Discontinued Hopper io

[slozukimc]

Simple question for @hopperlabs …….

If you are such a small company, with few employees, then why in the fuck can’t the sales department coordinate with the warranty dept at least well enough to ask each other questions about a unit so it can be sent together with another and save YOU shipping costs? Or at least provide an irritated customer and answer when John goes and hides or whatever the fuck he does when not doing his part.

 

[JBone65]

Yes and what did they do about these complaints? They changed their name to Hopper and started a new website.

There will always be a few customers who have had a reasonable experience with Hopper. I was one of these customers for a long while, just reading these terrible posts about other's experiences. I should have listened but was smitten with the product design and the potential. I am still smitten with the product design and potential, however, the mileage is not worth the gas.

Whether or not it is (or was) a good design, it's still somewhat unique today. They reportedly grossed about $1.1M in 2020, doesn't appear that they are growing very fast, if at all. The ballsy lifetime warranty is probably what's keeping them alive to some extent. I'm surprised there are only 45 registered complaints over 5 years considering what all has transpired. Giving a lifetime warranty to a bunch of genius potheads for something as complex as a grasshopper io could be profitable, but throw in some marketing mistakes, some design missteps, some QA/QC failings, a genuine disaster, a bankruptcy and some attitude SQ issues, and it's a miracle they have survived this long. I still love my io.

 

[WhyAreWeWaiting]

Hi fellow fc grasshopper enthusiasts, I'm here to ask a honest question because as you all are aware there is some negative stigma but I also understamd that most don't always care for there stuff.

But my question is more on the reliability of if I were to order a io tomorrow is says Dec 2021 will I be waiting alot longer?

It years I've wanted a grasshopper but didn't order the og cuz of what I had said and was relatively new to the vape game.

Thank you in advance it late and I apoligize for my incoherence. I've had great success asking about the product in the vape specific thread b4 I buy and thank you

Don't buy it unless you're into getting angry. Works great when it works. But most of the time it doesn't work. I have 2 IOs and they've spent far more time in Hopper than they've spent with me. And RMAs are currently not being responded to.

 

[slozukimc]

Whether or not it is (or was) a good design, it's still somewhat unique today. They reportedly grossed about $1.1M in 2020, doesn't appear that they are growing very fast, if at all. The ballsy lifetime warranty is probably what's keeping them alive to some extent. I'm surprised there are only 45 registered complaints over 5 years considering what all has transpired. Giving a lifetime warranty to a bunch of genius potheads for something as complex as a grasshopper io could work if profitable, but throw in some marketing mistakes, some design missteps, some QA/QC failings, a genuine disaster, a bankruptcy and some attitude issues, and it's a miracle I still love my io.

Attitude issues. Lmfao!! You put it much nicer than I would.

 

[WhyAreWeWaiting]

If you count the original crowd-source site (geez, was it indie go-go?) and the current two, there have been four websites, so three doing retail sales. Makes me wonder...
Unusual. Yes.

As a long-time customer I am somewhat offended by this. The records of my purchases and rma's (there have been a lot of both) have become corrupted, about half of them seem lost to me at this point. And, to purchase on site #4, I have to register anew. They want to gas-light the past and try to move on, I really feel that at this point.

This Black Friday I am only reminded of last Black Friday. Had to send a unit in about mid November, tried to order batteries on sale, to ship back with the device - but communications were so poor none of that happened and I waited months for my rma, having submitted my claim going onto their "busy time", apparently. I had to request rma on TWO bodies last week and have not heard back on those yet, so, limbo again. This will be the first BF sale in years that I don't buy any Hopper products -- I'm into several other vapes now that satisfy without nearly the frustration factor.

I'm in the same boat. Multiple and frequent RMAs. And now an RMA since end October and haven't even had an acknowledgement. Avoid like the plaque.

 

[Vaporific]

In deference to HL - and I’m not defending them at all - we’re still on the heels of a global pandemic with supply chain issues, and there’s no telling how the HL folks and their families have been directly impacted health-wise. Not an excuse of course to continue less than optimal behavior and business practices but just throwing it out there and playing a seldom devil’s advocate. But indeed it seems it’s more of the same with HL unfortunately. On the flip side to much dismay they don’t say how long the Black Friday promotion is good for, only “this week only” - whatever that means. I’ll purchase some new batts tomorrow on BF itself. Holiday regards - happy and healthy - to all.

