Who here is going to bail??

[rrmccabe]

I hope it shows up in the next day or 2 for you. I know what you are going through, but feel you you write well and make excellent posts in trying to help others. I would love to see you continue with a Solo in hand. Before the Solo, 3DR was known for fast fixes and excellent product. And they have already released updates for the Solo. It's obvious that they got caught with their pants down and more demand than they forecast by a large margin. But you have to think that much of that demand was because of their reputation and good product. I just wished they had done a better job with the rollout!

I agree. They were overly optimistic and things don't always go as planned. Jumping in early to steal some P3 sales sounded like a great marketing plan to me

Still...... I am not concerned about the product, or lack of. Its just more about do what you tell me you are going to do. If you don't have the answer then just say so. I am OK with that.

When the VP told me they "botched the pre-order" my only response to him was "Good enough. Things happen".

All I want is communication. The rest we can work with !

 

[Yourviewfromabove]

Wow, I've seen no where near the numbers you are claiming, but then posts are being removed from the FB page quickly. Any negativity is challenged by the FB page owner, and now by a couple of the 3DR employees. I find it bad PR for a 3DR engineer (Philip Rowse) to show the confrontational attitude he does on that list. Bad PR to have 3DR act in the role of forum moderator, and it is reaching that point.

As for me, I'm returning mine to BB on Friday, but will wait until my original order arrives and see if the 2nd Solo gives me problems.

My post got tossed about an hour after I wrote. I made sure not to bash 3DR or the Solo. I simply stated what the events were during my 2 battery flights. App loosing connection and no response from transmitter during one app disconnect.

 

[AmosMoses]

I see my app was updated! Only info..... "bug fixes"??
A little more information would be nice
.This isn't candy crush! Lol!

 

[SCO19]

I bailed, too risky and expensive to import into the UK right now.

 

[GSSP]

Is the Solo manufactured in China?

 

[rrmccabe]

Is the Solo manufactured in China?

Yes

 

[Toby]

yeah, I gotta say I'm not at all happy with this situation.
I'm a long time DIY drones follower and have my Solo on order.

These are my issues....

- Pre ordering something means you should get it before everyone else can. Being able to walk in and get it from a shop before all the people who pre-ordered is just blatantly rude. Sorry but if I pre-order something I expect to be treated like a Gold customer because I have shown my faith in the product and manufacturer before there is any real information and track record on the customer. I feel like 3DR has just shafted its most loyal customers by putting it in shops before fulfilling its commitment to pre-orders.

- The marketing. Showing a promo video with monkeys flying a Quad indicates that its so easy to fly even a monkey can do it. My issue is that complete newbies don't know about orientation, feeding in stick at the wrong time or how to get out of trouble. I posted on the facebook page that I thought we should be telling people to practice on a cheap throw away quad first before they try flying the Solo just to get used to how they work. I got jumped all over by the 3DR moderator and actually got asked to remove my post. In the 10 years I've been contributing to online forums I have NEVER had anyone ask me to remove a post before which was aimed at generating genuine debate. It seems the 3DR guys just want to stick their fingers in their ears and pretend everything is ok.
Meanwhile guys are posting about how they nearly took a finger off and have flown into trees and buildings. Not to mention all the follow me in a car videos which every newbie is going to try and replicate. Targeting newbies is fine, but setting expectations is REALLY important and the expectations have been set so high (a monkey could fly it) that most new solos are going to end up in pieces before their first month is out.

- Communications - its not too bad but its not great. There is no visibility of what issues there currently are or what fixes are coming. If you have problems guys, admit them, get them out in the open instead of trying to shut them down and funnel them all into your support channels. We long time users are here to help, but we need to know what is actually going on and what you have planned to fix it.
Apparently there are new apps coming out in the next 24 hours, but where is the official info on this?
Everything is coming through back channels which is just not good enough. It seems the only way you get info is if you are best buddies with a 3DR employee.

- Ordering - the 3DR online shop is not linked to their shipping system. This is completely useless. I had an order marked as "Ready to Ship" online which they had actually cancelled because there was a problem with my address. 6 weeks later when I wondered what on earth was going on, I had to email them to find out they had cancelled it without telling me. Online ordering isn't that hard guys, Sort it out!!!

Thats pretty much it, 4 simple things that are turning this rollout from something that could have been utterly amazing to a bit of a mess.
I hope 3DR get themselves sorted.

