OLPC Shipping Problem Resolution: XO Laptop Buy Out

   
   
   
   
   
olpc $100 laptop

On the OLPC News G1G1 Shipping Problems Forum, there are several people who are quite annoyed that now, sixty days later, they are still waiting for their Get One XO laptop.

They haven't heard much from OLPC, less from Brightstar, and FedEx can't help them if they don’t have the shipping data. They have reached the end of their patience, and they want their $425 back, but they can't find satisfaction through G1G1 donor systems.

So what are these committed yet frustrated donors to do?

John S. was on the verge of calling his credit card company and starting a chargeback process, when another person on the forum made an offer: He would buy John's XO for $425. As John says, now both parties can find satisfaction:

Unlike the idea of borrowing someone else’s XO, which I could never do in good conscience, here is a solution that satisfies my primary concern (getting my money back so I can buy an EEE and washing my hands of the whole OLPC nightmare) while simultaneously satisfying someone else’s desire to G1G1 after the program has ended.

The downside is that it doesn’t hold OLPC accountable for their mess, but realistically it is much quicker & easier (i.e. I’ll have my money back within a day or so without question), so it works for me.

I am glad that John S. has found a solution he can live with and I strongly suggest anyone else who is at their frustration point to find a solution that is best for them.

I've done something similar with another G1G1 donor who found the XO not to their liking and was happy to have it go to a good cause - further XO discovery via OLPC News & Forums - without the hassle or moral quandary of eBay sales. But before people get too crazy with offering each other XO's or buying them out of the G1G1 program, do be aware that you are very much on your own with private transactions. Each is 100% trust and neither OLPC nor I can help you if things go wrong.

Personally, I still think there is one, best, option for those who want out of One Laptop Per Child: re-gifting your XO laptop to OLPC developers.

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50 Comments

Quite frankly I think these "frustrated" donors should be publicly shamed. What has our consumerism-driven world come to? People, you made a donation to, essentially, an NGO. A new one at that. The fact you're getting a laptop should be icing on the cake, and causing more hassles for the OLPC team is not really helping. The money I donated for my OLPC XO I would prefer to be spent on children in developing nations, NOT on hiring more call centre agents to deal with self-righteous consumer whores.

Sit back, relax in the warm glow of goodwill, and meditate on non-attachment for awhile.

Just curious Greg--do you have your XO?

I think the idea of a peer "buy out" is irresponsible. If OLPC/Brighstar/FedEx have no record of the transaction and have no tracking of a particular laptop, then the person paying for the "buy-out" is simply giving money away to the one being bought out. That's all well and good if the person doing that knows it.

But it is a mistake to call it a "buy out".... more like a "pay off" to avoid having the original donor initiate the chargeback process.

And how can you "re-gift your XO to a an OLPC developer" if you never received the XO laptop in the first place?

>> re-gifting your XO laptop to OLPC developers. <<

That is a good suggestion, Wayne. Do you have an address for a 501(c)(3) organization that will facilitate the gift (and make possible an associated income tax deduction)?

OddGeezer,

The best organizational recipient of donated XO's, in my humble opinion, is OLE Nepal: http://www.olenepal.org/

While they cannot furnish you a tax deduction, you already got one from OLPC if you G1G1'ed, and I would suggest that the knowledge that your second donated XO is really making a difference is worth way more than any additional IRS relief.

Rather than address Greg's ad hominem attacks and oppobrium, I'll just repeat John's question: did you receive your XO already?

If anyone with a valid email/reference number but no further shipping info searches for their package status at laptopgiving.org now they get a wonderfully circular message:

We are working hard to ship all XO Laptops. If you live in Canada, you should receive your laptop in the January/February timeframe.
Most laptops to US based donors have already shipped. You can check on the status of your laptop by visiting www.laptopgiving.org.
You will need your reference number or the email address you used when donating.
If you are unable to track your laptop or have not received it, please contact OLPC Donor Services by calling 1-800-201-7144 for assistance

The phone number gets you "All circuits are currently busy..." then if you stay on the call you eventually get an automated system which directs you back to laptopgiving.org...

