Sony’s Blu-Ray has won the next generation format war. Today, Toshiba announced that it would cease production of HD DVDs. Now that the format war is over, will sales follow?
I’ve severely neglected this blog for a while. But I can assure you I’m still alive! So what have I been up to lately?
-I’ve started to post a little on Twitter. If you wish to virtually stalk me, my username is kfordham281
-I’ve been posting a ton on Apple Mac HQ.
-My Mac enjoyment is still going well
-Plans for the Ultra O-gaine are coming along nicely
-I’m learning php and mysql. So far it’s pretty good stuff. I already knew enough to get by but now I’m really learning.
-Planning a trip with friends to Europe this summer, it’s going to be an amazing two weeks!
Well that’s enough for now, night!
A few weeks ago I sold my Macbook on eBay. Not earth shattering news here, but what happened after the sale is why I will avoid selling anything of significant value on eBay ever again. Below is the time line of events pertaining to the sale of my Macbook.
10/24/2007 at 21:01 EDT: Macbook sold
10/24/2007 at 21:42 EDT: Invoice sent
10/25/2007 around 12:00 EDT I think (eBay doesn’t have a time): Message sent to buyer that invoice was previously sent
10/25 or 26/2007: I resent the invoice again on Friday, but it could have been Thursday night. I deleted the email so I’m not sure of the exact time.
10/26/2007 at 17:39 EDT: Payment finally received, over 40hrs after auction ended.
10/27/2007 at 13:07 EDT: Macbook dropped off at UPS store. Due to lower shipping costs I included $900 worth of insurance, up from the standard $100 insurance.
10/31/2007 at 14:54 EDT: Macbook is delivered
11/03/2007 at 11:49 EDT: Positive Feedback left for buyer; “Payment took almost 48hrs but everything else was good. Thanks!”
11/03/2007 at 23:01 EDT: Buyer sent the following email to me; “Hello, i received the macbook, but it was not as described. The superdrive does not work and theres only 120GB. Please fix this problem. Thank
you.”
11/03/2007 at 23:02 EDT: Buyer filed a dispute with Paypal with the following message; “Hello, I recently received the macbook I purchased on ebay. However, the macbook was not as described in the auction. The superdrive component of the macbook does not work. Every time I try to put a DVD or CD, it does not work. Also, the seller said in the auction that it had 120 GB hard drive, but the macbook indicates that theres only 100GB. I have tried contacting the seller, but have not received a response.”
11/03/2007 at 23:04 EDT: Buyer escalated the dispute to a claim with the following message; “I am escalating the claim because I have not received a response from the seller. Please help resolve this problem. I don’t want $951 to go to waste for a damaged item. Thank you.”
11/04/2007 at 01:34 EDT: I replied to the buyer; “Please reread the auction details, it clearly states twice that the hard drive is 120GB.
What about the super drive does not work? The last thing I did before putting the Macbook in the box was to reinstall the operating system via the restore DVD’s. So clearly the drive worked then. How is the drive not working now? “does not work” is not very descriptive and I’ll need more information before I can help you.”
11/04/2007 at 11:08 EST: The buyer responded with “When I put a DVD or CD in the drive it makes a weird noise and then doesn’t recognize the CD and DVD. How can I bring it to Apple to fix it? What is the warranty number? Etc?”
11/04/2007 at 11:35 EST: I replied to the buyer with “Usually when you put in a CD/DVD, it will make a noise (normal) and take about 10-15 seconds before it shows up on the desktop. Unlike Windows, the CD will not automatically open up. If you are not seeing the CD or DVD show up on the desktop (and are 100% sure the disc works; having tried it in another PC/Mac), then it could be an indication that something is not working right.
