The Grasshopper

[1_gr8_underdog]

If you payed with paypal you have 180 calender days from payment to dispute the transaction. If you payed directly with you cc it would be up to the issuing company to decide your dispute.Hope this helps @Mrbinky


Yes @CarolKing my card was charged.

 

[J.D.420]

It seems like it's one step forward three steps back with the grasshopper updates. I'm remaining optimistic about the GH but if this thing does go under I believe it will be due to their failure to navigate the intricacies of international supply chain management and not through any malicious intent of the company

 

[Sinclue]

Wrote and requested a cancellation and refund.
Money promptly refunded.
Still get emails telling me its my turn to pre-order



.

 

[1_gr8_underdog]

I am positively hoping for wonderful news come the next update. I too think they should not have tried to outsouce so much of this design to overseas manufactures. I would have gladly paid more for a product designed and 100% manufactured in the USA. Not to say they would or would not had as many setbacks. But, I feel it would have been easier to navigate through the trecherous process that is manufacturing. I think It would easier to go one state away to deal with issues than to the other side of the world. Guess we will just have to wait and see what the 15th update brings.

 

[vapebuddy13]

This is a new company trying to get an awesome product out who clearly doesn't have all that abundant resources. If everything were to have been made in the US it probably would have been plenty more expensive with the same possibilities of being in the same situation. If they waited to charge the cards until it was ready you may never have your GH built... Plus comparing a start-up company who is just now getting really close to getting their products out to a reputable company who has been around, has money/resources, and can instantaneously ship your order is a bit silly. I mean we all knew this was a start up company when you backed it, and if you pre-ordered after the campaign I would still think you knew it was a start up that moved to pre-orders and was still working on the product. There are risks involved, you accept them when you order (plus they have stated somewhere that they charge at purchase "When placing an order, you will be charged at the completion of the checkout process. We know this isn’t ideal for many of you, but it is a requirement as of right now due to our company’s small size.")

Take a vape sesh, relax, and don't even think about GH and next thing you know you'll have it sitting at your door and you can be happy

 

[Delta3DStudios]

I agree that Grasshopper is wrong to have charged my credit card when they don't even have a confirmed shipping date yet.

Direct from the website:

Will I be charged now or on shipping?
When placing an order, you will be charged at the completion of the checkout process. We know this isn’t ideal for many of you, but it is a requirement as of right now due to our company’s small size.

I knew I would be charged when I placed my order. I expected it. Grasshopper is a new company, not established. They started with very little cash, and the have likely spent most of it to get to this point. I wouldn't be surprised if friend's and family of the founder's have also pitched in personal money to company.

GH is running on a shoe-string budget, they need all the cash they can get right now until they have the product finished and rolling out the door generating more cash flow. If they took 3000 preorders and never charged the credit card, where are they going to get the cash to make those 3000 units? You can't exactly buy parts for 10 vapes at a time....

I would have gladly paid more for a product designed and 100% manufactured in the USA.

You might be willing to pay more, as would I. But how many others are would? Most people don't give a shit where the vape was made as long as it works as expected.

Right now the market for a good electronic portable vape seems to be in the $150 to $300 range (MSRP).

GH wanted to undercut the market with an awesome vaporizer in the double digits ($99). Sadly it seems that target was missed and additional expenses have raised the late preorder price to $135. Which still seems like a reasonable price for what they're promising. In fact, I jumped at the price when I saw it was so affordable (I was expecting $200 for the finished product)

Would I have paid $250 if it was 100% designed and made in America, absolutely. But how many would GH sell? Probably not as many as a $99 vape made with Chinese supplied materials.

 

[zymos]

I would definitely pay more for a made in USA product that already existed.
But I would not have paid $200 or more for a Kickstarter of a made in USA vape. I was/am OK risking a hundred bucks for something that might fail (not that I don't have faith in the GH at this point).

 

[Jack Sprat]

Isn't it the US made heater that's delaying production?

 

[vapebuddy13]

Isn't it the US made heater that's delaying production?

lol'd

eta: because its true

 

[Mrbinky]

Direct from the website:


I knew I would be charged when I placed my order. I expected it. Grasshopper is a new company, not established. They started with very little cash, and the have likely spent most of it to get to this point. I wouldn't be surprised if friend's and family of the founder's have also pitched in personal money to company.

GH is running on a shoe-string budget, they need all the cash they can get right now until they have the product finished and rolling out the door generating more cash flow. If they took 3000 preorders and never charged the credit card, where are they going to get the cash to make those 3000 units? You can't exactly buy parts for 10 vapes at a time....