On hold to speak to a human now...

On a more general note; don't charge someone until you're ready to provide them the service they're buying. At worst; charge the give-one immediately and hold off on the other, get-one half until you ship. Take the Amazon.com model of charge-on-ship, it shows you care about your customers and is less shady than taking $400 some odd dollars and then not even providing information on where your purchase is.

Rather than being clever like microwiz and John, I'm going to get my G1G0 big-boy panties in a bunch and feed the troll.

Insensitive much, Greg? People aren't stupid, they know they made a donation. Overall mediocre* customer service shouldn't be forgiven, even if it is from a volunteer charity doing work I agree with. OLPC was going to be in this situation ANYWAY when the children receive THEIR laptops. I'd rather deal with these frustrations than wish them on a kid, as long as OLPC's support IMPROVES by the time international pilot programs begin.

Besides, what's wrong with wanting something you were promised?

*Some staff/volunteers at OLPC are remarkably responsive and helpful. Others are barely there (my XO is apparently trapped in the Luminiferous Aether). No outright hostility from anyone. They are also improving quickly -- I may actually know something soon.

Well I do NOT have an XO (but am in G1G1), and I agree with Greg. Maybe its just how I was raised, but i find the behavior of some donors to be outright vile and strongly distasteful.

Pilot programs are running as we speak (watch videos of them on YouTube), this isn't a pipe-dream but a reality. Now grow some nerves and have patience people... please!

I am taking matters into my own hands. I just hung up from the latest round of useless calls to "Donor Service". Since I still can't get any answer or information or a response from a supervisor who knows anything, I just went on line to my state attorny general office and registered a consumer complaint. If more of us do that, we might actually get someone to wake up and do something. It is not going to be Intel, etc. who kills this great concept. It will be the basic inept handeling of everyday issues like shipping that will kill this.

tanya, i think if you re-read the terms and conditions of the G1G1 program (which is linked from the bottom of the laptopgiving.org webpage) you'll find that there's probably nothing an attorney general can, or will do. this was a donation program, not a purchase. and OLPC specifically made no promises as to delivery timeframe -- in fact, the conditions go out of their way to disavow any such promises made elsewhere, as well.

i'm a first day donor, still waiting for my laptop, and i'm afraid all we can do is hope the mess gets straightened out soon. (today i was told on the phone by customer services that i might expect my XO in "mid-february".)

36 ... no, 37 minutes on hold before getting to a human...

My laptop was purchased the last week of december and is reported to be "in process" and shipped (ballpark) 1st week of February; though it's not showing up in the OLPCForum's Fedex tracking method; so no label has been printed as yet...

"I am taking matters into my own hands."
Because of people like you I find myself embarrassed to be an American. It is people like you who give the impression to other countries that American's 'suck'. And you know what, people like you do suck. So you have to wait to get your laptop, at least you're not fighting in a war, blind, an amputee or stuck on a railroad track with locked doors and a car full of killer bees. Take a look around you, you might find yourself lucky. Look at the bigger picture, not at your own.

in tanya's defense (though her actions go far beyond what i would do), if one is a first day donor, then it's now been almost 10 weeks since your credit card was charged, in an agreement where you would make a donation, and receive a laptop. the laptop was part of an _agreement_. the shipping organization (a sub-contractor of OLPC) cannot, in most cases, give a good estimate as to when that laptop will ship, and in some cases can't even locate any record of a donor. worse, they do give shipping estimates, and then they change the estimate when the date draws near. personally, i've been told 12/24, 1/15, "late january", and now "mid-february". if this _weren't_ a charitable organization, then its customers would have every right to be very upset, and to file complaints. and to the extent that some of the wording of the G1G1 program marketing was just a little vague on how the program was structured, it's not surprising that some donors are confused and/or upset.

