Discontinued The Grasshopper

[Custom Flower Hardware]

Hello everyone,

Sorry I have been out for the last few days. Myself "Trevor" does a lot of the posts on here for you guys, and I have been extremely busy and feeling the pressure with the fire. I have not had a chance to read much of what has been posted since but will comment on what I have and give a mini update.

1. We cannot say for sure it was or was not the battery, but as we noted in the notice, we are not taking any chances with that. We have sent disposal notices out and will not be shipping any more of this batch unless something changes.

2. The fire was devastating but not catastrophic. Most of the custom machines and equipment have survived with a manageable level of damage. The fire burned two centrally located 4'x8' tables and was then extinguished by a lack of oxygen remaining in the space.

3. Much of the existing inventory was located far enough away to not be greatly affected. It is stored in a separate location.

4. Some warranty was destroyed, some was not. We were closing in on completing it, so the loss here is not extream. We will, of course, replace any destroyed devices, but we do need time.

5. We are incredibly fortunate to have an adjacent space to us that was undamaged. We will temporarily move into this space to get operations restarted as soon as possible. We will be back up and running the website with accessories by this coming week. I hope many of you can "contribute" to the cause by ordering a few small things as funds are tight.

6. We only carry a general liability policy which, does not cover inventory or equipment damage. Any notion that we are getting anything from the fire is incorrect. Only our landlord will see any insurance money.

7. It will take time to get a new battery. We have an excellent safety record with the device/battery, and we expect that to continue. We have taken swift action and will resolve this issue.

8. We will issue refunds to those who did not receive orders that did not ship out. We will replace the batteries which we are asking to be removed from circulation.

9. Please be patient. I will be on here as much as I can to answer questions and solicit advice.

I am sure there is a ton of speculation on whether we will survive this or not, and that is to be expected. I can assure you we will. We have a long way to go, but we will prevail and go on to build more amazing things. It has been a rough journey so far, for not only us but everyone who has been a supporter. I ask for your support once again to clear this unexpected hurdle and continue building this great device.

Thank you and best of luck and good fortune getting back on your feet! Fanboy from day 1. Looking forward to the future!

 

[Macicman]

I will help support too and buy another one. Grasshopper is a dope gun.

 

[ChooChooCharlie]

A phucking phoenix should be their mascot

I'll place an order when they're up

 

[Rel2018]

Hello everyone,

Sorry I have been out for the last few days. Myself "Trevor" does a lot of the posts on here for you guys, and I have been extremely busy and feeling the pressure with the fire. I have not had a chance to read much of what has been posted since but will comment on what I have and give a mini update.

1. We cannot say for sure it was or was not the battery, but as we noted in the notice, we are not taking any chances with that. We have sent disposal notices out and will not be shipping any more of this batch unless something changes.

2. The fire was devastating but not catastrophic. Most of the custom machines and equipment have survived with a manageable level of damage. The fire burned two centrally located 4'x8' tables and was then extinguished by a lack of oxygen remaining in the space.

3. Much of the existing inventory was located far enough away to not be greatly affected. It is stored in a separate location.

4. Some warranty was destroyed, some was not. We were closing in on completing it, so the loss here is not extream. We will, of course, replace any destroyed devices, but we do need time.

5. We are incredibly fortunate to have an adjacent space to us that was undamaged. We will temporarily move into this space to get operations restarted as soon as possible. We will be back up and running the website with accessories by this coming week. I hope many of you can "contribute" to the cause by ordering a few small things as funds are tight.

6. We only carry a general liability policy which, does not cover inventory or equipment damage. Any notion that we are getting anything from the fire is incorrect. Only our landlord will see any insurance money.

7. It will take time to get a new battery. We have an excellent safety record with the device/battery, and we expect that to continue. We have taken swift action and will resolve this issue.

8. We will issue refunds to those who did not receive orders that did not ship out. We will replace the batteries which we are asking to be removed from circulation.

9. Please be patient. I will be on here as much as I can to answer questions and solicit advice.

I am sure there is a ton of speculation on whether we will survive this or not, and that is to be expected. I can assure you we will. We have a long way to go, but we will prevail and go on to build more amazing things. It has been a rough journey so far, for not only us but everyone who has been a supporter. I ask for your support once again to clear this unexpected hurdle and continue building this great device.

Best vape in the world no doubt.

Hope You’ll get through this guys!

 

[vapviking]

@Hopper Labs , great hearing from you!
Live the dream.

* * * * *
I know you've got a lot of
Good things happening up ahead.
The past is gone it's all been said.
So here's to what the future brings,
I know tomorrow you'll find better things
I know tomorrow you'll find better things
--Ray Davies
* * * * *

I think I need some leather sleeves to store hoppers in while they're resting...and let's see...

