July 21, 2013
OUYA Inc
1316 3RD Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
United States
Dear Julie, Customer Service and Team Ouya At Large,
Im going to try to keep this email short, as its seems that OUYA customer service is still very much in beta as far as responses; but I cannot guarantee anything. Julie has mentioned that there are 8 people working solely on Customer Service issues, while she steps in the fray to answer what she can as well.
Let me just start by saying that ever since I heard of OUYA, I was a huge supporter.
I did not have the funds to back the kickstarter at the time, I had just lost my job and was dealing with (at the time unknown) celiac disease. Means I cant have gluten in my system.
Couple of painful months later I was able to work thru it and not only put together funds for a reserve console, but I also had gotten someone else, who's never even OWNED a game console prior, to reserve one as well.
I've had a strong persuasive background in sales what can I say.
I bought my OUYA Feb 5th (#1176), and purchased a second for my friend Feb 8th (#1527).
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| I bought my OUYA Feb 5th (#1176), and purchased a second for my friend Feb 8th (#1527). |
Only receiving receipts for both transactions, I waited, waited, and waited. I knew this wasn't Bottomless Microsoft. This wasn't tried and true Nintendo. Wasn't even edgy and unpredictable Sony. This is what it is to be an early adopter of new hardware or software, its not going to be perfect. But I still expect it to work.
Meeting and beating goals within an 8 hour timeframe, shattering all barriers even close to goals ending over 8.5 MILLION. It was well deserved. The idea gave us all something to yearn for, to work with, to build on. It was what all the others could not be, and yet filling a niche of its own without putting down a downpayment equivalent to a used car like the other consoles. I never thought twice. I just knew the possible. I wanted to make killer software for something just as out of the norm as OUYA could be. I woke up just txting OUYA! to people for 4 months.
And I have the txt msgs to prove it.
Hearing early on of a soft launch date of June 2013, I figured that after the first few days that I never got a reply back for tracking #s for not one but for TWO separate orders, I figured that I'd sift thru the swarms and swarms of "Where's my OUYA?" and "My tracking # is no good, DHL has no record of the shipment and it was lost long ago in Hong Kong", etc etc that plagued every google crawl or comment on your Facebook page.
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| "I want to make one thing clear; I wish nothing negative to any of you, or anything OUYA related. I want this to bounce back." |
So many people, so many early backers with #'s so much smaller then mine who also still had not received theirs, made me nervous but still giving the benefit of a doubt, until June 5th.
No response, and no OUYAs, I decided to email support to try to get a tracking # that was never received for months.
Info
Jun 06 06:40 (PDT)
Hi there, I had placed 2 orders for OUYA, (One was for me to test and start developing with, another for a birthday gift for a friend) #1176 #1527, and I wanted to know the status of those shipments or tracking #s for those orders as I was informed June 2013 shipment date, nothing solid datewise but I wanted to check with you guys to see what info I could get, mainly for me to get started testing the hardware to bring some content OUYAside.
Thanks!
Michael
I read either 48 hrs turnaround time for responses or 3 business days, I cannot remember at this point. Either way, nothing.
Sooo many more people flooding the comments angry that they too had shared the same experience. Some mentions here and there that OUYAs were just showing up on doorsteps unannounced, but I paid no attention as every case could be different.
Still no response.
About a week later, I bumped the ticket with another query:
Info
Jun 12 20:55 (PDT)
Looking to see if there was an update to this email request.
Thank you.
No response.
I visited local GameStops just curious if they actually had a reserve list. Turns out you could order in store and have launch day (which was clarified thru messages online as I searched the web to be June 25th)
I checked the GameStop site, along with Amazon. All in stock and all guaranteed times. I began to feel a bait and tackle coming, as the Phantom Game Console was a similar experience (promises so high that I am sure they had no choice but to become vaporware) and again the rage against the OUYA online began to really start to take its toll. I wanted it the day of, so even if I had to race to a store to get one and then deal with the refunds of the 2 consoles later, then that was what I would do. But why would retail customers get priority over early pre-orders and backers?
No response.
Early the 25th, it was available in limited supply from local GameStops in the area ( the one I was dealing with mainly was a Retail GameStop from Fresh Meadows NY, the manager stated they only had 2 on hand. That's all that was shipped on launch day of OUYA. 2 per store, if that.) I emailed again just trying to get some sort of response, just to see if Support for Customers really did exist with OUYA. Frustrated, I responded to the silence yet again:
Info
Jun 25 07:22 (PDT) Or you know, not. That works too. Thanks for getting back to me.
I had no idea what was happening with the 2 consoles. I headed out later to pick up the OUYA from GameStop, as I did not want to be left out, I knew they had it on hand and I have bought from them before, so I knew I could call and confirm with them of the sale before the purchase. Coming back from purchasing the new OUYA, I return back to have mine waiting for me that I had originally bought back in February. Same time my phone started ringing, my friend wanted to let me know that hers had showed up as well.
