[tdavis]

> Is it ethical?

WakeMate never actually collected any money from the pre-sales, so I don't think there's anything that could be considered unethical about it. If we had, that'd probably be a different story.

> Is it advisable from a long-term strategic perspective...

That remains to be seen, but investors wanted to see actual pre-orders; since the investment was necessary to hire folks like me to finish the product, it was the only short-term strategy available.

[brandon]

To be fair, WakeMate did collect a $5 pre-order deposit from a number of customers which was later refunded.

I'm sure the money that came in this way was another vehicle towards finding investment, so I don't begrudge them at all.

[zaatar]

Was the refund automatic? I am quite sure I paid the $5 but don't recall seeing a refund. Maybe I got it but I'd love to know where to look ...

[Frazzydee]

From what I've heard: * If you paid by google checkout, you were never actually charged * If you paid by paypal, you should have been refunded by August 17th, 2010 (http://blog.wakemate.com/2010/08/17/timing-update/)

So if you paid by paypal, just check your transaction history around that date to ensure you actually got the refund.