I was wondering if anybody has gotten a warranty replacement machine lately and how long you had to wait? I was told 2 weeks and after 1 week I asked about the status and they told me “oh sorry, it is going to be 2 more weeks”
I already took care of the emails, they already sent me the return labels and they told me I could keep this machine until I receive the new one (which by the way they wanted to send me a refurbished one at the beginning within the same 2 week time frame but I said I didn’t want that because it could be problematic and they told me that’s fine and they would send me a new within 2 weeks as well). There is an order already showing under my settings/order but no tracking and still under “processing” The problem is, this machine I have right now is pretty much useless 80% of the time at this point.
This is my only source of income and I get orders every single day and are piling up. This is hurting my business so bad, my customers are freaking out (ME TOO) and I have wasted so much material, time and money because of this.
There’s no way really to answer you question as it varies based on availability, etc., but I just want to say that I hope you get yours back soon. I’m sure it’s very stressful having your business on hold. Some folks have had luck partnering with other local laser owners or using a makerspace to fill in the gap.
You’re not going to like this, but you should have accepted the refurbished machine. That is their process for replacement, and when you go outside the standard process, especially during a pandemic, expect delays. Many of us have received refurbished machines within the two week window.
hmm interesting, thanks for the reply. I still rather have the new one instead of another headache but I guess this machines are unpredictable and they said the new one as going to be within 2 weeks as well
A refurbished machine is not necessarily “less than” a new one. They go through rigorous testing and may actually be more reliable (generally speaking). Not much to do about it now, but something to be aware of.
Refurbished machines are actually statistically less likely to fail than new ones. The highest failure rates for electronics are in the first and last months of a device’s lifetimes. Engineers call it the “bathtub curve”.
In the meantime, this is probably a good time to find out if there is a Tech Shop equivalent with a laser you can rent time on - or other users near you who will let you rent time on their machines. If you’re running a business that has a choke point you should definitely have a back-up plan!
Yes, I am already thinking about it. I was considering getting a second glowforge but the more stories I read the more I am considering epilog or trotec and then having the glowforge as backup or just extra machine to when I am super busy
You can spend a lot more and have a more useful machine, particularly for large pieces more than 2 inches thick, but within the price range Glowforge is hard to beat.
In general I much prefer to purchase refurbished equipment. There is occasionally (though rarely) scratches or marks irrelevant to operations but there are problems that slipped by testing in original production, and showed up in operation, and then repaired.
More often the issue is with the original owner not understanding how to operate the machine that either damaged the machine or very often no actual problems at all. There may be some amount of time use on things with limited life like laser tubes, but a new user that cannot get off first base will not have put much wear on their laser tube or similar restricted life parts.
As refurbished equipment generally has a big markdown, that makes a big attraction. However the day you purchase any new equipment it will have a similar loss of value just because you used it, like driving a new car the greatest drop in value per minute (short of an accident) is the minute you drove it off the lot.
The whole team here at Glowforge is so sorry for the impact this downtime has had on you and your business. We’re working around the clock to get your printer shipped out as quickly as possible.
I’ve just followed up with you directly over email as well. Since we’re chatting there, I’m going to close this thread.
users near you who will let you rent time on their machines. If you’re running a business that has a choke point you should definitely have a back-up plan!