Without any response, rhyme or reason, no feedback and no support; the OUYA had just showed up unannounced. Just like the feedback online had been mentioning.
With some buggy issues with my friend's OUYA, and when opening mine to find my OUYA scratched and a defective control stick that squeaks? doesn't control correctly when it moves, and when the controller plating is removed to place in batteries, the control stick just falls out.
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| I paid $100 for a second hand OUYA? Seriously? |
All in all, my experience with your company has not been pleasant.
Anything but pleasant actually. Finally receiving an email almost a MONTH later from Chad, with a generic response that had nothing to do with what I originally asked for.
I never did get a tracking # for either order:
Chad Makings (OUYA Support)
Jul 02 07:32 (PDT)
Hi Info,
As we continue to evolve here at OUYA, making constant improvements to our product, we want to make sure that we keep you -- our community and THE reason we do what we do everyday -- in the “know” and up-to-speed on our progress.
As part of these important updates, and in response to the (literally) overwhelming response we’ve seen in sales activity since launching earlier this week, we wanted to share with all of you the latest ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ which we update and publish on our website @ www.ouya.tv/support.
The goal of sharing this info is simple -- if while playing OUYA, you come across something you need to troubleshoot, head over to our support page and, chances are, the OUYA Problem Solvers have posted a workaround to the issue you’ve encountered. If - on the other hand - you discover an issue we haven’t yet identified or published an answer to (which is totally possible given it’s early in the game and we have lots to learn still!), then simply open a new ticket @ www.ouya.tv/support. From there, our Problem Solvers will review, respond and update the FAQ’s regularly.
We hope you find these updates helpful and if you can think of anything else we can do better, hit us up at savetheprincess@ouya.tv!
Your humble servants (really we are here for you),
Chad, Arsen, Chris, Ed, Derek, Terell, Sarah, and Jim
M.P.S's for OUYA
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You can find the latest FAQ here: https://support.ouya.tv/home
Included in the latest update are topics such as:
My tracking number isn’t working. How can I get the status of my order?
- If you live in the U.S., use this link to track your OUYA order: http://bit.ly/16Tdh0e
- If you live outside of the U.S., use this link to track your order: http://bit.ly/16Tdj8m
[Note: For orders outside of the U.S., be sure to enter your tracking # in the second text box labeled ‘Item Cust_Ref’ field. It’s case-sensitive.]
*Please allow more time for the tracking #s to bring back info, as in most cases, they're being sent from overseas. Also, please keep in mind that we have received reports from some people who have received their shipments before any info. was returned by their tracking #.
I’ve changed my address since I ordered my OUYA. What do I need to do to update my shipping information?
- If your OUYA is being delivered to somewhere other than your current address, please update your address with your postal service so that it can be forwarded. If it is not forwarded, please contact us @ savetheprincess@ouya.tv and we will work with you directly to ensure it arrives safe and sound at the right doorstep.
Where are the additional controller(s) I ordered?
- If you've ordered extra controllers, you will receive them in a second shipment. We did this in some cases to get you your OUYA to you ASAP. If you only receive one controller at first, don't worry, another one will be on its way!
- Chad
OUYA
The email response had nothing to do with my question; it wasn't even read.
I write all of this as being a graphic designer, marketer, advertiser and above all a creative thinker, I feel the same as the over 63,000 backers that believed in the project and did whatever we could do to make your dream a reality; you dropped the ball on us.
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| You forgot about US. We are the reason why this dream exists. |
You forgot about US. We are the reason why this dream exists.
I have mixed emotions about this whole launch, the concept and most importantly the "support" given to those who made this possible.
More disgusted then happy. Especially with a console that was obviously thrown in a box in a mad rush to make shipment quotas.
But I want to make one thing clear; I wish nothing negative to any of you, or anything OUYA related. I want this to bounce back and be so successful that we can actually get GOOD games that I remember playing back in the SNES/Genesis days, not just countless mindless FPS clones and lukewarm "innovations."
I also want to bring content to this console.
I want people, all people who haven't a clue what an OUYA is, or what it can mean for them to share with them what it SHOULD mean for them. I would even offer to aid in customer support myself, just so that its one less person that has to deal with what I've dealt with. Just like OUYA is the game changer in a sea of bloated Titanics, perhaps this single email too can make a tugboat of a difference.
I know, I KNOW the OUYA will be amazing. Day One I knew.
But we can't know just how OUYA IS if this is the service that the VIP customers are getting, let alone everyday project backers. If this were a restaurant, I wouldn't care how great the food is supposed to be; If the plates are dirty there's no point in enjoying an otherwise perfect meal. And I cannot communicate to your waitstaff if you are not present (or nonexistent) in light of these types of issues.
I don't expect to hear back about this response given OUYA's track record as of late, but then again maybe I don't need to.
Andrew Martin didn't need a confirmation that he was human in Bicentennial Man, the android just knew what he needed to know and said what he needed to say.
Please, please fix this.
With much respect.
Michael MidKnight
