RESERVATIONS UPDATE: PayPal,Serials,Tax,Etc.

[Ryan Erwin]

The short version, PayPal sucks. If PayPal declined your payment, please call us Mon - Wed, 9 - 5 PST at +1-949-206-7900. As a backup, we will place Credit Card orders over the phone through our ViaKlix Credit Card terminal. Additionally, if you would prefer to place a wire transfer, please contact us at 4k@red.com to make arrangements and obtain routing instructions.

If you have already placed an order but are still waiting for your contract and serial number, please be patient. All deposits accepted by PayPal have been received by us. Serial number assignment is a partially manual process and due to the large volume of reservations, there will be a delay. A few more hours at a minimum. Of course serial numbers are assigned in the order that deposits are received. Please accept my apologies for the slow serial number delivery.

People with California billing addresses have been charged sales tax on their reservations. Any sales tax charged (for reservations, not stickers) will be refunded within to the corresponding PayPal account within 48 hours of the order.

Please feel free to post any issues, problems, questions and or concerns directly below and and I'll do my best to address each of them.

Thank you-

[Andrew Benz]

Hi Ryan,

I have tried 2 different cards, the last one has nothing on it and PLENTY of room on it. I have been trying to place an order for both lenses all day to go with RED R1 #557. I am frustrated and at a loss as I feel my place in line continue to slide. Can we do something tonight to solidify my place in line? As always I appreciate the help and I just want some lenses.

Cheers Ryan

[Kelly]

Feel free to give me a call at the office tomorrow and i will try and help you out if it is still not working. Sorry about the trouble...

Thanks,
Kelly

[Ryan Erwin]

If you have attempted to place an order via PayPal, but PayPal fails to process your transaction properly, please shoot an email over to 4k@red.com and we'll temporarily hold your place in line while we work out other payment arrangements. If possible, please include a screenshot of the PayPal error.

Thank you-

[Clay Morrison]

Hey Kelly,
I reserved a Red One and zoom lens this morning at around 5:45 AM PST through Paypal. The Paypal transaction went through, and it shows up on my bank account. The payment doesn't show up on my recent Paypal transaction history... I haven't received a serial number or any confirmation from Red. How do I know if the reservation went through? Thanks Kelley.

-Clay

[Andrew Benz]

Ryan and Kelly thank you very much! I cleared the cookies from paypal and RED.com and I am trying one more time. If it does not work I will shoot you guys an email.

Thank you again.

[Ryan Erwin]

Clay-

We have your order for:
1 x RED ONE Camera, 1 x 18-85mm f2.8 Zoom, 1 x 3'' Logo Sticker

-R

[Cam McGrath]

Ryan, could you let me know if you have a reservation from me from about 12hrs ago??

Cheers, Cam McGrath

[Jason Sturgis]

I concur that PayPal sucks. I tried multiple times and with multiple cards and nothing. I also called the PayPal customer service line but my lack of fluency in pig latin only worsened my plight.
Thanks for this post though, I was beginning to think that it was just me but it seems that it is a problem across the board. Thanks Ryan and Kelly for your info on the matter.
-Jason

[Ryan Erwin]

Cam-

1 x RED ONE Camera, 1 x RED 300mm f2.8 Lens

-R

[Cam McGrath]

Best!

thanks...

[Andrew Benz]

OK, the deleting the cookies thing did not work. So, Ryan I am sending you an e-mail with the info. so I get my place in line.

Thanks again Ryan and Kelly. We all appreciate your hard work.

-Andrew

[Robert Frank]

I'd sure love to know if my order went through! :D

I'll order the Red Zoom first thing tomorrow as soon as I transfer more $$$ into my checking account for Paypal to take right out again.

I've only used Paypal twice. Once to buy a camera, and once to sell a guitar.

There is something about Paypal that scares me a bit, although I can't put my finger on it. Maybe that if someone hacks into my account they can get right into my checking account too.

And here's hoping third time is a charm with my Red reservation.

[Clay Morrison]

Clay-

We have your order for:
1 x RED ONE Camera, 1 x 18-85mm f2.8 Zoom, 1 x 3'' Logo Sticker

-R

Thank you very much Ryan!

