Discussion of June '17 update

Twice…TWICE we have had the RROD. I wish it upon no one… (moment of silence).

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Why? My plans have always been for long after the promised delivery date. They’ve always allowed for a little slip, but not 2 years worth.

I can make the products I want to sell or use for events and such in a more manual way, and I do. However, as a side line to my day job, it takes too much time to be worthwhile. This product will cut that time in half, or probably by 75%, and make it more doable as a sideline for me. Is it 100% necessary to me as a business, no, but it’s not worth me doing the stuff I do for sale without it.

Could I have ordered some other laser? Sure. And I almost did a couple of times, but again, the configuration, set-up, and issues are not something I want to deal with as a sideline.

Here’s an example. I had a plan to use the glowforge to cut out my wedding invitations (die cut style). With the glowforge, by all pre-release and production unit accounts I’d have been set up and cutting within minutes. Probably the 70 or so invitations would have taken me at most a couple hours to cut out (all vector cuts). Instead I had to go buy a plotting cutter, the silhouette, to get the job done. Set up was fast, but getting the right cutting settings for the card stock I had took me a couple weeks, and a lot of money and wasted card stock before realizing the blade was faulty.

Once I got that sorted, and got the design reworked (the sticky mat you have to put it on was tearing some of the thinner parts of the design), I could start production. Each cut took 3 minutes on the cutter. Pulling the cut pieces off the sticky mat, and weeding them took another few minutes to prevent tearing. Setting up a new piece to cut also took a few minutes (aligning on the sticky mat, aligning in the cutter, etc.). Additionally, I had to score all the invitations by hand afterwards (a step I think I could have done on the forge, but not sure), which took another few minutes per.

All told, the 70 or so invitations took me about 12 hours or so in total over a few days. Possible without the glowforge? Sure. Worth the time? highly debatable. And if I wanted to sell these, it wouldn’t be cost effective time-wise.

Just because something was crowd-funded (and this isn’t, it’s a pre-order as their funding comes from their investors) is no reason not to make personal or business plans based on a delivery date promised by a company.

Glowforge promised a delivery date. Plans were made (by everyone here, you included, I’m sure) when people ordered. Delay’s happened, plans were pushed back, or people found another avenue (cancel, competitor product, etc.). As time goes on, more and more plans are made because people see the capabilities, and start getting files and materials ready. Delays happen and people are stuck changing plans again.

To tell people not to make plans based on a product they ordered and a delivery date promised by the company is absurd, unless one has no faith in the company to deliver, and then why buy from them in the first place?

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Question on the monthly $20. I know it sounds petty, but hey…$20 is $20. The $20 is it calculated once the month starts or passes. For instance if we get to July is it credited on July 1st, or August 1st for July because it passed. Do we get the $20 credit when we reach the month or pass it? Say for this year, counting from January and we are in June, is it $20 X 5 or X 6? Like I said, I know it seems petty, but I was wondering if we get to Oct and I still haven’t received my precious am I credited $180 or $200?

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In all seriousness, @dan I can safely bet that the Glowforge team is working 24/7 to do the best they can with the circumstances at hand and delays are just part of the unique production process, no matter how much money you throw at it. I wish I am able to contribute to the forum much more than some of my entertaining memes and countless “AMAZING” or “OMG IT’S SO AWESOME” comments, but I just don’t know enough about lasers to provide any value to the threads.

I am a very optimistic person, so my post will not sit well with many of the Crabby McCrabbersons out there, but I feel it is my place to give you a virtual pat-on-the-back, a high-five (and a hug, if needed) for all of your efforts to-date. I, too, have many people vested in my Glowforge venture since I will be turning it into a home business and they are more upset about the delays than I am! However, it is what it is and all we can do is be patient and respectful because we can’t lose touch with why we decided to back Glowforge in the first place.

GLOWFORGE = WORLD PEACE (well… maybe in MY world)

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idk i’d rather they shoot for like 8/5

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:sunglasses:

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I want to be in your educational program!

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Love the technical terms here! :smile:

Not any any value to this thread. Just saying I’m going to find a way to work this into a conversation today :joy:

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When the Pro safety information is released, will it be posted to the forum or emailed? and could there be a Q&A set up with your laser safety professionals to make sure nothing is misunderstood?

I have pre-ordered a Pro and am really excited about the Pro’s extra features, but having no previous experience with a Class 4 laser I want to make sure I am operating it safely.

