Finally got an opportunity to clear out a space for my new GF Pro. Upon opening the box, the glass lid was completely shattered. Need a replacement ASAP.
Mark Doutt
That’s disappointing. Posting here opens a support ticket but they are busy at this time of year.
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Awe man. That really stinks. There haven’t been too many of these documented lately, but it is no fun when it happens. I hope the replacement goes smoothly.
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Good news is that GF already contacted me to get the return started. Hopefully I will have it before the Christmas break is over as I took off extra time just to play.
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I hate to tell you this, but your 12 month warranty will be ticking away as you wait for you new machine. So if it takes 4 weeks to ship the machine, you are going to have lost, perhaps, 6 weeks or 2 months, of your warranty, and you never even had a machine to operate.
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p.s. you won’t be getting a new machine before the Christmas break is over. They told me 4 weeks.
Depends on the available supply for the type of machine ordered. Some have been backordered for a while, but they are building them as fast as they can, and they try to ship replacement units for the ones that get damaged in shipping as soon as they can. Sorry you decided to bail.
I bailed because I cannot get a 12 month warranty on my machine. My machine was delivered with a huge crack in the front plastic housing, with a hole in it. It was not damaged in shipping. The shipping box was not damaged. Also, the piece that would fit the hole is not in the box. Thus, I have come to believe that the machine was shipped damaged from the warehouse. I never even unpacked the interior of the machine. Based on what I was told be GF, by the time I would get a new machine, I will have lost 2 months of the 12 month warranty. Since I have never had a machine that worked, I want a 12 month warranty. GF refuses to give me a 12 month warranty. They say the warranty started from the time the first machine was shipped. I don’t agree with this. I was very sad to contact GF and asked to have the purchase cancelled. I thought they would make it right, but they are not going to.
Wow, I’m being told the same thing on warranty. Seems the warranty should start once you register it online and into their system.
I’m also being told that there is a 4 week delay in receiving a new unit. Very disappointing. However, they are offering a refurbished unit in about 10 days with the same warranty and some GF credit.
Anyone have any experience with refurb units?
Mark
Sorry to hear that…the warranty has always been 12 months from time of first receipt of the machine, (on the Pro models and I think 6 months on the Basic/Plus models), but getting a replacement machine for the one that arrives damaged is what the warranty is there for. It’s to be used, not extended forever. I’ve never heard of a warranty that keeps rolling forward with each replacement. (This one definitely doesn’t work that way.)
The refurb units are completely checked over before shipping out, I think they actually get better inspections than the new ones, anything that was damaged is replaced…and some folks have had great luck with them, and some have had to send them back because those were damaged. Shipping is a big bear with these things, for all that they do, they are fairly complex and delicate pieces of machinery. And they’re heavy, and shippers can drop them and they hate dealing with heavy bulky 80lb packages. 
I don’t know what to tell you…if you are in a tearing hurry to get started, you can take a chance on a refurb, otherwise if they are a month out in orders, you might want to try to reschedule your time off. They send out refurbs from a different facility, and those are generally available a lot sooner. If there is a problem with the refurb, they will make it right, but you’ve got more delay to deal with.
So it’s definitely a Catch-22. 
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Well, I’m going to take my chances on a refurb unit with the assumption it has been fixed, cleaned, upgraded, etc. The little bit on credit is also a positive as I’m sure I will want some extra material from GF down the road.
Packaging is always an afterthought. I’ve actually spent 30+ year in the packaging industry and totally understand how this can happen. People think that just throwing foam around something will solve the problem. Believe it or not, it is a real engineering challenge. You beed to know where your product breaks and the expected handling environment it will be subjected to. You can’t just leave it to anyone to design.
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We have a company that does a lot of shipping, and I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen packages smaller than these dropped off of five foot high loading docks…and then tossed onto the truck for delivery. I can’t imagine how Glowforge doesn’t have more problems with these than they do. Those are heavy bulky packages.
I’m just going to wish you better luck with the next one then…sometimes you just end up with the short stick with shipping these things and that absolutely blows.
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Just to be clear, it’s when the item is shipped (just like on the majority of things that are shipped).
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12 months on plus. That was one of the reasons I got plus over basic.
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I am sorry Jules, but I disagree with you on the warranty issue. If I receive a machine that was damaged before it was even shipped, that is an issue between the manufacturer, and GF. GF needs to take that up with the manufacturer. I do not wish to be pulled into it. I am not addressing damage that was caused by Fedex. This is a different situation. I am not asking for a new warranty every time they send a replacement. That is ludicrous to suggest I am expecting such a thing. I purchased a new machine with a 12 month warranty. That is what I paid for and that is what I want. Why should I lose 2 months of warranty due to a machine that should have never been shipped to me in the first place? Where is their quality control? Do they not look at every machine before it is shipped? Since the machine clearly was damaged before shipment, then I believe GF needs to step up to the plate and take ownership of the problem, and resolve it.
Damage prior to shipping is not what the warranty is for. A warranty covers break-downs, and such. It is not for a hole in the unit which was shipped that way to the buyer.
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Doutt, it is your choice. I was not offered a refub unit, and if I had been, I would not have accepted it.
Actually the warranty clearly states that it is at their discretion to replace parts or the whole unit with new or refurbished.
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Return the original unit wholesale. Don’t pay any restocking fee as you never got a working unit. Then, once you have the money back, order another one if you still have any trust in the company. Make them eat the full cost.
This gets you back in the 4 week queue, with a full warranty. Same as you are now.
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Was going to suggest that myself. Just return it and buy another. Warranty restored.
I’m not arguing the point, it’s your decision what you want to do, and if you feel that you don’t want the machine without additional warranty, that’s fine. I’m just passing on that this warranty does not work that way, and never has. (Lawyers, you know. Disagree with me all you like, it won’t change the warranty. That’s a legally binding document.)
You’ve made your decision, and that’s okay. Everyone has to make up their own mind whether they want it or not. But it’s going to have to be on the terms they are selling them under. If you don’t want those terms, that is your choice. Take the refund if they are offering one. (But be aware that there may be a restocking fee if you wait too long…I think 30 days but I haven’t read the warranty and Terms of Service in a while.) They generally do try to work with folks as much as they can, but they are obligated to supply you with a functional machine, and if they have to do that under warranty, they are already taking a hit financially. It doesn’t make financial sense to keep extending warranties, companies would go out of business.
I’m not going to offer advice, since it sounds like you’ve made a decision. But if you haven’t already told them you want to return it, you might want to re-read the Warranty and Terms of Service, so you know what your options are, and then make the decision. I’ve been using mine for over 2 years without a single issue, and I think the vast majority of people who have purchased them have no trouble, but yes, there can be an occasional damaged machine…people put these together and people make mistakes, and that’s why the warranty is there. Whether it is a shipping damage or someone who was handling it at the factory and damaged it and didn’t notice and stuck it into a box, you can use the warranty to get a new unit.
Can’t help with the delays…everyone is seeing them, they are selling like hotcakes. I just hate to see anyone miss out…they really do jump through hoops to try to get these out to everyone who wants them. 
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