You can bring the laptop to any local Apple store and they will take a look at it. If there is a problem, they will fix it. You live in FL and they have several stores around. Check here for locations: http://www.apple.com/retail
You can also call 1-800-275-2273 to talk to Apple Care support. You should not need a warranty number, just the serial number. They will look up the serial number and see that it’s still under hardware warranty and should fix it without any problems. You may have to send it to them, but I’m not 100% sure on that since I’ve never had to call them.
Is this your first Mac? If so, do you know someone else who uses them? If you do know someone, have them check it out before going to the store or calling Apple Care. They may be able to give you a few points on how some things work differently on the Mac. Let me know if you need anything else, I’m happy to help. I can assure you the Macbook was in perfect working condition when it left my hands so I definitely want to make sure it works for you too.
Kevin”
11/6/2007 at 15:44 EST: I emailed the buyer again; “Hi,
Could you please update me on what’s going on? It’s been a few days and I haven’t heard anything.
Thank You.”
As I type this I have heard nothing from the buyer since his last email on 11/04/2007. Paypal is “reviewing” the claim by the buyer. My problem with all of this is that all the buyer has to do is click a few buttons and now my money is being held up by Paypal. I know for a fact when the item was shipped that both the Superdrive worked and the hard drive was 120GB. The last thing I did before putting the Macbook in the box was do an OS X restore via the DVDs. I never touched the inside of the Macbook and when shipped, the drive was 120GB. And even if, that’s a big if in my book, the SuperDrive does in fact have a problem, IT’S STILL UNDER WARRANTY! It would cost the buyer ZERO to get it fixed.
I believe there is a big red flag in all this, and that’s why I believe it’s a scam. What honest person waits until after receiving positive feedback (and having the item for 3 days), and in less than 5 minutes contacts the seller for the first time regarding an issue, ONE minute later files a dispute with Paypal stating “I have tried contacting the seller, but have not received a response”, then TWO minutes later escalates the dispute to a claim stating “I am escalating the claim because I have not received a response from the seller”. I’ll tell you who, Someone who is not honest.
Paypal says it takes up to 30 days to resolve a claim and until then I’m in a waiting position. Paypal’s resolution center is pretty flawed in my book by not allowing easy input of information. They allow you to upload pictures but getting text into the case is another story. I had to email them using a contact form to get them some of the facts and the form even had a character limit. To me that’s pretty lame. I should have as many characters as I want in order to give them the information that I think is important to the case.
All I know is this, I will NEVER buy anything from eBay member hrw102. I will tell everyone I know not to buy anything from this guy either. Looks like I’m not the only one who thinks this guy is up to no good too. Thanks to Husam Wahdon (the buyer’s name) for ruining my eBay experience.
Update1: Looks like my eBay buyer is actually alive. Here’s the latest communication.
11/18/2007 at 12:04 EST: I received the following from the buyer. “Apple is asking if I have apple warranty and is asking for the membership card or number. What is it?”
11/18/2007 at 14:41 EST: I replied to the buyer with “I spoke to Apple Care and found out that phone support is only in the first 90 days of owning the product unless you buy the extended warranty (http://www.apple.com/support/products/proplan.html). The Macbook is still under warranty, you just have to visit an Apple Store or an Apple authorized service provider. The closest Apple Store is in either Orlando or Jacksonville; I’m not sure which is closest to you. Check here for more info about the Apple Stores: http://www.apple.com/retail
Komputer Kingdom in Gainesville is an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Give them a call at 352-378-4874 and see how they can help you.
Let me know how I can help or if you need additional information.”
I’m writing update1 on 12/2/2007 and I haven’t heard back from the buyers after I replied to his question on 11/18/2007 (two weeks ago).
Update2 - Written on 12/13/2007
12/6/2007 at 00:05 EST: Paypal said; “This claim has been reviewed and it has been determined that a full refund of the PayPal transaction (including shipping and handling) should be awarded to the buyer once the item, in its original condition, is returned to you.”
