This just isn’t some fancy fun thing for most of us, this laser is a way for us to start or expand our small businesses. I believed you when you said shipments were going out in December. I made plans, I bought materials, I designed my butt off into the night while my children slept, I was exhausted, and my eye balls felt like they were going to burn out of my skull. I was looking forward and depending on the much needed income this laser would bring me and my family. Now I’m stuck waiting again and for my broken heart and patience you are so kindly going to pay me $20 for every month I have to wait? Honestly, I don’t care about the free stuff, the discounts, and founder status. I want open communication and for you to be truthful! There is no way you decided last minute to not ship, you knew and you watched us get excited literally counting down the days and you still waited till the last minute to tell us! Shame on you!
Terms & Conditions. that you agreed to (like we all did)
Please Note Item 5:
Shipping and Delay. The Products are not ready for delivery. Shipping will commence no sooner than December 1, 2015, and may commence substantially later. Any shipping date is an estimate only, and the actual shipping date for any accepted pre-order will depend on a variety of factors including manufacturing schedule, and the dates of your pre-order, your completed pre-order, and when we accept your completed pre-order. Commencement of shipping is subject to change without notice to you. …
[/quote]
Oh please. Quit showing the T&Cs. Have you looked at any of those from anything you have a contract with? (cell phone, cable, credit cards)? You would be aghast as to what rights you’ve given up.
Of course they were not going to promise a date. No company in their right mind would have such a promise with a product that was obviously very early in its development cycle.
What the original poster is saying, and that you @bdm completely ignored, is the fact that @dan has come and set expectations for when the glowforges were going to ship. Not once, but twice.
@nikkicampbell26 is upset obviously, as a lot of us are with the last minute change in the shipping date, after “happy happy” announcements in November. Its not about what legally you can or not expect, its about people’s expectations. Next I am sure you’ll point out that she can cancel if she is unhappy. Of course she can. She could have cancelled back in May when the previous 6 months delay was announced, but probably didnt because she believed in what @dan said back then.
She can choose to cancel now, or wait another 6+ months (assuming that date isnt delayed again). That is what a lot of us are currently considering.
Folks…please, no name calling. Everyone is upset, and has the right to speak their mind. Not everyone has to agree with it. As long as it doesn’t become a personal attack against another member, comments don’t get flagged.
And Dan wants to hear what everyone has to say. He’s not inhibiting criticism or opinion of the situation in any way.
But we don’t want to start a flame war. It’s a tough enough situation as it is.
Honestly, I felt my heart breaking after we got the news but the best things are worth waiting for.
Who do I sue because for all the business I lost from my soon to launch coffee shop on the moon? When I was a kid I saw tv shows where we were going to have moon bases. I built my whole business around having the a moon colony established.
Seriously? You built your business around a first generation product that hasn’t shipped yet? You don’t think this has any impact on dan, his team, and his investors?
I know it sucks not have a laser know especially after a third delay. We all want what we paid for, which in fact we are getting more than what we paid for. Just not when it was promised.
Apple a 615 billion company announced wireless airpods shipping in October, the are still not available. I would argue that a glowforge is more difficult to produce than a pair of wireless headphones.
Maybe it’s just how I was raised. I read every single line of something before I agree to it. In my personal life, 99 out of 100 times I don’t dispute something even if I don’t necessarily want it in the contract. However, 1 out of a 100 times I won’t sign unless something’s changed. In my business life that’s almost completely opposite as those items affect other people and the business itself. In those cases, maybe 99% of the time there is at least one thing that needs to go back to their legal department to be agreed upon. It’s quite a process, but necessary.
Glowforge is a startup company. Everybody knew that going in. I’ve worked at startups before, one of which completely failed and went out of business. In startups there can be delays. There can be multiple delays. In this case I’ve (we’ve) bet that the company will succeed in creating a product extremely similar to the one they described in 2015. Nothing has happened to make me think otherwise. I have nothing but confidence that I will receive the device I’ve wanted all this time, in 2017. I’d go as far as to say I have no doubt at all. The only doubt I had was that they wouldn’t start shipping in December. And that doubt has now been confirmed. I’m not surprised. I’m not concerned.
All of that said, I understand your frustration and can understand the position you’ve been put in by this most-recent delay. Yes, “shame on [them].” I think we all know they feel that shame. Likely in every part of both their professional and personal lives. But it is what it is. A delay. Nothing can be done about that now.
We’re all in the same boat here… A little frustrated, a bit angry, perhaps slightly untrusting, and really really really excited to get our new tool. It’ll come. And I think you’ll be very happy when it does.
- Tom
I dont think you understand the impact this has on us
You’re right. I don’t know your story, or your sacrifices, or the pain I’ve caused you by getting this wrong. I can only guess the magnitude of it. It breaks my heart to hear how my failure let you down.
I’m glad you came to tell me about it, though, so at least I can apologize to you personally.
I’m very sorry.
Personally, I think that the terms and conditions are quite helpful. It is a contract after all… terms of the contract are kinda important. Blasted details 
I hate to say this but I have to agree with you completely “nikki”, this is the reason this country is turning into nothing more that a service industry for the rest of the world. We over promise and under deliver and we don’t really make anything in this country anymore! You captured my situation almost exactly, I’m having to spend time going back and forth at my local TechShop and living with the 2 hour per day (max of 3 days) per week limit on laser reservations. Even with specials on memberships, it is nearly $1000 per year and lets just say its more than a 20th of my meager annual take home. I’m going to have to do some very hard thinking about what I’ll need to choose to do next.
Whoa! I never said I built my business around glowforge, however once I get my glowforge I expect my business to grow. Maybe I did put “too many eggs in one basket” but that was my excitement over this amazing machine! I get it, sh*t happens, and I know this hit Dan and his team harder emotionally than it hit us investors. It’s a blow to everyone, I haven’t given up hope and I have had zero thought of canceling. The delay didn’t break my heart so much as waiting till the last minute to tell all of us the devastating news. I think literally I was one of the first to read the email. I was checking my mail after a late night right before bed when it came in and my heart sank. I selfishly thought about all that I had lost and honestly didn’t think of the community including Dan and the team and for that I’m sorry. Just like everyone else I would just like honest and truthful updates. When I used to have a boss I had to give weekly status reports on my current projects, I don’t think it’s much to ask for something similar from glowforge.