-Clay

[Ryan Erwin]

RndmAxess-

Just email 4k@red.com your paypal email address and we'll get confirmation to you right away.

-R

[Charles Perkins]

this might seem rude, and in no way do i mean it to be, but for such a professional company, taking large transactions, why did you not set up a proper credit card gateway so we could pay you directly with our credit cards?


paypal seems like amature hour to me.

[Red Oz]

this might seem rude, and in no way do i mean it to be, but for such a professional company, taking large transactions, why did you not set up a proper credit card gateway so we could pay you directly with our credit cards?


paypal seems like amature hour to me.

Well, to be fair, Dell (http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?docid=9C10EB87CA334FFAAD2F4FBE264E2C92&c=us&l=en&s=gen), HP (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2006/061026a.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN), Apple (iTunes), and B&H Photo (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=helpcenter.jsp&A=getpage&Q=HelpCenter/Payments.jsp) all accept Paypal for online orders. Those all seem like pretty professional outfits to me who have Paypal as a payment option. And you have to admit, direct customer support like this on a forum is very nice.

[Ryan Erwin]

paypal seems like amature hour to me.
I can appreciate your sentiment here. PayPal certainly has a bit of an image problem. PayPal's barrier to entry is very low, setup lead times are very short, and so PayPal helped enable people who otherwise wouldn't be in Ecommerce to sell online. As a result, we associate the sins that all of those amateurs have committed with PayPal.


for such a professional company, taking large transactions, why did you not set up a proper credit card gateway so we could pay you directly with our credit cards?
Chas, this is where PayPal's low lead times and ease of use come back into play. In spite of using both our current Merchant Account and credit card processor for many months, we have to submit our site for approval in order to activate API access. It has been several weeks since we started this process with them, yet right now I'm still waiting on that access. On the other hand, we registered a PayPal payment account as a backup plan last week. PayPal completed the activation of our account very quickly. Additionally, while PayPal is far from perfect, I would estimate that only about 10% of people intent on placing reservations have run into issues.

As for RED.com payment options going forward, we will work hard to be as flexible as possible. We will begin replacing PayPal with our regular merchant account for the majority of transactions as soon as we finally get all requisite account information. That said, the PayPal system does work pretty well for people with existing PayPal accounts. We'll continue to preserve PayPal as a checkout option for these people. We'll continue to accept wire transfer payments, which work basically anywhere in the world. We've also got requests for generating Invoices hat can be submitted to AP departments for payment, checks and even cash.

If you've got other ideas about payment methods and/or processors that you think would be good for RED, feel free to post those ideas below. Anybody want "BillMeLater" or electronic check? Others?

[Charles Perkins]

Well, to be fair, Dell (http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?docid=9C10EB87CA334FFAAD2F4FBE264E2C92&c=us&l=en&s=gen), HP (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2006/061026a.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN), Apple (iTunes), and B&H Photo (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=helpcenter.jsp&A=getpage&Q=HelpCenter/Payments.jsp) all accept Paypal for online orders. Those all seem like pretty professional outfits to me who have Paypal as a payment option. And you have to admit, direct customer support like this on a forum is very nice.

i did not know that they used paypal. thanks for the info. but all of them still operate a proper credit card system as well.

i retract my comments about paypal.


thanks for explanation ryan! i had no idea it was such a long process to get access.

[Jim Arthurs]

this might seem rude, and in no way do i mean it to be, but for such a professional company, taking large transactions, why did you not set up a proper credit card gateway so we could pay you directly with our credit cards?

Thankfully I took advantage of the first registration period, and can just set back and watch the frenzy. I've never had a problem with PayPal, but do find it odd that it's a challenge for a company such as RED to set up a CC system.

As a younger guy, I had the ability to take CC cards as a merchant before I even HAD a personal CC card. Took about 3 weeks to set up, if that... I did it to sell stock footage on line. The next time I did it in an e-commerce capacity it was even easier. I'm sure it's a bit more tricky for a larger company... but still... getting a CC system in play should be child's play compared to getting the actual camera made... :)

[Ryan Erwin]

I've never had a problem with PayPal, but do find it odd that it's a challenge for a company such as RED to set up a CC system.