 

[slozukimc]

In deference to HL - and I’m not defending them at all - we’re still on the heels of a global pandemic with supply chain issues, and there’s no telling how the HL folks and their families have been directly impacted health-wise. Not an excuse of course to continue less than optimal behavior and business practices but just throwing it out there and playing a seldom devil’s advocate. But indeed it seems it’s more of the same with HL unfortunately. On the flip side to much dismay they don’t say how long the Black Friday promotion is good for, only “this week only” - whatever that means. I’ll purchase some new batts tomorrow on BF itself. Holiday regards - happy and healthy - to all.

I refuse to believe behavior that was commonplace before the pandemic and continues to this day has anything at all to do with Coronavirus. If anything, it should have given them more time to actually reply to their long time customers and supporters rather than Johns typical ignoring the harder to answer and, dare I say, uncomfortable questions.

I would still suppost them if they would simply answer my questions about my orders. It is ridiculous that they can’t even manage to answer more than one question in an email.

 

[jabba]

I refuse to believe behavior that was commonplace before the pandemic and continues to this day has anything at all to do with Coronavirus. If anything, it should have given them more time to actually reply to their long time customers and supporters rather than Johns typical ignoring the harder to answer and, dare I say, uncomfortable questions.

I would still suppost them if they would simply answer my questions about my orders. It is ridiculous that they can’t even manage to answer more than one question in an email.

+1

 

[Vaporific]

I refuse to believe behavior that was commonplace before the pandemic and continues to this day has anything at all to do with Coronavirus. If anything, it should have given them more time to actually reply to their long time customers and supporters

I completely agree and was only suggesting that it is possible one of the principals may have been personally or health-wise been affected by the pandemic (I wish it on no one!) - and the pandemic however shouldn’t be an excuse for continued behavior. In fact and to your point most companies have had to pivot and shift to adjust due to the pandemic and HL should be no different. Happy Hoppergiving.

 

[jabba]

I completely agree and was only suggesting that it is possible one of the principals may have been personally or health-wise been affected by the pandemic (I wish it on no one!) - and the pandemic however shouldn’t be an excuse for continued behavior. In fact and to your point most companies have had to pivot and shift to adjust due to the pandemic and HL should be no different. Happy Hoppergiving.

Respectfully...HL's modus operendi has been consistent since crowd funding.... and this is not intended to be complimentary. It cannot be any fun to be at owner or executive levels at this company. It must be dream crushing misery. The vape is HIGHLY marketable yet those 'principals' have never figured out how to credibly QC, market, or service their product. Unfortunately, from my perspective HL is a failure, a sham, and a shame. They seem to have never met a problem that they couldn't ignore. I'm only surprised that they've lasted this long. Buy your Black Friday Hopper batteries while you can.

 

[MoltenTiger]

So I thought I would try the Hopper again after a few days with the Xmax V3 Pro (and Sublimator).

Filled up the Ti Hopper io, which is really the only hopper I had worth firing up, with 2 legacies and SS io also at my disposal.

No heat from the Ti io at all. LEDs fire up but it is stone cold, and I'm not stoned enough to do anything but write off all devices and the company.

It's randomly dead just after a few days without any usage. It was working before, although it's replacement back-end is playing up so I guess the whole device is faulty.

Now I emptied the green out, and was going to transfer it into the SS to wind up getting a comparison between the V3 Pro.

But I ended up putting it through the Sublimator and it combusted... haha a bit of bad luck that just keeps at it.

I think I may have loaded it on top of a spent chamber from last night, and actually 1 GH chamber equates to about 50% more than average dispensed into the Sub. So it must have touched the heating element, I also have a space heater on so my ambient is above av.
Smells old school in here now haha.


Anyway, I'm happier to have too much heat as opposed to none at all.

With how happy I am with the V3 Pro, it passes the bong test and is overall pretty nice, I am pretty much over the Hopper.

Too many problems, and it has wound up being as difficult and unlikely as ever to get a working product.

I would reccomend against purchasing more or a first unit. It's a great idea, but it is not able to last as a high performance tool.

