Petition/questions to Google (global) - Nexus 4 General

Maybe it is a good idea to make a petition of some kind, to send to google and maybe they will clear things up. With clearing things up I mean the problems with the already ordered Nexus 4's and the zero info about restocking. Share your thoughts here :victory:
In the UK thread "sirwilliams" already sums up a good list! Credits to him for that!
"* an acknowledgement that this has been wrong in so many ways
* an explanation as to why orders had not been shipped in the correct order
* an apology for the above
* details of how they plan to make it up to the customers whose trust in them has been left in tatters
* a commitment that orders will in future be processed and shipped to customers on a first-come, first-served basis
* clear accountability for the above - so that if it is clear this commitment has not been kept, we know exactly who to contact to provide a further explanation
* a significant change in their customer support "service" - CSRs in the country where the order was placed, a transparent "chain-of-command" so that problems can be escalated to people who will have the relevant information at their disposal
* an overhaul of the Play store, so that it does not tell misleading information, does not show duplicated orders, but instead shows more details information of the status of their order.
* acknowledgement that their CSRs have been telling untruths - an explanation as to why this is the case, and an apology.
* acknowledgement, apologies and an explanation for the customers who have waited months for their order only for Google to cancel it and then blame them
* accuracy in their documentation, ie. the correct amount which will be placed as an authorisation in advance of charges being applied rather than $1, using the word "estimate" on pages before an order is placed if that is what the quoted time is.
* a clear complaints procedure, allowing us to get in touch with people whose job is to provide an actual explanation and resolution for problems"

Signed
Seconded!

I just want to know when they will restock
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app

That's not bad but I think two things should be highlighted out of all those points:
1. Future orders will be delivered on schedule .
2. Future orders will be handled more professionally, keeping customers in the loop at all times and serving fifo order system.
Otherwise I'll be more reserved when ordering from them again. It was a painful 7-8 weeks for us! :banghead:

monkeying. around said:
That's not bad but I think two things should be highlighted out of all those points:
1. Future orders will be delivered on schedule .
2. Future orders will be handled more professionally, keeping customers in the loop at all times and serving fifo order system.
Otherwise I'll be more reserved when ordering from them again. It was a painful 7-8 weeks for us! :banghead:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many are still waiting for restock

Hi guys, looks like it might just about be ready!
Just in case you didn't know, after the first batch of Nexus 4s went missing I created the "Where's my Nexus 4 - Register your Complaint" site to get Google's attention, it appeared to work and opened up a dialogue with us.
We promised we would track their progress and now mkII of the site is up and running. It has nothing to do with Google, but should allow us to track the new orders, and provide a unified voice if there are problems.
If you manage to place an order for a new Nexus 4 device, please think about signing up - www.axiopo.com
If you have any questions, get in touch through the site.
Thanks
Andy

Taiwan
I take any opportunity like this where there may be direct Google consumer feedback to request they resume paid apps in the Play store in Taiwan. The government, doing it's job to protect consumers, requires a 7 day return policy for all goods purchased in Taiwan. This means software too. When this policy was enforced well over a year ago, Apple changed it's policy quickly to allow the mandated 7 day refunds. Google has not restored paid apps here. If Apple was able to do it I see no reason why Google can't. Whenever I need to install a paid app I contact the dev and highlight this to them, they are usually unaware of this,a dn of course unhappy, and say they send feedback to Google about this. Some have mentioned the 7 day policy may allow users of some games to play the game to completion, delete/"return" it, and get a refund. For those inclined to cheat this is of course safer and easier than installing cracked .apk's, but it may not be higher or lower here than anywhere else. I don't know how the payment system works, so I don't know if there is penalty to devs for "returns", but I'm betting that the impact on a dev for returns would be somewhere between barely noticeable and non-existent. However, what is unquestionably a measurable cost to devs is the loss of revenue from not allowing 24,000,000 users in an affluent, and extremely wired country (home notably to Asus, Acer, and HTC) to not buy apps at all! Of course this also means we can't buy Nexus devices as well. If possible, could this serious grievance please also be addressed in your petition?

I agree with everything here. Mine came alot sooner than planned but I consider myself lucky I was even able to get in line for one. The whole thing was just a big mess and its ridiculous that they've been sold out for 2 months.
Also they need to be more readily available in general. Sell them unlocked in retail stores. Sell them on contract for every carrier. Everyone should have the opportunity to own a real google phone imo
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

It was a mess, and a response and apology from Google is needed.

