I accidentally in your base

To      : Aerotech <aerotech@globall.com>
Subject : RE: GlobMeteor Pro battery problem

On Wed, 5 Mar 2008, Aerotech wrote:
> I'm afraid it does sound as if the battery is damaged. Unfortunately we
> can no longer repair them as we stopped making them 2 years ago and have
> completely changed manufacturing over to the Ultimates. We can offer you
> an upgrade price on the new Ultimate poi, 16 million colour, USB
> computer link etc. They are £140 each but we give you 20% of what you
> paid for your meteor off the price of the new one.

I really can't justify the cost of your new equipment, I'm not a
performer.  Buying your last range was an extravagant expense for
a hobbyist, and the new stuff is very nearly twice the price.

Even if I was a performer, it doesn't seem like the quality of your
goods (or, at this point, your after-sales service) is on a level with
your prices.

I've now had two Aerotech balls split while on charge due to battery
problems and now the poi breaking for similar reasons.  At least the
balls got fixed, I guess I should count myself lucky they broke in
time!

One of my friends has an Ultimate staff which has already broken,
also while it was on charge, having only been spun a few times.  It
also has the most abysmally conceived programming 'interface' that
I have ever seen or heard of, and that's my industry.  I assume the
'USB computer link' for the new poi also involves manually editing
RGB codes in a text file?  That is NOT a finished product.

Another friend had one of your glow devilsticks which spent more
time broken than working, and the last I heard he'd given up on
trying to get it fixed any more...  or perhaps you just refused
to fix it.

I can't afford to spend hundreds of pounds on anything that will be
unsupported by the manufacturer just a few years later...  that's
taking consumer culture a bit far in my opinion.

Aerotech's reputation has been steadily heading into the bin at all 
the juggling clubs I attend.  I'm starting to see why.