Given the legally-disputed origins of the JooJoo and the current shipping delays, you’d think Fusion Garage would scrupulously maintain a squeaky-clean image with its customers as it leads up to launch, but it looks like it wasn’t quite prepared to handle refunds in a sensible way — we just confirmed that the company asked a customer for his bank account information in order to deposit a refund directly after running into some troubles with PayPal. Here’s the relevant exchange:

“Support Joojoo” wrote:

Dear Rony,

We have checked this at our end and there seems to be a problem with
refunding via paypal.

To avoid any further wait time, could you send us your bank name, bank
account name, bank account number, sort or swift code and your bank address.

We will have a direct transfer done to your bank account. If you could
provide us the details today, we will ensure that the refund hits your bank
account by friday of this week.

Please advise . Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Fusion Garage tells us that this customer actually changed his mind about getting a refund several times, and that they’ve only had three customers with refund issues, all of which were related to problems with PayPal issuing credit long after pre-orders were placed. While it’s uncommon here in the States (and obviously this buyer wasn’t keen on it), bank to bank transfers are the norm in Europe and widely used for the wiring of cash across international lines. Clearly after the issues with PayPal, however, the idea of handing over bank details doesn’t seem appealing in this case. We’ll see how everyone feels when that promised March 25 ship date rolls around, and we’ll let you know what happens with Rony and his refund when we find out more. Maybe next time just mail a check, guys.

JooJoo refund issues creating some bad juju originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sky TV has bought 15,000 LG 3D TVs to go in bars around the country. Football might just have gotten more interesting.

Google has launched a version of its HTC designed Nexus One phone that will finally allow customers using the phone to access AT&T’s 3G network in the United States and Rogers Wireless in Canada.

The earlier Nexus One worked only with T-Mobile’s 3G network. Those with SIM cards from AT&T could make voice calls but were limited to the 2G or EDGE network on their Nexus One.

Google launched the Nexus One on January 5. The phone runs Android 2.1 and retails for $180 with a two-year T-Mobile contract. The unsubsidized version of the phone is available for $530. The Nexus One retails through Google’s online store only.

Google says it will now offer two versions of the smartphone. Both versions support four GSM radio frequencies -850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz. But the support for 3G bands will differ depending on the version selected.

When ordering phones, customers will be able to select from the version that supports 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands for use on on AT&T in the U.S and Rogers Wireless in Canada. Or they can choose the version that supports 900 MHz, AWS, and 2100 MHz frequency bands can be used with T-Mobile in the U.S., says Google. The two versions will otherwise be identical in terms of their hardware specifications.

The availability of the Nexus One for AT&T 3G customers comes at a time when sales of the device have been slow. Google has sold about 135,000 HTC Nexus One phones in the 74 days since the device launched, a rate that’s about eight times lower than Motorola’s Droid and Apple’s original iPhone, says mobile analytics company Flurry.

See Also:

• Google Nexus One Leaves Customers Sour
• Review: Google Nexus One
• Google Debuts Android-Powered Nexus One ‘Superphone’
• HTC Clones Nexus One, Launches 3 New Phones
• Google Nexus One Sales Off to Slow Start

Photo: Google Nexus One (Jon Snyder/Wired.com)

(Credit:
The 404)

Wilson’s still out sick, but it’s hard to miss the little guy when we have Natali Del Conte in the studio to keep us company. Our listeners in Southern California must miss him dearly, because they stomped their feet in unison at 4:04AM yesterday and caused a 4.4 magnitude earthquake! No major damage or injuries were caused by the quake, so we’re taking this as a friendly warning not to break up the crew!

We’re hoping that none of us ever gets to see the backseat of the new Interceptor, Ford’s new automobile that will soon replace the Crown Victoria as the official police vehicle. The car is outfitted with a twin-turbocharged engine, bigger brakes capable of surviving a 75-mph rear-end collision, “antistab” rear-window plating, and Ford’s hands-free Sync technology. No word yet on whether or not Ford plans to update existing undercover patrol cars disguised as taxis. Yeah, we see you, coppers!

It’s no surprise that Snooki and the other stars of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” fully endorse Ugg Boots, but a new study by the head of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine might have them rethink their choice of footwear. No one’s doubting their level of comfort, but some podiatrists are suggesting that the foot doesn’t get the proper support inside the boots, which can lead to ankle, knee, hip, and back pain after prolonged wear. Ugg Australia commented that their boots are built for “comfort” rather than as “performance footwear,” so be sure to limit the amount of time you spend in them!

Ladies night

(Credit:
CNET/The 404)

I have to give fair warning about the pictures that we show after the break, because you might not like what you see. After yesterday’s conversation about RuPaul’s Dragulator, listeners Derrick and Paul took it upon themselves to create their versions of Natali and The 404 in drag! Click at your own risk.

There’s plenty more to get to, including Nintendo D2 rumors and a segment on “marital aids” in the shower, but you’ll have to check out the full episode to hear it all! Much thanks to Natali Del Conte for filling in for Wilson today, and don’t worry, listeners: she’ll be back on Thursday’s show, as usual!

We also have plenty of 404 stickers left, so send us a SASE and don’t forget to send us a picture of where you stick them; there’s a good chance I’ll use it on a blog post! Unique, high-quality pictures in landscape are ideal. Send to the404(at)cnet[dot]com. Thanks all!

EPISODE 538

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Originally posted at The 404 Podcast

Microsoft announces three new 720p LifeCams with TrueColor technology originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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