Related

Google: Next Batch in 3 Weeks

It's official. Wait times for the next batch is 3 weeks.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/15/nexus-4-backordered/
Thank you for your recent purchase on Google Play. Due to overwhelming demand, your Nexus 4 is on backorder and is expected to ship within three weeks. We'll send you a notification when your order has shipped and will credit the shipping charges.
To check the status of your order at any time, visit the link below: https://wallet.google.com/manage/#transactions
If you would prefer to cancel your order, please reply to this email and our team will assist you. Or you can cancel your order using our online tool. Please follow the instructions found here:
http://support.google.com/googleplay/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2423477
We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you again for your order.
Thanks,
The Google Play Team
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Click to collapse
So pretty much anyone who hasn't been able to put in a order (like myself) are not going to be able to order the device for a long time.
Thanks for nothing LG.
I guess I'm stuck phoneless for 3 weeks, or whenever the next batch will be availabe...
But I am also sort of glad that I wasn't able to get my order in so we could see if Google will add the Nexus 4 to AOSP as well as fix up some of the thermal issues.
Question for you... do you even read forums before making a new thread? The email you just quoted has been posted numerous times...
Sent from my A510 using Tapatalk 2
c_86 said:
Question for you... do you even read forums before making a new thread? The email you just quoted has been posted numerous times...
Sent from my A510 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It deserves it's own thread.
wilsonlam97 said:
It deserves it's own thread.
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Click to collapse
It really doesn't. Also the E-mail doesn't say what you seem to think it does. Within 3 weeks means any time from today up untill 3 weeks. I'm not overly optomistic about the time frame myself but the thread title is still misleading at best.
your thread created privileges should be taken away...
Good thing I didnt sell my GNex yet.
Why are ppl in the states so crazy to get it even at the price of over $600 at ebay nearly double...can't they wait for the next wave just few weeks ahead..most other country don't even have play store to purchase that may sound reasonable
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
I am totally at a loss with Google on this? Total and epic failure from a company that prides itself on it's meticulous attention to detail and Engineers every little thing. How the hell am I supposed t believe that the company that can crunch massive data sets, route the quickest path to ones home, serve massive amounts of AD's and multimedia can blow it in running a simple Cart driven eCommerce business and fail to anticipate all these fairly obvious headaches coming to light. It really boggles the mind?
I got the Backorder letter too, but even that was very vague and provides no level of detail that can be useful. Already there is conflicting stories of folks getting the bo letter and a shipment letter, some who made two separate orders are left wondering which order is bo'd?
If I had to think out loud, I would surmise that in the effort of cutting costs down for this product they used there F-Team of managers for this product launch ... seriously!
*A notification system that failed to notify!
*No coherent product launch time (Midnight? 9EST? 9PST?) even when we fished around for details and the rumour mill had it at 9PST the damn store opened 30minutes earlier.
*No clear communication on stock levels
*No pre-order ... my god how stupid are the folks who ran this botched job!
*Not enough inventory on hand
*No cart limits like 1 per person or 2 per person ... I could add 100 to my cart and the thing would go through
*No cart queuing/ reserving/ holding mechanism ... ticketmaster holds a ticket for 5-10 minutes the instant it lands on your cart
*Cart/ Site kept crashing
*They didn't update the site to sold-out until late at night leading to the F5 phenomena, with people wasting time without knowing whether they can make an order or not ... fully knowing anyone after the initial 10 minutes after opening the Play store would be on backorder ... might as well keep selling now it makes no more difference at this point at least alleviate those who can't purchase now to join a queue and keep selling. What will happen now is they will launch in spurts resulting in the same level of chaos ... let people join the queue now if they will be backordered in anycase.
*For those of us who got the chance to order the assumption was that they would be able to make a shipment ... no reason why the system would fluctuate from in stock to of stock during the nightmare purchase with all the obstacles it had ... WHY THE HELL DID WE GET BO'd! If there system wasn't as one to one as it seemed with all it's rigidity in how much you can add to cart and it failing during purchase because it became out of stock ... then how the hell did you guys oversell?
No sincere apology, no corrective actions are being laid out ... and that token free shipping in no way salvages this horribly broken Play Store. Heads have to roll ... seriously! I've read stories of better managers/ CEO's, project leads being fired for so little ... the folks who have done an outstanding job of tarnishing the Google brand and have been doing so seeing that this type of nonsense is not new with those familiar with the Play Store ... I am totally new to the Android verse coming from WP7.5, BB7, and Maemo ... this first impression of how Google runs this store is not what I always imagined of Google which I love and use from Email to Google+ ... I even enjoyed GWave, I put up with the Buzz mess up ... but Play is such a horrible brand tarnishing experience and Google needs to improve there retail program or get out of it and let the pro's at Amazon handle it.
This is a joke, I can't believe it Google has been running a psy-ops campaign over at the Play Store to ruin there hard fought branding of Engineered Excellence. I hate the Apple verse and the perception that they created whatever is the next best thing when rather they made a incremental improvement on the natural progression of a product life cycle ... but give credit where it is due they are a behemoth when it comes to the retail experience and the level of customer service ... night and day difference in these experiences Google, please rectify it. It makes it silly to have a building full of the brightest people who can't attempt to sell something online when you dominate on the Internet... it is a running joke this Play Store. Heads must roll!
wilsonlam97 said:
It deserves it's own thread.
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Click to collapse
Agreed with the others - this letter has been discussed ad nauseam in at least 2 other very large threads, so much so that one person that started another thread has already (as of earlier this afternoon) started a Google Docs spreadsheet where they are analyzing data entered by volunteers from this forum so that graphs and statistical analyses can be made correlating purchase time to shipping confirmation as well as how this data pertains to the email notification you wrote about.
Mods, please close this thread.
---------- Post added at 09:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 PM ----------
ryan92084 said:
It really doesn't. Also the E-mail doesn't say what you seem to think it does. Within 3 weeks means any time from today up untill 3 weeks. I'm not overly optomistic about the time frame myself but the thread title is still misleading at best.
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Click to collapse
Yes I had been reading about people's experiences with this backorder email for several hours already, since it was distributed around 3:00-4:00pm EST this afternoon, and then I see this thread title, and obviously I had to assume that someone had some NEW information, linking to a story at Engadget where perhaps they had confirmed that no additional units would be shipped for at least 3 weeks. But then I find, it was just a useless rehash of news and information the rest of us have been looking at and discussing for nearly 7 hours in other threads.
WTF.
joeski27 said:
Agreed with the others - this letter has been discussed ad nauseam in at least 2 other very large threads, so much so that one person that started another thread has already (as of earlier this afternoon) started a Google Docs spreadsheet where they are analyzing data entered by volunteers from this forum so that graphs and statistical analyses can be made correlating purchase time to shipping confirmation as well as how this data pertains to the email notification you wrote about.
Mods, please close this thread.
---------- Post added at 09:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:46 PM ----------
Yes I had been reading about people's experiences with this backorder email for several hours already, since it was distributed around 3:00-4:00pm EST this afternoon, and then I see this thread title, and obviously I had to assume that someone had some NEW information, linking to a story at Engadget where perhaps they had confirmed that no additional units would be shipped for at least 3 weeks. But then I find, it was just a useless rehash of news and information the rest of us have been looking at and discussing for nearly 7 hours in other threads.
WTF.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but even backorders take "up to 3 weeks" (don't be optimistic). So people who haven't been able to order will obviously have to wait longer than that.
#firstworldproblems
x1000.
Get over it

