So, Who Has Recieved Their Developers Kits?

Question

Hello everyone :-} I was just wondering who has received their developer kits, since they supposedly have already been sent out, I am just curious? I still do not have a tracking number on mine as of yet :-{

bstaehling · Answer

@stonewolf I received my developer's kit today. I ordered it with a couple extra accessories. Order was placed the end of January. I did not expect it as my order status did not update on the website and no tracking info was provided. I did get a message from DHL yesterday letting me know a shipment was arriving. I've been playing with it the past couple hours and must say I'm quite pleased, very happy to finally have it. They got it right.

CochranRobotics · Answer

I got one today and have been using it for a few hours. I am very impressed. It's is an awesome board and the camera is very very fast.

stonewolf · Answer

@bstaehling So you placed your order the end of January and already received yours and I placed my order in November and don't have mine yet, interesting? @d.cochran So you have received yours also, well perhaps mine will be here also very soon :-} Anyone else receive theirs yet?

DJ Sures · Answer

Hundreds and hundreds of people have received theirs and everyday more people do as we continue to ship to customers like you

TERMINATOR · Answer

i got mine today i ordered my last year end of December and i got every thing i was so post to get but when i came onto the website to find my version of my ez-b i could not find my version of it? it said on the box it was an ez-bv4 and i looked at it on the internet and it didn't look like it at all.... @DJ Sures confused confused confused confused

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

It is easy to tell the difference.... pictures are posted below depicting both the V3 and the V4... You didn't get version 3 because it has been long since discontinued.... EZB 4  EZB3

TERMINATOR · Answer

yes i looked at that but my is none of those @Richard R

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

Post a picture, it has to be one of those because no other one exists... Maybe it is the first one without the white plastic...? With or without the white plastic it's still a V4

TERMINATOR · Answer

no it has the plastic but its very very wired i will put up a picture. @Richard R

TERMINATOR · Answer

its missing ports on it inputs and outputs ports @Richard R

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

post a picture and I will let you know what's up....

TERMINATOR · Answer

ez-b v3 or v4?  @DJ Sures @Richard R

TERMINATOR · Answer

there you go @Richard R

JustinRatliff · Answer

Clearly that is in fact an EZbv4. The only difference I see between yours and the one pictured on the website are the color of the header pins and a row of 6 header pins on the left side.

Jeremie · Answer

Hi @Terminator

That is the Final injection molded version that you have, all the input and output ports are the white colored ports. The Web site should be getting updated soon with the new photos, as the 3D printed version white blue headers is still pictured.

Please check our our Datasheet for more information, thanks!

TERMINATOR · Answer

thank you so much is this the newer or older model of the ez-bv4

JustinRatliff · Answer

@Terminator - you are all good myfriend. Take a look at the unboxing post With the shell off you can see an unpopulated row where the pins are in the version posted on the website. So my question to the EZ-Robot staff is, do you need to update the pictures? What is the significance of those 6 pins?

TERMINATOR · Answer

yes, i agree with @JustinRatliff what are those pins for and you need to update pictures

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

That's a genuine V4.... there is only one model (so far) of the V4 and you have it.... So there is no newer model... Enjoy... I believe the picture of the one I posted was a prototype and those extra pins I think are programming headers and are not user accessible...

Rich · Answer

Those 6 pins were for the development of the V4 and programming of it if I recall correctly. It has been mentioned before. If you look on the V4 you can see the the pads are still there but it's not required since we do not need to program the V4.

TERMINATOR · Answer

thanks guys you're very helpful people

JustinRatliff · Answer

Poor EZ-Robot staff - just the things that must be on their plate from discussions in the forums is enough to make me dizzy. @Terminator - I'm wondering how your experience was receiving the kit in South Africa was? Did you have to pay a duty fee on it?

