How UPS stole christmas
I would like to apologize to all the customers who were hoping to get their GameDrives before Christmas. Unfortunately, UPS made a complete mess of things and basically stole Christmas from some of you. It wasn't the Grinch. But what happened - and why am I writing such a mean thing? Normally, I hate pointing fingers and blaming others.I hate that kind of thing. But I also have to somehow explain to my customers why they are waiting longer than expected for their package.And when something like this happens, I just hope that a little publicity will make things better in the future. We all make mistakes - I don't exclude myself from that. Mistakes happen, of course, and that's not a bad thing. But when a mistake happens, what's the best way to deal with it? Well, my opinion is: I admit it and try to fix it as quickly and as well as possible.Even if it costs me extra time, money, or something else.If something goes wrong, you do your best to fix it. Simple as that. And that's exactly what didn't work at all with UPS this time. This is how it started... The shipment of GameDrives was shipped from the UK to us in Germany on December 9th.The scheduled arrival date was December 12th - but it was delayed by one day. Well, nothing unusual at Christmas time. It went through customs on December 12th - and arrived on December 13th.Unfortunately, none of us were in the office at the time - not even on December 16, the second delivery attempt. Of course we have to take the blame for that - but due to medical appointments there was no other option. But no problem, I planned to have it delivered to an AccessPoint on December 17th and then pick it up myself. And from then on, everything that could go wrong went wrong. Somehow, the UPS website wouldn't cooperate - and just sent me in circles when I tried to select a replacement delivery.A day later, on December 17, it finally worked. Of course, this caused a one-day delay - and the package was finally scheduled to arrive at the AccessPoint on December 18. I even received an e-mail confirming this change. But when I checked the tracking on December 18th, the package was still in the UPS warehouse - and not on its way to the AccessPoint.So I called again... the delivery was not registered at AccessPoint, but they noted it as such. So another day late. Phew, it's getting tight, I want to get them to the customers before Christmas... On December 19th, they were delivered to the AccessPoint just before closing time. OK, so my plan for December 20th was:Pick up the package first and send them to the customers immediately after. It didn't quite work out: When I arrived at the AccessPoint at 10 a.m., I discovered that the store didn't open until 3 p.m.My mistake - I should have checked beforehand. But no problem: I prepared the packages and labels, and planned to pick up the package shortly after 3 p.m. packing and shipping all GameDrives afterwards. So at 15:38 I was at the AccessPoint: And there I was told: The UPS driver had already taken all packages at 15:16 today, because the AccessPoint would not be open for the next week. Excuse me? UPS delivers the package to an AccessPoint that then sends it right back because it's going on Christmas vacation?And the tracking says I can pick it up there in the next few days? That's great! UPS customer service? No such thing. I grabbed my phone. The driver was there 15 minutes ago, so he can't be far away. If necessary, I can quickly pick up the package from him somewhere or have it delivered to my house.But: According to the customer hotline, UPS has no way of contacting its drivers. Sure, I mean, cell phones will come in the future, we're not there yet. I was absolutely speechless at this point. I had explained several times that I run an online store and had been desperately trying to get this UPS Express shipment for four days.But no one here was interested. Just like the phone call a few days before. Great. So I requested a replacement delivery to my home on Saturday morning, December 21. Then at least the customers in Germany would still have a Gamedrive under their Christmas tree. But the lady on the hotline tried to tell me: "I'm sorry, we don't work on Saturday and Sunday, it will be Monday at the earliest". Sorry, UPS. I send packages through you on a regular basis, and you offer Saturday delivery. The fact that there are no deliveries on that day is simply a lie. Yes, Saturday delivery costs extra and is of course more work for you. But after all the mess that has gone on, I personally would be ashamed not to offer Saturday delivery for the sake of customer satisfaction. Now the shipment will hopefully arrive on Monday. And if it arrives on time, I might be able to send it out in time for at least a few customers in Germany to receive it on the 24th. We'll see. What a shame, I have always praised UPS for their reliability - but their customer service is a disaster. Despite several emails and phone calls, UPS was unable to deliver this shipment. Mistakes happen - but you can always fix them. But only if you want to (and UPS doesn't seem to). And it's not the mistakes that make me mad. It's the "I don't care if you get your package" attitude that really gets to me.Not a single employee I've come in contact with here has tried to find a solution to make sure I get my package as soon as possible. They just preached the "it's not my fault" mantra. Yes, that's right. It's not your personal fault. But you represent the company you work for. You are the face to the customer.And therefore, it should be important to you to find a satisfactory solution for everyone. Instead of telling the customer, "I don't really care about you, just accept what I suggest and leave me alone" in a roundabout. Unfortunately, this is what is happening more and more often. It's a shame. And with that, have a merry Christmas. The GameDrives are coming - but unfortunately not in time for Christmas.
Loco's Welt: Stone Protectors fürs MegaDrive.
Ihr habt es ja selber schon bemerkt: In der Blog- und Videoabteilung ging es nicht wirklich vorwärts. Nicht, weil ich keine Lust hatte - sondern weil ich das zeitlich einfach nicht alles unterkriege. Damit sich das ändert und hier mal mehr Content kommt, habe ich mich mit Loco's Welt zusammengeschlossen!Der bekommt nun Produkte von uns zum Testen - und stellt sie deutlich ausführlicher vor, als ich je die Zeit dazu hätte! Es mag ab und an auch noch mal ein Video von mir selber kommen (wenn ich die Zeit finde), aber ich denke, so haben wir eine schöne Lösung gefunden. Und bevor jemand sagt, er bewertet nicht kritisch, wenn er Produkte geschenkt bekommt: Er bekommt sie nicht geschenkt. Er kauft sie brav, wenn er sie behalten will - ansonsten gehen sie wieder zu uns zurück. Seine Videos werden auch direkt bei den Produkten mit eingebunden - aber alle neuen werden auch hier im Blog gepostet. Los geht's heute mit einem sehr ausführlichen Test von Stone Protectors für das MegaDrive!Viel Spaß!
Das Retron SQ - ist es sein Geld wert?
Das Hyperkin RetroN SQ ist eine Heimkonsole, mit der man GameBoy, GameBoy Color und GameBoy Advance-Spiele auf dem heimischen Fernseher spielen kann. Nebenbei kann man auch zum Dumpen seiner Spiele auf SD-Karte nutzen (das macht es nämlich automatisch), inklusive der Speicherstände. Aber es hatte einen schweren Start: Denn die GameBoy Advance-Spiele liefen alle sehr ruckelig. Bis ein Firmware-Update kam - aber hat das viel Verbesserung gebracht?Wir werfen einen Blick drauf, ebenso auf die Möglichkeiten, die eine Custom-Firmware bietet (https://gbatemp.net/threads/any-custom-firmware-for-the-retron-sq.601459/post-9851953) Die Zweiteilung einiger Videoaufnahmen beim GBA (VSync-Probleme) kamen übrigens durch die Capture Card - sie sind nicht beim Spielen zu sehen.