 

[GSSP]

Yes

Damn shame, it truly sucks that 3DR would ship out to BB and not fulfill the orders of people that contributed upfront, I have lost interest and when my P2V3 fries or crashes I'm out of this hobby,

 

[DodgeP]

Fresh from BB.

 

[NYG]

Damn shame, it truly sucks that 3DR would ship out to BB and not fulfill the orders of people that contributed upfront, I have lost interest and when my P2V3 fries or chashes I'm out of this hobby,

To do business with Best Buy and to get that fancy demo setup on the floor 3DR must have had a commitment date to get product on the floor at BB.

My guess is they had people stuffing boxes to get them out the door as quick as possible. The serial numbers on the boxes don't match the units in the box.

That's my theory of why pre-orders were passed over.

 

[rrmccabe]

Fresh from BB.

And he takes it straight to bed

 

[Raybro]

I agree. They were overly optimistic and things don't always go as planned. Jumping in early to steal some P3 sales sounded like a great marketing plan to me

Still...... I am not concerned about the product, or lack of. Its just more about do what you tell me you are going to do. If you don't have the answer then just say so. I am OK with that.

When the VP told me they "botched the pre-order" my only response to himself top was "Good enough. Things happen".

All I want is communication. The rest we can work with !

Kinda like the saying about the old bull and the young one standing at the top of the hill and looking down at all the cows. The young bull tells the other one, "let's run down the hill and.................that cow. The old bull says, "why don't we just walk down the hill and ..........all those cows.

 

[Dunginhawk]

The point was made a couple pages ago, but it bears repeating.
The most vocal among our population are those that take to twitter, and FB, and forums to spout negativity, whether deserved or perceived.

I am in the IT enterprise storage business, and the first thing I do when looking at a new company to work for, is check VMW communities, reddit and spiceworks to gauge the pulse of the people on those sites, because I know from 20 years in this industry, they dont hold punches.

You arent going to hear from the majority of people who are happy with their solos, or have had next to no issues with them. I happen to have had zero issues with mine. Not even a hiccup.
Is it perfect? No, not yet. Gimbal, flight modes etc will come.

Im in the same camp as rrmccabe however. I dont like DJI, their support, their ahole leader and their "greed above all else" mentality.
The communication from 3dr has been abysmal to say the least. Putting quads in stores before pre-orders while deplorable, was probably contractual. Their hands were likely tied.

I have both a p3p and a solo right now, and I dont know which I want to keep. The p3p is a great bird, and it does everything I need. However, i despise the look of it, its company, and its handcuffed OS.

I want solo to succeed, i want coders to make new and inventive things for it. I want higher octane batteries, and motors, and a parachute bay. I love the flight modes (because im not a professional photographer). I love everything this product is being promised to be. Im not letting a botched roll-out with some minor issues stop me from backing something I want to succeed.
Sh*t happens, to all great companies, and all those aspiring to be great. How they recover from those issues, and ultimately take care of their customers will determine their companies future direction.

Its been a rough couple of weeks, but the battery give away was a very nice touch. Can you ever see DJI doing something like that? Hell no. Heck, they rushed their own product to market before HDMI out was ready, and are going to be offering an upgrade to take advantage of it. Free? Ahhh no.

I want 3dr and the solo to succeed. They are just making it hard to support them right now.

 

[Raybro]

The point was made a couple pages ago, but it bears repeating.
The most vocal among our population are those that take to twitter, and FB, and forums to spout negativity, whether deserved or perceived.

I am in the IT enterprise storage business, and the first thing I do when looking at a new company to work for, is check VMW communities, reddit and spiceworks to gauge the pulse of the people on those sites, because I know from 20 years in this industry, they dont hold punches.

You arent going to hear from the majority of people who are happy with their solos, or have had next to no issues with them. I happen to have had zero issues with mine. Not even a hiccup.
Is it perfect? No, not yet. Gimbal, flight modes etc will come.

Im in the same camp as rrmccabe however. I dont like DJI, their support, their ahole leader and their "greed above all else" mentality.
The communication from 3dr has been abysmal to say the least. Putting quads in stores before pre-orders while deplorable, was probably contractual. Their hands were likely tied.

I have both a p3p and a solo right now, and I dont know which I want to keep. The p3p is a great bird, and it does everything I need. However, i despise the look of it, its company, and its handcuffed OS.

