FPN Admin Column

i imagine there will be an increase in the sales numbers over the next few days. will the colour bars be updated accordingly? thanks!

Yes, but likely in a separate post. There is an update in the forum for voters and buyers already. In less than 24 hours we have received 35 new orders and payments!

 

Warm regards, Wim

Based upon my understanding of the term Poll, based upon past FPN Polls and absent any statement clearly saying "This Is Not a Poll, but we are calling it a Poll", I voted for what I would consider purchasing. My understanding in the past was that a poll was taken, with the result the identification of a pen which was then offered for sale. That is the basis of my vote. I can not find a single definition of Poll as meaning an invitation for purchase. Polls are taken frequently in my experiance to gather information, and only to take information, not as part of a transaction. Also, I find it interesting that somehow taking a Poll, which might result in no pens being produced could somehow be misconstrued as a commitment to purchase not one, but however many pens might be able to be produced at whatever price the pen(s) might be available. Purchases are made at points of time based upon a variety of reasons including both the price of the purchase, the amounts of items purchased and the resources of the buyer. Perhaps I am simply applying my culteral standards, as when I am asked a question, even, would you be interested in purchasing something, I say yes and then begin the negotiation phase, not say no and then expect the sellor to begin the negotiation phase. In this instance somehow the polling of a population, and responding to that poll turned into a commitment to purchase without negotiation, not even with myself to calculate a decision, based upon the specifics of the item offered at the time of sale, its price, or my resources. Please do not use the term poll in the future when discussing an offer to purchase, because taking a poll is not commonly, or even uncommonly understood to mean that one has made a commitment to buy something.

It was clearly indicated in the poll message, that one should only vote (notice the word vote, which in my book and that of many others by definition is a commitment), if one would definitely buy that pen. This was mentioned at least twice.

 

Ok, you overlooked that, that is fine, and that is all you really needed to say.

 

BTW, we do learn too - we will handle it differently next time.

 

Warm regards, Wim

Having read through the polls, i think it is quite possible and reasonable to think that you were just voting preferences rather than making a commitment to buy. The language was not specific. The question was which one you would definitely buy IF you were in the market for that kind of pen. Nowhere did it say that this was a binding comitment to purchase the pen you voted for within one month of the store opening.

 

Since it wasn't made abundantly clear i think it is unfair to judge people who misunderstood especially if english is not their first language.

 

Thankfully i am not in this situation because i did not vote in the polls, but i can definitely feel for those who suddenly find themselves in the position of being asked to pay for something they can't afford and weren't intending to purchase.

Might some people think only those who voted can buy? Perhaps a little advertising on the board would open buyers who did not participate in the polls to buy?

We did put up a headline now, on all pages of the board . I'll see if we can make that more spectacular. .

 

Warm regards, Wim

I wasn't aware that voting actually entitled me to buying them. I was just picking the ones I thought looked best. I apologize for not reading the fine print/description more thoroughly, but I won't be able to afford one right away.

 

 

Exactly the same here. I wasn't aware I was ordering by voting. I also thought you were making up which one would be the FPN pen for 2011. I obviously didn't read the fine print good enough.

Sorry for the convenience but I didn't want to order one.

Ok, thank you for letting us know, it's appreciated as we can adjust our expectations and discussions with the manufacturer as a result.

 

Warm regards, Wim

I think a a universal PM to all members regarding FPN pen sale would encourage plenty of members to consider ordering their pen. If it wasn't for the email; I would have never paid.... I personally thought those pens will be available from stipula directly and we would order from them....

 

I also think a close up review / pics of the pen will greatly improve sales. I have no idea what size the pens are; but I ordered anyway to support FPN. I had to dig for a while to understand filling mechanism and nib size... It is too complicated and risky for 100+ Euro investment...

 

I also think a close up review / pics of the pen will greatly improve sales. I have no idea what size the pens are; but I ordered anyway to support FPN. I had to dig for a while to understand filling mechanism and nib size... It is too complicated and risky for 100+ Euro investment...

Hi pkoko, if you take a look at the FPN Pen Review Index here:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/81758-review-index/#S

you will find 2 reviews for the Passaporto, 2 reviews for the Modello T and tons for the Etruria.

 

Looking forward to receiving my Passaporto! :clap1:

Wow - not surprised this is happening, but that's a huge difference in terms of votes vs. purchases.

 

For those complaining about not understanding the voting process, here are some quick quotes from the voting threads, bolded for effect:

 

"There are a few options with this particular pen, and we would like you to indicate which ones you prefer and would definitely buy if you are in for a pen of this type, not only based on looks, but preferably also on budget you can actually spend."

 

"Do note that some of the options in this poll are multi-selectable ones. In the case of nibs and engraving this means that you agree with one or more of the options, with both pen choices that means that you would actually buy both pens ticked."