 

[Vaporific]

@Hopper Labs , great hearing from you!
Live the dream.

* * * * *
I know you've got a lot of
Good things happening up ahead.
The past is gone it's all been said.
So here's to what the future brings,
I know tomorrow you'll find better things
I know tomorrow you'll find better things
--Ray Davies
* * * * *

I think I need some leather sleeves to store hoppers in while they're resting...and let's see...

Great lyrical quote - I have a Ray Davies autographed guitar soon to be mounted in my den. They were my second concert many moons ago.

I agree with everyone’s sentiment above and thankful no one was hurt in the fire and appreciate HL’s update (from Trevor - I thought it was he since John was replying to my year-long RMA emails) however we still don’t know the cause of the fire. We may never know either and they may never divulge the root cause (and shame on HL if proper fire safety was not in place or not working - hopefully a lesson learned: “I’ll be there when I teach what I’ve been taught” - Neil Peart ). Points 1 & 7 above don’t sit well with me and seemingly contradict each other IMO. Now that the internals seemed to be stable the remaining thing is the power supply - and the quality control thereof.

I truly love my Hopper again back from RMA but this latest fiasco leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I want HL succeed but they make it hard to win us over - again. Happy Monday to all.

 

[biohacker]

We may never know either and they may never divulge the root cause (and shame on HL if proper fire safety was not in place or not working - hopefully a lesson learned

It's actually their landlord's responsibility to ensure these things, as well as perform regularly testing, etc. They're on the hook, not HL. They should have been smarter and purchased better "tenant's insurance" though. Especially considering how little it costs. It doesn't make sense to me that they didn't have more than just liability.

I truly love my Hopper again back from RMA but this latest fiasco leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I want HL succeed but they make it hard to win us over - again.

I feel ya, while I do appreciate the communication, I personally just IMO don't feel it's wise to purchase any accessories from them until they get their shit sorted, especially the batteries and working hoppers, and a bit more confidence that they will continue to go the distance. And before some of you jump all over me about them being a small startup, and supporting them by tossing more cash their way, again this is just my own opinion, feel free to continue to buy things that may potentially just be more paperweights.

Should they get proper working safe batteries and killer working hoppers back online, i'm more than willing to buy more than 1 hopper and a shit tonne of accessories! There is no better vape IMHO.

 

[david8613]

I still want one!!!

 

[kilo]

So good to hear from Hopper Labs!

Last week I posted a little upbeat note of appreciation because I was so happy to see that the company had turned a corner and there seemed to be such positive vibes around the GrassHopper again. I sort of had some doubts whether to post it or not, afraid I might jinx something.

I shouldn't have posted it — this latest setback was my fault! When I read the e-mail about the fire I had such a sinking sensation, kept hoping it was a dream from which I'd awake.

Anyway thanks to Trevor for filling us in and giving us some hope again. Looking forward to better news in the future as HL comes back to life.

 

[Vaporific]

I shouldn't have posted it — this latest setback was my fault! When I read the e-mail about the fire I had such a sinking sensation, kept hoping it was a dream from which I'd awake.

Don’t blame yourself. It’s not HL’s fault entirely either though operating in an unsafe workplace environment needs to be heeded by both the occupants as well as the property owners.

Confidence = Trust. This has been and continues to be a thorn in HL’s side. I’m still routing for HL however; the Hopper is truly special and unique - when it works consistently well. I think the batteries were (I’ve received a few duds in the past) and quite possibly still are an issue - which erodes trust. What’s positive is that HL said they will continue on and not fold up (at least not right away). I’ll take that, and perhaps an important lessons learned from this incident, as a silver lining.

Unlike some, I have only one Hopper and not interested in another or buying one for someone. With the exception of batteries, of which my new ones still remain in kitty litter - until I throw caution to the wind and resume using them again - I only have need for batteries and no other accessories. And no I’m not buying a HL sticker. I’ll support HL emotionally but have a hard time doing so otherwise until things are straightened out.

I know it takes time to establish exact cause of fires yet I’d like to know if the batteries were truly to blame or circumstantial. Again, points 1 & 7 above don’t jive but I’m cautiously optimistic a full turnaround for HL is down the road in the not-too-distant future...

EDIT: yesterday, I successfully removed the screen from the standard mouthpiece and gave everything an ISO bath - and successfully got it screwed in again with fine point tweezers I bought a couple of years ago just for this purpose. It was indeed dirty in there, even after previously soaking the whole thing assembled in ISO. Good to know I can now do this without much effort...