Hey Jim. Congratulations on your RED Reservation last time around! I like the "R" avatar you've got there too!

I don't think that I would say that Credit Card processing is a challenge for Red, simply that it will take a few more days. Moreover, the amount of testing that goes into software development when it's unleashed on the scale of RED must also be considered. This is not a small project :-)


As a younger guy, I had the ability to take CC cards as a merchant before I even HAD a personal CC card. Took about 3 weeks to set up, if that... I did it to sell stock footage on line. The next time I did it in an e-commerce capacity it was even easier. I'm sure it's a bit more tricky for a larger company... but still... getting a CC system in play should be child's play compared to getting the actual camera made... :)

Yes. No question about it. Getting the camera made is where the real action is at. Additionally, with the current state of the Internet, a ton of work goes into fraud prevention. Online fraud has skyrocked in the last 3 years and as a result there's a lot of extra work that we're all doing to minimize that fraud. We all pay for that fraud in longer lead times, more defensive application development and once in a while get stuck using our 2nd choice credit card processor for a few extra days...

[Tony Lorentzen]

That said, the PayPal system does work pretty well for people with existing PayPal accounts. We'll continue to preserve PayPal as a checkout option for these people.

So does that mean that people can pay the remaining about for their reservation through PayPal when their camera ships?

[Ryan Erwin]

So does that mean that people can pay the remaining about for their reservation through PayPal when their camera ships?

Payment processing is all about doing what's best for our customers. For a lot of people, PayPal is a great way to pay, especially if it's connected in to your bank account. Don't forget though. Everything at RED is under development. Everything is subject to change.

If there is anything else you would like to see to help make payment processing happen more smoothly please let me know.

-R

[Jim Arthurs]

Thanks Ryan, I appreciate your cheery attitude... no one is ever very happy with "the money guy".

I don't have a dog in this fight, so to speak, other than throughout 2007 you'll be getting $30,000+ from me. This assures that I will give you at LEAST the amount of scrutiny and crits that I give, say, the motor company I bought my car from.


I don't think that I would say that Credit Card processing is a challenge for Red, simply that it will take a few more days. Moreover, the amount of testing that goes into software development when it's unleashed on the scale of RED must also be considered. This is not a small project :-)

I cut little slack for you guys in this area. Setting up for e-commerce is easy to do today. If it takes a little longer to get all the ducks in a row, then you do it. If you need to hire an outside company for a few grand to set you up and do Q&A, mock registrations, etc. then you do it. You don't open until it's ready. You simply don't mess with people's money, or create a sense of un-ease.

You're right, RED, as a concept, is not a small project. But it IS from an e-commerce point of view. You're selling (currently) A.) decals/stickers B.) reservations. And with this batch of reservations, you don't even have to ship a physical product back to the customer...

Regards,

[Andrew Benz]

Hi guys,

Just talked to Kelly and I have been taken care of concerning my reservations for the lenses. Kelly rocks! Ryan, she is going to shoot you an e-mail about my place in line and the specifics. I just want to thank you both for taking the worry out of the process for me and following through with everything you said.

Cheers Guys,

Andrew

[Michael Schrengohst]

Ordered over 24 hrs ago...
I had no trouble with PayPal
Sent an e-mail with PayPal info...
??

[Ignas K]

Ordered over 24 hrs ago...
I had no trouble with PayPal
Sent an e-mail with PayPal info...
??

same here, no news

[Michael Schrengohst]

same here, no news

I wonder how many are getting in this round???
Maybe another 1500-2000....
Might be awhile before we see some daylight...

[araujofh]

Ordered over 24 hrs ago...
I had no trouble with PayPal
Sent an e-mail with PayPal info...
??

I just got the confirmation for mine as well. I got a friend to do it for me and he had no problems at all.

