Pay now then don't get until July  

RE: Pay now then don't get until July

Indeed its definitely not normal at least in my experience.   

RE: Pay now then don't get until July

Having to pay and wait (pre-order) is the price you pay to get in the line to get the hot new thing before everyone else does.

There is always the option to wait a few months when lead time drops to a few weeks or less.

At least with Prusa, you know that you are going to get a printer at the end of your wait.

RE:

I think it is not normal but it is neither unheard of nor illegal, as long as you do get what you ordered in the end. So it is up to the consumer to decide if that is acceptable for him or her or not. This pay now, get it whenever is also how things work at Elegoo btw for products and parts which are not in stock, if I am not mistaken.

RE: Pay now then don't get until July

Hence the reason I cancelled the order before committing to the payment.

RE: Pay now then don't get until July

I also feel it is not right - not illegal, but morally wrong. They could have my payment for several months before dispatch for all I know. Several months where I could have left that money in my own account. I would be happier if they could at least give me an ETA, or had some kind of tracking system as to where I was in the queue, or when I could expect dispatch - but as of now they have my full payment, and I have no information on when I will receive any goods whatsoever. 

I've preordered items from other companies in the past, some items double the price of this MK4, and they tend to take a small deposit to 'hold my position in the queue', and then the remaining balance is cleared upon dispatch. The entire pre-ordering process from Prusa still feels like I've purchased something from someone in their bedroom who is now producing the item before sending, although I have no idea how long it will take them to produce and send! From a company the size of Prusa now, I'd expect a 'proper' fully informed ordering system to be in place. 

RE:

At the end of the day if they can't produce the goods because of component shortages then they shouldn't take orders until they have the components in stock. My other worry is where are they getting the components from, if its China then I may as well buy a Creality or Sovol both of which have given me very good results so far. 

RE:

I ordered mine on the 29th, with 1-2 weeks lead time... As today no shipping and no info, and of course if you ask for refund I need to wait two week.
They take your money with the fake lead time and then they try to keep your money if you want to cancel the order... very unfair way to conduct business IMHO.

RE: Pay now then don't get until July

Well, Prusa produces a lot themselves, but of course payin now and getting later is not so nice. In my oppinion, not knowing when i will get my order is the thing what don't like. But this is the price you pay to get it "early".

Posted by: @stuart1949

At the end of the day if they can't produce the goods because of component shortages then they shouldn't take orders until they have the components in stock. My other worry is where are they getting the components from, if its China then I may as well buy a Creality or Sovol both of which have given me very good results so far. 

Totally agree.

Totally agree but we also have to remember that getting it early can be a problem because of problems that show up with early production. I have decided to wait until the production is at full speed with no supply issues.

RE:

I don't think that is just a production problem... Seems that is their choice to:

- Show unrealistic lead times to grab "more" orders, which strangely is always optimistic 🙂

- Not giving information to their customer and keep their money if they want to cancel the order

RE: Pay now then don't get until July

Agree. Place an order and the charge goes through immediately. Even the shipping charges. As one of those who had an order for an MK3S+ in transit when the MK4 was rolled out, this is greasy. I was going to order another printer but due to the delayed shipping times, immediate charge on credit card, and the high shipping charges to the states, I may order a Bambu. I'm on the fence.

Posted by: @jimbetto

I ordered mine on the 29th, with 1-2 weeks lead time... As today no shipping and no info, and of course if you ask for refund I need to wait two week.
They take your money with the fake lead time and then they try to keep your money if you want to cancel the order... very unfair way to conduct business IMHO.

RE: Pay now then don't get until July

I understand the frustration. It's always a awkward idea to have money taken and wonder if and what you are going to get.

Owning multiple Creality Machines and Sovol Machines (which is just Creality when it comes to manufacturing) . To say might as well go to Sovol or Creality is a bad comparison. Firstly their latest Prusa boards are produced in house. I cannot say where they get all components from. However they are not here to just throw Chinese parts on a printer and get it out the door.  

The biggest difference and why I do stay with Prusa, and pre-order their machines.( I already got my Mk4. I was a day one buyer. I have a Prusa XL pre-ordered for over a year now, with no plans to cancel it)

The biggest difference is each machine get tested out the door at this point. When I got my Mk4 I had the test print still on the bed to show that they tested it. I have owned a Mk3 since they came out and have yet to replace a single part. I do this professionally and all my machines get run hard. All of my Creality and Sovol Machines have experienced major issue whether it be replacing parts or just poor configs out of the box. I still use the machines. I'm not down on either of those companies. However it is night and day when it comes to actual longevity. 

Then besides the machine. Support is there. They have helped me, with both logistical problems. I've even held meetings with parts of their team to discuss other offerings from them. The work and ecosystem they have put in place. Makes for a great spot for people to work with the machines, and has changed 3D-Printing for many reasons.

This pay first to get in line/reserve is not new for them. They are also going to give you a product or return your money. If you want to pay and wait then do so. Otherwise wait until they are available. The time will come. 

If you are saying you might as well buy Creality, Sovol. Then might as well do it. I am in a spot where to me the work to fix a broken 3D-Printer in production costs more then what I would save going to one of them. If I want a project then sure I'll buy one of them. If I want a workhorse I know will have minimal downtime and a official support, I'll go with Prusa.