It still sits in a league of its own, as an ultra portable pocketable sleek potent vape pen, but it sits there because it really is too much to ask for.

If you want maximum performance you will destroy these things rendering them useless.

 

[vapviking]

Hopper was brought to the vape market too early, and has not left early enough, imo.

 

[invertedisdead]

With how happy I am with the V3 Pro, it passes the bong test and is overall pretty nice, I am pretty much over the Hopper.

Interesting to hear that from you my friend! I don't recall seeing any posts from you in the V3 thread. Must be nice being able to just pop in a standard 18650.
Been curious about trying one of those myself. If you have anything more to say on the V3 in its appropriate thread I'd definitely be curious to hear how its working for you.

 

[JBone65]

I guess I'm stuck breathing in thick clouds of THC/terpenoid vapor as long as HL survives. It's a difficult situation to be in but I'll get thru it somehow.

Are there any other satisfied (current) io or OG users on the thread?

 

[RustyOldNail]

I guess I'm stuck breathing in thick clouds of THC/terpenoid vapor as long as HL survives. It's a difficult situation to be in but I'll get thru it somehow.

Are there any other satisfied (current) io or OG users on the thread?

Satisfaction is relative. My very 1st HL IO, the backend blew up before I could use it, promptly received a replacement that is working great so far. I bought an identical 2nd titanium IO, as a backup, and to see if I could solve the 5 hour battery charge mystery, that I’ve documented previously. Now with 2 IO’s, and 3 USB charger cables and tons of USB chargers, still takes 5 hours. The NEW IO, does NOT heat properly, tested at level #5, can’t fully extract. So, I’m drafting my first support letter to HL, satisfaction will be dependent on their response.

I went into these purchases after reading every post in this thread twice, so I was willing and able to gamble my money. Other then sharing experiences for new members to read, personality I’m not going to bash the company here, as I see no purpose, as the company doesn’t follow this thread, and have obviously decided on how they want to run their business, regardless of how we feel about it. As has been stated many times here: “when they work, they are great”. Having many other vapes to enjoy, I’m not going to stress on a single device, and certainly wouldn’t recommend an IO as anyone’s ONLY device. Consider it an expensive, but potentially frustrating purchase.

 

[JBone65]

I’m drafting my first support letter to HL, satisfaction will be dependent on their response.

I've had excellent luck with very concise friendly warranty requests. Anything more than a couple of sentences and they might not read it, anything negative they might delete it, etc. Just my $0.02. Please let us know how it goes.

Have been thinking about the 5 hour battery charging issue. That same issue happening with multiple batteries sounds odd. I think you said you use an aftermarket charger. If so have you tried the OEM ring charger? Have you tried a different circuit in your house?

 

[Highandhappy]

I Sent a purple io in for a temp step down as it was running way too hot on arrival, I was told 2 week turnaround, I also had a SS that was running too cold on arrival, they said I replacement body would take 5-12 days…
2 months later and many an ignored email on portal and CS they have finally arrived in London! (Thankfully VGoodiez helped me get contact)
I really hope they have fixed the issue and looked after my colour ti as it didn’t have a mark on it.
I have finally decided while I was without my hoppers, the shocking communications with CS and due to the pain in RMA’s to the UK this will be the final 2 chances, I have 10 new batteries and when they die this time i’m out!

 

[RustyOldNail]

I've had excellent luck with very concise friendly warranty requests. Anything more than a couple of sentences and they might not read it, anything negative they might delete it, etc. Just my $0.02. Please let us know how it goes.

Have been thinking about the 5 hour battery charging issue. That same issue happening with multiple batteries sounds odd. I think you said you use an aftermarket charger. If so have you tried the OEM ring charger? Have you tried a different circuit in your house?

I’ve already posted all my tests, I KNOW what I’m doing with in regards to USB, Batteries, and chargers. But thanks...

 

[Mr. Me2]

I guess I'm stuck breathing in thick clouds of THC/terpenoid vapor as long as HL survives. It's a difficult situation to be in but I'll get thru it somehow.

Are there any other satisfied (current) io or OG users on the thread?

I’m one of those rare satisfied og guys. I have 2. An original one that is many years old. And I had one rma back in the good old days, and it went seamlessly.

