u/HumanWolf

I placed an order for the mahjong set in early April, when it went back up for preorder. At the time, it said it would ship in June, but the date has been pushed back three times since then, and it's starting to feel like I'm never going to get it.

I checked the listing almost daily in July, and it said the set would ship by July 30. When I checked again on July 30, the date had been pushed to August 31. So I contacted customer service just asking for a little clarity. They told me my preorder was still expected to ship that day and that the August date only applied to new orders. So I asked if I should expect a tracking link that day, and they said I’d receive an email when it shipped, and to contact them again if I hadn’t heard anything within a week.

So I waited about 10 days, then replied to let them know I still hadn’t received tracking. This time, they told me my order was expected to ship August 31 and offered to cancel it if I didn’t want to wait.

I’m pretty frustrated. It’s not really about the wait itself. I really want the set, and I was excited when I thought it was finally going to ship, so I was disappointed when it didn't. But I can deal with waiting a little longer if I have to. I just really don’t like how they’re handling it. Like I completely understand that delays happen, but I don’t understand why there hasn’t been more communication or clarity around it.

I work for a small online retailer, and when something like this happens, we email the customers who are waiting, apologize for the delay, explain the situation, and provide an updated timeline. It’s a low-effort thing that goes a long way with most people.

I don’t really want to cancel my order, but I gave them my money almost five months ago and feel like I'm being strung along. Now that August 31 is close, I want to be hopeful, but I don’t see any reason to believe that date is more reliable than any of the previous ones.

Sorry for venting, but is anyone else still waiting on an April preorder? Has anyone who ordered around then actually received the set? Or gotten any useful information about a realistic shipping date?

I’m hoping for some practical safety advice before I do anything stupid with an old CRT.

I recently bought a 1957 Magnavox combination console (tube TV, radio, and record player) at an estate sale with plans to gut the electronics. Now that I actually have it home and have started reading about old CRTs, I’m realizing this may not be as simple as I imagined.

The seller couldn’t confirm whether it worked or not, and specifically recommended inspection before plugging it in to a modern outlet (which I haven’t planned on doing), so I assume it probably has not been powered on recently, but I have no way to know for sure. So I figure it’s best to treat it as if it could still hold a dangerous current.

The cabinet is extremely heavy and doesn’t fit in my car, so I’m really hoping to avoid having to take it to a repair shop. I don’t want to power it on or restore it, and I don’t need to save the electronics for any reason (but I do have plans to properly dispose of them).

If I’m planning to remove the entire TV/CRT assembly from the cabinet rather than work on the electronics, does the CRT still need to be discharged first?

Is there any simple/safe way for me to determine whether the CRT is holding a current, or is that basically not worth attempting without proper high-voltage equipment?

I’ve seen YouTube videos where people discharge CRTs using a screwdriver, wire, and an alligator clip, but most of what I’ve seen involves TVs/monitors from the 80s and 90s. I’m not sure if I’d be comfortable attempting that anyway, but would that method be appropriate on a tv from the 50s?

If the best advice is “find someone experienced and don’t touch it,” that’s helpful too. I’d just love some guidance on finding someone who knows vintage electronics, and what I should ask them to do so I can safely remove the tv.

Has anyone actually received the EEAAO Mahjong Set yet?

Need advice on safely removing CRT from 1957 Magnavox console