I know this is a charity. That is why I have been more than patient up to this point. But even charities are held to a high degree of honesty and competence in handeling of funds. This is begining to stink to high heavens. I know that it is a good program, but it is beginning to have all the appearances of a scam. Take the money and never deliver. That is the point of my complaint. I told the Attorny General in my complaint that it is a charity. But they made promises and are making no attempt to make good on the promises. If I were the only person getting the run-around, it would be easier to deal with. I would just figure that I am unlucky or something. But when I see countless people posting on the forum, etc. and the whole country of Canada getting the shaft, then I think I can fairly state that this is a screwed up mess and they need to get it fixed pronto.

If that means that I am an ugly American and "suck" as stated above--so be it. If you knew me you would know that I am actually one of the meekest, quietest people around and go out of my way to be helpful and cheritable. Most people who know me have never heard me utter a 4-letter word, or raise my voice. But ever so often, something gets me riled up and I can and will get ugly. It doesn't happen often, but when I blow--watch out!!!

And I still love the concept of One Laptop Per Child. I think it is a brilliant idea who's time has come. But I think the brilliant minds behind it are so focused on the computer that they can't handle the little things like simple shipping issues and customer service. We're not asking much. All we want is what we were promised.

We are in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada & ours came yesterday. However, when I put in my order, it explicitly said it may take 2 months or more to arrive (I ordered it November 12th.) Given that this is a charity AND this is a totally new program, I wasn't expecting to see anything until February. Especially since they had to export it to get it to me.
--
To the frustrated consumers:

It is not like this is a critical product to run your business or some life-saving device. It is a TOY, and if you really can't wait a few extra weeks, maybe you should consider some counseling because you may have a problem. Instead of having a temper-tantrum, maybe you should be calling & seeing if there is anything you can do to help the organization out. Shame on you.
--
To this blogger:
Great post. Love the suggestion of re-gifting, but I love mine... I can't part with it! :) Go OLPC!!

So to recap Margaret, you have yours. How expensive was it to use glass to build your house?

And one more thing Margaret, if it is a "toy" as you so glibly point out--why do you then say that you can't part with yours? Shame on YOU!

As far as I'm concerned, this is a $400 laptop. I paid $400+ for one, I received one (with T-Mobile service included), and I'm pretty happy with it. I don't really care what the vendor does with the money I gave them, it's their money after all.

I'd be pretty annoyed if I'd paid $400 for something and it didn't arrive, and being a charity is no excuse. Fortunately, credit card companies have this charge-back process for when vendors don't deliver on their promises.

As far as I know, laptopgiving.org didn't promize you a date for shipping.

OLPC has 500 thousand children in developping countries whos governments have ordered and paid for, waiting for their laptops, so get in line and wait for yours.

G1G1 in the USA is not going to be OLPC's priority, and people like you complaining and ranting about the much inferior Eee is the reason G1G1 cannot continue indefinately. Point of G1G1 was to generate interest for the project, involve developpers, get the interest of decision makers. Not to get whiners like certain people in here calling volunteer support phone numbers frantically cause the shippment of this world revolutionnizing product isn't coming to them faster than an Amazon Kindle.

If you regret donating your money so that a child in Afghanistan, Haiti or Cambodia is getting a laptop, I suggest you ask your credit card company for a charge back and inform OLPC you cancelled your donation and stop whining about it and using it as an opportunity to compare OLPC to Eee on the internet.

I disagree with your equating frustration with shipping to the "give one" portion of the donation that benefits a child in the Third World. I am very happy that half of what I paid was used to provide a child with a laptop (that was the point).

I DO have a problem with having my information taken every time I call in, being told that a supervisor will check it out and get back to me and then never hearing from them again. That does not make me optimistic that I will ever get my laptop.

And since the holier than thou tone has been invoked yet again, I ask you Charbax--do you have YOUR XO?