 

[david8613]

what are the chances of hopper labs selling some stuff on black Friday? this is what I was waiting for.

 

[eideal852]

Hello everyone,

Sorry I have been out for the last few days. Myself "Trevor" does a lot of the posts on here for you guys, and I have been extremely busy and feeling the pressure with the fire. I have not had a chance to read much of what has been posted since but will comment on what I have and give a mini update.

1. We cannot say for sure it was or was not the battery, but as we noted in the notice, we are not taking any chances with that. We have sent disposal notices out and will not be shipping any more of this batch unless something changes.

2. The fire was devastating but not catastrophic. Most of the custom machines and equipment have survived with a manageable level of damage. The fire burned two centrally located 4'x8' tables and was then extinguished by a lack of oxygen remaining in the space.

3. Much of the existing inventory was located far enough away to not be greatly affected. It is stored in a separate location.

4. Some warranty was destroyed, some was not. We were closing in on completing it, so the loss here is not extream. We will, of course, replace any destroyed devices, but we do need time.

5. We are incredibly fortunate to have an adjacent space to us that was undamaged. We will temporarily move into this space to get operations restarted as soon as possible. We will be back up and running the website with accessories by this coming week. I hope many of you can "contribute" to the cause by ordering a few small things as funds are tight.

6. We only carry a general liability policy which, does not cover inventory or equipment damage. Any notion that we are getting anything from the fire is incorrect. Only our landlord will see any insurance money.

7. It will take time to get a new battery. We have an excellent safety record with the device/battery, and we expect that to continue. We have taken swift action and will resolve this issue.

8. We will issue refunds to those who did not receive orders that did not ship out. We will replace the batteries which we are asking to be removed from circulation.

9. Please be patient. I will be on here as much as I can to answer questions and solicit advice.

I am sure there is a ton of speculation on whether we will survive this or not, and that is to be expected. I can assure you we will. We have a long way to go, but we will prevail and go on to build more amazing things. It has been a rough journey so far, for not only us but everyone who has been a supporter. I ask for your support once again to clear this unexpected hurdle and continue building this great device.

Great to see an update here, hopefully mine made its ship! Certainly, if otherwise ok, dont wait to ship just for batteries, im sure mine are fine anyway!
mwah!

 

[abcd5432]

Thanks for the update, Trevor. I appreciate it.

I don't need any accessories, but when you get back to shipping GH, I will order one. I planned to order one on Black Friday but.....well, shit does indeed happen.

Best of luck, please do drop in once in a while with an update, and best wishes for getting yourself up and running asap.

By the by, you absolutely need remote monitoring burglar AND fire alarms and an active fire suppression system. Halon isn't used in electronic facilities (think telco central offices/data centers/etc) anymore but there are people safe, non-toxic alternatives.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?

I really am rooting for you guys as it appears that you finally had gotten things together to output a proper working device and, perhaps, even the ability to consistently repair RMAs. I would love to see you back up and running for everybody's sake.

And finally, and once again, I am so glad that nobody was injured. That's the most important thing.

Saw this recommended on the wire cutter and figured I'd check back in. I can't believe such a mainstream site recommended the grasshopper considering they're still trying to get their act together.

Although, seeing you be optimistic gives me hope. It's been years now lol. I really hope this becomes a reliable device so I can order my first one. Looks like it's almost there!

 

[muunch]

Very glad to hear an update from Hopper Labs. Confirming safety of all HL, and most of their equipment. Still a shame, but quite happy it is not at cataclysmic as thought/expected. I felt confident enough to purchase a fairly new (<1mo old) 'hopper at a nice cost from a fellow FC'er today, as I still couldn't shake the itch I had to try one of these. It would be absolute shame to never have used a GH if something did happen that caused them to disappear

Hoping I can nab a leather case, some extra GH condoms, and a PFE for Black Friday still.

 

[Custom Flower Hardware]

Everyone support GH and buy the bubbler. It also works like a dream with vap caps to tide us over

 

[ChooChooCharlie]

Hopper + TiChillum + Tequila = Happy Hopper picture post

 

[vapviking]

Saw this recommended on the wire cutter and figured I'd check back in. I can't believe such a mainstream site recommended the grasshopper considering they're still trying to get their act together.

Although, seeing you be optimistic gives me hope. It's been years now lol. I really hope this becomes a reliable device so I can order my first one. Looks like it's almost there!

Have you read about what happened to HL last week? The fire?

 

[LesPlenty]

what are the chances of hopper labs selling some stuff on black Friday?