Jeremie · Answer

Yep, it was definitely a prototype board with the programming header populated. And just to clarify, there is only 1 version of the EZ-Bv4 we just decided to go with white instead of blue headers to match our servo wire colors better

TERMINATOR · Answer

Yes I had to pay for the shipment @Justin Ratliff

JustinRatliff · Answer

@Jeremie white is a better choice for that, glad you guys changed it.

brednow_a · Answer

Here we are again i see there are people receiving their devleopment kits it would be nice if mine would just get shipped .....i have been told that they were shipped by order of pirchase meaning the earlier you bought the earlier shipped well i purchaced i last year nov and still no shipping or tracking number and when i contacted people at ez-robot was told get back in a week then get back in three days because they know nothing so again people ordered in january and they have theirs and nobody is sure where mine is .......very confussed what did they loose the orders for nov because i see others are in same boat ......still waiting

stonewolf · Answer

@brednow_a I am in the same order range as you and I have no information about my order, I guess November 2014 is in the Twilight Zone :-{

beavis1111 · Answer

My Order ID11-3823 Ordered: November 18, 2013 1:07 PM Status: Step 2 of 3) Processing Order What gives?

brednow_a · Answer

Yup stonewolf the twilight zone can't tell me if shipped or anything .....the product better be better than the shipping cause am not to happy with this .......order in Nov ......would think that we would be one of the early ones to get product or info on where .........was told maybe will get info tommorrow will let you know if any thing comes please let me know also on your end Andy

brednow_a · Answer

11-3208 Nov 14 2013 is the date of my order ........wonder if there are more nov orders missing ......:)

Jeremie · Answer

Figured I'd step in and mention that orders are not being lost. The que in which people are getting their kits is not necessarily linear in nature. Depending on what you have ordered your order number may not tell you how fast you will be receiving it. There are some circumstances where your order is being held to include other items that you have also ordered but haven't been manufactured yet. That being said, orders are now shipping daily and it won't be long until all the pre-orders have been fulfilled. I'm definitely excited about what you will all do with your kits, I've seen some pretty amazing things you've done with the EZ-Bv3, it's going to be a whole other level with your v4 creations! If you'd still like to inquire about the specifics of your order with our customer service staff, please use the Contact Us page. Thanks guys!

brednow_a · Answer

Deveolpment kit and a battery and some wire extentions ......are they manufactureing the battery also because that is all i ordered and was told that developement kit were made so .....so you other people who are waiting you have battery or wire extention to make you have a delay in shipping .....

beavis1111 · Answer

I ordered 1 product: EZ-B v4 WiFi Robot Controller QTY: 1 no accessories. Should have before people that ordered in January 2014 when I ordered in November 2013.

Mike2021 · Answer

I made my order in October what gives on that!

beavis1111 · Answer

Order Status Updated Today: StatusStep 3 of 3) Shipped Wednesday, August 20, 2014 Location Time 4 Arrived at Sort Facility SHENZHEN - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC SHENZHEN - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 22:15 3 Departed Facility in DONGGUAN - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC DONGGUAN - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 21:32 2 Processed at DONGGUAN - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC DONGGUAN - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 21:14 1 Shipment picked up DONGGUAN - CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC 17:28 Squeaky wheel

jstarne1 · Answer

@Mike , please use contact us form to inquire about a specific order. Thanks! - Josh

b9greg · Answer

I know it's been a long wait for everyone - but there is light at the end of the tunnel! I got my tracking number today. Greg

brednow_a · Answer

Not me. Yet ......if you use contact us it is just saying sorry just wait .....first a week .....then no answers try again wednessday was told ....still no answer guess wait even more .....i know whaa whaa whaa i guess i am a whinner .....just want to know

stonewolf · Answer

November 25, 2013 is when I placed my order for the developer kit, battery, extension wires and some servos. Please don't anyone say contact EZ-Robot by email, I already have and I still don't get an answer with a tracking number, I am just told to wait until next week and then told to wait until the following week. I have been patient, more patient than I normally am. Another thing is, if so many people are receiving the developer kits, why isn't there more people talking about them, just seems like people would be talking more on here, lord knows we have been waiting to receive the kits?