John, you must have asked for your parents permission to use their credit card to order the XO, because you _must_ be a child. And since your logic requires someone not have an XO to be heard - let me tell you that I am a second day donor still waiting for his two XOs. You made a donation. You made a donation to a charity that unfortunately has terrible communication with its donors (and apparently everyone including its partners). If you're that pissed, then cancel your order and write a letter, that is well within your rights. If not, then suck it up and wait by the mailbox like everyone else.
And Tanya - are you serious? A complaint for a late product that had vague delivery dates to begin with?

So how long should Tanya wait for her XO? And for all of you saying, it's a donation, it's charity I ask - how much did individuals donate to the organization before G1G1? A laptop was part of the deal. They had no problem charging the credit card but shipping the product is the land of 1001 excuses.

John: "I DO have a problem with having my information taken every time I call in, being told that a supervisor will check it out and get back to me and then never hearing from them again. That does not make me optimistic that I will ever get my laptop."

Hi John,

I'm sure you'll eventually get your laptop. BrightStar and FedEx aren't the only contractors involved in the OLPC laptop distribution process. I'd received an e-mail from a customer rep at http://guestsupport.com/. There was a problem with FedEx not validating the shipping address I'd provided. It took a week or so to get straightened out.

The funny thing was that I got an e-mail that my order had been shipped... a week after I'd already received the laptop.

(I ordered within the first 35 minutes of the start of the G1G1 promotion. It took 9 weeks, but it finally arrived. I bought one as a gift for my nephew, so unfortunately, I won't get to play with it. :o)

I think the real issue here is one of communication or lack of communication. I think many of the people who are unahppy waiting will be comforted by http://wiki.laptop.org/go/How_laptop_delivery_breaks which is on the wiki site. It sounds like the system was a bit overwhelmed and that they are just now figuring out to fix it.
There is also a note posted on the Wiki page that addresses the fact they are working on the problem.

I have several classes whose first question each day is, "Did the XO come yet?" There are days it feels like I am taking a long trip with a back seat full of kids asking,"Are we there yet?" SO for now I am using the wait for the XO as a practice in patience.

I will admit to being a bit impatient when the page wouldn't take my reference number and when I followed the directions to email and I got the same auto response letter back. Now that they have provided more information, I can uderstand the issues causing he delays- and canbe patient.

I was also getting a bit impatient because the laptop was a gift for my nephew and I really wanted it to arrive in time. But all things considered, 9 weeks wasn't bad when I think about how long I've waited for some mail-in rebates without any clue as to when, or if, I would see a check in my mailbox (the longest was almost 9 months).

dtizzle: "John, you must have asked for your parents permission to use their credit card to order the XO, because you _must_ be a child."

Ah yes, when in doubt, go ad hominem. Works on talk radio!

"And since your logic requires someone not have an XO to be heard"

Mostly I just don't need to hear the self-righteous BS from those who already have them telling me to just chill out because hey, it's a charity. Very easy to say, heck, perhaps even type out on the XO you've already received--of course THEY'll be all chilled out, the program worked just fine for them.

" - let me tell you that I am a second day donor still waiting for his two XOs. You made a donation. You made a donation to a charity that unfortunately has terrible communication with its donors (and apparently everyone including its partners)."

And if you read my post you'll see that I have no problem with the donation. And like J. McNair says a few posts down from the top, we're not stupid--we know we made a donation.

"If you're that pissed, then cancel your order and write a letter, that is well within your rights. If not, then suck it up and wait by the mailbox like everyone else."

See the thing is I couldn't if I wanted to. You couldn't if you wanted to. The generous 30-day window that I was granted (sort of like same approximate 30-day window that was given for the laptop to arrive) to get a refund has passed. LONG passed. Why? Because I gave them a break and leeway because they aren't a business.

So yeah, I'll have to wait by the mailbox like everyone else.

What I *won't* do is come back to the boards here once I get it and tell those still without and who (I'm sure by that time) will be more entitled than anyone to gripe to just chill out and bask in the warm glow of not having one.

