New cables, more boards (2011-04-15)

[andmaz]

Lets all start working together and stop all this nonesense.


OPT need(ed) the preorders and preorders need OPT to actually get a Pandora - without both then the Pandora would never have happened unless OPT had raised all the money required via loans etc.


Craigs admin staff are exteremely busy but I would have though if the words premium pandora was in the header it would have been looked at simply because it means more money.


Anyway lets work together.

 

[kasp]

Hostility was not my intent, the fact that you've emailed someone a few times at a gmail address may have been overlooked on your end.


Did you pick up the phone to call about this inquiry?


This comment was why I was calling you a smartass: "So unless it takes 1+ year to change email servers IP address and DNS that excuse really doesn't fly"


Since you sent several emails I suggest you call. When did you order? Regardless, I don't think you were avoided because the OP Team has bad admin. They answer their phones and will help you out immediately if you take the time and effort (and cash) to call.

I don't know what you mean overlooked at my end? I sent it from my work address and there are 0 spam settings on my email address. I actually know this because I am the sys admin there. Given the global nature of the customers I find it odd you would suggest customers should phone in case their emails have been ignored. Not everyone knows how to call internationally, and I personally hate working out all the different calling codes for different countries. Fact of the matter is most people aren't going to call an international number to place an order. The website doesn't even suggest calling them to place an order, I can't even find the phone number on the website to even call.


I have read multiple posts where people have not been replied to, or a large delay with people placing a premium Pandora. I don't know what else you would call it apart from bad administration where emails go overlooked, deleted by accident and paying customers gets ignored. At the end of the day if I didn't know all the details I do about the Pandora and visited the forums and read up about everything I would have cancelled my order a long time ago. I have had 0 contact from the team telling me about the progress, I was told If I placed the order last year I could guarantee I would have it before Christmas. Christmas is long past and still haven't had an email from them explaining the situation. Sure I know about the delays because I read the forums but a regular customer wouldn't and would cancel the order. Being a blind fanboi to the project doesn't really help the Pandora succeed. Just think how would an ordinary customer react to having a sales enquiry ignored and a significant delay with 0 direct communication.

 

[Link]

I did not really have the same customer service experience. I've upgraded preorders and had an RMA go smooth twice. Only phoned once about upgrades that shipped the next day. I have also merged orders and have been advised of where my orders stand in the que.

 

[3jane]

...I was told If I placed the order last year I could guarantee I would have it before Christmas. Christmas is long past and still haven't had an email from them explaining the situation. Sure I know about the delays because I read the forums but a regular customer wouldn't and would cancel the order...

Well, if you got the same email I did, it wasn't exactly a guarantee:

...We will work as fast as we can to ship as many as possible from batch 2 before Christmas, you can order one here...

But I do agree with your point (I think). OPT got my order after they contacted me and raised my expectations. Those expectations have not been met, and I would have expected at least the same level of contact from OPT that I got from them before they had my money.


Take this as constructive criticism: If I wasn't a forum member I would be a very, very, unhappy customer - and there are bound to be customers that do not frequent the boards.


Hey, three cheers for the team! They really are doing a great job. But there are these little customer service issues that would be so easy to fix, and its a shame the standard response seems to be to shoot the messenger when valid criticism is raised.


MEANWHILE...

On another note, it just hit me, why isn't there a FAQ page?

Because there is only really one question and one answer. The problem is they don't fit:


Q: "How many batch one orders to go?"


A: "Two months"

 

[marktuson]

On another note, it just hit me, why isn't there a FAQ page?

Because there is only really one question and one answer. The problem is they don't fit:


Q: "How many batch one orders to go?"


A: "Two months"

Not funny, to be honest: this is us paying money for a product, not religion.


Anyway, I emailed in yesterday, asking about upgrading to Premium. No reply yet. I suppose I might just as well wait it out, because if it's going to be a few days between responses, like it was last time I emailed in, then I'll have got it by the time I get the chance to give her the go-ahead.


Like I said before, this Pandora had f'ing well better be worth it.

 

[Gruic]

Heres hoping my wait is nearly over - I double checked my queue position and its actually 1300 - 1400 a whole 50 units less than I thought!