I want solo to succeed, i want coders to make new and inventive things for it. I want higher octane batteries, and motors, and a parachute bay. I love the flight modes (because im not a professional photographer). I love everything this product is being promised to be. Im not letting a botched roll-out with some minor issues stop me from backing something I want to succeed.
Sh*t happens, to all great companies, and all those aspiring to be great. How they recover from those issues, and ultimately take care of their customers will determine their companies future direction.

Its been a rough couple of weeks, but the battery give away was a very nice touch. Can you ever see DJI doing something like that? Hell no. Heck, they rushed their own product to market before HDMI out was ready, and are going to be offering an upgrade to take advantage of it. Free? Ahhh no.

I want 3dr and the solo too succeed. They are just making it hard to support them right now.

Ditto, totally agree. I want 3DR to kick butt and I believe they will. It will take some time to get the bugs out. This is their first major introduction into a relatively new emerging market. I'm sure those people at 3DR are working there butts off. They are suddenly in the lime light and I'm sure they're feeling it.

 

[Koz]

I'm unimpressed by the roll out. They shouldn't have had a pre order option, period. When it comes out, it's out.

I am impressed with the Solo and am glad I didn't bite the bullet and go for the P3.

The pre-order process is important for many companies in that it helps determine interest in the product so that manufacturing can be adjusted accordingly. I'll bet that there are statistical models for this tech sector based upon pre-order figures that were used to adjust production levels. No manufacturer wants to be sitting on unsold inventory.

If I had to guess I'd say that the pro-orders for the Solo looked very good and 3DR felt compelled to get something out the door even before the gimbal was ready. That's a gutsy call by them, especially if the unfinished product gets mixed reviews when it's released (which it has).

Another guess here, but I believe they made the call to release the product without the gimbal because of all of the pre release buzz about their customer service and the complaints about DJI customer service. If I was running their show I would make sure that whether the initial critiques were good or bad that there would be eyes on every RC forum and every phone call and email would be answered promptly. That way even if the Solo was an initial flop people would still be impressed by the customer service and what seemed to be the willingness to get the product right in the near future.

I realize that some people might not like what 3DR is telling them about their orders or the status of the gimbal, but the fact is 3DR is communicating promptly with every inquiry. So even though the Solo has very mixed reviews their ability to promptly communicate with customers probably keeps them ahead of DJI for customer service. But if they don't follow that up with a better product they are dead meat for a long, long time.

As for me, I'm passing on the Solo until all of the bugs are worked out with the software and whatever products crop up with the gimbal. With what I have been reading about the Solo I would also guess that one of the next few production runs will have some internal hardware changes as well.

I already have a P2V+ and I desperately need something with a better camera, but I'll give 3DR a little more time to work things out before I decide on the Solo or a P3.

 

[Dunginhawk]

As for me, I'm passing on the Solo until all of the bugs are worked out with the software and whatever products crop up with the gimbal. With what I have been reading about the Solo I would also guess that one of the next few production runs will have some internal hardware changes as well.
.[/QUOTE]

hardware changes less than a month after production? such as?

 

[Volkhard]

I am sorry to admit, I will be bailing out.
Flying a V2+ I postponed some Real Estate shots in Ecuador I have planned to do with the Solo. I pre-ordered at B&H to be shipped to Florida and I was not one of the chosen ones for drop shipping from China. I am still waiting and just getting vage info from B&H. I believed the hype, the statement "will be in stores in May", internationally available in June.
When the release was for the Solo only and it has been argued, the Solo is the Solo and the gimbal is an accessory to be released later (July), everyone must have had this funny gut feeling that's not okay. But understanding the underdog and cheering for 3RD was still okay, at least for me. I bought a new tablet just for the Solo, as I am living in Ecuador most of the time I even booked a flight to the States for Juli 1st to pick up my Solo I was sure "at time of booking" would have arrived by then surely at my Florida address.
The straw that broke the camel's' back was my ban from the FB site tonight, when I tried to stand by a guy who returned his Solo to BB after been told to do so by 3dr tech support. Okay, he used the words "I am pissed"and asked, (IMHO seriously without undertone) should he rather buy a phantom 3? The 3dr engineer found his post insulting and called the post stupid. I tried to explain the guy might just be disappointment about his solo failure and. Lloks for some reinsurance...

