How long are you willing to wait for a pre-order?

[Bmannator]

I was "lucky" enough to get on the waiting list for one of the highly sought after mods the first of October. Many people had been waiting 6 mo. or more for this unit, encouraged by the "rave" reviews.
But, the run was nearing the end, and the maker said he thought they would be delivered by year's end... Ok, I can live with 3 months.

Right now, there's no telling when this thing will ever find it's way to me... (sigh)
Will I continue to wait??? Yeah... probably.... Would I do this again?? NO way!!!
It's not about the wait.. it's the maker's seeming disregard for his obligations to his customers.
I paid up front ... in full.. and I've waited... patiently.. while the maker continues to develop and offer new products for "pre-sale"
Good luck with that..

Can anyone name another industry where this type of behavior is acceptable? and why do we put up with this??
The market is driven by the consumers, yet we continue to tolerate this.
I've spent thousands (with an "s") with this manufacturer, and this is where it ends...I guess he figures someone else will take my place.

Holding your customers "hostage" is not brand loyalty, and is it worth it in the end?? We'll see

 

[muzichead]

You've got more patience than I do. I have never gotten in on any pre-orders on anything for mostly the same reason, but if I was waiting for something and the manufacturer was putting out other, (newer), products before my mod was delivered I would ask for a full refund and if it wasn't done in 24hrs then a grievance with my CC company would happen very quickly... As well, everyone on every forum would know about it just as fast. There is absolutely no reason for a manufacturer to treat their customers in that fashion... Unacceptable...

 

[K_Tech]

Can anyone name another industry where this type of behavior is acceptable?

Sure. Name a product category, and there's a waiting list for the "high-end". Automobiles, violins, handmade shoes, etc.

and why do we put up with this??
The market is driven by the consumers, yet we continue to tolerate this.

You just answered that question yourself. We want it, so We wait for it.

 

[Rickajho]

Can anyone name another industry where this type of behavior is acceptable? and why do we put up with this??

Me - I can't and I don't. I understand K_Tech's point about high end consumer goods - but this ain't a Maserati - it's probably someone working out of their basement. Between the Jbox disaster, the guy offering the mod replating service, and don't even get me started on Bogger... No, I don't understand how the concepts of a partial deposit on unfinished - hell unstarted work even - and "paid in full" - what you do for goods available and ready to be shipped - are supposed to be the same thing in this particular industry. When the hell did that get confused?

 

[James Hart]

I have 3 custom basses, waited between 6 and 12 months each. I have a guitar on order for 4 months now, the target delivery date is early 2015.

I ordered a matching guitar strap & dog collar from a custom leather shop in Sept, got it xmas eve day.

I ordered a Touchwood Mini and waited almost 11 weeks (2 were because I needed to pay and 2.5 were shipping time).

 

[Bmannator]

I can agree with ordering a basically hand made item from a master craftsman, which is essentially "functional art"
This involves many, many hours of labor that can only be performed by the "artist" himself.
The same can be said about "high end" sports cars and the like...

The notion that this mod is something more than the sum of it's parts, is probably why I continue to wait for it...
But, waiting an unreasonable amount of time for this has caused me to lose confidence in this company..
This isn't a hand crafted musical instrument, nor is it a complicated mechanical device...
How long does it take to assemble and fit a few metal parts?
Other than the principles of supply and demand, there is no comparison...except for the limited production numbers.

 

[Veritas Obscurum]

I would gladly wait a month for a neat mod, but past two months the wait time starts factoring into the equation of "do I really want to buy this?".

 

[williebb123]

people who dont have thick skin should not get into politics people who dont have alot of patience should not get on preorders and gripe about this or that or they shouldnt treat customers that way , for all the impatient people that stayed off the list would ease the stress of those who do , im on my 3rd list as of sept still waiting but coming to the finish line soon

 

[Nute]

The longest I have ever waited is 6 months, and that was for a Archangel stock for my m44 Rifle. That is for different forum all together lol

 

[Riverboat]

I was "lucky" enough to get on the waiting list for one of the highly sought after mods the first of October. Many people had been waiting 6 mo. or more for this unit, encouraged by the "rave" reviews.
But, the run was nearing the end, and the maker said he thought they would be delivered by year's end... Ok, I can live with 3 months.


Holding your customers "hostage" is not brand loyalty, and is it worth it in the end?? We'll see

Hmmmm sounds like you have bought from SuperT? I waited 10 months for my Shockwave and my first ELA took 6 months now my second one is at 6 months and I figure another 1-2 months for its delivery.... I know its frustrating but if you want the best in high end mods there is no other option.... I love my ELA and Yes it was worth the wait!!!

