I received my GlowForge in November 2024. My GlowForge came with non working LED lights. I had no idea it had lights. My friend came over and asked why my screen was so dark, I told I didn’t know. So we put 2 lights on top of the laser so it would register and print. 2 months ago my friend came over because my laser with bigger wood projects would not cut through. So I tried and tried during 3 passes and still would not cut fully. Same 3mm. When my friend saw it she said “why aren’t your LED lights on??? What light? I have never had light!!! So we called GlowForge and they sent me new LED lights, installed them and it still did not turn on. So I call them back and they sent me the black strip but that didn’t work. I called them back and they sent me an email stating that they would send me a refurbished one!!! What, wait?? This was brand new, $5,000, never worked from day one. Spoke with someone else and she said she spoke with the board and that’s what they are able to do. I told her this is not acceptable and I want a brand new one! Or if they are going to send me a refurbished one I want the warranty dated back to current date. She said she has to go back in to the board!! She also assured me that the refurbished ones are gone over and over assuring me that they are in top condition. Well, what happened to mine. I guess they missed that part on mine. What do you think? Has anyone dealt with getting a refurbished one? She said that I did have lights she can see them…no those were on top, the only way my machine would work.
That’s a bummer!! I have had 2 refurbished ones and have been happy with them…
I have had one new and two refurbished. The refurbished ones were indistinguishable from new ones. As there have been a few changes, all three are the same age as the original.
I don’t think either of your demands are reasonable. A refurbished replacement is a pretty standard warranty remedy for electronics. That’s what I was offered for TVs, computers, phones, etc. No major manufacturer restarts the warranty when you make a warranty claim.
Having had two refurbished units over the years they look pretty new to me and have been tested, so they work pretty well.
Why are there so many refurbished GlowForge lasers out there?? if they look so new, maybe mine was a refurbished instead of a brand new one???
I disagree! I would understand if they had received a working forge in the first place, but as it never worked properly from out of the box, I believe we should be able to expect to receive a working product. If we let Glowforge have a pass on this, they will have no reason to put out a quality product. For what we pay, I think we should be able to expect a working product from the get go!
I don’t know about logistics, I am just a glowforge user letting you know my experience. I understand your frustration. It is just wonderful having a functioning laser, and the company has stood behind their product which has made me a loyal customer. It is a pretty big device to ship, and there is always the possibility of things breaking during the shipping process.
My opinion is that they are damaged in-transit. These are not robust mechanical devices, they are delicate, precision machines. To deliver them in the fashion they deserve would be cost prohibitive.
There may be some machines that were actually refurbished, but those are most likely machines that were DOA due to rough handling when shipping. All machines must be tested before shipping - they have to be in order to correctly calibrate the alignment of the beam.
We are getting a fantasticly complex and capable product at a bargain-basement price. Since Glowforge broke in to the hobby market, many others have followed. Some have failed completely. What GF managed to pull off was remarkable.
I totally agree that Glowforge should send you a brand new machine. You bought a new machine that never worked. That is not a warranty claim, that’s called infant mortality in the electronics world. I’ve worked for several tech companies and no company with any concern for their customer or product would send you a refurb.
For what it’s worth, I had a machine go south because of fire (my fault of course) and they sent a refurbished unit that lasted 14 months. I upgraded rather than sink the cost of another refurbished unit.
If it never worked, they also owe you a full warranty. They may have missed the lights not working or something came undone during shipping. Not your fault.
I’m not a negative customer. I love my forge and have and continue to use several other brands. Nothing is as user friendly or easy to use. In this case, at least, I think they owe you a new machine.
This has been their stated policy (read the warranty) since the first machines were shipped in 2016.
The written warranty: Glowforge Warranty Information | Glowforge
Warranty applies if a machine received in working condition fails during normal use. Warranty does not apply if a machine is received dead on arrival and never functioned as she mentioned hers did not. (Maybe that’s only California law.)
I’ll read the warranty, but California law supersedes their document.
That’s always a tricky thing going cross borders. State or international. They aren’t a CA company, they don’t physically exist in CA. Does CA law then apply to them? Could you get a French company with no physical presence to follow CA law?
I used to ship into Canada on occasion. Have to follow US law, customs and border, UPS shipping, don’t think I’m bound by Canadian law though. Sort of the same situation via inter state laws too. Not entirely sure a WA company has to care a whole lot about a CA law unless there’s something federally that enforces it.
If you are based in one state and sell to customers in another, you have to follow the laws for the state where the customer resides. If you’re not familiar with them and their implications, it is suggested you obtain legal council or severe penalties can apply. There are entire companies established to provide that type of guidance, although it can be done yourself if you are willing to put in the time to research and understand each state’s regulations.
Not trying to pick a fight, just expressing my thoughts and trying to support the viewpoint. Here’s what the published warranty says:
“(ii) replacement with a new or refurbished product that is equivalent to the product to be replaced.” She bought a new machine that didn’t work. A refurbished machine is not equivalent to a new machine. (definition of new is “a new product is one where the legal or equitable title has never been transferred to an ultimate purchaser”) I’m sure Glowforge will do the right thing, whatever that is, as they wrote the policy and, in my opinion, are a company with integrity and support for the end users.
I had my first Pro have problems after 2 months, Glowforge sent a refurbished one, which is now running strong for 4 years! While yes, a new one would be nice, per your experience, there can be issues. A refurbished one could have been returned and not used, or repaired and fixed more throughout than most machines. Give the refurbished a chance, I was hesitant too, but glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and got one that worked flawlessly!
I had a similar experience with my Glowforge. I got one about five years or so ago. After a few months the laser stopped cutting through on half the bed. Tried debugging it with support and they concluded it had to be replaced. They sent me a refurb which I wasn’t happy about. I wanted a new machine. Turns out the refurb wasn’t working either. So I shipped it back to get another refurb. The third machine is still going strong since then. So your luck may vary.
This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.