12/6/2007 at 00:34 EST: I emailed the buyer and said “Thank you for my worst experience ever on eBay. I’ve already contacted Paypal, but DO NOT send the package to [address removed]. Send to: [address removed]”
12/6/2007 at 01:05 EST: For once the buyer responded in a timely fashion with this; “I’m not an idiot. You sent me a damaged item. Apple says that the warranty only covers technical problem not mechanical. They said that it would cost me $30 to fix the DVD drive. It would be wrong for me to have to pay for this. I am going to ship this item to the address that Paypal gave me not the one you provided. ”
12/6/2007 at 11:22 EST: I responded with; “You may not be an idiot, but how you handled this auction is in fact wrong. Wrong is emailing me at 11:01PM on a Saturday night saying you had a problem, and then 1 minute later opening a Paypal dispute claiming “I have tried contacting the seller, but have not received a response”. You expect a 1 minute response, are you kidding me? In my book that’s called LYING! Whether the item is damaged or not (I stake my word that it did in fact work when I put it in the box), because you lied to Paypal, I’ll always believe you are trying to scam me. You LIED to Paypal! Taking as much as two weeks to respond to an email while still selling items on eBay, doesn’t exactly make you the model of communication either. I just got off the phone with Paypal and they will be sending you an email to send the Macbook to the address below (as earlier requested). I will be going over the Macbook with a fine tooth comb, so every single thing I sent in the original package will need to be there in addition to the Macbook being in the same shape as it was sent. The original Macbook box, manuals, DVD’s, cables, etc will all need to be there an in their original condition. It was not a pleasure doing business with you and I hope our paths never cross again.
[address removed]”
As I type update2 the buyer has yet to respond to Paypal. Paypal even sent the buyer another email yesterday (he has until the 15th to respond). The buyer NEVER mentioned a $30 fee to fix the problem until the email you see above. In all honesty, if I could in fact verify that it would cost $30 to fix the item I would have paid it. At this point I’m out more than $30 so it makes sense to pay it. The buyer never mentioned it until after the Paypal case was decided so I had no chance to do such a thing. What doesn’t make sense is his claim that “Apple says that the warranty only covers technical problem not mechanical”. I’ve never had to deal with an Apple warranty, but doesn’t that claim seem backwards to you? It makes sense that they WOULD cover mechanical problems and not technical problems. But whatever…. I’ll be happy when this stuff is all over with. My gut tells me he’s just waiting until the last minute to piss me off.
Update3 - Written on 12/17/2007
As of 12:07 AM EST this morning, the case with Paypal has been closed. The buyer did not respond to Paypal in the allotted time and the claim was denied. What’s interesting here is that even though the deadline for his response was December 15th, Paypal told me he actually had until the 16th. So much for a hard deadline I suppose. At any rate, all this is over and I don’t have to worry about it anymore. I learned a valuable lesson though. At all cost, I’m going to avoid eBay and Paypal with anything worth over $100. I’ll use craigslist first, and then and only then if I can’t sell it I’ll think about going to eBay/Paypal. Done, over, glad I don’t have to think about this anymore.
I’ve started a new website where I’ll be posting my Mac/Apple related posts. This website will remain about everything else going on in my life. The new website is Apple Mac HQ. Hopefully you’ll add it to your list of visited/read websites!
The end of the baseball regular season has come, and again the Braves are sitting at home or on the golf course in October. While they made a nice run at the playoffs the last two weeks of the season, in the end they just couldn’t pull it off. Let’s take a look at the Braves as they stand right now and where they might be headed next year.
This was the albatross for the Braves all season long. After Tim Hudson and John Smoltz, the rest of the starting rotation was abysmal. Other than a few starts by Chuck James, the third through fifth starters in the rotation were often gone by the fifth inning and left the Braves with little chance to win. The backend of the starting rotation clearly is GM John Schuerholz’s biggest off season rebuilding project.
