I am afraid that I have been very naive. On January 25th 1984, I ordered a Sinclair QL over the phone, after an assistant has reassured me about some of the specifications of the machine. She had also reassured me that deliveries were on target and that I would have my QL by February 22 1984. This morning I received a letter confirming my order and apologising for the delay, and saying that I could expect my QL by the end of May 1984.
Nigel Searle also said that he hoped it would be worth the wait. I decided that it was not, and I have cancelled my order. I have also written to the Advertising Standards Authority.
I feel sorry for the many people who cannot afford to lend Sinclair £400 or so for a few months while they wait for a QL, and I think they should be entitled to some redress. It is fairly immaterial to a customer whether a customer has suffered genuine setbacks that could not be foreseen, or is running a racket - he ends up at a disadvantage.
In my opinion, however good and honourable the reasons for the delay may be, the fact is that there has been a unilateral change in the agreement about the transaction, and I would like to add my voice to the many who believe that the regulartions involving computer advertisements should be tightened up.
3rd March 1984