[paintinmotion]

i have my paypal confirmation for 2 red cams, 2 300 mm lenses and 2 zoom lenses .... no reservation numbers yet but paypal was a breeze. wonder how long it will be before we see these things. we just bought two hvx200's with matte boxes etc. when the reds come in to the studio here and are tested and good to go these hvx200's will be for sale with firestores - cheap.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I think when RED starts shipping, we'll see a surplus of used HVX200s on the market. Of the 4 reservation holders I know personally, two are upgrading from an HVX200 (as am I).

[Oskari Sipola]

I wonder what's the holdout. PayPal went through easily but no confirmation or reservation numbers yet... coming up on 24 hours.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'm over 36 hours on mine and still no numbers...

[Charles Perkins]

looks like they have changed the website,



You will receive your designated Serial Number via email in 1-3 days after you complete payment via PayPal. Note that no PayPal account is required.

i believe it used to say, shortly, not 1-3 days.

[Michael Schrengohst]

I think when RED starts shipping, we'll see a surplus of used HVX200s on the market. Of the 4 reservation holders I know personally, two are upgrading from an HVX200 (as am I).

Then at least 4 DVX100 users can step up and train with an HVX for a few years and then go for RED at a later date.

[Ignas K]

I just got e-mail from them saying: you will receive an email 1-3 days from when you placed your order with your serial number(s).
So Jeff you should be getting yours now.

[Andrew Benz]

Feel free to give me a call at the office tomorrow and i will try and help you out if it is still not working. Sorry about the trouble...

Thanks,
Kelly


If you have attempted to place an order via PayPal, but PayPal fails to process your transaction properly, please shoot an email over to 4k@red.com and we'll temporarily hold your place in line while we work out other payment arrangements. If possible, please include a screenshot of the PayPal error.

Thank you-

I just got my reservation numbers for the Prime and the Zoom lenses tonight. I am beyond excited by the prospect that I am going to "own" this type of gear outright. To paraphrase the filmmaker gang," I don't have to eat soup from someone else's bowl" (love this quote--makes sense to me :D )

So, once again, a very big thanks to Ryan and Kelly for getting these numbers out so quick despite the deluge. :)

Cheers all!

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Finally got my reservation #'s... Took 41.5 hours from the time PayPal accepted my order.

RED One #: 1110 (missed that magical 1111 by a whole digit, heh). I'm a bit puzzled though. I figured I would have a lower # based on when I submitted my reservation, but it's all good...

18-85 zoom #: 380
300mm #: 194

[Vincent S]

I just got my number. I'm very happy to join the RED army, and excited to get going on some RED adventures.

\v

[Oskari Sipola]

Got mine :)

[Ignas K]

YES! Now it´s waiting time..

[Cam McGrath]

Got mine too! Took 40 hrs or so....

[Milan Nikolic]

Hi RED people,
PAY PAL really sucks! I am not sure that it was not fraudulent site (phishing) at all. They said that it was sent password that never came first. Then I changed all and their site is not accepting password. Lot of e-mail exchange and few telephone calls that solved nothing, etc., etc.
Why my e-mail order (with credit card number and security cod) was not enough for reservation of one RED ONE camera, 300 mm and zoom lenses? Why bother with that PAY PAL terrible if not fraudulent service?
I expected RED (they made us to expect that through friendly communication on this forum) to be more friendly with us, future red user!
My reservation is still not secured! I am going to call RED and send the fax with all needed information. I hope it will be enough to make the reservations. Why complicate when it is fairly simple to do it. Just take what I sent to you already!

[Stephen Williams]

Hi,

Paypal does have issues, I live in Switzerland but have UK cards, billing address in Switzerland. When I came to update the expiry date, after 2 years of regular use they decided to no longer accept my card!

Stephen

[Joe Carney]

I called mine in to Kelly a few minutes ago. Just waiting for my official serial#. (no rush as long as I get before COB tomorrow).
Thanks for reopening. I'll have to wait till they re-open at NAB to reserve the zoom lens, since I don't get paid again until the 25th.
At least I'm official.

[C.H.Haskell]

Just placed an order for ONE! Long live RED! Now I just need to have the ol script wrapped up before it ships...

Best