If leading engeneers of 3dr can not be more professional and the whole FB site becomes extreemly defensive and paranoid there is IMHO something brewing and it seems the nerves are getting thinner everyday. I was hoping for Solo's success (I still am) and I was hoping for 3dr to be all what they wanted it to be. At this point I think they are way in over their head and I am loosing faith. Part of me still hopes I am wrong, but that just might be wish full thinking. I am cancelling my order with B&H for the Solo and the gimbal and make room for someone else who is less disenchanted. At least I have still a short trip to Florida to look forward too, although the main reason for the trip is gone. I wish everyone who has their Solo the very best and many exciting flights and may the gimbal reach you anytime soon. The rest, who is waiting, don't follow my lead as my decission is based on my personal experiences and perception and should not influence others.

It has been a pleasure while it lasted.

 

[Jubalr]

I certainly understand your frustration Volkhard, I have not received my order that was placed the 1st week of May. But regarding the Solo owners FB site, I had read somewhere that it is not run by 3DR but was in fact started by an individual. Looking at it this morning, that appears to be correct. This was posted last night..

Message to members,
While you may have seen, and will continue to see, what seems like some harsh treatment of certain individuals as well as snarky comments and short fuses from forum admins, as well as certain members of this board, Keep in mind, the intent is to wrestle this forum back from those that would love nothing more then to see Solo Fail.

We have no doubt, we will be every bit as successful as the other forums that we have been a part of in the past. Do not, let these guys who lurk in the shadows, pull this down to the level of the other Forums and pages out there, the reason these forums have been successful in the past, is the willingness and spirit of cooperation for Open Source and the 3DR Community. The best you can do to combat these "people", is to not give them safe haven, If you are an OP on a post, and post information related to something you're happy about, or not happy about, Do not be afraid to jump on them, or report their post, when they attempt to derail your message with theirs.

I'll personally apologize for my actions ahead of time, if you get in the crossfire, Now that Solo is out, those who make it clear they are not owners and do not intend to become owners, be on notice, that we have no problem with any account, regardless of what you own, as long as you stay within the guidelines of this group.

But become disruptive, in any form, and accounts will be removed. No warning. I've seen comments by Devs to the context of their refusal to participate in this forum, because of the nasty way in which topics are being posted. I will tell you this, for my part, if I see anyone disrespecting a developer, member of 3DR, or Site Admin, or other member, You'll be banned and so will everyone on your friends list just in case..........We call that, the Buddy system. Friends..........Don't let your friends be trolls.

 

[Raybro]

I certainly understand your frustration Volkhard, I have not received my order that was placed the 1st week of May. But regarding the Solo owners FB site, I had read somewhere that it is not run by 3DR but was in fact started by an individual. Looking at it this morning, that appears to be correct. This was posted last night..

Message to members,
While you may have seen, and will continue to see, what seems like some harsh treatment of certain individuals as well as snarky comments and short fuses from forum admins, as well as certain members of this board, Keep in mind, the intent is to wrestle this forum back from those that would love nothing more then to see Solo Fail.

We have no doubt, we will be every bit as successful as the other forums that we have been a part of in the past. Do not, let these guys who lurk in the shadows, pull this down to the level of the other Forums and pages out there, the reason these forums have been successful in the past, is the willingness and spirit of cooperation for Open Source and the 3DR Community. The best you can do to combat these "people", is to not give them safe haven, If you are an OP on a post, and post information related to something you're happy about, or not happy about, Do not be afraid to jump on them, or report their post, when they attempt to derail your message with theirs.

I'll personally apologize for my actions ahead of time, if you get in the crossfire, Now that Solo is out, those who make it clear they are not owners and do not intend to become owners, be on notice, that we have no problem with any account, regardless of what you own, as long as you stay within the guidelines of this group.

But become disruptive, in any form, and accounts will be removed. No warning. I've seen comments by Devs to the context of their refusal to participate in this forum, because of the nasty way in which topics are being posted. I will tell you this, for my part, if I see anyone disrespecting a developer, member of 3DR, or Site Admin, or other member, You'll be banned and so will everyone on your friends list just in case..........We call that, the Buddy system. Friends..........Don't let your friends be trolls.

Glad I don't do FB. I have heard from a good friend on mine on the DJI forum that there is someone from that forum that most of us cannot stand and he is in the middle of this fight. Haven't been on the DJI forum in a few days but I am going to go give that A hole some hell TODAY.

 

[Yourviewfromabove]

To do business with Best Buy and to get that fancy demo setup on the floor 3DR must have had a commitment date to get product on the floor at BB.

My guess is they had people stuffing boxes to get them out the door as quick as possible. The serial numbers on the boxes don't match the units in the box.

That's my theory of why pre-orders were passed over.

Your 100% correct. My company does POP displays. The unit I saw at BB cost around $2500