Spark Mini shipping delays over a month - Are we surprised?
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You know, I don't even know why I bother with preorders anymore. I guess I just want to support Positive Grid. But to get an email this morning that my order has been delayed over a month due to "COVID" is just BS. You've been shipping the full version of the Spark for years now. You know what your production capacities are, you know what your cycle times are. Just set expectations.
What I really suspect is that you haven't got enough preorders for you to decide to pull the trigger on the actual first production run. But good luck with that, when you keep pushing delivery dates out.
Of course the response will be, oh we can refund you. That's not the point. Don't treat your customers like idiots.
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I literally came here to ask if anyone else got this email.
It's a joke. I am writing off the cost of the amp and will sell all of their products. They just lost a 'loyal' customer.
As you alluded to Michael - my guess is this is actually their strategy. They don't actually have a spark mini product. They have a prototype and in order to get it to market they do 'early bird' to get money up front. They then sit on that money for a while (make some profit) and then at some point begin actual production of it... or maybe run it through a product refinement before even getting to that stage.
Meanwhile they feed their users the same nonesense.
This should therefore be noted as a strategy and not a one-off... I've seen it multiple times now... i.e. we should all 'talk with our wallets' and find another brand to be loyal to.
/endofrant.
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@michael-coar Hey Michael- Caitlyn from PG here.
Listen, we get it. This is very frustrating (and we're seriously appreciative of your support.) In full transparency, we didn't see this big delay coming. We started shipping Spark 40 during COVID, and unfortunately the impacts COVID has had on supply chain and production feel endless. While our shipping processes have expanded greatly since we launched Spark 40, there are still aspects of global logistics that are out of our control, despite our best efforts to plan ahead and prepare for worst case scenarios.
You've most likely read about the continuous spread of COVID still, and the impacts it's had on factories and ports -these closures can compound and cause slow downs and shortages, so that's exactly what we're dealing with.
Our customers come first, even if it doesn't feel like it right now. We did our best to communicate these delays as soon as we were alerted about them.
I know that doesn't necessarily soften the blow, but know our purchaser deserve a really transparent view of what's going on here. We're working really hard to speed things up, and keep you updated on everything that's happening.
Feel free to reach out to me here with any questions, comments, and concerns for a no-fluff, clear answer!
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Well, if that's the case, then your website is misleading at best. You're still promoting the player special, of which you sold 780/1000 with a shipping date in May – June. You should update that to reflect the fact that none of this is going to ship before mid June. I would then bet, that your last chance preorders will be lucky to ship in August. And you should update the power supporter to reflect that it's not going to be shipping until mid June. If you're going be honest, your website should reflect that.
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@michael-coar Absolutely hear you. This shipping update was sudden, so we wanted to get email communication out to our purchasers first. We're working on updating other communication as fast as we can so there's no confusion.
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@caitlyn-mcguire Hello Caitlyn, I will for sure not discharge my rage on you, because you are the only PG person brave enough to come here and talk with people. But I just need to comment that this argument about delays in factories and ports simply can not apply to things like for example the already two years delay in the “coming soon” feature about Mobile Bias FX2 accepting Celestion Cabinets, cabinets that, by the way, many of us already separately purchased. But PG has new inventions, like the Jimi Hendrix addition (separately sold), without attending very old debts. For PG we, the customers, are simple the worst garbage. How does qualify PG? They even don’t have the decency to hire someone to clean this forum from tons of garbage F…… spammers criminals, that many of us report every single day. I will for sure not buy something additional and will advice all kind of interested persons I know to not get any of the products, until I can see PG behaves like a decent company.
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@michael-coar I am in no way some PG fanboy but I have a plectrum company and my manufacturers in China have about a 1 month delay on my order of 13000 plectrums due to factories shutting down as there is a big Covid surge.
Quick plug - https://attakpik.com/
So, I do believe them.