this about sums it up for me

"Hey, Google! What the hell??!?! Honestly, I'm not upset that that the phone is in huge demand. I'm not upset that they sold out far faster than expected or that they just didn't have enough supply. That's great for Google, great for Android, and great for wireless in the US where carriers have a stranglehold on the market. I'm freaking thrilled, in fact, that the market is embracing a new model for buying phones and sticking it to the carriers who have been totally ubstructionist to updates and have, in many ways, crippled Android over and over on phone after phone.
I'm angry because this is bloody Google - You'd think they could figure out how to handle peak loads and ecommerce at least as well as Apple. Google locates their datacenters near hydroelectric dams for God's sake so that they can access enough power to keep the world searching, to process the 72 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, and to crunch enough data to automatically give me directions to my various destinations as I hop into my car for an appointment.
And yet Google couldn't switch from "Ships in 3-5 days" in the Play Store to "Sold Out" several hours after their stock had been depleted. Google didn't know the difference between "Coming soon" and "Sold Out" and actually let people continue buying phones long after they had all been gobbled up.
Google didn't have the sense to limit numbers of purchases to one or two per household and the situation was exacerbated because the miserable excuse for a storefront that they call the Play Store was such a disaster at peak load that people were buying two or three phones accidentally.
Google has enough information from the nation's aggregated searches to track influenza outbreaks faster and more accurately than the CDC and yet they didn't anticipate demand for a $300 unlocked superphone running the latest version of Android. Gee, Google, do you think a few people might want one of those? They certainly knew I did based on the search and social data I happily and consensually share with them every day through my Google account.
Google can track the movement of illegal weapons worldwide better than our own government who should really be in a position to know about the weapons trade. And yet, when I sent an email today checking on the status of my order, just moments before I received that backorder email, the automated response cheerily told me that my phone should ship today and that I would have a UPS tracking number by tomorrow.
Why is this so damned hard for a company that is probably better than any other at processing data? Why, for a company that pioneered large-scale failover and redundancy and can shift literally petaflops of processing power among its various datacenters worldwide, could it not handle demand for a phone? Have you ever gotten an email from Apple saying, "Gosh, so sorry, we didn't think many of you would actually want a freaking iPhone so we didn't bother scaling our ecommerce systems or building a kajillion phones, so even though we told you that you got one, we were wrong so now you'll have to wait a while"? No, probably not.
Google finally discovers the secret sauce for Android and turning the wireless industry on its ears only to be derailed because its online store choked. Really? Seriously? Because Google didn't have the scalability or computing muscle to handle a spike on a few of their several hundred thousand servers? Because there weren't any Google engineers smart enough to figure out a better way to do ecommerce? Despite being able to auction millions of ads in real time? Really?
Ridiculous. Just ridiculous. Google, if you're listening (and I know you are, since you already know virtually every move I make), please go buy a company that knows how to sell things on the Internet. There's one or two (or 100) that do it fairly well." Christopher Dawson ZDNet
http://www.zdnet.com/google-nexus-4-play-store-debacle-gives-buyers-the-backorder-blues-7000007482/
AmesCell said:
http://www.zdnet.com/google-nexus-4-play-store-debacle-gives-buyers-the-backorder-blues-7000007482/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes - hence I quoted him.
Its good that a writer from one of the tech sites finally wrote this - it feels like the others are letting Google off the hook.
Google made an excellent choice by hiring Matias Duarte to head up UI creation they urgently need to hire logistical experts.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
It's not even the demand that was the issue. If they knew they would have (say) 100 phones that would be ready to be shipped on Nov 15th. HOW is it possible for them to take more than a 100 orders?
It's really put a bad taste in my mouth for Google. It may be true, all they care about it the data they need from all of us. Everything else (experience, consistency, etc) comes second, at best.
---------- Post added at 05:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:02 PM ----------