Personally, I’m very sorry to keep reading of so many gh and cs issues. I really wish it would turn around….

 

[Vaporific]

Are there any other satisfied (current) io or OG users on the thread?

Until about 1-2 weeks ago my Ti IO had been running flawlessly for almost 15 months. I cleaned it thoroughly then, nothing out of the ordinary and the usual with both my OG (another story but overall satisfaction owning it since ‘16 is meh - I won’t delve into details) and IO, and the IO has been running cold since the cleaning. Even with my two newest batts the IO seems to run colder than a couple of weeks ago. I’ll clean it again thoroughly soon to see if it helps. And I’ll be ordering some new batts with the BF promo code in a few minutes to see if newer batts will help. Overall a very positive IO experience though my customer service interactions with HL over the years has been less than stellar (including the year-long RMA my OG underwent a couple of years ago). When it works well there’s nothing like a Hopper though the company needs to change and get better, a lot better with quality control, customer service and the power plant, i.e. batteries (consistency issues). I’ll leave it at that.

 

[fogbank]

Adding to my battery woes, I am once again experiencing a scorching hot back end with at least one of my OG Hoppers, and my SS iO Hopper is now flashing lights when I touch it (without being clicked on).

I have been enjoying the XMax V3Pro. It takes more effort to get it to hit as hard as the Hopper, but so far it is reliable and I don't worry about the battery nearly as much.

 

[JBone65]

my SS iO Hopper is now flashing lights when I touch it

Mine flashes sometimes if it touches certain types of metal. Are you contacting any other metal object at the same time? Maybe you have a lot of static electricity due to low humidity or something.

I also remember the OG getting a hot ass end now that you mentioned it. Have no idea what caused it. I loosened and retightened the back too often in those days, and the OG didn't like it. Might be related to that.

 

[fogbank]

Mine flashes sometimes if it touches certain types of metal. Are you contacting any other metal object at the same time? Maybe you have a lot of static electricity due to low humidity or something.

I also remember the OG getting a hot ass end now that you mentioned it. Have no idea what caused it. I loosened and retightened the back too often in those days, and the OG didn't like it. Might be related to that.

Yes I am probably touching the body and back end at the same time, with a ring on my finger. This is only happening with my SS iO at the moment. I regularly handle two iO and two OG Hoppers and only the SS iO exhibits this behavior.

For the hot back end I suspect weakining batteries. I recently cleaned the back end threads, so I don't think it's residue build up. It has been an issue with OG Hoppers since the beginning. It's just become more frequent with one of my OG Hoppers lately.

 

[WhyAreWeWaiting]

I completely agree and was only suggesting that it is possible one of the principals may have been personally or health-wise been affected by the pandemic (I wish it on no one!) - and the pandemic however shouldn’t be an excuse for continued behavior. In fact and to your point most companies have had to pivot and shift to adjust due to the pandemic and HL should be no different. Happy Hoppergiving.

They never have any issues about taking orders for Hoppers. Just like the GH I reckon they are inundated with RMAs and simply can't keep up with them.

 

[MoltenTiger]

Interesting to hear that from you my friend! I don't recall seeing any posts from you in the V3 thread. Must be nice being able to just pop in a standard 18650.
Been curious about trying one of those myself. If you have anything more to say on the V3 in its appropriate thread I'd definitely be curious to hear how its working for you.

I did write up a post but never submitted. I guess I got too stoned, will have to revisit the thread.

I just purchased a second unit, they're well less than half the Hopper price and 8/10ths as good as a great Hopper, infinitely better than the four I have given their now lacklustre performances across the board.

The instant on is nice, but a short wait is worth it for hopeful consistency and ease of acquiring.

Standard 18650s, not as big a deal as the threadless magnetic housing, handy though to be swapping in LGs. With less efficiency 3000mAh is barely outlasting 750 with the io however. Easy to manage either way.

Out at Derby riding amazing trails, V3 Pro was awesome last night camping.

Nothing's perfect but I'm happy with it, and I'm over the Hopper.

I'll still pursue some repairs but I won't be holding my breath for the next few months of getting neglected by HL support.
It does not feel mutual which I don't have a problem with.
But it's a major problem trying to use broken flawed hardware long term.