I really debated chiming in here as I know how these types of sensitive issues can get out of hand whenever people feel a personal connection to a product like the PD.
I finally decided I just have to get this off my chest.
When I first joined FC, I became intrigued with getting a PD. it had such a loyal following and people were so fond of them. I placed a order even though it would be months before I received one. It was the same time that the kit was being released and decided since that would only take weeks, I would go that route instead. I ordered and waited.
During this time I spent a lot of time on FC. I began to take notice of some things that started to really bother me.
First, Tom seems to spend a lot of time on this site which while nice that he was interacting with his customers, seems to be odd considering that he had a huge backload of products to build. The thing that bothered me is that he took the money up front. It would be different if he did not charge first, but that was not the case. I can't think of very many things I would pay for and wait months for while the person spent most of their days online. I have ordered custom items before and they never take as long as this product does. Normally I either pay nothing or just a deposit.
Second, he would frequently take shots at the competing builders. He would Chime into their threads and generally just bash their products. What is interesting is that the other "log" builders all seemed to take the high road and not participate in this immature behavior. This made me start to look into finding a competing product. I found at the time that I could buy a vape that would be built quickly and paid for just before shipping. This seemed to be a better route for me. Plus I did not have to do all the work myself. I actually thought they were even additions of things like catch screens that I thought made them superior.
Third, I was a little put off by the photo contest ploys. I am all for marketing yourself, but this seemed to be a way to keep the thread at the top and once again I personally thought that the time should have been spent building the products that your customers had already paid for.
I understand that he built a really loyal following and that you all feel strongly about Tom and the product that he provided. I guess I just think you can now purchase superior products by people who actually care about their customers by providing Excellent customer service.
I think now that the curtain has been pushed aside, you might just find that you can actually get a better product with speedy delivery and people who stands behind it. You just might find that you are better off now.
I know I am probably going to get a ton of crap for this. It is just my opinion. I just think if you think about the whole situation, you just might see my points make sense.
Sorry if there are errors in this post. I'm typing on a iPad which is a pain in the ass.
..I was about to order 5+ more units
... and maybe OCD soon to come ..