Blackice-original said:
Its good that a writer from one of the tech sites finally wrote this - it feels like the others are letting Google off the hook.
Google made an excellent choice by hiring Matias Duarte to head up UI creation they urgently need to hire logistical experts.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They should ask Tim Cook for recommendations. That man is a genius when it comes to this.
Google deserves bad publicity for their launch failure!
glenroebuck said:
"Hey, Google! What the hell??!?! Honestly, I'm not upset that that the phone is in huge demand. I'm not upset that they sold out far faster than expected or that they just didn't have enough supply. That's great for Google, great for Android, and great for wireless in the US where carriers have a stranglehold on the market. I'm freaking thrilled, in fact, that the market is embracing a new model for buying phones and sticking it to the carriers who have been totally ubstructionist to updates and have, in many ways, crippled Android over and over on phone after phone.
I'm angry because this is bloody Google - You'd think they could figure out how to handle peak loads and ecommerce at least as well as Apple. Google locates their datacenters near hydroelectric dams for God's sake so that they can access enough power to keep the world searching, to process the 72 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, and to crunch enough data to automatically give me directions to my various destinations as I hop into my car for an appointment.
And yet Google couldn't switch from "Ships in 3-5 days" in the Play Store to "Sold Out" several hours after their stock had been depleted. Google didn't know the difference between "Coming soon" and "Sold Out" and actually let people continue buying phones long after they had all been gobbled up.
Google didn't have the sense to limit numbers of purchases to one or two per household and the situation was exacerbated because the miserable excuse for a storefront that they call the Play Store was such a disaster at peak load that people were buying two or three phones accidentally.
Google has enough information from the nation's aggregated searches to track influenza outbreaks faster and more accurately than the CDC and yet they didn't anticipate demand for a $300 unlocked superphone running the latest version of Android. Gee, Google, do you think a few people might want one of those? They certainly knew I did based on the search and social data I happily and consensually share with them every day through my Google account.
Google can track the movement of illegal weapons worldwide better than our own government who should really be in a position to know about the weapons trade. And yet, when I sent an email today checking on the status of my order, just moments before I received that backorder email, the automated response cheerily told me that my phone should ship today and that I would have a UPS tracking number by tomorrow.
Why is this so damned hard for a company that is probably better than any other at processing data? Why, for a company that pioneered large-scale failover and redundancy and can shift literally petaflops of processing power among its various datacenters worldwide, could it not handle demand for a phone? Have you ever gotten an email from Apple saying, "Gosh, so sorry, we didn't think many of you would actually want a freaking iPhone so we didn't bother scaling our ecommerce systems or building a kajillion phones, so even though we told you that you got one, we were wrong so now you'll have to wait a while"? No, probably not.
Google finally discovers the secret sauce for Android and turning the wireless industry on its ears only to be derailed because its online store choked. Really? Seriously? Because Google didn't have the scalability or computing muscle to handle a spike on a few of their several hundred thousand servers? Because there weren't any Google engineers smart enough to figure out a better way to do ecommerce? Despite being able to auction millions of ads in real time? Really?
Ridiculous. Just ridiculous. Google, if you're listening (and I know you are, since you already know virtually every move I make), please go buy a company that knows how to sell things on the Internet. There's one or two (or 100) that do it fairly well." Christopher Dawson ZDNet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the person who wrote this were on XDA, I would have made a thousand accounts just to Thank him as many times. I am bloody tired of the whole Play Store debacle. Not usually the one to whine and *****, but this is beyond words!
Only those who got no phone care. /small violin playing.
I clicked buy and it worked for me. But then again, even if I had missed getting one. Its a phone. I just would have waited for the next batch. Or maybe I would piss and moan about something so small, write a 5 paragraph statement on a Non Google Site and then burned down an orphanage. /Waaaaaaaa