Peace out

John, you avoided my post on this matter.. I do not have an XO, yet you chose to reply to these other (IMHO very valid points about your behavior and reaction to this situation).

If you want to make a difference, quit complaining and join the help staff and start answering peoples emails and fight this from the inside. Put that angst to use, and stop waisting everyone else's time.

http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/support-gang

I ordered/donated on November 13. The machine didn't show up by January 2 so I called them. They said my zipcode had been entered into their system wrong so the computer wasn't shipped. They fixed my zipcode and it arrived a week later. If you haven't received your XO in a few weeks after ordering it, call them. Be nice to them and have them check your order, then get your laptop and be happy.

someone above wrote: "As far as I know, laptopgiving.org didn't promize you a date for shipping." the trouble is, they _did_ promise. many times. "by december 24th." "by january 15th." "by late january." "by mid-february." if they had just said "sometime in april" at the very beginning, no one would be complaining. i know that the terms and conditions say "no promises". but then, they shouldn't have been making any.

in any case, they seem to be getting their act in order, because they're setting up a new hotline, and hopefully whatever data-processing disaster resulted in the current mess has been corrected.

goney3: "Put that angst to use, and stop waisting everyone else's time."

Your arrogance, righteous indignation, and poor spelling are all rather startling. Last time I checked you had to enter a URL into a browser yourself and no one is holding a gun to your head to read anything. No one is wasting your time for you--you are wasting your own time.

As for volunteering efforts--I donate plenty of my time and money to numerous charitable and community organizations so kindly don't presume so much.

John, you can't be serious ... *laughs*
You really don't get it do you? I feel sorry for you, and I am sorry you feel this way. It truly is very sad.

Now volunteer WITHIN OLPC and solve these problems directly. I was never mentioning you volunteering for any other charitable organization. Please re-read what I wrote again. Thank you.

I neither want nor need your pity. Please waste your condescending tone on someone else.

Cheers

p.s. If you'd like the last word take it. I've said all I'm going to say

*blows whistle* back to your corners!!!!

Anyway, the original agreement I clicked had no specific promises to timeframes. There were "delivery windows" but the agreement specifically spelled out that these were not definite. I have a loaner. That does ease the sting. But I really don't expect to see mine until Feb.

As far as legal recourse goes, I don't think you have one for the $200 you donated. I'd be willing to buy out another laptop because I like my loaner so much, but I'm not in a position to. And I feel that we all paid $200 and donated $200, so I don't think someone asking for a buyout of their laptop should ask for or expect to get their donation back. That's just not cool.

The latest date stated on the laptopgiving site is "early 2008" So I would think that you do not have a case until then. I consider that maybe the end of March. And because of the donation agreement that specifically stated no delivery dates were firm, you might not have any case anyway if OLPC can prove they acted in good faith and were not out to defraud.

You didn't buy an ipod off of amazon. You made a donation to a charity and also purchased a product from them, and they were upfront from the beginning that they didn't know for sure how their shipping would work.

If you bundle something together and it falls through, you should have a right to the return for the full original amount paid. Donation or not. You can't void part of a contract. If the donation is separate yet required, wouldn't it be a bribe and thus be much more illegal?

Just my thoughts, XO less, but not asking for a refund.

I have copied my lastest comunication from OLPC-Hopefully many others have recieved this as well. (The email is copied at the bottom of the post)

I am also very saddened to read the tone the debate above took on.

I can clearly see two distinct points of view:

1- I gave $$ to the G1G1 program to help children overseas and getting the laptop for myself is a bonus. Anyone who took part in the program should understand they were giving to charity and not be so concerned as to when the laptop part of the donation arrives.

2. I purchased a Laptop and donated to OLPC. I was promised several shipping dates and I still do not have my laptop. I have called and written and still do not have any clear idea if they have my order, or when it is coming. I am worried I spend 423.00 and have nothing to show for it.

Both are very legitimate points of view. Let's try to consider both points of view and not insult each other! Disparaging peoples characters is simply not productive! I can respect both points of view.


