1388 replies to this topic

[Foxy]

fezzasus, on 02 Mar 2021 - 12:17 PM, said:

FabianG, on 01 Mar 2021 - 1:58 PM, said:

Hey Fezzasus,
I have read the last few sites and recognized, that you already made and delivered a few RHD and LHD sets.
I am wondering why we still havent received our pair. If I am right, we are on place 3 and 4 on the list. (Wizzard8 and me ordered together, Germany).
Doesnt look like a fair delivery strategy to me.

As you might imagine, I am getting more and more nervous over the time, because we paid a lot of money and were hearing nothing but excuses since years.
The Brexit thing doesnt make it much better now.
Can you please give a statement when you will deliver to Germany ?
Maybe you can understand that were getting the feeling of being "ripped off"...

Thanks and kind regards, Fabian

Hi Fabian,

I completely understand your position and I agree that enough time has gone past to start to feel bad about this. It is not where I wanted this to get to.

If I am perfectly honest, the remaining effort to deliver these headlights has been significant. The design and fit of the rear enclosure has taken years to get right, and I really needed to be comfortable with the quality to ensure that people were happy at the cost that went into this. I greatly underestimated how much time and effort that refinement would take. I have also struggled to scale from prototyping these to being able to make set after set with confidence how well they fit and work, as there is a reasonable level of variation on the rear face of the carbon fibre parts (meaning that one part will not fit perfectly on a different headlight).

Regarding the sequence of production, I am not going down the list from top to bottom. The list simply states who signed up and when, not order of payment or order of priority. I am now trying to batch make each type as this is quicker. The headlights I have dispatched have all gone to the UK, this is deliberate because I can easily take returns to make adjustments. Right now I have one returned to me with a main beam fault. Once I have confidence that each headlight is perfect and will not experience issues (in both fit and function) I will ship outside of the UK.

Another “place holder” response.

[C8RKH]

I don't think the amount of money is the issue Lee and knowing it adds nothing to the forum. It just makes all the more emotive and the issue of the money is between the seller and the buyer. The deposit/cost is documented on here, as is the list of buyers, so if people are that bothered they can actually easily work out the sums involved themselves with a simple pen and paper. 

 

If it was me (and we are all different) I'd be focused on the "service" elements around timeliness, communication and quality of the product as that is what the forum should be bothered about.

 

I do think, as a passive observer with NO skin in the game (but if I could I would buy), that after all this time a "full refund" should be on offer for anyone who wants it.  That would be a fair shout. I feel for Tom who has taken on a project that has turned out to be much bigger/harder than envisaged, but at the same time the lack of communication/updates is inexcusable and as a result most of the credibility has been eroded to zero, as can be seen by the tone of many posts on here. Such a shame.

 

However, there are other, seemingly much simpler projects to provide new parts on here that also seem to have taken much longer to come to fruition, however, i guess the major difference is that they have not asked for payment up front.

 

This could have turned out so much differently with just some effort to provide regular updates - I mean, how long does it take to post an update on a forum with progress (or even lack of it with an explanation) and the odd picture.

 

To be clear, if I HAD been lucky enough to be one of the people to get their name on the list all those years ago, i would have gotten my money back by now as my patience would certainly had evaporated long before now. But if the product ever does come to the market, and the price and quality are right, I will buy in the future IF I am still alive or have my VX220 at that point.

Edited by C8RKH, 03 March 2021 - 09:03 AM.

[Gilgamesh]

it's been almost 5 years (August 2016) since I paid £650 up front...tbh I did not expect it to take this long...and now with the Brexit thing it's slightly worse...I'm still interested but a full refund would be nice to those who wants it...and to those who wish to wait maybe you could keep £100 instead of £650 until it's our turn to get headlights made or delivered.

[Foxy]

Gilgamesh, on 04 Mar 2021 - 5:38 PM, said:

...and now with the Brexit thing it's slightly worse...

Brexit is a non-issue other than a little paperwork. 

[Foxy]

C8RKH, on 03 Mar 2021 - 08:59 AM, said:

This could have turned out so much differently with just some effort to provide regular updates - I mean, how long does it take to post an update on a forum with progress (or even lack of it with an explanation) and the odd picture.

[C8RKH]

Foxy, on 04 Mar 2021 - 6:52 PM, said:

 

Gilgamesh, on 04 Mar 2021 - 5:38 PM, said:

...and now with the Brexit thing it's slightly worse...

Brexit is a non-issue other than a little paperwork. 

 

 

Yup. When all else fails and logic goes out the window let's just mention Brexit and everyone will go "oh yes, of course!"

[smiley]

Does that little paperwork take care of the VAT and importax people have to pay at the delivery guy?

At least that is what is happening in The Netherlands.

[Foxy]

No duty when the goods have preferential origin. Yes, vat treatment is different but that doesn’t affect delivery of headlights...

[gertje]

I send a few weeks ago Parts to thé UK, not only Paper work is in, thé Guy had to pay almost 90pond extra to thé costemersevice, witch was almost 50% of thé value of thé Parts.

If you want to do something good it takes time. If you do it as a hobby it takes more time.



Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONEPLUS A6003 met Tapatalk

[fezzasus]

In general everyone on the orders list has paid roughly 50 % of the cost as a deposit. This is usually 650 or 680 GBP depending on whether they look the LED option, there are also other factors like whether they were part of the crowdfunded front lenses. There's no secret to that, and it's all in the thread which has grown massively over admittedly a very long time.

 

Safe to say those actual funds have been entirely consumed on parts to build these headlights. All added up, parts come to about 80 % of the total cost (so just over 1000 GBP per pair of headlights) and that is before accounting for my time, which I am terrified to even consider. I will of course provide a refund for anyone who wants it. 

