6 (used by several major retailers and the Department of Defense Commissaries worldwide):
http://www2.clearlake.ibm.com/store/support/html/pubs.html#-ACEv6Whether or not Poor Old TRU.com can keep their stock levels synchronized between (what? four?) distribution warehouses is, to me, a mere side issue--they could do better; and I could put them in touch with folks who would sell them the system that WOULD do better.
The more relevant points remain unrefuted and are sufficient for me to remain incensed:
1) They could honor their sales, once holding funds for completed orders. They have cost me (a trivial amount) of buying power.
2) It's simply false that a hold can't lift immediately: I've see holds appear and disappear while I was paying a tab (i.e. they update the tip amount and, in seconds, the hold is modified). As far as I know, my bank does not continue to hold funds after they are released by a requester--after all, they can begin to loan customers that money again, once it's off hold!
Those of you who would defend a company with a $85M net earnings on 61.15M shares in 2006 (in spite of--or because of?--66 store closures) then be my guest. I am sure they appreciate it AT LEAST as much as they feel remorse about my frustrations.
Do what you want. I felt screwed and my time was wasted. I had little reason to do business with them before (first time registrar, by the way, Marnen; but thanks for the hypocrisy alert...) and now I have none.
As for LL "cutting its throat": uh... their ONE product at the retailer was on sell-at-a-loss clearance and there's no promise of restock or backorder. Looney Labs isn't even listed as a brand on their site! Some "partnership". But if they like being a part of that "action" then, fine, I wish them well (I always have their best interests at heart, FYI).
Me, I'd take my cool, eco, pro-America attitude down to Discovery Toys, Highlights magazine... hell, Scientific American's back pages. If they MUST go Big Box Retail to take the next step, a company like Target or Wal-Mart is going to provide them FAR more market penetration, anyway (and will likely want some kind of regional exclusivity/territory, too).
(Let us shelve discussion of the rightness or wrongness or BBRs, as I asked--and was disregarded--that we shelve discussion of brand protection versus freedom of speech/satire. Deal?)
And finally, to be as PC as possible, let me amend my request in my second e-mail:
"Let them know how you feel, if you agree with me *or if you love them all the same*."
TRU might like to hear how you stand beside them through thick and thin, defending their honor against wild-eye internet demagogues.... Maybe they'll send you a misplaced EAC that's holding down a corner of their hand-tallied inventory tracking sheet next to the carrier pigeon cages at headquarters....
;)
David