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Had a final go at a black dial 57, got it in the basket but the checkout function didn't work, stayed on the cart page from which I could not go forward or back 😑 oh well. Think I'm not going to bother going forward after three failures to complete a transaction, site seems unable to cope with the high demand.
Well it is Eddie that cannot cope with the high demand due to the time it takes to ship orders whilst the credit card transaction is still authorised (or something like that). It is done for the right practical reasons, even though it may not be exactly customer friendly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed875
I don't know if any alternatives to doing this has been explored, but a random limited time opening (without announcing in advance) might work to limit demand? Or just, 'It will be open on Sunday for 10 minutes' without saying what time it would be.
I thought all the black 57s were sold out on the last opening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ben4watches
Initially showed as available, but sold out by the time I got the site refreshed and tried again. So assume there was only a very small number still to be sold.
This is the second occasion I've not been able to get the checkout function to work from cart (using different computers and networks too), though my previous attempt failed at the payment stage, as my preloaded card details were rejected as incorrect, despite using the same details earlier in the day on another site without issue.
All rather frustrating.
They were.Quote:
Originally Posted by ben4watches
Eddie
The site didn't let you down, you just weren't quck enough. The 150 people who successfully placed orders today weren't let down by the site. The site copes exactly with the demand, it was set to automatically close when 150 orders were received and that's what it did.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed875
The reason the checkout function didn't work for you is because somebody else completed checkout before you did and the item you wanted was no longer available. The site was set to automatically close after 150 orders were received and the site stock control is set to refuse orders when there is no more stock. I'd say it wqorked exactly as intended.
Eddie
Thanks; so even hitting cart as soon as it appeared and checkout no later than 14:00:05 GMT was not quick enough; anyone got an Olympian I could borrow :friendly_wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by swanbourne
I am sure it worked exactly as it should but I have no clue how anyone could have been quicker than I was. Added to cart immediately and then it froze going to checkout. Anyway after three goes I give up. Well done to those who bagged one and to Eddie for creating incredible demand with such great watches.
Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
lol, try to get an anOrdain, these is the kind of issues of small productions: Eddie is a one show man and there's many of us trying to get the same shite, happened to me with a commando adventurine dial.
Next luck more time and hope Eddie gets to make more....
I'm sure I saw an email in the last couple of days saying the site was opening this Sunday, but I can't find it now!
Be ready (in case I didn't imagine it!)
M
Yes, open this Sunday @2pm.
Silver Jubilee and Black dial Everest available. Gilt , white dial and Expedition available in the near future.
Good luck to those who are eager to get their hands on something.
Yes also received the e-mail but abstaining and going back to focusing on military issue.
Best of luck to those taking part in fastest finger first :smile-new:
I'm not sure I fancy repeating the mixed emotions of excitement, anticipation but then disappointment of finding that the item in my basket disappears after 20 seconds. There is no way you can complete the darned purchase in that time, irrespective of how quick your internet connection or your fingers. This is the followed by the irritation of seeing the watches a week later with a huge markup on eBay. Grrrrr.
Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed875
I have a real "time factor" problem. That is to say a time difference issue. As I live in Australia it means I will have to log in at 1:00am for any chance to purchase my grail watch; a Smiths PRS-29AM (apparently available later in 2022).
I'm not great at late nights, and at that time of the morning I'll be really groggy/inept so any tips anyone might have about what to have ready at the checkout would be appreciated. Several people have mentioned having your credit details already entered, but is this even possible if you can't access the checkout prior to the 2:00pm deadline?
Any advice from previously successful buyers would be greatly appreciated.
(1) Use a browser that lets you store your credit card details. The details can be plugged in with a click or two when it comes to checkout. You'll probably still need to manually enter your 3/4 digit auth code if your payment card has one so memorise it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vangoff
(2) Create an account on timefactors.com ahead of time. This will save you having to type in your name and address; it will be pre-filled.
(3) Create a link direct to the product page you want and use that to go direct to the item you want when the time comes.
(4) Order only one high demand item at a time.
(5) Log into the site just before 14:00 so that your login cookie is cached and you don't have to log in when ordering.
(6) Once logged in as above, don't go to the site again before 14:00 UK time. In fact, clear your cache of images and HTML (NOT cookies though). This will ensure you get fresh data from the server when the time comes.
(7) On the dot of 14:00 UK time, follow the link that you created earlier direct to the product page you want.
The above is what worked for me but there are no guarantees.
Good luck.
I'm delighted for Eddie that stuff's popular and quite understand why he limits orders re time to pack and dispatch, but tbh I can't be doing with the drama and jumping through all the hoops. Been a long time since I've tried to buy anything - just don't need the stress and almost inevitable disappointment on a Sunday afternoon, but very pleased for those who persevere.