Google Play / Google Wallet Tax Information for UK users

im extremely confused about all of this, i kind of stumbled into this google play malarky by mistake
So..
Im in the Uk
I got some apps on google play.
ive made £4 in a couple of months.(i made a couple of apps 50p just to see what happens/stop all those promo sites integrating my wares as their own.)
now i get this:
Tax information required
Tax regulations in the US require that Google have complete and accurate tax information for our customers. Such forms are required in the event that a payee is located in the US or whose content is sold in the US. Please update your tax information in order to get paid.
Do i need to do this? Will i burn in hell for it?
And do i need to be a "business"?
im an idiot.
i hear that this is where people who actually know what they are talking about lurk.
help.
what is everyone's thoughts on this? any UK users had to do this?
I'm also interested how to deal with it
Hi,
Sorry for the late reply..
But YES, you need to fill these forms out. No you won't burn in hell so long as you are no a US citizen, do not carry out business in the US, etc.. (read what it says on the form). For 95% of developers this will be the case.
You will need to declare your earnings to HMRC.. I would check out if there is a lower limit below which it can be considered a "hobby", otherwise you should become a sole trader or a Ltd company. This will require year-end accounts to be filed, which could cost you about £500-£800 for an accountant.
Send me a PM if you would like some help. Also, I have bought developer's accounts in the past so might be interested in yours.