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@korkenknopfus I get the frustration, I can really feel it in your post, and on behalf of PG I'm so sorry you've had this experience.
I received my information about directly from MINI directly from the manufacturer, so I only know it to be true. We're learning from this everyday, and I see the team first hand trying to prepare for, fix and communicate these issues better than we have in the past. I can't speak for those other scenarios though (I was not on the team yet) but I can understand why that sort of build-up in experiences could be off-putting. No person, marketer, manufacturer, or company is perfect, and it's been a learning experience for us to see so much growth during such a weird time. Despite these mistakes, I can say that our customers are front of mind always. We're a team of real people just trying to get cool gear in the hands of other real people.
I appreciate feedback like this, and know it will be shared with the rest of the team so we can right this.
-Caitlyn
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@caitlyn-mcguire Thank you for your answer, Caitlyn.
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Folks, I'm still looking forward to getting my mini. My Son snagged my Spark. So I'm just looking forward is all.
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I have contacted multiple people at Positive Grid as well telling them that their website is still showing May-June delivery. People are still ordering and who knows when they would receive it!
I understand that there are supply chain issues, but seriously given Positive Grids track record with these kinds of things you would have thought they would have planned a little better and at the least be more appreciative of the customers they have instead of taking everyones money again and giving no answers.
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Does anyone know which email I need from PG to request a refund? Just going to go with the Katana Air.
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@diegofiorillo-uk I believe you need to submit a support request via the website and tell them you want a refund. They don't seem to have any other way via email.
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@brandon-smith Hey Brandon,
Thanks for letting us know, we're working on changing the website. I've escalated these requests to the web team so we can get moving on it!
Caitlyn
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@caitlyn-mcguire I let the team know over a week ago about the inaccurate information on your website. It still has not been fixed by your "web team". I find it incredible that you have sold almost another 1,000 units with incorrect shipping information.
I also contacted your support and asked why the website said this here is what I was told:
As per checking on your order details you purchased Spark MINI Amp & App - Early Bird which shipment expected by June.
While the screenshot you provided was for Spark MINI Amp & App - Player Special which shipment expected by May - June.
Hope this clear your concern
SO..... If I order now I will receive it in May-June? But since I was one of the first people to order in March I won't receive it until June?
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@caitlyn-mcguire It now shows that if I order today it will be delivered in May? It still has not been fixed on the website and people are still giving money expecting delivery in May? When will we get our orders?
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Cannot believe they are still miss-selling the Spark mini, incredible. How can they get away with false advertisement AGAIN??? Also, why do you charge people before you actually ship the product??
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I feel left out, I was something like the 6th order on the super early bird special and I haven't received any update email whatsoever. It's like a happy accident when you actually receive an order that you totally forgot you placed with Positive Grid.
I wish IK Multimedia did an amp instead of that new line of pedals, I'd probably have to jump ship. And yes, I know about that tiny iRig amp they came out with years ago, but the IOS app needs serious updating and the sound out of that thing wasn't spectacular.
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*** Correction *** - I just got an email that my Spark Mini shipped today! Back to being psyched instead of bummed!
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I ordered mine on March 2nd, the first day, as early as I could; I am now told mid-July. 6 f*&*ing months is pretty unreasonable, no matter what the excuse, At least we should get Bias Fx2 instead of just Bias Fx implemented in the firmware.
I have found an excellent alternative solution - a Roland Microcube (or Mobile AC) with a Mooer PE1 (or PE100 or Boss Pocket GT or GT-1) into the Aux in from the headphone jack (or use the guitar out in the PE1.)
The same thing with the Boss Street Cube 2 (with the Bluetooth module)
All of these sounds very good indeed IMO; and if the Spark Mini isn't markedly better it will be returned for refund immediately; and by then who knows what will be released from other vendors in the meantime?
(I have a battery pack on my Spark, which is sort of OK but it is still too heavy for casual gypsy gatherings)
