Well I got an email from MetroNOmy PC this evening which quite frankly I’m not suprised to get although it does make me wonder how on earth they expected to do this and make a profit. Their email says the following:-
We regret to inform you that we are unable to fulfill your application at this time. As you may know, Metronomy’s launch generated considerable media interest, and we received an excellent response from households wishing to take part in the scheme. However, we have also received information to suggest that a minority of applicants do not intend to operate within our standard terms and conditions, resulting in the potential theft of the computer.Whilst we have invested considerable resources into developing highly secure business processes and technology, the high cost of each PC means that we must control our exposure at this stage.As such, we have reluctantly decided to release only a limited number of PC’s in the first instance, in order to fully test our security procedures and technical infrastructure before a wider roll-out in the Autumn. Unfortunately, we will be unable to progress your application until then.Should you wish us to remove your details from the waiting list, please click here: [email protected] and return the message, remembering to include your customer number. Otherwise, you will be contacted later in the year with further information.We recognise that our concerns apply to only a minority of applications, and regret any inconvenience that this may cause to bona-fide customers, but feel this is the best course of action to protect the long-term interests of the business and ensure that the offer can be available to all who want it in future.
So did *anyone* get a pc?
Comments
Nope. Same email, only shorterhanded. But I was expecting deliviery today or tomorrow so checked my email today 14th April and am rather ticked off to say the least.
Rang Customer services and the girl was nice, said that people were planning to steal parts etc so they are issuing batches over the next few months. “Perhaps you’ll be in next month’s batch!” I was told. Yeah, anyone for a flying bacon rasher?
I really need that PC as the one I’m using is disabled equipment for my daughter and she needs to use it….Still you get nowt for nowt in this life….
Comments?
I would like to let you all know that I predicted this would happen.
Why? because I had the misfortune of working with the so called Chief Executive John Thornhill when he set up the .com Intersaver.
John Thornhill’s business dealings always follow the same business pattern, he raises money from outside investors, does a great job on PR, and then proceeds to pay himself and family / friends involved huge salaries. The company then goes belly up within the year, investors loose their money and he gets a nice little earner. I worked for John at intersaver before its collapse when customers / staff were ripped off and trading standards got involved.
Interestingly enough his other ventures to go exactly the same way are Demetron http://www.wordwatcher.com/ and the afore mentioned Intersaver, I suspect there are others that I am not aware of. What I do not understand is why this illegal business fraud should be allowed to continue.
The wording of the Email to me gave me the distinct impression that I was one of those likely to cannibalize the PC and sell off the parts. I certainly object to the inference.
I spoke to Metronomy a week prior to receiving the Email and was told that I would receive final details of delivery and the link for the on-line agreement the following week.
It was confirmed by Email to me many weeks ago that I had been accepted to take part in the promotion and that I would receive the PC between 15-25 April 2004. If I had been accepted then I consider it a breach of agreement to be told later that this would not happen.
Metronomy’s suggestion that those applying for the freebie are using false addresses in order to defraud them is in my opinion ludicrous. Surely it must be quite simple to verify that someone applying does in fact reside at the address they have given. Also, why on earth were they sending the PCs to a pick-up point rather than delivering them to the actual address. This I am sure would cut down the possibility of fraud considerably.
I Emailed Metronomy on 6 April 2004 (just after I received their Email saying I was not going to be permitted to take part in the their promotion, at least for the time being) and to date have received no response from them.
Strange really because before I applied to take part in the promotion I Emailed them on three occasions with questions and these were replied to extremely quickly. I wonder why they are ignoring my last Email.
I for one feel that I have been dealt with very badly by Metronomy and unless I personally get some acceptable answers then I shall be taking the matter a lot further.
Your lucky, i didnt even recieve an e-mail,despite trying to contact them…….just silence
Hi Michael,
Perhaps you are going to be one of those who will receive a PC.
Perhaps you could let us all know if this does happen.
Good luck
Icarus
i havnt got an email from them yet. shame. because of people giving false address. us actually NEEDING the pcs will go without.
Gavin,
Thanks for shedding some light on the people behind Metronomy. Makes me doubt this offer will go ahead at all and I’m now looking at building my own PC.
One thing bugs me though – What do they stand to gain from this if it is a scam?
Hi Ed,
What do Metronomy stand to gain? Well imagine if you raised say a million pounds from investors, then from day one of the set up you pay yourself say £150 – 200K per year salary, pay your friends and relatives on board as well.
I have seen the postings on here and felt I had to comment.
Firstly, let me say that I knew John Thornhill, Chief Executive of Metronomy, because, like Gavin here, I also worked at Intersaver.
I was with the company from the beginning and was part of the senior management, recruited by him when the company was first formed. If the ‘Gavin’ on here is who I think it is, he had left the company before it went wrong anyway.
I know how hard everybody within that company worked to make it a success, none more so than John Thornhill. When the company collapsed, it was because the plc who had agreed to buy it (for £75m I think)pulled out when the dotcom crash happened. At that time, Thornhill was actually praised by the trading standards people (you can see for yourself in the Cambridge Evening News articles).
The idea that he made lots of money at other people’s expense is also rubbish. I know that his whole family lost a lot of money when Intersaver went.
With regard to Metronomy, I do not know any inside info about this, but from what i do know (which is as much as Gavin I would think), the company is supported by some major players for what seems to me to be a bloody good idea.
Most of us who have worked in technology for a while felt the dot com bubble burst. I think it’s utterly sad that certain poisonous individuals cannot see the bigger picture and support what seems to me to be a great way to help more people get their own PC.
As has been asked on here already, if it’s a scam, then what has been gained? Have you paid any money? Signed any contract? I think not.
For the record ‘Gavin’, your comments could get you in a lot of trouble if certain people see this.Hopefully you’ve said enough.