News: According to PlayOn site, Chromecast support coming soon

I was just doin a little reading up on the Chromecast, Plex, and other random news and info and came across this tidbit of info. For those of you that are familiar with "PlayOn," I was browsing their website and just happened to notice that they have officially listed on their site that Chromecast support will be coming to PlayOn very soon. Also, when looking through their support forums, I came across a thread that was started just a couple of days ago and "Chris" from the PlayOn staff confirmed to the opening poster that Chromecast support was in fact just right around the corner. I thought this sounded like great news for us, the Chromecast community.
Check their site out for yourself ---> PlayOn | Supported Devices Compatible with PlayOn | PlayOn
--Thread on PlayOn Forum
The site is down right now.
I wonder to what level of compatibility PlayOn will see on the Chromecast - my concern would be any additional latency that it brings in (but could be really good if they can get past that!)
The day PlayOn gets released for ChomeCast, I'll be warning people of doing business with this company.
MediaMall has had some very sinister marketing techniques in the past and this should be known.
abuttino said:
The day PlayOn gets released for ChomeCast, I'll be warning people of doing business with this company.
MediaMall has had some very sinister marketing techniques in the past and this should be known.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll second that. I purchased a PlayOn lifetime license when it was a fairly new product and somehow that's parlayed in to them trying to get me to buy another "lifetime" license ever since when new features are added.
Here's a discussion where several others spell out the details.
edit:lol, they're still at it too.. they finally added HD and have a special offer for existing lifetime users to upgrade.
tl;dr - PlayOn sells you a "lifetime" license, renames the product when they add features then tries to sell you another "lifetime" license
Houndx said:
I'll second that. I purchased a PlayOn lifetime license when it was a fairly new product and somehow that's parlayed in to them trying to get me to buy another "lifetime" license ever since when new features are added.
Here's a discussion where several others spell out the details.
tl;dr - PlayOn sells you a "lifetime" license, renames the product when they add features then tries to sell you another "lifetime" license
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't find the exact licensing terms, but sometimes a "lifetime" license does not include lifetime upgrades or updates - simply unlimited use of that particular version.
As long as the product you bought the license for remains available for use (ie, they don't disable it) then it's legal... Not nice, but still legal...
bhiga said:
Couldn't find the exact licensing terms, but sometimes a "lifetime" license does not include lifetime upgrades or updates - simply unlimited use of that particular version.
As long as the product you bought the license for remains available for use (ie, they don't disable it) then it's legal... Not nice, but still legal...
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Oh, I'm not implying they didn't live up to their legal obligations.. only that they failed on the moral ones.
Houndx said:
Oh, I'm not implying they didn't live up to their legal obligations.. only that they failed on the moral ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. Releasing a new product is one thing, but doing a small change and renaming, that's not nice and it doesn't encourage others to buy your product - lifetime or otherwise - either.
I guess it could be worse - they could make it only apply to the lifetime of a specific device. Then few people would ever get lifetime.
At least TiVo let me transfer my lifetime subscription for the Series 3 (granted, the S3 at launch was near $800) - and they raised the lifetime rates but warned existing customers first... And when there's a new system update it doesn't invalidate my lifetime subscription.
A company like TiVo wouldn't get a way with that.
Actually, I didn't know about the HD thing, but I called it years ago. Even used the word HD.
People on their forums tell me I should drop it and stfu but I don't see a problem warning people about their devious marketing.
Sent from my XT926 using Tapatalk
By the way you will ABSOLUTELY NEVER find a EULA on their site. I don't remember if you have to agree to one to install the software either
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Actually, a simple google search for PlayOn.tv eula returns the EULA page for PlayOn.
And the EULA is included in the MediaMall install folder.
I tend to think conspiracy is where you look for it. I purchased a lifetime license back in 2009 for 19.99 (before there was a PlayOn Premium) and it still works exactly as advertised.
I purchased a PlayOn Premium license in 2010. I chose not to upgrade by Basic license as I figured I would continue to use it on a 2nd PC (which I do). Each time an update is released with bug fixes, both installations are updated.
I have never found anything deceptive about their marketing at all. Sure, I would have liked to have gotten HD for free, but I also understand that development costs money. The HD add-on is completely optional. I chose to add HD to my PlayLater license so I could record in HD but haven't added HD for PlayOn yet. The add-on for PlayLater only cost me 3.99. I think the add-on model is the fairest from a consumer perspective. If I had a slow PC, and was a new customer I wouldn't want to pay for a feature that I can't use.
That all said, since I purchased my lifetime Premium license in 2010, dozens of new channels have been added along with some very cool features that haven't cost me a thing. Things like Roku and Mobile support, PlayTo and Record To, the PlayOn Browser extension (PlayMark and PlayCast), not to mention the huge improvements made to MyMedia (which is still completely free, by the way).
I did do some searching around and found this from when I first purchased my Basic license (this is from 2009):
"What you get for buying a License
Your license will be valid forever for all patches and bug fixes for the current major version of PlayOn. All functionality and feature enhancements to PlayOn will be free for existing licensed installations, unless a new major version is released, at which point a new license may be required to access newer functionality."