CochranRobotics · Answer

For me, since I got it, I have been working on my robot. It was easy to get connected to the network and easy to get the camera working. The only issues that I have had were to do with a servo motor (not from ez robot) and not having enough battery to handle all of the motors I was using at one time. The ez-b has worked great. I am very impressed with the volume out of the speaker. I have modified the power to bypass the base and it is very loud inside a wall-e. I am still working on the robot to get it ready for the class. There are 5 sensors and 12 servos. Lots of options for movement but that also means that there is a lot to program. I am sure that it is the same for most. Most will do the simple things first. Scripting to combine these things and put more logic in comes later. My job consumes my days, so I get limited time at night to work on things. I am sure it is the same for most.

mik · Answer

Did order mine june last year , but still no goodies , better catch up with the EZs and find out whats up confused

pittom · Answer

My order finally shipped can't wait to get it

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

@Mik.... What did you order in June of 2013? Revolution had not yet been announced so you couldn't of ordered anything V4 (which includes Roli, Six and JD)...... Did you order the V3 developer's kit?

mik · Answer

Yes , ordered v3 developers kit , but did not ship , so my order was upgraded to v4 , and has been processing ever since , have received a couple of messages informing me of progress and a free credit , as way of apology for delay , which may have delayed it even further , as it was canceled and added to my v4 dev kit order . Maybe the EZs are waiting for bits to complete the order . My order was 6-3424

DJ Sures · Answer

Haha, it's great to see everyone so excited for their shipment! I assure you they are all being processed Literally thousands of orders are in the queue. They're all going out very smoothly. Contact Us will tell you the same thing that i'm saying here: trust me it's in the queue. We have a very great point of sale system that I created It puts orders in categories (as you can see [reviewed/processed/shipped/cancelled]). We assure you that every order in the queue will receive their order.

brednow_a · Answer

So I was just infomed that it was because of the battery in my order with the deveolpment kit that the company who makes the battery has a month delay so they were waiting for it to come togeather before shipping was asked if i want to forget battery and have shipped right away and now my order staus went back to step 1of 3 then step 2of 3 again and stayed there nothing has changed on the order the battery is still there .........boy sounds like they are having fun ......but i guess i could of waited for a producted like this to come to radio shack in the next couple of years and payed twice as much ......hope they will get this all strait soon

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

Radio Shack is not in Canada anymore... It's now called The Source.... RobotShop.ca will be carrying the EZ- Robot stuff, however....

DJ Sures · Answer

You'll see EZ-Robot Revolution at Best Buy, Microcenters, Think Geek, Robot Shop, and dozens and dozens of hobby stores in 2014 However, we have a priority to deliver pre-order customers before we start worrying about the resellers. In short, you will get yours before anyone else in the world who didn't pre-order!

mgodsell1973 · Answer

I too have been informed about the battery issue, but in a way it has done me a favour and allowed me to change my order from tge lipo battery and charger to 2 new servos and a motor shield. This will give me greater flexibility with "traxx" and future projects. So excited and a big thumbs up on the communication, I can smell my dev kit. Yeah

DJ Sures · Answer

Shipping companies have made shipping LiPo's suddenly difficult for us if they are not inside of a robot. You will be contacted if you have a LiPo battery accessory in your order. We are applying for a certification to allow shipping of LiPo's as an accessory outside of the robots. Following the rules sucks sometimes

CochranRobotics · Answer

I feel for you DJ. So many others can affect your shipping. Thanks for the hard work by all of the EZ-Robot staff. Remember the shirt I talked about? "Relax and keep shipping robots"

Rich · Answer

I did wonder about the LiPo batteries and shipping, whenever I am in the post office I read the poster on the wall about goods that are not allowed to be shipped internationally, batteries are amongst those items. Breaking the rules probably sucks more if you get caught though right? Although it is fun

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

I got the same email about the Lipos.... I quickly asked Aislinn and Jason to remove it from my order so it can ship now....

CochranRobotics · Answer

LOL, I just had a thought... You better go buy the lipo's that are available in your country because as people make the same decision as Richard R, the batteries wont be available long. )

thetechguru · Answer

I guess I better start looking for local batteries. At leat one, and maybe two off my orders have LiPo's. Cr-pcycles. Alan

bstaehling · Answer

I didn't realize ezrobot would end up in so many popular retailers. That's excellent. Looking at the packaging when it arrived I was thinking how I could picture it sitting on a shelf at a store. I remember some comments in the updates about the packaging design with the high density foam, but just before I opened the box I was concerned it wasn't going to be the developer's kit because it looked like there's no way it could have all fit in there. There's lots of little details that have been looked into on this and it's really quite impressive. Even down to the little EZ Robot smiley faces hidden in the circuit board solder mask. I took a close look at the EZB V4 board and still am baffled how they got all this functionality down to so few and such small chips. I'll also comment on how quick and intuitive the ARC software is. I'm blown away at how fast so many incredibly different devices can be configured and be up and running and still have all the flexibility you could want using the scripting tools. It really does take all the painstaking work out of it and leaves you with the fun part. This is going to be a ton of fun and well worth the wait to get one of the preorders.