Craig - how long until they start sending out that queue range?

I believe Craig has said they're shipping up to 1250 now, from his queue, so if there are regular shipments of boards coming in, each week, it could be a matter of a few weeks for you. Here's to hoping that CC have got some consistency.

For what it's worth, Jacquelin said I was 1250-1300 in the queue and I have yet to receive any shipping notification for my Pandora unit. I hope others find this information useful. Batch 1 is definitely nowhere near being complete.

 

[QazzaQY2K]

Yay! I've been waiting for this so I can send in my unit for a proper "oil" check. Now where was that adress I hade printed a few months ago.. hmmm..

 

[neko]

Can you advise where Craig mentioned 1250? If this is correct and ED had approx 410 (1 in 4) plus a few for Fatih, that only totals around 1700, where as ED has posted approx 2300 net have been produced. Even allowing for 100 premium Pandoras there is still a large gap wherein hopefully my Pandora lives.

There were around 200-300 one-nubbers, but still that only totals 2000 or so.


I guess Craig and ED have 300 boards that are still being put into cases, tested, and shipped.

Craig confirms 300 unassembled pandoras.

3 weeks of glorious sunshine and I'm looking at 300 Pandora boards to assemble. Maybe I could assemble these outside...

— Craig J V Rothwell (@Craigix)

April 20, 2011

 

[Link]

3 weeks of glorious sunshine and I'm looking at 300 Pandora boards to assemble. Maybe I could assemble these outside...

— Craig J V Rothwell (@Craigix)

April 20, 2011

Time management Craig, enjoy the day to its fullest, its an international holiday, enjoy the sun, you have all night to build Pandoras. Too much sun will cause sunburn, but take an hour and enjoy the day B)

 

[vadsamoht]

3 weeks of glorious sunshine and I'm looking at 300 Pandora boards to assemble. Maybe I could assemble these outside...

— Craig J V Rothwell (@Craigix)

April 20, 2011

Time management Craig, enjoy the day to its fullest, its an international holiday, enjoy the sun, you have all night to build Pandoras. Too much sun will cause sunburn, but take an hour and enjoy the day B)


Hang on, you're saying that holidays only count for the *day*? So if you're working night shifts, you don't get the day off?

 

[Link]

3 weeks of glorious sunshine and I'm looking at 300 Pandora boards to assemble. Maybe I could assemble these outside...

— Craig J V Rothwell (@Craigix)

April 20, 2011

Time management Craig, enjoy the day to its fullest, its an international holiday, enjoy the sun, you have all night to build Pandoras. Too much sun will cause sunburn, but take an hour and enjoy the day B)

Hang on, you're saying that holidays only count for the *day*? So if you're working night shifts, you don't get the day off?


I celebrate this holiday year round. But wouldn't you normally have the days off if you worked nights?

 

[vadsamoht]

I celebrate this holiday year round. But wouldn't you normally have the days off if you worked nights?

OK, you got me there.

 

[Dead1nside]

I believe Craig has said they're shipping up to 1250 now, from his queue, so if there are regular shipments of boards coming in, each week, it could be a matter of a few weeks for you. Here's to hoping that CC have got some consistency.

For what it's worth, Jacquelin said I was 1250-1300 in the queue and I have yet to receive any shipping notification for my Pandora unit. I hope others find this information useful. Batch 1 is definitely nowhere near being complete.

Oh I know, I'm sitting on my order of supposedly 2200-2300 (Oct 2009). However, I do believe seeing a statement from Craig, most probably, that they were beginning to ship a range of units ending in 1250. As for this new 300 boards to be assembled, I'm not sure if these are the total 350 that ED mentioned that had shipped in the last two weeks, or if this is now the third week, by that measure with a brand new 300. Either way, it's good news and that would mean that we're around 2800 boards shipped total (excluding the 200 repairs).


I do wish that there was just some massive counter on the website saying how many had shipped, and we had accurate queue numbers so that this all would be a bit easier to work out. Mind you, we don't know how many premium Pandora have shipped in total.