Might be some heat-treated bodies for sale...too soon?
Seriously though, I hope HL get back on their feet and get back to business even bigger and better than before.
These really are a nice looking vape that I hope to one day be able to proudly own,

 

[Vaporific]

Might be some heat-treated bodies for sale...

Yeah, the fire likely contributed to the heat-treated process!

My RMA’d pre-order Ti continues to work well two months back from RMA, though I’m milking my old batteries hard. The thing hits hard too - great effect even on relatively low temps (upper 2s). When it works well, it’s an awesome vape & nothing quite like it.

 

[JeffD]

Well, after waiting for months for warranty, and many messages going back and forth, you emailed me that my warranty unit had "shipped out today", on November 11th.

I fully expect to receive my unit, though I've been waiting 8 days, and still nothing.

"In the early morning hours of November 12th, 2019, a fire started at the Hopper Labs facility while no one was there. The fire was discovered at 6 AM when we arrived to start the day, and the fire department was immediately dispatched. Unfortunately, the fire had smoldered for several hours in the well-insulated building, allowing extremely high temperatures to be reached. These conditions resulted in the destruction of our custom equipment, completed inventory, warranty units, and untold numbers of in-progress parts.

We must temporarily halt sales while we determine the fastest path to restarting production. Over the past year, our small core team has been working tirelessly to clear the warranty backlog, finish in-progress accessories, and develop the next version of the Grasshopper which was slated to be released and shipped this December. This is a major setback, but we will continue our dream of building unique, innovative products for this great community.

Although the fire department has initially determined the cause of the fire to be an electrical issue in the building, out of an abundance of caution we feel that all customers who have received batteries from the newest batch (GHB2 with "Made in China" text on the glossy label) should discontinue use immediately, and that all customers should remember to never charge the device unattended, as stated in the manual. This is a preemptive cautionary step at this time and we will inform you if that changes. An email has been sent to all those who are presumed to have received new batteries with instructions for safely disposing of them.

We would like to thank Boulder Fire-Rescue for their fast and professional response, and for spending hours on the scene helping to assess the situation.

Please contact support@grasshoppervape.com with any questions."

 

[vapviking]

Well, after waiting for months for warranty, and many messages going back and forth, you emailed me that my warranty unit had "shipped out today", on November 11th.

I fully expect to receive my unit, though I've been waiting 8 days, and still nothing.

My post was just a quote from Hopper Labs statement about their catastrophe.
I suggest you take this up with HL's support.
I wonder if you got a tracking number, confirming that the item had left HL? All of their domestic mailings get a tracking number, it sounds like your package may not have left the building.

 

[MonkeyTime]

My post was just a quote from Hopper Labs statement about their catastrophe.
I suggest you take this up with HL's support.
I wonder if you got a tracking number, confirming that the item had left HL? All of their domestic mailings get a tracking number, it sounds like your package may not have left the building.

Based on the timing, I was thinking the same thing. The label may have been created, but it may not have been picked up.....

Let's stay positive until you know better!

 

[JeffD]

Nope, no tracking number- just an email, and this message via their warranty page:

-----

John (Hopper Labs) Nov. 11, 2019, 7:42 p.m.
The unit shipped out today.

-----

I am really despairing I purchased originally. I ONLY purchased because of the warranty, and I never would have thought that getting a warranty repair would be such an frustrating experience, and now a fire.
I'm fearing I'll learn that my unit was burnt up, before being shipped, and I'm screwed.

My post was just a quote from Hopper Labs statement about their catastrophe.
I suggest you take this up with HL's support.
I wonder if you got a tracking number, confirming that the item had left HL? All of their domestic mailings get a tracking number, it sounds like your package may not have left the building.

 

[eideal852]

Nope, no tracking number- just an email, and this message via their warranty page:

-----

John (Hopper Labs) Nov. 11, 2019, 7:42 p.m.
The unit shipped out today.

-----

I am really despairing I purchased originally. I ONLY purchased because of the warranty, and I never would have thought that getting a warranty repair would be such an frustrating experience, and now a fire.
I'm fearing I'll learn that my unit was burnt up, before being shipped, and I'm screwed.

I also got burned (ahem): nov 11 was "okay we'll ship it"
no tracking no nada

 

[Vaporific]

I also got burned (ahem): nov 11 was "okay we'll ship it"
no tracking no nada

I would think unfulfilled orders will be addressed soon as long as it’s brought to their attention, not including this forum. Email them or inquire within their website once logged in. It however may take time for them to respond given the current circumstances.

FWIW my RMA was logged as received 3 weeks after USPS confirmed it arrived, so their fulfillment status updates were not timely and accurate - and perhaps prematurely reverse in these cases (TBD). Good luck!