Thread: Portland Razor update ...

I think small outfits often times do things like this and it's probably because of their size and then something happens similar to the case here. It's not that rare and often times it plants the seeds to their own destruction. It's similar to that outfit making that SE Razor where folks are waiting many months and there is a software outfit who collected full price from folks for a program that was supposed to be ready in a few months and it's well over a year and they only have a series of alpha versions out.

In the end you just cancel your order and get your money back if you don't want to wait.

I send them an e-mail once a month or so and get the same response. "Your razor is up very soon, thanks for being patient."

I was 27th in line on 4/14. I was "very soon" on May 15.

My Hydra is waiting at the Post Office for me . . . tomorrow . . . after 1:00 p.m. Provided I pay them $42.00 for God only knows what.

Absolute lunacy. Received two razors last week from New Jersey with no added fees. Received another before those from Ohio with no fees. Now my Hydra is going to cost me ~ $25% of the purchase price to get it out of their clutches.

It will be interesting to see how PRC navigates these uncharted waters. Maybe a defining moment for his future business aspirations. Hopefully all's well that ends well.

Paying full price for something that doesn't exist would be scary to me. This style of business model is bad from a customer point of view.

Originally Posted by 32t

Paying full price for something that doesn't exist would be scary to me. This style of business model is bad from a customer point of view.

I don't know . . . it's a risk, I will grant you, but look at it from the other angle. A Company that shafts a Customer after taking their money, particularly in a niche market place like "widgets", is DOOMED.

I liken it to "investing" in poker players. I have internet friends who play in some BIG tournaments for large sums. To defray costs they sometimes sell shares of their "action". It provides me with a modicum of entertainment as I follow their progress and, on some occasions, a sizeable return on investment. but it would all fall apart if the person did not pay off for a win. I would lose my initial investment, but the player would never see another dime of support from the community.

Same principle applies to PRC.

Originally Posted by 32t

Paying full price for something that doesn't exist would be scary to me. This style of business model is bad from a customer point of view.

This is a common practice for artisans who make custom knives, razors, etc. Orville"s post is spot on; if you destroy your public reputation you're finished in this niche business.

Originally Posted by 32t

Paying full price for something that doesn't exist would be scary to me. This style of business model is bad from a customer point of view.

You mean you pay full price before it has been started on? Hmmmmmm....

This discussion goes along with something I've been wondering this morning. Even if I somehow can get PRC to say, "Sure, ship your razor back and we'll be happy to rework it for you," maybe the risk and uncertainty of that is actually more than it's worth. I wouldn't be able to trust any return timetable that they gave me, and could be facing the real possibility of being without my purchase for another few months, or worse. To borrow Orville's comparison, I'm not sure that at the moment, PRC is a bet worth doubling down on.

And the razor I received is a fine shaver -- it just has visual issues. A bird in the hand, as they say ...

We should all remember, myself included, this thread was started wishing Scott well on his fight against cancer.