Catcher
While Brian McCann didn’t have as good a season as last year, he still played very well batting .270 with 18HR and 92RBI. Brian played much of the year hurt, so if he’s healthy next year I expect him to return to his 2006 form. With the trade of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the catching depth isn’t what it was when the season started. However the Braves have a number of good catchers (Clint Sammons and Brayan Pena) in the minor league system so this definitely a deep position throughout the organization.
First Base
With the trade for Mark Teixeira,
Second Base
Kelly Johnson had a solid year at second base. Johnson is just 25, and after completing his first full major league season the Braves are expecting improvement from him in 2008. Listening to John Schuerholz on the radio this morning, the middle infield is a deep position within the organization so if Johnson were to falter, there is likely help from the minor leagues.
Shortstop
Edgar Renteria had another good year in an Atlanta Braves uniform. One of the biggest surprises of the 2007 season for the Atlanta Braves was the play of Yunel Escobar, also at Shortstop. Shortstop is a well stocked position for the Braves coming into 2008. Renteria is signed through 2008, but Yunel played very well this year filling in just about anywhere in the infield. Schuerholz has a tough decision ahead of him this off season. Do you trade Renteria and go with the younger (and cheaper) Escobar? Or do you keep Renteria as the starting shortstop and risk benching Escobar’s bat and only using him to fill in as needed?
Third Base
Chipper Jones narrowly missed his first batting title this season, batting .337. Other than his MVP season of 1999, this might have been one of Chipper’s best years. Had he not missed a number of games to injury and the Braves made the playoffs, Jones would have definitely received MVP votes. He was clutch all season long. If Jones gets hurt, Yunel Escobar filled in quite well for Chipper at third this year.
Outfield
Other than the starting rotation, the biggest changes we’ll see next year are in the outfield. To no ones surprise, John Schuerholz announced today that the Braves would not attempt to resign Andruw Jones. Jones will command huge money on the free agent market and the Braves just don’t have the resources like they did when Ted Turner was the owner. Jones suffered near career lows in every offensive category since his first full season this year. With the money saved by not signing Jones, the Braves are looking to ink Teixeria to a long term contract. The Braves will miss Jones in center field, but if they sign Teixeria, at least they will have a Gold Glove at first base. Some people think it’s a huge mistake not trying to sign Jones but in the long run I think it’s best for the team.
Clearly with the departure of Andruw Jones, there is a huge hole in center field. Both Torii Hunter and Mike Cameron are free agents this year, so it’s likely the Braves will attempt to sign one of them. If they don’t sign Hunter or Cameron, Willie Harris could be the 2008 starting center fielder.
Jeff Francoeur had a fantastic season at the plate and in the field this year. His patience at the plate lead to a threefold increase in walks over his previous season. Jeff was also among the league leaders in outfield assists again this year. For much of the first half of the season, Jeff was leading the NL in 2 out RBIs too. Look for Jeff to have another great season next year and hopefully he will increase those power numbers too.
Matt Diaz had a career year in left field this season. Hitting .338, the Braves got plenty of outfield production from Diaz in addition to some clutch hitting. Barring something unexpected, expect to see Matt back in left field in 2008.
Bullpen
While the bullpen was much better than last year, improvements are needed. After releasing Bob Wickman, Rafael Soriano performed well in the closers role. Manny Acosta also pitched well after the late season call up in middle relief. Out of nowhere, Peter Moylan pitched spectacular all season long. Left handers, Ron Mahay and Royce Ring both threw sound enough to be back next year.
Other than pitching, the only holes that need to be sewn up are the lack of a long term contract with Mark Teixeria and the departure of Andruw Jones. On paper the offense looks good, but at times the Braves really struggled to score runs even with Teixeria in the lineup. While I’ll miss Jones in center field, I think the Braves did the right thing but not committing a huge sum of money to him. At times this season he just didn’t look like the old Jones and I think playing all those games in center and the beating he takes making those spectacular plays is catching up to him. I wish him luck next season, as long as he doesn’t sign with the Mets (like Glavine).