I get why some might be upset...Heck, I'd always rather get something free vs. paying for it...but deceptive and greedy? I don't think so.
There were devious marketing tactics..
This really doesn't matter. PlayOn has so many other shortcomings that it doesn't make the energy to type worth it.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk
I gave up on PlayOn ages ago. I supported PlayOn from very early on. I bought what I was informed was a one time fee. Well that one time fee turned into a yearly fee. And then it turned into "hey buy this extra stuff for even more". I foolishly paid for 3 years of that crap and all I really wanted to do at the time was stream media from my pc to my xbox 360. Wish I had been told or heard about Plex back then. One time fee and it's worked flawlessly the entire time I've used it. Would never give a damn dime to PlayOn ever again.
Edit: Just realized after reading other posts that I'm not the only one who was disgusted with the deceptive fees of PlayOn.
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I spoke at length with an Skip, an employee at MediaMall.. Three general consensus from everyone there "they've done no wrong" and for some reason, the users believe it.
However, I can't value anyone's opinion that can stand commercials at twice the volume of the actual show. They are more for content than they are quality.
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[email protected] said:
Your license will be valid forever for all patches and bug fixes for the current major version of PlayOn. All functionality and feature enhancements to PlayOn will be free for existing licensed installations, unless a new major version is released, at which point a new license may be required to access newer functionality.
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That basically says if you bought a license for the current Version 3.x.xx.xxxx the second V4.x.xx.xxxx comes out your LIFETIME license for PlayOn expires even if you live to see Version 5!
So it is deceptive to say your buying a LIFETIME LICENSE when really all your doing is buying a V3 license and as soon as they decide to change the Version number your License is no longer good!
Apparently it isn't YOUR LIFETIME they are talking about just the lifetime of their current Version which for everyone else is merely a License not a LIFETIME License!
It's like any software version numbering. Once a new update comes out, you are expected to pay.
They play on (no pun intended) words using the "Lifetime" and nobody seems to give a rats ass.
This is the same game played by politicians. Except, politicians play with our money and freedoms.
I'd bet that 70% of their customer base are Low-info voters.
To keep a company alive that practices this kind of moral bankruptcy is just retarded.
So goes the rest of people that don't seem to have any morals these days..
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Asphyx said:
That basically says if you bought a license for the current Version 3.x.xx.xxxx the second V4.x.xx.xxxx comes out your LIFETIME license for PlayOn expires even if you live to see Version 5!
So it is deceptive to say your buying a LIFETIME LICENSE when really all your doing is buying a V3 license and as soon as they decide to change the Version number your License is no longer good!
Apparently it isn't YOUR LIFETIME they are talking about just the lifetime of their current Version which for everyone else is merely a License not a LIFETIME License!
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Click to collapse
So my opinion isn't valid because I don't agree?
You write that "as soon as they decide to change the Version number your License is no longer good!", but that is simply not true. The Basic license I purchased back in 2009 still works exactly as it did when I purchased. No features or channels were removed and I still receive updates with bug fixes. I had an opportunity to upgrade my Basic license, but chose to keep it and use on another PC.
And since I purchased my PlayOn Premium license, many new features and channels have been added that have not cost me anything.
I just don't see any bad intent here.
Your opinion matters less only because you try and fight a losing battle.
The fact of the matter, it is not really lifetime if you are going to make people pay on the release of a new version.
Arguing semantics over morals is just another losing battle.
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[email protected] said:
So my opinion isn't valid because I don't agree?
You write that "as soon as they decide to change the Version number your License is no longer good!", but that is simply not true. The Basic license I purchased back in 2009 still works exactly as it did when I purchased. No features or channels were removed and I still receive updates with bug fixes. I had an opportunity to upgrade my Basic license, but chose to keep it and use on another PC.
And since I purchased my PlayOn Premium license, many new features and channels have been added that have not cost me anything.
I just don't see any bad intent here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your opinion isn't valid because LIFETIME should mean it NEVER EXPIRES for as LONG AS YOU LIVE!
The fact your license still works 6 years later is more a testament to their lack of development and adding enough features in ALL THAT TIME to require a new version number than it does their honesty in Marketing....
According to your definition EVERYTHING is a LIFETIME License...Including that license to run Windows 3.1 20 years after it was released!
It is dishonest marketing merely for the fact that they can make a version 4 tomorrow and you can't use it without paying for another LIFETIME!
Thats a License not a LIFETIME license...
I have a LIFETIME membership to Plex Pass....And guess what it will still work when Version 1000 comes out as it does for Version 0.9!
It will be valid for MY lifetime and truth is it will be valid long after I'm dead.
But oncePlayOn decide to change the version number to #4 your license is dead for the purposes of running their latest product!
Even more deceptive; PlayOn had special sale right before they released the new version.
I can't imagine anything more deceptive than that. A final push to get everyone on lifetime to give the devs a bonus for their hard work on the next version.
That's just downright mean.
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Ask Moto to help the keyboard mod, possibly the last chance for indie mods to produce

