That stinks. Why preference to the international store? The U.S. customers are the ones who got screwed by having to deal with the BUFFOONS at SB/Digital River instead of the COMPETENT people at Empeg. I think if a guy in the U.S. wants a case, and there are cases available, he should be able to get it. I understand not having them available for sale on the E-store, but can't you float one to an existing user who needs one?

The U.S. Empeg user base has also "taken one for the team" by dealing with the hassle of not having a support center here, even though the SB acquisition made it sound like there would be one. I won't go so far as to say it was promised, since I can't remember if it was, but I am sure that made some peoples' decisions during that time. Sure, the company has been good with covering shipping charges and providing service, sometimes out of warranty, but I don't understand why you can't spot an existing owner a carry case instead of holding onto it for future non-U.S. users.

All this pales into insignificance when you remember that us non-US "customers" had to put up with an extended period of simply not being able to buy the Rio Car player itself. And don't forget that non-US people STILL can't buy the Rio Receiver without getting a friend in the US to buy it or meeting Rob behind a dumpster in a Cambridge car park with a pocket full of cash.

(ok, so I made up the bit about clandestine meetings with Rob, but it might just happen before SonicBlue actually officially ship any outside the US...)