I finally got my glowforge on the 24th of Nov. Right out of the box it didn’t work, red light error, no cuts, really not good. So I contacted support, the 25th I get the response of disconnecting the printer head, cleaning the lenses and then trying again. Same thing it worked for about 3 uploads and then quit. The 26th I sent an email - telling them the above with video and pictures. GF responds on the 26th, asking me to send error files… I did. The 27th, GF “Thank you, got the files, having someone else look at them” I also responded that I had orders I really need to get out, and I need this taken care of quickly, also haven’t received the Laser safety training that is supposed to come with the PRO. GF responds on the 27th We’ll get back with you next week. (I get this was over Thanksgiving, however this WHOLE thing could have been done in one hour) On the 30th I finally get the reply, ok, ship it back we will send a replacement. I did, they didn’t. So now it is exactly one week after that, and I’m told it still wont ship for another couple of days.
Now I still have to figure out how to deal with the order I have to get out, do I cancel the order, with my customer leaving them in the lurch because they aren’t likely to get it before Christmas. Further more, I don’t think I can trust Glowforge support. If they had just had a phone line with a real person, the WHOLE trouble shoot could have happened on the 24th the latest the 25th, and we would have had a replacement by now. So I think the only thing left is to get a refund, unfortunately I can’t get a response from support. Anyone know if this is the only avenue to get a refund, or should I go to my credit card company?
Keep in mind that the Pro branding on the Glowforge just indicates that it is a higher power and has the passthrough. The Glowforge is supported as a hobby device, meaning you will wait for support. This is the tradeoff - business level support vs price. If you continue to expect to earn money from your laser, no matter what laser you have, but especially any hobby level laser, you must have a backup plan in place. How do you deal with orders that you won’t be able to fill on your own, etc. when, not if, you have a problem with the laser. This is applicable to any laser of any level, not just the Glowforge. The Glowforge support team will work as fast as they can to meet your needs, but you will have to find patience because they have a lot to do and a lot of people who aren’t being patient.
Well, I think after a month of going back and forth with support, it’s a bit excessive. This just isn’t good business practice. I actually chose GF over another brand because they advertise as if they have good support. Now looking into it, Boss lasers for the same price actually have support that you can call, so that argument makes zero sense to me. There are several brands of “hobby” lasers that have actual phone support.
As you’ve read, I’m in the middle of a very long support ticket. The real question is, do I refund before they ship the warranty replacement, or give the laser another shot. Did your laser work and how often do you have problems?
Keep in mind there are some 30,000 of these things in use and most of us are ridiculously happy with them.
I agree that support can be frustrating, especially when we are used to instant feedback. But in my experience gf always comes through. If i were you i’d give them a shot at getting you up and running.
Also keep in mind the times we’re in and everyone at gf is working from home…
I’ve had a few problems and had to exchange my machine, but the company has always provided excellent support and gone above and beyond when I’ve had issues. I have no complaints, and am planning to buy a pro once I have a place to put it where I can actually make use of the passthrough.
That said, I can’t make your decision for you. If being able to call someone on the phone is a priority for you, then you should probably get a refund and buy a different laser. Personally, I prefer online support, and the super helpful community here is a really nice added bonus, so I’m quite happy with my Glowforge.
Thanks for the feedback, I don’t care if I can call them on the phone, if I don’t have to wait 24 hours between responses. I think even an open chat feature would be effective enough. My problem is I have a deadline, and I’m scared that it will get here and I will have another dud, and I’ve made a $6000 mistake. I’m glad you like yours though, that’s hopeful.
A red light error can be addressed by pressing and holding the Glowforge button for about 15 seconds, then continuing to hold the button while you switch the power off using the switch on the back of your Glowforge. Keep holding the button down, wait 15 seconds before turning the power back on while still holding the button. Once the power is back on, hold the button for an additional 10 seconds then release and go through setup.
Thanks yoyodyne, thanks for your response. We went through all the resets, and it kept faulting. I sent all the error codes to GF and they confirmed that it needed a warranty replacement. (I think the printer head or the printer head cord is bad, it would get through about 3 designs and fault, stop cutting completely.) But I’m glad to know I can come here for hacks. I will keep that in mind. It didn’t even cut the little keychain first project at first. I did find a few work arounds, but they would only last for a few min before it was out again.
A side note: as far as dealing with customers who have ordered, you can also see if anybody here is willing to take the commissions and cut for you. Some doe this for a few, some do it for free. This way you don’t lose a customer.
I’m truly sorry for the trouble you’ve had with your printer and less than stellar support experience on top of that. We have your replacement order processed, and our team is working hard to get it out the door to you as soon as we can.
I followed up again directly to your email thread with some more details, so I’m going to close this thread. I do think you’ll be quite thrilled with your new printer!