Returns accepted for kits?
I ordered a Core One kit on the first day and am eagerly awaiting it. In parallel I have been watching the Core One section of this forum, and am a bit nervous that there are more (and more fundamental) issues with this new product than I had expected. It is impossible to estimate how frequent these are, and hopefully at least some of them will have been clarified by the time I receive the kit -- but still there seems to be a risk that I could end up with a printer that has strong VFAs, a skewed X axis, or pesky acoustic resonances.
As a worst-case option -- could I return the kit, even after having assembled (and then disassembled) it? Prusa's support page on the 60-day return policy excludes consumables and "sealed" products once they are opened, but seems to apply to kits as well. The page says to "Pack the order down as it was received", which suggests that one can disassemble everything, make sure to put each part back into its proper bag, and send the kit back.
Has anyone ever returned a kit, even after having assembled it (partially or completely)? It's the last thing I want to do -- it seems unfriendly towards Prusa, and would be a bad use of my time. But it would be reassuring to know that this option could be available as a last resort.
RE:
I think you see on the forums the same thing as in the hospital - you only see people with illness, and thus on the forums you see people with issues with the printers. There is much much bigger number of people having a working device and thus not posting on the forums (especially for the available product such as pre-assembled printer).
If you think the kit is not for you then cancel the order as soon as possible. Optionally replace it with assembled one, done by the Prusa workers.
See my GitHub and printables.com for some 3d stuff that you may like.
RE: Returns accepted for kits?
I was thinking exactly the same. Another consideration is, that on assembled machines returns are accepted while at least half of the filament is used. For kits, there is no such statement. And I would not like to pay extra 140€ for postage of 25 grams of filament. Having looked assembly instructions for previous models, the process seems simple enough and I am confident that I could assemble it. However I am not going to purchase item costing over 1,000€ when I cannot be certain that I can return it if problems arise. I woudn't buy the assembled one without return option either. I guess I have to contact their customer service before placing an order.
RE: Returns accepted for kits?
I am in the opposite situation, I have an assembled printer on order, I am thinking I would have been better off with a kit now that begin to see some issues araise that I would have avoided with a kit like frame and bracket alignment, building a kit I could have quality checked the components during assembly, getting an assembled printer I have to take it apart to verify some of the suspected pitfalls. In either case I don’t think there is anything that cannot be fixed but the mileage may be unknown. I decided just to stick with my order and not get last in line for a kit. My point is that I am not convinced the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, just different grass.
/Anders
RE: Returns accepted for kits?
I think you see on the forums the same thing as in the hospital - you only see people with illness, and thus on the forums you see people with issues with the printers. There is much much bigger number of people having a working device and thus not posting on the forums (especially for the available product such as pre-assembled printer).
Yes, as mentioned, it's hard to estimate how many printers will be affected by problems. Hopefully the large majority of shipped units works well. But on the other hand, the users showing up here on the forum are certainly only a subset of those who do experience problems with their new Core One. Some will simply tolerate larger VFAs and more noise; some will turn straight to the service chat.
In any case, some of the issues which do pop up are quite fundamental. If you are one of the unlucky buyers who get stuck with them, they devalue the printer significantly. I would not like to own such a printer in the long run.
Will Prusa fix them all over time? Hopefully so, but I am quite disappointed that Prusa shipped the Core One before having fully resolved these issues. They must have know about them, from the Core One samples they tested and from design experience with the XL. (That one needed phase stepping calibration to get the VFAs and noise under control. So why would you ship the Core One without that?!) This lets me doubt Prusa's commitment to quality somewhat, hence my question about the "last resort" of a return.
If you think the kit is not for you then cancel the order as soon as possible. Optionally replace it with assembled one, done by the Prusa workers.
I think my chances of getting a good quality printer are actually better with the kit. I am reasonably competent building stuff, and can take my time to do it slowly and diligently. So yes, if the Core One is "for me" at all, the kit is my preference. It would just be great to get confirmation that it could be returned if I receive a lemon.
RE: Returns accepted for kits?
Just to close this thread out: I have checked with Prusa's support team and received a reply today. They do accept returns on kits within 60 days, even when the kit has already been put together. They do not expect customers to disassemble everything again, but will provide packaging materials for returning the assembled printer. (Which makes sense -- probably easier for them to check that everything is there, and to check and fix if anything is wrong with it.)
Anyway, I am very pleased to know about this generous return policy. As mentioned earlier, it's the last thing I want to do, but it is reassuring to know that it is there as a fallback if e.g. my Core One would suffer from "incurable" VFAs or noise.