Kenny Storm · Answer

Woohoo! I ordered last november, #3781, got my kit today!

stonewolf · Answer

Well I found out today my order has been held up do to the Lipo battery, so I cancelled the battery and charger in exchange for 2 of the servo gripper hands, order was change and I now have a tracking number. I will stop whining now.

RoboHappy · Answer

Yes, Lipo's are interesting. Many of fellow RC airplane and heli club friends have had their share of lipo mishaps. They are certainly lightweight and powerful, but if you just look at them funny, kaboom !.. massive 2000 degree fireball in less than a second. Have had friends had their car burn to a crisp after putting them on the backseat after a flight, or another friend who's house burned down after the battery was charged. I myself take great care when charging them here at home(don't want to burn down an entire condo complex, hehe).

Kenny Storm · Answer

I was told they changed the chemistry a lil so they might not pop so badly, but i dont take chances either, i charge them in a terra cotta planter pot with a lid lol. Balance chargers are the key for anything more than one cell. Has anybody checked out BatteryUniversity.com? Its everything you'd want to know about batteries and then some lol. should probably mention, i didnt order a kit, just the v4 and the camera. Might make a difference.

jstarne1 · Answer

There are only a few containers that can contain a lipo fire. The most common are ceramic crock pots. This has to do with the very high temp they are cooked at. Some microwave ovens have a ceramic lined cooking chamber that can reduce the chance of lipo fire taking out your house. Absolute best option is to charge them outside in a portable fire pit. Some hobbiest are more paranoid than others. I have noticed over the last ten years the batteries becoming less flamable. I have destroyed cell phone batteries on purpose and the fire was an unimpressive small smoke bomb. It did get very hot but it is not the fantastic "thermite style" blaze we see in old lipo destruction videos say ten years ago. Here in the states we pretty much ignore the lipo regulation because they allow businesses with mass shipping accounts waiver of those restrictions and then tell the individual its unsafe to return the same battery they just received from a hobby supplier. rolls eyes every cell phone shipped from my employer has a loose lipo for example and no padding at all to protect them in the event of a rough ride. Just a bubble mailer and a sticker on the outside declaring a lipo is inside.

Jeremie · Answer

I don't mean to derail the LiPo conversation at all, but I just wanted to say thanks to @bstaehling for the kind words, it means a lot to hear compliments like that as we are pressing pretty hard these days to get our product into your hands

Robot Doc · Answer

I use LI-ion cell phone batteries with the installed PCBs (Power Control Boards) to build the power packs to use with the EZB(4)s. They are much better controlled for both charging and discharging than their counterpart Lipos.

beavis1111 · Answer

Received EZ-B v4 today. Thanks EZ-Robot Team!

brednow_a · Answer

well just received my dhl waybill ......guess again taxes and duties are added to my order ....... no tracking number from ezrobot no even a comment when emailed this morning and asked where it is ......here is my copy of my waybill so they are about 200 km away so lets see ........payed for developement kit in november last year was told shipping was covered but no taxes and duties were mentioned ....not nice ......was given a gift of a 50 dollar credit so it could become a preorder and they could develop product which took almost 9 months ...was told if I want to use the 50 and order what i wanted that and order was going to be even longer wait ...so here I sit my order is 200 km away and dont know if I am going to have to pay the shipping from there but I already got a duty and taxes bill of Payment logo Welcome to DHL My Payment Pay your duties, taxes and fees securely to expedite your delivery. Here are the duties, taxes and fees outstanding on your delivery. Total Amount: $64.88 DHL Invoice #: 018933833-0 again not really happy ..... but got to pay cause that is why they came direct to us from china not from ezrobot in calgary they should have let people know when they order it last november from their website ...like I said nothing mentioned back then ......hope very thing is working good when it get here cause if it doesn't going to be some choked guess only a 3 day wait now a unhappy almost ezrobot user Andy brednow

jstarne1 · Answer

Yea i wish that import duties and such were not somthing various companies charge but its something we have to deal with everywhere i guess at some point.

