I think it's coming onto three years since I purchased the $70 aluminium case. I'm not sure what's going on. I've never forgotten about this project, but I always kept it in the back of my mind assuming it had made progress.

I have now lost interest in the case. I'd like the money back.

If you paid by cteditcard, you could try and ask for cashback . Unfortunately, probably will be out of luck, due to the time that have passed by now.

While we wait.
Put this in your terminal.

I paid through paypal and I donated around $10-13. I actually thought this was actually happening, how wrong I was. Time has flew by since. I'm not even concerned about the money I gave him, because at the end of the day money is meaningless compared to someone's word. Given his history at the time, he seemed like a believable person. Three years is quite the wait.

I just skimmed through the previous 20 pages and I can clearly say he has kept us on edge the whole time. At this rate, I could've gone back to my old high school and used the CNC Miller to make some sort of case. Heck, I could've designed the case myself and sent it to be produced. As you can see, I was looking forward to this community project.

I think the best thing he can do to save his word, is to give back everyone's pre order. When its finally made in production and he's ready, then potential consumers should be given the option to buy.

Ok, back off! Or you are beginning to sound like shark(s)... Hounding a human just because he has real life, with its own problems, besides this long-ish project...

As this very helpful post indicates, you are free to try to make the case yourself on any LinuxCNC-powered mill: https://gitorious.org/fremantle-backcover-replacement . So do not blame him for your procrastination... He hasn't given a precise deadline when the case would be ready for mass-production, right?

He is not here. He cannot hear your words, or answer to them; nor should he be obliged to give back everyone's pre order just because one person said so.

Depending on whether he is contact-able or not, customers may be able to revoke their pre-orders - their individual pre-orders, not everybody's.

But I personally wholly expect that 1. early pre-order customers would be given priority over late customers; 2. having people attack him "em masse" for the perceived delays would discourage him from producing the case, ever - it's not like he would receive great profit from the production... Hardware's mods research is costly...

Best wishes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Per aspera ad astra...

[Edit]
Actually, the published files are the final design of backcover, not whole case. Ok, it's still better starting point for whole-body-case than no files at all.

And I do wonder whether he got distracted by looking for "a reliable communication center". Why are people so prone to thinking that the lights will go off soon?..

Do not despair, do not despair,
The time will come, we shall repair
All that our hands can possibly reach,
Even if hardly anybody can us teach...

Over the distance, across the time,
Instead of biting into a green lime,
We wander through the cold of slime,
And thaw the sharp edges of the rime...
[/Edit]

I don't think Estel is a bad guy, I just think he is overly optimistic in his ability to supply items for sale at a proper price and his ability to deliver after being paid.
A few years ago he offered two N900s for sale in like new condition with reinforced USB ports.
I decided it was easier for me to buy one for about $50 more than average eBay like new used with the work already done and tested than to take the small risk and time to resolder another N900 for my wife.
I paid by Paypal and waited for months for the phone to arrive, I ended up getting a refund from paypal as the phone simply never arrived. Several months after this I received what appeared to be a well used refurb with soldered USB in the mail, paypal took back the price of the phone form me to pay Estel and also took an additional ~25% fee from me, this 'like new' phone was a bad deal, I have gotten used N900s in far better shape without any cigarette smell for much less. The phone from Estel's SD card slot never worked. The phone died within four months and the USB became unusable after about two.
I believe that Estel thought in good faith that he could supply a like-new phone to me, I think he still believes he can someday in the deep future supply an Al case for Nokia antique collectors though I still wonder how he will solve RF issues.
After my phone buying experience I still consider Estel a good source of Maemo5/N900 info on TMO but I would never do business with him again.

You come off quite condescending. You show great faith in defending someone who has been away for a while.

First of all, I'm no where near ''hounding'' anyone. If you bothered to read my message, you would of understood the part where I wrote, '' I'm not even concerned about the money I gave him''. You got reading issues or you're blindly defending him?

I find it hilarious you're accusing me of procrastinating, when I'm not the one who promised to make and supply an aluminium cover or a re-framed structure to the masses.

At that rate, we may never ever, ever see a deadline.

You're right, he shouldn't be obliged to give everyone's pre order back. That was only a suggestion. Which comes to my next question,

How many people here have asked and received a refund from their pre order? That would be an interesting demographic. I also find it funny, that my suggestion of giving everyone their pre orders back seemed to tick your nerve.

So you're basically saying, if he cannot be reached, customers cannot get a refund? And, if he can be reached, it's up to him whether to refund or not?

I'm not even attacking him. You're being overly dramatic here. I'm simply saying if customers are no longer are interested in this project (as myself), and no longer want to fulfil their pre orders he should refund them.

You do come off as very aggressive. Telling me to back off and give best wishes in the same post? I have a right to ask the OP what I want and how I feel. Reading the comments along the pages have also lead me to believe certain theories. I honestly don't care about the money. It's not about that. I'm sure he has had personal issues which may or may not be the reason to this obscene delay. I just don't understand why a final product hasn't been made and designed in almost three years and counting. At the end of the day, I'm not blaming the guy nor am I 'hounding' or 'attacking' him. I honestly do think he is a decent person who has given sound input to this community and it's a shame he goes missing every once in a while.

An interesting comment from someone who has evidently not bothered to read the message he is replying to. If you have, you would have noticed that Wikiwide was not addressing just you.

@Jaag, think of it like crowdfunding via Indiegogo.
It is stated in their very rules that when you choose to sponsor someone who is arranging a flexigoal project the money can be considefed gone in the wind the very second that you press the "send" button.

The project owner can choose to cash out and never deliver the promised project, and there is no way to get your money back.

Now there are at least 3 kinds of people there; pure scam artists who just want donation and never attempt to make anything, honest people who just happen to fail to deliver and the rare few who actually can deliver.

Now can you ask more from a single developer arranging a crowdfunding by himself alone when the official institutions behave like I explained?

I think everyone here has a point seriously, I do - lets stay cool.

Estel was ill on a previous, extended absence (otherwise he was banned :-), so let us see....