 

"Please do take note of the above carefully, because it makes a tremendous difference in the amount of pens and the actual prices we will list on the site. We can't afford to get this wrong, as we don't have the funds available for such a project, at any scale. If you do decide to buy two pens rather than just one, please realize that if we do not get enough people actually buying these pens, that we can't go ahead with the order, and would have to refund everybody, and start all over again."

 

Heck, directly above the pens in the thread it states, "Which of the following pens would you definitely buy?"

 

Honestly, how clearer did it need to be? Size 72 font in bright red, "ONLY VOTE IF YOU WILL BUY?"

I too misunderstood that by voting I was commiting to buy. I did go ahead and purchase a Passaporto to make good on my promise, but I thought the voting was just for fun and to seek out a general interest in making these pens available.

Well, just to put this in perspective....

 

A far less satisfactory (IMHO) alternative to this whole process would have been this:

 

Have Stipula make a very small number of FPN pens --->> sell them here on a first-come, first-served basis--->> leaving a whole lot of people disappointed

 

The above situation happened on another site we all know and lots & lots of folks missed out on buying that limited edition pen

 

At least here, we were given a chance to reserve (which is what the polls were, in essence) a specific pen for ourselves...and for that, I am grateful

At least here, we were given a chance to reserve (which is what the polls were, in essence) a specific pen for ourselves...and for that, I am grateful

 

Unless people don't pony up the cash, in which case nobody receives a thing.

Perhaps I am being unclear. I can find no definition of Poll in the English Language which means an offer to buy, nor any definition of vote as an exercising of an option to buy. If the words used origonally were not in english and they somehow were mistranslated into English, I understand this, but if not, then I would like to know where this new use of the terms poll and vote came from.

Perhaps the problem is that there was no software up and running to function as a buying mechanism, and the Poll and Vote mechanism was used instead. If that was the case, then a clear disclaimer at the beginning would have been, "This is not a Poll, but an invitation to purchase one or more of the following pens. Please ignore the word Poll and think Offer. Also, you are not Voting on a pen when it says Vote, but are exercising a purchase option. We will try to change the labels in the future, but for now this is the only mechanism we have to use. Again, we are sorry for the use of such a confusing mechanism."

Perhaps I am being unclear. I can find no definition of Poll in the English Language which means an offer to buy, nor any definition of vote as an exercising of an option to buy.

 

The usage of the word 'poll' is completely irrelevant. The first question in the poll is "Which of the following pens would you definitely buy?" The intent to purchase is quite clearly communicated by that simple question. I see no reason to blame those who put together the group buy for a lack of reading comprehension.

Although I can understand wanting to get these pens into production and being frustrated that the process is taking longer than expected, people do have the right to change their mind. I suspect a number of people (including myself) skimmed the rules and decided to vote for a pen design(s) they liked without considering the ramifications. While I did choose to buy a pen after understanding the implications of voting, I don't think it's productive to pick on those to decided not to buy a pen.

 

I also don't think that the people who put together this group buy are in any way to blame. The rules were clear, but there may have been some translation issues or people just not taking the time to read the rules carefully. I'm in the latter category and I apologize if I screwed things up for others and if other members are upset with me or anyone else who was late with payment or has not/will not pay.

 

This whole issue seems to be growing a bit out of proportion so I'm just going to take a step back now that I've gotten this off my chest.

I really can see both sides (I guess that's what happens when you've been on FPN for almost 7 years )....

The pens are beautiful and some people might have thought they were just expressing an opinion about which one they liked best. I can understand that. One thing about that reason struck me though...and that is that I would have expected much higher poll participation (given that we have over 51,000 members). Since only a fraction of the membership voted, a lot of them must have known they were voting to buy. I don't blame anyone for the confusion, though. Wim & the Admin team have worked hard to get this project rolling, and hopefully we will get some nice pens produced as a result

Dear FPN,

 

there must be some misunderstanding about this. I voted for the pen I liked most but I

had no intention or made the decision to reserve or buy the pen at that time. You proposed

a poll for what would you like to be the new FPN pen and that is what I responded to. The

question I voted was something like "What pen would you buy?" which is not the same as "which

pen WILL you buy?" or "which pen you wish to order".

 

I admit I might have overlooked the post when voting but I do not remember reading anything like "voting

here will compulsory force you to buying", not to mention that any order anywhere can be revoked at any time.

 

In any case, and whatever the reason for this confusion is, please cancel my reservation. My apologies for

any inconvenience this may cause.

 

Thank you,

Perhaps I am being unclear. I can find no definition of Poll in the English Language which means an offer to buy, nor any definition of vote as an exercising of an option to buy.

The usage of the word 'poll' is completely irrelevant. The first question in the poll is "Which of the following pens would you definitely buy?" The intent to purchase is quite clearly communicated by that simple question. I see no reason to blame those who put together the group buy for a lack of reading comprehension.

 

Please, make the quote complete:

 

"Which of the following pens would you definitely buy if you are in for a pen of this type,?"

 

a previous poster forgot to use bold letters for the second part of the sentence as well ...