 

[grandmato5]

I"ve waited 6 months for one APV. I already KNEW when I placed my order I'd likely be waiting longer then the estimated delivery time based on other APV's the vendor had done using the same preorder system and how long it took for people to actually get them.

I was willing to wait with this one vendor based upon how long the vendor has been in business and the reputation he's built through his years of building APV's (already owning another of his APV's) and feeling confident based on his previous history that if the wait got too long and/or I changed my mind he would quickly refund my purchase price to me. I had no doubt that when I finally received my APV I would be getting a fantastic mechanical which is exactly what I got.

There's very few vendors out there that I would be willing to pay up front knowing I would likely be in for a long wait. It doesn't take much research here on ECF to know how long a vendors been in business and what their reputation is along with how accurate their estimates of delivery time tend to be.

 

[muzichead]

I thought when I originally posted it sounded like a Super-T deal!!! I was going to order from him 2 yrs ago and didn't because he was doing the same thing then. I refused to fund his R&D projects. It seemed like he had too many things in the making, as he does now, and should've spent his time and money wiser and completed his older projects before starting new ones. Not to say he doesn't have a quality product, but certainly overpriced, considering materials and the time it takes him to deliver... He should take better care of his customers for sure.

 

[Ahoy]

Can't put a time limit to a well manufactured pv! Adds to the excitement when you get it in the mail after months...months....MONNNNNTHHHHHHHSHSSSSSSSSSSSSS...of waiting. Good things come to those who are patient.

 

[Riverboat]

I thought when I originally posted it sounded like a Super-T deal!!! I was going to order from him 2 yrs ago and didn't because he was doing the same thing then. Not to say he doesn't have a quality product, but certainly overpriced, considering materials and the time it takes him to deliver... He should take better care of his customers for sure.

The wait time is long I must agree...... But dam the ELA is one of the best mod designs I have ever owned.....Much more heavy duty then any other mod SuperT has ever produced.... Twice the Stainless Steel wall thickness of the Precise Plus line, and the features are second to none in the telescopic mod design.......

 

[Bmannator]

Can't put a time limit to a well manufactured pv! Adds to the excitement when you get it in the mail after months...months....MONNNNNTHHHHHHHSHSSSSSSSSSSSSS...of waiting. Good things come to those who are patient.

My point would be ...is this (see above quote) an acceptable business model? Would you feel differently if you knew this "waiting period" was completely unnecessary? I can't say one way or the other but..... One would think that after a year...or two...even a small company would find a way to keep up with demand...

 

[Bad Ninja]

No way I would pay money to a relatively new company for a product that hasn't even been manufactured yet.

This tells me a few things.
1.
The maker doesn't have the infrastructure to operate properly.

2. Poor planning and rushing for the money before product is ready explains extended delays.
If your product isn't ready, don't try to sell it.

3. Outsourced manufacturing. ( hand made by a skilled craftsman in a basement...lmmfao).


4. Buyer beware. Bad business model+pre orders=high risk for failure/low expectation of longevity.


Asking customers to pay up front before production starts should tell you the business doesn't have enough money to properly bring their design to market.

Bad business model.
Not for me.
I work too hard for my money to give it to people to gamble with.

 

[Fury83]

It all depends on the product, people who make it and their history. I had no problem pre-ordering a microstick but mini-ecig was great about keeping us up to date with production photos, timeline changes and pretty much every step of the process. They were also doing hundreds at a time and shipping them all at the same time (within a week) and they were very close to their original window for shipping.

On the other hand, I wouldn't be pre-ordering the new mod from the new modder with no history. The biggest thing for me is communication, has this person or business shown they are good at communicating the process.

I have bought plenty of nice mods without a pre-order so it's not a necessary thing. My favorite mod, my lycan, was just a normal in stock buying experience. It really just depends on how unique something is, I am not waiting a long time for a 22mm tube, plus how I feel about the modder.

 

[Archmachine]

Well if its the ELA you're waiting on, Im right here with you. Its been at least six months now. Hard time, but Im encouraged by the reviews and what has been said in this thread about the ELA. Cant wait! Well i guess we have to...

 

[Bmannator]

Well if its the ELA you're waiting on, Im right here with you. Its been at least six months now. Hard time, but Im encouraged by the reviews and what has been said in this thread about the ELA. Cant wait! Well i guess we have to...

Let's say that it was... After all, it's a reasonable example of what I'm talking about...
Would you do it again??? Maybe not for another ELA, But the next "big" thing???

 

[Archmachine]

Id say im buying mods now more as a collector. I have a couple i use daily and are very content with. BUT if it was a mod I was buying as my first mech or even an upgrade to my existing mod, definitely not. I feel your pain thought. It is frustrating.