Moto ran the Transform the Smartphone Challenge on Indiegogo more than a year ago. 50 mods entered, only 2 or 3 ever got anywhere near a product. Moto wierdly chose 2 'winners' from the contest to receive financial and other support which were never heard from again, leaving the keyboard mod that had demonstrated demand and ability to produce on its own, scrounging for support wherever they could. Perhaps moto thought livermorium had proven they didn't need help, but moto should have known better, manufacturing is hard and tiny organizations with no cash reserves could always use support.
With the drop out of edge some months ago, only the keyboard mod remains within spitting distance of shipping. They actually did begin manufacturing and shipping units, but had to start over and recall them thanks to Motorola's issues with oreo OTAs. Now after all the delays, with some caused by moto, perhaps including their recent executive shakeups, Livermorium (the company making the keyboard mod) is struggling. I'm confident they'll pull through because they've got serious will to survive, but they shouldn't be left twisting in the wind alone. Moto needs to step and prove that an indie mod is possible, even as a slate of new mods gets listed on Indiegogo that few are willing to take seriously because of last year. Moto started this, they asked 3rd parties to invest in the ecosystem, they promised support, they made users believe their own pledges mattered and encouraged us to put up out money to help the ecosystem. They have the resources, and they need help livermorium over the finish line.
We have limited means to contact, and this is a long shot, but it's the best I've got. If Moto is worth its salt, they'll have a director of social media capable of elevating a popular request to more important eyes, but to reach even that person, we need to amplify the request. The tweet below doesn't need to be the only means of reaching out, but it has started to get some traction and a few seconds retweeting or liking it may be the best bang for the buck in reaching them. Please reach out to moto anyway you please, whether you are pro-keyboard or not, because if this mod fails, the best run, closest, most in demand of the indies (it raised more funds than all the other Transform challenge mods combined), why would anyone actually put money down on another crowdfunded mod?
I think we all know that the Moto Z line itself is resting on the edge of a bubble. It might last or it might not. All that will depend on the health of its mod ecosystem. Moto mods are the most interesting thing to hit smartphones in ages, I'd hate to see this disappear. Not just this one indie mod, but others that could follow it if it can prove that indie mods can be trusted would contribute greatly to saving the Moto Z line.
TL;DR: Your likes, retweets and replies will help elevate this request and make it more likely that Motorola will see and care about making indie mods credible for users to back and enriching motomods ecosphere at large: https://twitter.com/fortunzfavor/status/986714582659018754 If you prefer to send your own tweet, please post it and I will happily retweet and like to help elevate polite, on point requests.
While lenovo ( moto ) does have some blame in this situation , i think it's fair to also state that livermorium at least "overshot" things a bit here..
Backers have been promised at least a couple of things and the product has gone thru a ton of re-thinks and rebuilds.
Time and time again the backers had to accept that there was another change and another 'update' made to the product...
Livermorium was more then happy to go to CES and make quite a splash about the keyboard , even go as far as hinting to a retail release of the product.
While it is a logical move to take a piss on lenovo , we have to consider that a lot of the issues could have been prevented if the seemingly endless list of changes
and updates was cut out to get the product to the backers at least.
Livermorium is a little bit too eager to 'whine' about the fact that they are out of funds and that a lot of 'new problems' have come up out of nowhere.
I backed the product and i have been very patient but with a long list of shifted deadlines i must be honest and state that i have lost allmost all hope
in this project.
Lets all hope that this idea finally comes to a product very soon , the wait has been too long...
I was unaware of the issues with the mod, but I was looking forward for it as well. I'm a serious typer and I still use the T9 compact because I think it's faster and could think of a couple of situations where the mod would be dope
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