Dear Donor,
We are contacting you in regards to your Give One Get One donation and the shipment of your laptop. Your donation is in the queue for laptop shipment.
Please expect to receive another update from us by Wednesday, 1/23, with information on when you can expect to receive your laptop.
We appreciate your generosity and patience.
Sincerely,
OLPC Donor Services

It's not about a "product purchase", in my opinion.

A "product purchase" is governed by the UCC (Uniform commercial code), with strict limitations on shipping within 30 days after the order is accepted.

My perspective is that it's about treating your donors fairly and equally. Right now, I feel like I participated in a Nigerian spam scam. Orders basically went into nothingness, and nobody (even the entity that processed the orders) was able to provide an accurate status.

The promise made was this:

Everyone who donates 399 or 399 + S&H to OLPC Foundation from Nov 12-Nov 26 (later extended to Dec 31) participating in the G1G1 program, gets a laptop shipped to them on a "first come first serve" basis.

Was the promise kept? No.

It is good to see attention focused on the problem now.

Here's the delivery notice I received:

>Date: Dec 22, 2007
>Dear OLPC Donor,

>We are very sorry to report that your XO laptop will not be >arriving by December 24. If your laptop is a gift for a child, >please click here to download a gift card explaining that an XO >laptop is on its way.

>Your laptop is scheduled to be delivered before January 15.

>Your order reference number: 7000025xxx

>As soon as your order ships, you will receive another email from >us with tracking information as well as information on how to take >advantage of T-Mobile USA's offer to provide one year of >complimentary access to T-Mobile HotSpot.

Ralph,

I certainly can understand your frustration. I hope you receive your laptop soon. Hopefully soon we all be discussing how the XO works and not the process we went through to get one. A neighbor of mine bought one off ebay and hers arrived today-it is a cute little thing. I have a feeling my students will enjoy using the XO when it comes:)

I did a charge back with VISA today. I order one on November 13th (Day 2 of G1G1). Still don't have it. It was a Christmas gift for my son. I have dozens of emails and phone calls. Still no laptop. OLPC is a scam in my book... "Yeah, you'll have it b/f Christmas. Definitely by Jan 15th... maybe by February... not later than March." Enough lies... do a charge back with your CC company. If they can't ship them to me, why should I believe they ship them to Africa?

Way to prove Greg's point, guys. You would have gotten your toys sooner, if it weren't for those meddling kids!

I'm eagerly anticipating my XO and I'm disappointed by the delays, but easy on. This organization wasn't designed to handle retail-type delivery of laptops to individuals. It was designed to engineer a revolutionary learning tool for the children of developing nations and deliver those learning tools in bulk to those children. Quickly fulfilling online orders to individuals is a much different logistical operation than shipping hundreds of laptops to a school.

We all know this isn't a scam because YouTube contains ample proof that G1G1 donors have been receiving their laptops. I'm a little frustrated that I don't have my XO yet, but I have no fear that I will receive it in the next few weeks. Unless you receive an email from OLPC saying you won't be receiving your laptop, don't panic.

I ordered mine at 6:10am Nov 12th by phone because the online order system was not working. I got my confirmation number, and have sent emails, made calls, and they do not know who I am. Though on my latest call, some one found my order, but then I got disconnected. So I do not think they are sending me one, but If they would just send out an email to each person confirming they still want the computer and coming up with a response to the buyers, I would back down and wait, or cancel. It is the unknown that is getting to us.

Okay, personal anecdote time:
Something magical happened this week: the service iomproved. I called the support line and waited about 20 minutes on hold. A friendly young woman collected my information and kindly told me I'd be receiving my XO in....late February. After Canada. That kinda sucks.

But now that I ACTUALLY KNOW SOMETHING, I'm infinitely less anxious and frustrated. I no longer worry that my $423 donation got eaten by a grue. I can play around with emulated Sugar knowing I'll eventually be getting something real. I'm even starting to forget that OLPC did break shipping promises.

