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[pgf]

i finally got through to a person who could solve my problem. (at 1-800-379-7017, since 800-201-7144 is always "all circuits busy", but hasn't accepted touchtones for days in any case.)

this is as opposed to the last two times i've called (a couple of weeks ago, and yesterday) where i was told they had to research the issue, and promised to call me back.  and never did, of course.

anyway, today i spoke to a supervisor, who apologized profusely about the delay, and explained that my address looked just fine, but seemed to need zip+4 code (i.e., the extra last digits) for the fedex verifier to take it.  "it's a very rate glitch, and you just fell through the cracks".  yeah.  my eye.

and then she explained that she'd "send it right over to shipping", but couldn't guarantee it before january 15th.

oh -- and they didn't have an email address on file, which is of course why i never got any of the "we're sorry" or "there's a problem" emails.  wtf?  paypal certainly had my address.

certainly glad i ordered so early on the first day.  i've been looking forward to, and telling my friends and family about, this damn laptop for a year.  they've certainly taken the edge off my anticipation.

crap.

[con]

Did you ask to speak to a supervisor or did one call you back?

I called this morning and the CSR was going to have a supervisor call me back, although I wonder if I should have just asked to speak to a supervisor directly.  I called about 4 hours ago.  I don't expect to get receive that call back from the supervisor since I called a week ago and was told the same BS story.b

[John_G1G1D1]

FedEx gets their info from whatever Brightstar enters into their computer, and is transmitted to FedEx along with the tracking number it generates when it generates a label.  So if Brightstar never entered a email address, FedEx wouldn't know your email address.  FedEx having access to all of their shippers databases would be very dangerous.  I'm speculating that Brightstar opted to have THEMSELVES or OLPC notified when shipping happens/an error occured, which would explain why some people get their emails AFTER their 'tops arrived, because they were shipped express.  When FedEx sent out the emails, it went to someone, who went through the list, and sent out emails to the addresses attached to the customers orders with either a "It's on it's way!!" or "There's been a problem", which might take a few days given the massive amounts of calls/emails they were fielding and answering already due to the original shipping problems.

Brightstar it seems got it's shipping info from either OLPC or PayPal directly.  I'm guessing it was OLPC, because if they didn't have their database set up to the right fields, when they did an import, it would explain why some address lines were dropped.  The list was sent to Brightstar, and as they entered in their FedEx computer, it flagged some entries b/c the software can do a simple address verify, and those people got the original emails from OLPC regarding addresses.  While an address may have passed the simple verify, when it went out to ship, and either arrived at the depot, and the driver looked at it and flagged a possible error, or when it was being delivered, and the driver was confused, it was flagged in FedEx's computer then, and then an email like the one above was generated.

I also think they have used up all of the XO's they had in stock, and now they have to take a beating until the next batch gets built and shipped to the US, and also might get the next upgrade at BrightStar, whihc would add a few days to the process.

[pgf]

Did you ask to speak to a supervisor or did one call you back?

i didn't ask -- they just picked up while i was on hold.  i think it was because i told the original rep i was dealing with that i'd been promised a response twice before, and hadn't gotten one, so she tried a little harder to deal with the problem while i was still on the phone.

FedEx gets their info from whatever Brightstar enters into their computer, and is transmitted to FedEx along with the tracking number it generates when it generates a label.  So if Brightstar never entered a email address, FedEx wouldn't know your email address.

i never expected fedex to have my address -- i expected brightstar to have it, since i entered it along with my order at paypal.

I also think they have used up all of the XO's they had in stock,

i suspect you're right.  :-/

paul

[con]

Yeah, my fear is that they ran out as well.   I wonder if they'll ship ours one or two day as well or does that fact that Christmas has come and gone mean it's back to the old FedEx Ground leave it at the door with no signature method of shipping.

[John_G1G1D1]

FedEx gets their info from whatever Brightstar enters into their computer, and is transmitted to FedEx along with the tracking number it generates when it generates a label.  So if Brightstar never entered a email address, FedEx wouldn't know your email address.

i never expected fedex to have my address -- i expected brightstar to have it, since i entered it along with my order at paypal.

paul

It would be kind of hard for FedEx to deliver without an address.  As for email, I had a company send out a ring to me the same day my XO shipped.  When this company generated the label, they had entered my email address, and I got a automated notification from FedEx saying that the shipper requested a notification to me upon them getting the package/info.  Judging by the delay from the OLPC "It's been shipped" E-mails, this is why I suspect BrightStar flagged themselves or OLPC to get the notification, and then they copied and pasted it into a form email they sent to the people.

[pgf]

It would be kind of hard for FedEx to deliver without an address.

very funny.  i meant "email address", of course.  :-)