Rich · Answer

The T&C agreed to on placing an order have always said that taxes and duty are the customers responsibility and that the product will ship from China. This has been mentioned multiple times by EZ-Robot in recent weeks. Explanations have been provided as to why the customer is charged duty and tax too. Also, the $50 store credit wasn't so it could become a pre-order. They were always pre-orders. The store credit was a gift to those who showed they had faith in EZ-Robot, nothing more, nothing less, it didn't change what the order was.

brednow_a · Answer

Am sorry to say the 50 dollar was told to me by email that because my order in nov became a preorder not a order and was going to take longer they were giving people a gift of 50 dollar credit or we could get our money refunded.....i believe it was sent to me in dec last year .....and at that time there was no mention of preorders or taxes and duties on webpage just cost and shipping was incuded ....and 5 to 6 weeks for delivery ........

Dave Schulpius · Answer

Soon this shipping and preorder crap will all be behind us. However two things will never end; taxes and death. Neither one can be controlled by EZ Robot. eek

thetechguru · Answer

The order page has always had a disclaimer that you had to agree to about being responsible for your Country's taxes and duties. I had to agree to it in my October 3rd order, and two subsequent orders. The order page also indicated that you were pre-ordering a product which was not yet complete. It did estimate 5-6 weeks for delivery, and at the time, that was what EZ-Robot believed the delivery would be. You have received numerous emails with updates on the challenges of meeting those estimates and could have cancelled your order at any time. The credit email was sent on or about December 5th (that is when I got mine). It does not say that your order is being changed to a pre-order, it is a thank you for pre-ordering, and an explanation of some of the factors in them not being able to meet the original shipping estimates. I still have a copy of the email if you want to see it, but I can assure you that it was not telling you that the status of your order had changed. Alan

Rich · Answer

Taxes and duties have been in the terms and conditions since before the V4 was available, the V3 shipped from China also and it was certainly in them when I ordered my V3, it hasn't been taken out. This is also confirmed by Alan in another topic. The V4 has always been a pre-order since it was announced. All orders have had the notes attached to them and all dates on the website have always been estimated. At no point (even now) does it say any revolution product is in stock for immediate dispatch. All delays have been announced and explained time after time. All delays were mentioned in email newsletters and in the forum. You were made aware of delays as best as can be done by EZ-Robot. Short of knocking on your door to tell you they made many attempts to let us all know what was going on. It seems I am just repeating myself and EZ-Robots here. I cannot add anything further to this. I appreciate you may feel unsatisfied however you should have read the T&C properly. You are not the only one to have missed the taxes and duty information and Alan has stated that they will look at making this clearer in future.

Zap Brannigan · Answer

I just think there is confusion about Canadians ordering from a Canadian company and having to pay additional fees. I'm not all that familiar with Canadian tax law and whatnot, but I would not have expected to pay any additional "import" duties. I would have expected to pay taxes at the time of order and not have any additional duties. This is what is possibly leading to his frustration and disappointment. I get the feeling most Canadian customers did not understand that completely. But that's just me...and I'm not the brightest cookie in the knife drawer. Folks from the UK and other countries should have expected it, no doubt. I guess USA customers are the only ones that are not having these charges added? I've not heard any USA folks mention it anyways.

Rich · Answer

The thing is, EZ-Robots do need to cater for those who aren't the "brightest cookie in the knife drawer" (why would a cookie be in the knife drawer?) so I am sure knowing what you said will help them make this clearer in the future. Alan has already said that they will make it clearer. With the V3 being shipped in a similar way but with no complaints about tax/duty that I am aware of I am sure EZ-Robots didn't realise this would be something that gets overlooked. Many Canadians have ordered and received the V3 EZ-B from China without complaint so I can see why this "problem" wouldn't have been noticed until now.