All thanks to a little bit of information and a kind word.

I'm still VERY unhappy with OLPC. The original offer was if you ordered when it was 1st available (which I did), you will get your laptop for Christmas! Late in December, voila, we were told that no, the earliest you would get it was mid-January. I called them in late January & am now told it should be arriving, "soon." Called today & was put on endless menus & hung up on repeatedly by machines & finally told by the machine that they are closed.

Still NO IDEA when I'm supposed to receive this very hyped laptop or if it's just a huge scam. So very disappointed at the horrible lack of customer service and ability to reach a person and get any decent answers about anything. Will be very reluctant to consider dealing with this organization again and will NOT recommend them to anyone.

I find it quite interesting (if not utterly entertaining) to see this thread. On the one hand I feel the pain of the loss of trust in what was a rather explicit promise (give us money, we'll give you this *toy/educational wonder*) that didn't quite work. On the other, I can see the side of those desperate to get US money any way possible to fund a dream of ideals and promise, even if it means welshing a few credit cards here and there... Please don't pretend this wasn't coming: the delays in OLPC deployment should have told someone not in denial that a mess this big was just in the works. Yes, we ALL wished things would be better, wasn't it a $US 100 laptop to begin with?
I am sorry there was is a totally clear issue of disrespect here. If I did this to someone (take their money and not deliver), even if it were not at all my fault I would be making an HONEST effort at showing I am sorry, trying not to add insult to injury through pretending there is no problem.
Oh man.
Now, "moral quandary of eBay sales"? what moral quandary? Actually eBay is Very Good News to the OLPC. Even without the T-Mobile account, those green machines go for over $US 280. eBay is a good marker or Fair Value, so there it is. I still believe that OLPCs should be sold retail, at a profit, to fund the whole project. In a way, that was the premise of the G1G1... Yet as it was clearly pointed out, it was not a clear, STRAIGHTforward sale.

I have a simple question:

I just got an email response from service@laptopgiving.org which said:

We regret to inform you that we are currently out of stock since we have
been shipping on a first come first serve basis. After our latest shipment to both (sic) children in Haiti, Cambodia, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Rwanda, and those of our patrons in America and Canada; the supply fell short. We are producing the new inventory as fast as we can and we are expected to be able to ship again in March. I apologize we do not have the exact dates however you can view your XO’s status at
http://laptopgiving.org/en/shipping-information.php. You will need your
confirmation number and the email used when placing this order to do so.


Thank you for your interest in One Laptop Per Child.

OLPC
Donor Services

This came after numerous emails, trips to the status site, and phone conversations that my granddaughter's laptop was on the way.

I have a simple questions for all you saints (and "sinners") out there:

Did anyone pay after November 21, 2007, like I did, and get their laptop?

Mine arrived yesterday. Donation date 12/7.

My complaint? I'd been a bit bored with my current tech of late and needed something new to play with. The laptop arrived the day after someone literally put a new Dell tablet in my hands, and I will have to devote this weekend to the TPC. I won't even open the XO's box until I have to give the Dell to its rightful owners. I hate leaving new technology unboxed, but I can't trust myself to devote the proper attention to the Dell, otherwise.

In other words, no real complaint. :) No demands for money back, no scam (I haven't seen the laptop, yet, but I'm sure it's in the box and functional, and I do not do optimistic). It was far more important to me that the child have his/hers; I've got lots of computers, and I'm saving for another.

In fact, I'd do it again, same Bat-time, this Bat-year.

i'm enjoying reading all you all's posts on my new xo, so chalk me down as a donor who received their 'vaporware.' i made my donation the last week of december '07. I just received it march 22, '08 but the shipping box says 'ordered march 16, 2008.' i'm glad the xo comes charged so i had no probs getting on the internet. Best of luck in receiving your XO's. Hopefully the Langoliers will come and take away all your bad experiences with the waiting. (sorry, a Steven King reference. :) )

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