ORD Bot Wannabuyers. Where are you?

[bdring]

There may still be hope for ORD Bot fans. There may be another chance (faster, better terms?) in the works.

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[BotDoc]

Just explaining "where I was".

I was very interested in buying an ORD Bot and kept watching the ordering page at the buildlog store as the date for opening orders for the second wave of kits got pushed out further and further. I put (several) bids in on the ebay auction of the last quantum ORD bot, but lost out. I then saw Bart's note about Inventables and went to that site. When I saw that 100 orders were required in about a month, I hesitated and looked into other possibilities. During that time I decided to buy a Prusa Mendel kit, which is now finished.

My feedback to Zach would be to not bother with a 50%/50% deposit scheme, but instead offer a guaranteed price and a quantity discount price that depends upon reaching a minimum number of orders. So, some amount guarantees you a kit--you have to wait for the time period to expires, but you're guaranteed a kit. If you sign up for the quantity discounted price, then you risk getting your order cancelled if the minimum isn't met. Of course, I'd rebate the difference between the guaranteed price and the quantity discounted price if the minimum amount is met. That way, kits will be sent out, but if the minimum isn't met, they will only be the expensive kits. Those customers that really want one can guarantee that they will get one. Zach get's to have a relationship with those folks for accessories, upgrades, etc. Secretly, behind the scenes he can even put some of the material orders for these below-minimum-order kits along with other items he sells. I.e., makerslides for these few ORD bots can be bundled with other makerslide orders. This would also give a better view of what the "going price" is for this item. Right now, it's not clear if the price is right and there are just not enough people (maybe they opted for Prusas or Printrbots), or if the price was too high.

If a one-off is just too expensive, then a much smaller minimum could be used (If we get 5 orders you get it for $700 guaranteed, if we get 100 you and "at risk buyers" get it for $399.)

Just a thought.

I still like the design of the ORD bot.

[kwando]

Still very keen for a kit solution to become available.

I agree with the recommendations BotDoc made as well. I would have happily paid more for a guaranteed OrdBot.

Hopefully it won't be long before we're presented with new options on inventables.

[Digitalmagic]

Still waiting for placing my ORD Bot order!
I find the "guaranteed price order/discounted on target" a very good solution, too.
Feel that the problem is full real payment without purchase certainty.
A fair solution must be proposed where the buyers are not lending money ... Without return!

For this, I like the "pledge" solution from Kickstarter, where you pay when quantity goal is reached, using Amazon Payment service.

Inventables could link its payment processor to Amazon Payment service, too.
Here, everyone with an Amazon account is making a shifted payment, guaranteed by Amazon to the vendor.
The pledge transaction date is linked to a real payment date, occurring at set goal date.

[mlight]

I missed the first round, I would like to get in on a possible second round. Count me in.

I am not sure if there was a first shipment. I like the ORD Bot design and would like to get one.

[Digitalmagic]

Apparently, Zach from Inventables is working on a new preorder scheme.

[kwando]

Yeah, but they make a point of saying 'if and when', which is pretty up there.

The email I got also mentioned that Bart might be working on doing some orders himself too. One can only hope.

[colin]

Yeah, but they make a point of saying 'if and when', which is pretty up there.

The email I got also mentioned that Bart might be working on doing some orders himself too. One can only hope.

I would be supremely bummed if we don't end up doing a full ORD Bot kit, but I'm very optimistic.

For the moment most of our energy is going towards shipping LOTS of MakerSlide. We also have almost 400 ShapeOko kits going out soon. But rest assured that the ORD Bot is on all of our minds.

[kwando]

Thanks for posting Colin. That is awesome news.

Looking forward to the full kit offering.

[Liberty4Ever]

I emailed Zach at Inventables with some unsolicited customer feedback, echoing a lot of the sentiments in this thread before I encountered this thread. Zach replied quickly and is a super nice guy.

I'm very sympathetic to the small business, running on a shoestring, trying to deliver high quality and low cost products, and unwilling (or unable) to borrow the money to front the purchases. I'm running a small internet based business from home, and cash flow is king! Nevertheless, I can't sell what I don't have, so I'll front the money for materials. For example, on one new product, I'll spend $1100 for materials that I'll eventually sell for $11,000. My margins are probably a lot better than Inventables, but my turnover is slower.

I tried to explain to Zach that I would LOVE to buy an ORD Bot kit, and I really didn't want to spend all of that time looking for the parts or making them, but I didn't want to commit the funds on the hope I might win the ORD Bot lottery in two weeks, and then wait another 45 days or more after that to receive the kit. I'd rather buy 80/20 extrusions and redesign my own ORDish Bot based on Bart's excellent concept and plans.

I even used the phrase "chicken and egg" (as seen earlier in this thread) in an email to Zach, trying to explain why I thought he'd sell a LOT more ORD Bots if not for the "take a chance on a pre-order for a future kit" marketing method, which I compared to a brick and mortar store on the other side of a mine field, which is to say, not very appealing to customers.

I won't charge people for products I'm not shipping that business day, but I think Inventables and its customers would be much better served if they just sold back ordered kits until they had the money to place the materials orders if cash flow is a problem. Inventables has a good reputation, and I think many people would place those orders quickly, even though they were put off by the take-a-chance pre-order system. Others unwilling to pre-order and pay up front could save up their money and jump on board as soon as the ORD Bots are shipping.

Most suppliers offer NET 30 terms. Order the supplies, sell the kits, pay the suppliers. Lather, rinse, repeat. The suppliers are your banker if your turnaround is 30 days or less.

Ultimately, I think the goal should be to ship ORD Bot kits the day they're ordered and keep the materials on order and in stock to meet future demand. If the kits need to cost more, then so be it.

If potential customers can't place an order and take delivery that week, that opens the market to competition and someone will invest $50K to buy the parts for something very similar to an ORD Bot and offer to ship $900 kits or $1500 fully assembled and tested 3D printers, and they'll make bank doing it.

I'd also like several options for the kits - just the MakerSlide, a version adding the hardware needed for motion, an option or two for electronics, and the full kit.

I've finally sourced what I believe to be all of the Hadron parts and about half are here. I'd have gladly paid quite a bit for the convenience and time savings that a full kit would have afforded. I'm envious of those who got in on the first batch of kits. The convenience and time savings is the value that Inventables is selling to their customers IMO. I don't want to pay for uncertainty followed by a lengthy wait. That offers no value to me as a customer, and I'm pretty sure that's why there wasn't much interest in that recent offer. It certainly wasn't because of any perceived lack of quality in the design. ORD Bots make the spindly threaded rod or laser cut plywood 3D printers look sad.

Just my 2 cents.


PS - I'm already planning my second ORD Bot! Sell me a Quantum kit, Zach!