 

So what's the current progress? between the last post and this one I have completed the modifications to the rear cover formers which do a few things:

a) easier access to the xenon bulbs

better angle threaded mount to make fitting and removal of the headlight better

c) some general fettling to make the fit better

 

And I've made the first batch of covers, one of which has now been mounted to the headlight that i've had to do some fault finding on (one of the four pairs i've already sent out - which had a fault due to me rushing to get them shipped out the first time). 

[fezzasus]

Foxy, on 02 Mar 2021 - 10:30 PM, said:

 

fezzasus, on 02 Mar 2021 - 12:17 PM, said:

 

FabianG, on 01 Mar 2021 - 1:58 PM, said:

Hey Fezzasus,
I have read the last few sites and recognized, that you already made and delivered a few RHD and LHD sets.
I am wondering why we still havent received our pair. If I am right, we are on place 3 and 4 on the list. (Wizzard8 and me ordered together, Germany).
Doesnt look like a fair delivery strategy to me.

As you might imagine, I am getting more and more nervous over the time, because we paid a lot of money and were hearing nothing but excuses since years.
The Brexit thing doesnt make it much better now.
Can you please give a statement when you will deliver to Germany ?
Maybe you can understand that were getting the feeling of being "ripped off"...

Thanks and kind regards, Fabian

Hi Fabian,

I completely understand your position and I agree that enough time has gone past to start to feel bad about this. It is not where I wanted this to get to.

If I am perfectly honest, the remaining effort to deliver these headlights has been significant. The design and fit of the rear enclosure has taken years to get right, and I really needed to be comfortable with the quality to ensure that people were happy at the cost that went into this. I greatly underestimated how much time and effort that refinement would take. I have also struggled to scale from prototyping these to being able to make set after set with confidence how well they fit and work, as there is a reasonable level of variation on the rear face of the carbon fibre parts (meaning that one part will not fit perfectly on a different headlight).

Regarding the sequence of production, I am not going down the list from top to bottom. The list simply states who signed up and when, not order of payment or order of priority. I am now trying to batch make each type as this is quicker. The headlights I have dispatched have all gone to the UK, this is deliberate because I can easily take returns to make adjustments. Right now I have one returned to me with a main beam fault. Once I have confidence that each headlight is perfect and will not experience issues (in both fit and function) I will ship outside of the UK.

Another “place holder” response.

 

 

So what would you prefer? No response? I've been criticised for not responding while I'm trying to get on top of these, and now you're criticising me for responding? I moved 6 weeks ago, built a workshop to construct headlights, located and unpacked everything, striped down and rebuilt a headlight, while building jigs and wiring looms to produce these on scale, while working full time.

 

I'm not trying to defend the time it's taken. I vastly underestimated the amount of effort and time taken to get this over the line. But I am trying to emphasise that it's much, much quicker for you to type a response than seeing progress here. For example, the adhesive used to mount the rear cover takes 24 hours to cure, the cover takes 2 hours of heating before I can even form it, the mounts of the bulb units all need to be cut to size, have threaded inserts fitted, cure for 4 hours, then bonded to the headlight and wait another 4. Then repeat. It's easy to complain that you're not seeing updates one week from the next when it can take up to a week just to prepare the parts to make these headlights. Once you've worked out how to ensure that they go together time and time again.

[fezzasus]

Foxy, on 05 Mar 2021 - 07:52 AM, said:

No duty when the goods have preferential origin. Yes, vat treatment is different but that doesn’t affect delivery of headlights...

 

I'm still receiving returned packages which were shipped to Europe in early Jan and have been kicked around by DPD for two months. The disruption is massive and there are still a high level of returns due to the couriers and customs complaining about commodity codes. Even if I had headlights ready for Europe in early Jan, I wouldn't have risked it.

[Foxy]

fezzasus, on 15 Mar 2021 - 8:40 PM, said:

Foxy, on 05 Mar 2021 - 07:52 AM, said:

No duty when the goods have preferential origin. Yes, vat treatment is different but that doesn’t affect delivery of headlights...

I'm still receiving returned packages which were shipped to Europe in early Jan and have been kicked around by DPD for two months. The disruption is massive and there are still a high level of returns due to the couriers and customs complaining about commodity codes. Even if I had headlights ready for Europe in early Jan, I wouldn't have risked it.

Thats fair enough. Disruption seems to have largely subsided now.

[C8RKH]

Many thanks for the updates. Once you are ready to take new orders (no pressure) I'd be keen to order a pair.

Thanks

[Gilgamesh]

thanks for the update!

[fezzasus]

Today i'm batch making the rear cover for the headlights. This is now a two step process; step one is making the vacuum moulded part, step two is using an ABS and fibreglass slurry to reinforce the thinner areas of the enclosure around the mounting point holes, i've been struggling to consistently make these and now have a good process

[Dunk]

fezzasus, on 10 Apr 2021 - 1:52 PM, said:

Today i'm batch making the rear cover for the headlights. This is now a two step process; step one is making the vacuum moulded part, step two is using an ABS and fibreglass slurry to reinforce the thinner areas of the enclosure around the mounting point holes, i've been struggling to consistently make these and now have a good process

Nice one.

Thanks for the update.

Looking forward to my set. Once I’ve got them I’ll be replacing the front clam and getting the LBC in for an MOT.

[fezzasus]

Quick update. I've got two UK sets to go out this week, and after that I'm finishing the first EU pair of lights. I'll be paying close to attention to feedback from those as I generally have more concern about the support I can provide (with shipping time and less ability for in person inspection)

[Gilgamesh]

thanks for update.

[elmo]

Elmo pissed.

 

Elmo got his headlights last week. They were faulty and shorted out my wiring loom and the left lamp burst in to flames melting my clamshell. 

 

I could have died.

 

Elmo