Dave Schulpius · Answer

Living in the USA I've received several shipments from china from EZ Robot and a lot of other shipments from china from other countries. I've never had to pay a duty tax. This tax and others are set and controlled by the Government the package is shipped to. The idea is by charging it's citizens a hefty "Extra" charge in the way a tax or fee they will buy local products instead of overseas products. They also feel it will force the companies to manufacture their products local. However this being mostly a free "Global" market we live in today local companies are either moving to countries where they don't have to pay high wages and high corporate taxes or having their products manufactured over there. Saves a huge amount of money and helps keep them in business. Sadly by the governments imposing these extra fees and taxes the consumer in the home country always ends up paying. It's a viscous circle and the house always wins (that's the government). Some of the big companies like Apple or Microsoft pay these extra charges themselves and stock large amounts of products locally. However, nothing is free. These companies absorb the cost and charge more for the product to make up the loss. Again, the consumer pays in the end but it's never seen. EZ Robot does not have a billion dollar surplus to draw from and they cant stock all these new parts locally as demand is high. Maybe someday they will rival Microsoft or will sell out to them and they can do this same thing. However the price will go up and you will still be paying in the end. Companies are not in business to serve us and help us save money. They serve us and help us save money (when possible) to make money so they can stay in business. Hopefully with the above formula and a great and wanted product, they will someday start making money for themselves and their employees. I also need to say that DJ and EZ Robot has also added another factor; They have a heart. They seem truly interested and concerned in how our kids and we adults grow and learn the world of robotics. Pretty amazing mission and business strategy. Hope this helps people understand this dry and mysterious world of profit, tax and control. However sadly most people stopped reading it 1/4 way through and will still gripe and blame what ever business is trying to supply wanted products to us. tired

Bravia · Answer

Recieved EZB only took approx 6 days to Ireland Yes I also had taxes of 19.47 euro but what really suprised me was DHL added another 10.00 euro I presume just for processing & collecting the tax. Pat

Zap Brannigan · Answer

@Rich Quote:The thing is, EZ-Robots do need to cater for those who aren't the "brightest cookie in the knife drawer" (why would a cookie be in the knife drawer?)  It's just a joke combining the items to say, "I'm not the brightest bulb, smartest cookie, or sharpest knife in the drawer." In other words I'm extra dumb. A poor attempt at levity apparently.

thetechguru · Answer

US laws on import duty and taxes are quite different from most other countries. Sales taxes are state based, and for most states (there are some changes occuring, mostly due to Amazon killing local businesses) you do not pay sales tax at the time of purchase for items ordered online or purchased out of your state if the vendor doesn't have a business presence in your state. You are still responsible for paying the taxes, but also get a rebate for taxes spent in other states. When preparing your yearly state income taxes, you can carefully itemize all purchases and pay accordingly, or you can use some income based rules to have this estimated. Most of us just use the estimated rules except for big ticket items (cars, boats, etc...) and many don't even realize they are paying this as part of their state taxes. Import duty is only charged on items that compete substantially with USA products. Since you can't buy an equivalent to the EZ-B from a manufacturer making it in the USA, no import duty is collected. We do pay import duty on foreign cars, although it is typically embedded in the price of the car and paid by the dealer. I had to pay duty on clothing that I bought in Japan and brought home with me. I almost had to pay duty on some clothing that I already owned because I went on a combination business trip vacation and shipped my suits home half way through the trip. I wasn't clear on the customs form that I brought those clothes into Japan with me, so they got held at the customs warehouse at Dulles International Airport and I had to go in and file a revised form or pay $180 in import duty to have the box delivered (I chose to file a revised form and have the property inspected). Alan

Dave Schulpius · Answer

It's all a complicated hot mess. No wonder a lot of people don't understand and don't care till they have to pay the bills.

stonewolf · Answer

Well I got a surprise on my front doorstep today. I was mowing my yard and didn't even notice, until I was done. My development kit and all of the other pieces I ordered last November are now laying on my workbench. I just wanted to let others who are still waiting for theirs, just to know that they really are coming. I am just getting ready to start trying to get my computer to connect to the V4. I believe my excitement is back and I know my robot ROAMIN is ready to get some life into him. I am very impressed by the quality of the parts I ordered and by the packaging of the development kit, my work area has the smell of a brand new V4. Now I guess it's time to start working on things and I will for sure be asking questions.

stonewolf

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