Dear FPN,

 

there must be some misunderstanding about this. I voted for the pen I liked most but I

had no intention or made the decision to reserve or buy the pen at that time. You proposed

a poll for what would you like to be the new FPN pen and that is what I responded to. The

question I voted was something like "What pen would you buy?" which is not the same as "which

pen WILL you buy?" or "which pen you wish to order".

 

I admit I might have overlooked the post when voting but I do not remember reading anything like "voting

here will compulsory force you to buying", not to mention that any order anywhere can be revoked at any time.

 

In any case, and whatever the reason for this confusion is, please cancel my reservation. My apologies for

any inconvenience this may cause.

 

Thank you,

Apologies accepted gracefully.

 

Thank you for letting us know, it is much appreciated. It allows us to change status and numbers to be sold, and therefore aids in the discussions with Stipula.

 

Let me also say this: we have learnt a lot already from this exercise, and we will make sure we handle things differently next time around. This is all new to us, too.

 

Warm regards, Wim

Please, make the quote complete:"Which of the following pens would you definitely buy if you are in for a pen of this type,?"a previous poster forgot to use bold letters for the second part of the sentence as well ...

 

It says "Which of the following pens would you definitely buy?" right above the first options in the poll.

My vote was contingent upon pricing, and I even said that in a comment and stated a number. The pricing was set somewhat loosely, shipping wasn't determined, etc. I really thought the model for which I voted would just squeak into the very top of my range. Now the total cost, including shipping, for the pen for which I voted is already out of my stated price range. I could bump it up a little bit, I guess, but I am REALLY wary of committing to a purchase that is already too much of a reach, if it is likely to go up still more!

 

I was seriously considering the purchase, but I always assume lots more people SAY they will than actually DO, whatever the question or endeavor. I hope that margin of error was considered for this as well.

 

If the pen can still be in my price range, I am happy to support it as planned.

My vote was contingent upon pricing, and I even said that in a comment and stated a number. The pricing was set somewhat loosely, shipping wasn't determined, etc. I really thought the model for which I voted would just squeak into the very top of my range. Now the total cost, including shipping, for the pen for which I voted is already out of my stated price range. I could bump it up a little bit, I guess, but I am REALLY wary of committing to a purchase that is already too much of a reach, if it is likely to go up still more!

 

I was seriously considering the purchase, but I always assume lots more people SAY they will than actually DO, whatever the question or endeavor. I hope that margin of error was considered for this as well.

 

If the pen can still be in my price range, I am happy to support it as planned.

If it is not in your price range now, it will likely not come into it later, I am afraid, even though increases will be relatively small. Please do check the store to see if it does. If it doesn't we would appreciate it if you would let us know too.

 

Thank you very much in advance!

 

Warm regards, Wim

I must add my apologies to the admins as well. I merely voted for the pen I most liked the design of, and I did not read the fine print. I thought the poll was gauging interest as many options were going to change in the future. My mistake. Normally, I'd just go ahead and buy the pen, but some recent events have made this summer an expensive one of home maintenance and family financial rescue. My budget can't do it right now. Please cancel my reservation. I'll certainly read polls more carefully in the future.

I must add my apologies to the admins as well. I merely voted for the pen I most liked the design of, and I did not read the fine print. I thought the poll was gauging interest as many options were going to change in the future. My mistake. Normally, I'd just go ahead and buy the pen, but some recent events have made this summer an expensive one of home maintenance and family financial rescue. My budget can't do it right now. Please cancel my reservation. I'll certainly read polls more carefully in the future.

Thank you for letting us know, we will take your name of the list.

 

Circumstances do change, and not always for the bettter, unfortunately. We all do hope the tables turn quickly in your favour again.

 

We will also tackle these projects in a different way next time - we are still learning as we go .

 

Warm regards, WIm

I missed the poll entirely. I was traveling and had only intermittent access to the internet.

 

However, I am most appreciative of the organizers for making it possible to order these pens.

 

I have ordered a Passaporto and am considering a Modelo T. Do you combine shipping if I add to my order, or must I order several at the same time to get combined shipping?

 

If you haven't already done so, you might send a general message to all FPN members that sales are open to all. When I first tried to order, the system told me I couldn't--it had to be an extra order for those who had answered the poll and paid. Eventually I subsequently found a place to order.

 

Finally: I am still confused as to what the percentages in the charts mean. The second line in several is at 93 percent. The third line is less. What should we be watching for? We really need only two lines: one showing how close we are to meeting the original goal (93% of the projected quantity), and how close we are to meeting a reduced goal (that may involve additional charges for new orders). It also wouldn't hurt to have the actual number ordered and the actual number of the goal.

 

It is good to know that once a quota is filled for a given type, the order for production can go ahead.

One more thought. Would it help sales to remind members of what comparable models that are not FPN LE's cost? I note, for example, that the Stipula Model T in "vintage ebonite" lists for $245.00 at Fahrney's in Washington, D.C., with a discounted price of $196.00. This is more than 110.00 Euros for U.S. customers. Some members may not be aware that the FPN prices are that favorable.