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So working through some completely fake numbers that I created in my head, here is the schedule for deliveries. This does not include foreign shipping, so you are on your own there…

Assuming exponential acceleration in production, and starting at 5 units per day (starting June 1st for Basic and July 1st for Pro), and assuming 10,000 orders, 60% being pro, and assuming that production will take the full 153 days (June 1st through October 31st). This is also assuming linear initial purchase (130 Basics sold per day, 193 Pro’s sold per day during the month long campaign).

Basic unit fullfillment date:

order date -> Unit Produced by date

September 24 -> June 24
September 25 -> July 10
September 26 -> July 21
September 27 -> July 30
September 28 -> August 6
September 29 -> August 13
September 30 -> August 19
October 1 -> August 24
October 2 -> August 28
October 3 -> September 1
October 4 -> September 5
October 5 -> September 9
October 6 -> September 13
October 7 -> September 16
October 8 -> September 19
October 9 -> September 22
October 10 -> September 25
October 11 -> September 28
October 12 -> September 30
October 13 -> October 3
October 14 -> October 5
October 15 -> October 8
October 16 -> October 10
October 17 -> October 12
October 18 -> October 14
October 19 -> October 16
October 20 -> October 18
October 21 -> October 20
October 22 -> October 22
October 23 -> October 24
October 24 -> October 26

Pro unit fulfillment:

September 24 -> July 27
September 25 -> August 9
September 26 -> August 17
September 27 -> August 24
September 28 -> August 29
September 29 -> September 3
September 30 -> September 7
October 1 -> September 11
October 2 -> September 14
October 3 -> September 18
October 4 -> September 21
October 5 -> September 23
October 6 -> September 26
October 7 -> September 28
October 8 -> October 1
October 9 -> October 3
October 10 -> October 5
October 11 -> October 7
October 12 -> October 9
October 13 -> October 11
October 14 -> October 13
October 15 -> October 15
October 16 -> October 17
October 17 -> October 18
October 18 -> October 20
October 19 -> October 21
October 20 -> October 23
October 21 -> October 25
October 22 -> October 26
October 23 -> October 27
October 24 -> October 29

Again, this is numbers from my head using completely made up starting conditions. In any case, I’ll be right near October 31st… Sad times. Even though Dan was asked directly on these forums about 2 weeks ago “If you knew things were going to be delayed again would you tell us right now?”. His answer: “I don’t see why not.”

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I have a K40, It has little in the way of safety, no interlocks, poor grounding, and no FCC. I did get a mild shock from it once. It still seems to have made its way here.

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I have a question for international customers.

Shipping itself costs around $1000 and it was mentioned by @Dan that we will be getting these extras.

_A $20 gift certificate per month of delay, which we’ll calculate and credit to your account at the time your Glowforge Basic or Pro is ready. This money can be used towards purchases in the Proofgrade store or the Glowforge design catalog. _
_On top of that, you’ll get a $50 gift certificate for the Glowforge design catalog. _
As a Glowforge Founder, you’ll also get a 10% discount on Proofgrade materials and in the Design catalog.

Shipping is very expensive. Is there any way that we can purchase whatever materials to be shipped together with the glow forge in order to save some money?

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I stand by my statement. This isn’t just about recouping the initial investment. I’ve lost any interest on the money had it stayed in my bank account. I’ve lost 2 years of potential revenue on the products I was going to make with this tool. I lost market share because so many others who went with competitors now already have their clientele established. I could go on… anyone who can’t see the greater value lost in a 2 year delay is definitely not capable of looking at the bigger picture.

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Do you think that the Chinese company who makes those junk lasers is at all worried about being sued? Glowforge has to be worried about that. Whoever makes the K40 isn’t.

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I recall to days living in other counties too due to military orders and I know the pain of it but here is another option to consider if you wish to save on import fees and shipping to where you are stationed. Go ahead and have the unit shipped to a family member here stateside then pay to have them ship it to your APO box address (this at least the last time Lived in Europe) should remove the taxes as if the address still processes as if it were going to NY (if memory serves me right) but that was also back in the early 1990’s.

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I don’t disagree.

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"International shipments will start later but are scheduled to be completed at the same time as US shipments. " @dan

Does it mean the international shipment is not arranged according to purchase time?

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I think they will be organised by purchase time when that particular country starts shipping but each country will only start when its legal and logistical requirements have been solved.

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Hi,

I orderd yesterday, a few hours before the last announcement…
Am i concerned by the Extra ?

Thanks

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