So like many new Glowforge owners I run a small business, originally I started making small furniture pieces, custom signage and packaging. Then along came my Glowforge Plus and revolutionized everything.
The only problem is that after only 8 mths, my Glowforge died. It was quite a heartbreak, and meanwhile my customers are left in the lurch.
Glowforge staff confirmed that it’s an error that can’t be fixed remotely and agreed to honor the warranty however, I’m operating out of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and the costs to return to Glowforge’s headquarters are astronomical. Also, I didn’t keep the original packaging (I anticipated it would have lasted at least 12 mths) and on the website the shipping packaging has been sold out for some time.
I’m not sure if anyone has been in a similar conundrum and can perhaps share some advice as to how I should proceed? The return costs shipping costs are comparable to purchasing a new laser, and I am concerned that another Glowforge may die unexpectedly. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.
I absolutely know your heartache!! My GF Pro died 2 weeks ago after 10 months. I have already received my refurbished GF.
All units are shipped to Texas. Would it be possible to send something on a cruise ship to Miami then FedEx or UPS could pick it up and send it to Texas.
That sounds like a great idea, only challenge is getting the packaging material. Do you think we were pushing our machines too hard? I read a lot of people have had their machines for years without incident. I didn’t anticipate a failure this soon given all the great reviews.
Hate to bear bad news, but I don’t think they do that every time, and they might not be able to do it outside of the continental US. (Just don’t count on it.)
Tell them your need for the packaging, they might have one available at the office to sell you, or at the repair facility. They might be able to find a set for you if it’s an emergency.
Personally, I would expedite the process by ordering a replacement then using the packaging to return the defective unit. When the repair is completed you’will have two units, but maybe your business could use a second machine to increase production? At the very least, you’ll have a backup in case you ever find yourself in this predicament again
in the future.
So in the Glowforge store the packaging has been “Out of Stock” for some time. I’ve turned on the “notify me when available” option but am still waiting for an alert. It would be great if they could have given some packaging guidelines so that I could make my own crate and send it asap. The two machine option is a great idea, I’m also thinking that a Pro may be a better option because of the improved cooling.
Electrical storm killed mine. I had a wickedly vicious storm here at my home and several other electronics also died that day. The thing is the GF was turned off but it was still plugged in to the wall.
I got my new replacement on Thursday and I was planning to do a lot of playing around this weekend. There was severe storms all weekend long and I did not even want to take a chance when it was not storming.
During the winter months we experience a lot of power surges, so I’ve had mine plugged into a UPS for the last couple of years. It’s actually saved a couple of projects when the power went out but the machine was able to keep on running.
Not familiar with a UPS. I am going to be consulting with the experts at GF about this situation. If I am not using the machine it will stay unplugged.
The Glowforge takes a lot of power, and Support has strongly recommended against UPS as they are normally an insufficient supply of power. That said unless it is a major one that the street power and what comes out are completely separate systems there will be an upper limit on what it can handle. A direct lightning strike will fry anything it can jump to and the surge protector in the machine will be of little use. Even an on-off switch at the plug would probably be breached,
If you have family or a very good friend in Miami buying a pro and playing musical boxes might be the easiest way to go. a non Glowforge box (and orange fixtures) would probably damage the machine and void the warranty.
It’s an uninterrupted power supply. It’s basically a battery and a voltage regulator and surge protector. It will allow one to safely shutdown their laser.