Indeed it´s become like the Rolex business albeit at the other end of the price scale, obviously it´s great news for the vendor...But being abroad doesn´t make the process any easier, my bank can sometimes require extra security checks which takes more time so I´m never likely to be among the quick on the trigger as it were...plus the Brexit surcharge-taxes...Never say never of course but the watch would have to tick ALL the boxes...I´m a bit rigid in that I won´t generally play games I can´t win, my issue-loss of course, goes double when it comes to money.Quote:
Originally Posted by FrontierGibberish
That'll be a Smart Watch then?Quote:
Originally Posted by Passenger
Crikey steady on I´m not currently running a mobile let alone a Smart phone, don´t have the need..They do a Smart Watch now!:numbness:Quote:
Originally Posted by petethegeek
Kidding about knowledge of their existence just to be clear!
Passenger clear your inbox pleaseQuote:
Originally Posted by Passenger
Just made some room amigo.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint-Just
I love it. It's all over the internet that it is hard to get Timefactors watches. It has been the best advertising since advertising began. The models that are popular now will not be the models that will become desirable later on. Soon Eddie will be deciding who gets what. It's going to get bumpy. 😀Quote:
Originally Posted by FrontierGibberish
Good point. I probably should get a black dial PRS-44 soon while I still have a chance. [emoji848]Quote:
Originally Posted by abraxas
In my case, I got the watch I’ve been trying to get (a few times now) into the cart within ~12 seconds, but nothing happened when I tried clicking the “checkout” button… trying & trying… clicking &clicking even opened another tab to the cart… after 2 minutes, it was removed from the cart.Quote:
Originally Posted by swanbourne
It’s tough to believe that 200 others got through the checkout process in those first 15 seconds…
Is the checkout button on the cart a JS that might try silently?
i.e. should I just click the checkout button once and wait 30 seconds for it to eventually go to the checkout page? Is that button the thing that’s checking stock control?
If only the store cart page would do something to let us know it’s trying to get to the checkout page…Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed875
In this past weekend’s opening, I tried to get a Siver Jubilee in aventurine… got there in “plenty” of time, but refreshing the page just wouldn’t show “add to cart”, instead the cart kept showing some other “unable to add to the cart” even 2 seconds after the store opened. After about a minute, it changed to either sold out or store closed (I can’t recall which, but think it said sold out).
Don’t know why I couldn’t add it to the cart, but I’d guess that now the aventurine IS no more.
Sigh…. 3 or 4 store opening tries.
There are still 300 of the Everest Silver Jubilee in stock. Let me be clear, the site didn't let anyone down, it's working exactly as intended and that is to shut down once 200 orders have been received.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fearlessleader
Eddie
I do not challenge the statement that the site is working as it was meant to. But it is clearly not working for everyone. Many here have reported multiple fruitless attempts.
Somehow, some seem to have a “competitive advantage”, be it faster internet, faster browser, faster confirmation from their financial institution, etc. Or a combination of all. And the “disadvantaged ones will come up empty handed every single time which feeds the frustration on display in this thread and a few others. No idea how to change / improve that. I accept it as an unfortunate fact of life.
Oh, there are many ways to do “200 sales only” more fairly, but they just don’t fit within the existing store’s code.Quote:
Originally Posted by MHe225
The frustrations seem to be:
1. An item’s page doesn’t let you add it to the cart — before the 200 is hit, when the store should just close.
Or
2. The cart won’t let you get to checkout — before the 200 is hit, when the store should just close.
Or
3. You can’t finish checking out — before the 200 is hit, when the store should just close.
1 and 2 are not “it’s working correctly” - sorry Eddie, but 1&2 really shouldn’t happen.
3 is easily fixed by letting only 200 people start checking out, tell them they have X minutes to finish, & then either they’ve bought stuff or they’re told to try checking out again… until the store closes.
It's not clear if this is happening on the server end or somewhere else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fearlessleader
I did experience this myself last year but then modified my usage pattern (cleared cache of images and HTML before visiting the site) and have not experienced it again. Have I been lucky or was it a cache update issue that I was able to work around? It's very difficult to tell.
If it's happening on the server side, i.e. in the shop, then it should be a common problem on Shopify sites, probably the world's most popular hosted ecommerce provider. Is it a commonly described problem on Shopify? I've not actually looked to find out.
As previously stated with my last experience of trying to purchase I got the item into the cart as soon as the function appeared on opening at 14:00 but on keying the checkout button a split second later, absolutely nothing happened, as if the link was broken, tried a few times more but no change. Obviously forced to do a refresh which bumped me further down the queue by which time I got the anticipated sold out.
On the upside the recent inability to purchase from Timefactors unlike in the past, forced me to review my collecting habits and I've decided to sell up most of my civilian watches and and use the funds to return to collecting purely ex-military, which got me into collecting in the first place.
So I've now acquired some nice ex USAF Benrus, and Hamilton, plus my first of the Fab Four, without the Sunday will I, won't I be successful stress.
So sadly I'm down to one Timefactors left, which would have sold but let down by the funds not coming through.
I don't know what's going on with the credit authorization but I do wish there will be a time where a store opening accommodates 600 orders (i.e. four batches of 150 pcs. each) knowing and informing the buyers that those who will be in the last three batches are part of a waitlist. In that way, we get 600 give or take unique orders rather than the same 100 or so people every store opening who have the time and patience to hoard these damn good TF goodies. [emoji51]