 

[darfgarf]

I do wish that there was just some massive counter on the website saying how many had shipped

would ticket number 2104 please come to checkout 4

 

[Clercq]

I do wish that there was just some massive counter on the website saying how many had shipped, and we had accurate queue numbers so that this all would be a bit easier to work out. Mind you, we don't know how many premium Pandora have shipped in total.

This is some thing that many of us would like, but I really think that this an "Utopian" idea. The simple "vitrine" (~ shop-window) of the main page of the Pandora in the section "Current Status" have already 10 days, and at the day of its the information had may be already one week...


I do not say that this is easy, but I really think that it is almost as important to inform customer than build the Pandora. Number of "canceler" canceled for sure for this lake of information, and may be number of people do not have pre-order because of that.


The Pandora can be as attracting as it can (and it is ^^), if I wouldn't have been as crazy as I am, I wouldn't have pre-order after have read all those post of complaint. And we, you can't prevent those complaints.


I am pretty sure that you do all your best, that it is exhausting, and I thank you a lot to have created this "Gem". But ...


Anyway.


It is ma be not a lot, but you have all my "psychological" support. Courage.


P&P

 

[stophle]

I do wish that there was just some massive counter on the website saying how many had shipped, and we had accurate queue numbers so that this all would be a bit easier to work out. Mind you, we don't know how many premium Pandora have shipped in total.

This is some thing that many of us would like, but I really think that this an "Utopian" idea. The simple "vitrine" (~ shop-window) of the main page of the Pandora in the section "Current Status" have already 10 days, and at the day of its the information had may be already one week...


I do not say that this is easy, but I really think that it is almost as important to inform customer than build the Pandora. Number of "canceler" canceled for sure for this lake of information, and may be number of people do not have pre-order because of that.


The Pandora can be as attracting as it can (and it is ^^), if I wouldn't have been as crazy as I am, I wouldn't have pre-order after have read all those post of complaint. And we, you can't prevent those complaints.


I am pretty sure that you do all your best, that it is exhausting, and I thank you a lot to have created this "Gem". But ...


Anyway.


It is ma be not a lot, but you have all my "psychological" support. Courage.


P&P

I think it's a tasteless joke. How can you not know how many units were build and shipped?


If the team really doesn't know, I am kind of afraid my 300Euro investment that I made November 1st 2008 will be lost...


I trust those guys, but being unable to provide these very basic numbers (and I think even folding in returns shouldn't be to hard) feels really bad one way or the other.

 

[Gamma344]

Great news ED! Now... I'm assuming I am one of the first Pandoras of batch 2. And I live in the United States. So, is there anyway you could give us an estimate when the first few hundred Pandoras will adobe on our front porch.

 

[vadsamoht]

Great news ED! Now... I'm assuming I am one of the first Pandoras of batch 2. And I live in the United States. So, is there anyway you could give us an estimate when the first few hundred Pandoras will adobe on our front porch.

No. There is no way of producing an accurate estimate.


Don't want to be a downer, but it's the truth. You could assume a shipping rate of ~200/wk and go from there, but that would be vastly inaccurate as well.

 

[Pontaloon]

What happened here?


During January of this year, 1000 boards were shipped from CC to Craig weren't they? That was taking the total number of units created up to 1900 (with the 900 from May of last year), and Craig had just implemented the Premium Pandora to get things moving even more quickly. I hadn't really followed the forums after that because it seemed like by May of this year, progress would already have been well into the second batch and I'd be expecting mine shortly. But with the numbers that have been getting out, it sounds like in the past 2 and a half months, only about 800 boards have been shipped. Craig has extra staff and I thought I'd read that CC has extra staff so where are the extra boards?


I know that over the past 6 months there have been many disasters hitting the world all over and that the Pandora gets it's individual pieces from all sorts of different countries - that they then need to be shipped and manually built by Craig's team but there seems to me to be some vast numbers missing.


If I update my order to premium, it will be exactly the same, yes? But I'll get it much sooner. Will I still get all those extras I originally paid for or will they be dropped from the order? I dont really want to go premium but I have this nagging suspicion that if I dont, my order will never be fulfilled.

 

[lancesg1]

That's why I just did the premium order. Not messing around.