Those are all valid points, assuming that the GH does ship in the April/May time-frame. That was my expectation when I placed the order. It was not my expectation that my pre-order was speculative. Just that I would have to wait a little bit longer for it to ship.

If it was speculative, then they should have charged me the same $99 they charged the other speculative orders. I just barely missed the closing date of the original kickstart campaign. I would have been happy to fund them, but I didn't see the announcement in time, so I wasn't given the opportunity. They closed funding when they did because they supposedly had enough $$ at that time to bring the product to market, and didn't need any additional funding.

Perhaps they underestimated what it would cost to bring that product to market, and my $135+$7 pre-order is providing them with the additional funding they need to bring it to market. Well, then I guess it might have been fairer to people like me who wanted to get in the original kickstart, but got locked out at the last moment, if they would have let more of us invest at that time.

I would have probably ordered a colored titanium with some extras, so my investment would have been the same if not more, and we would have all been happier.

OK, so they were bad businessmen, and I was unlucky. If I eventually get my Grasshopper, all will (mostly) be forgiven. I hope it works out that way.

 

[Shit Snacks]

Price is likely to go up post release as well, to $150-200 for just a stainless probably.

I imagine that will be to recover all the losses they've suffered just bringing it to market. I agree with what @Ratchett said about the matter, they're new and needed the money to make em, fairly desperately I'd even say, but who knows.

 

[lwien]

Price is likely to go up post release as well, to $150-200 for just a stainless probably.

I imagine that will be to recover all the losses they've suffered just bringing it to market.

Yeah, but that's just the beginning. Considering what's transpired so far, one has to wonder how they will handle, both from a financial and a logistical point of view, the inevitable growing pains that they will go through that is typical of a brand new product, especially produced by a brand new company using cutting edge technology. Witness what happened with the S&B portables.

Will they be capable of handling that financial storm when it occurs, especially if they are tapped out before the first units ship.

I mean I totally get that those that put their money into this knew from the beginning that there was a gamble here putting money into a start-up but I wonder if all of the issues, like the one I mentioned above, was taken into consideration.

 

[jrk4d]

it seems almost goofy to me to charge such a low price for this.. I know its supposed to be the "affordable ultimate" portable. I still haven't pre-ordered. But if the company takes care of their customers and the product is what is claimed, I wouldn't care to pay in the $200 for this. I still want a firefly even tho its $330 with an extra battery and charger. I've got no skin in this yet, but i want them to succeed so i can offer support. Still thinking about a pre-order to get a good price, but I think they could get 200 all day for the SS a year down the line. I hope they haven't gotten too ambitious with the pre-order price, and aren't able to dig out.. anyone else worry about that?

 

[marduk]

Price is likely to go up post release as well, to $150-200 for just a stainless probably.

I imagine that will be to recover all the losses they've suffered just bringing it to market. I agree with what @Ratchett said about the matter, they're new and needed the money to make em, fairly desperately I'd even say, but who knows.

I'm rooting for them to succeed, and a price increase is more than justified. But I think the massive success of the PAX 2 release has put them in a bind when it comes to how much they can charge. Before PAX 2, a $200 price would have been good. But now people can get a PAX 1 for $200, and a PAX 2 for $80 more.

To compete with the PAX 2 juggernaut now, IMO they'll have to keep the GH price as close to $150 as they can. And that's a shame, because they deserve more.

I know the GH is a convection vape and the PAX is a conduction vape, and they both have their pros and cons, so I can see FC members getting both. But most regular folks who aren't vape enthusiasts just want one good working portable vape, and I'm pretty sure the PAX 2 would win out in the basic comparison done by average buyers, unless the price of the GH is too good to resist.

I just hope they release the GH before it becomes irrelevant. I want one now, but who knows what's around the corner and what's coming down the road?

 

[vapebuddy13]

I think the GH is fine with whether or not it will become irrelevant. Although it and the Pax2 are both small the GH is on a different level IMO. The small size + Pen-like design together with the ability to just heat it up real quick, take a hit and put it away sets it aside from the Pax greatly, especially for those who dont vape all that much (myself). There are plenty of times I want just a hit or 2 quick but to wait a minute+ the heat something up seems almost wasteful to just turn it off after 1/2 hits.

 

[Mister G]

I'm rooting for them to succeed, and a price increase is more than justified. But I think the massive success of the PAX 2 release has put them in a bind when it comes to how much they can charge. Before PAX 2, a $200 price would have been good. But now people can get a PAX 1 for $200, and a PAX 2 for $80 more.

To compete with the PAX 2 juggernaut now, IMO they'll have to keep the GH price as close to $150 as they can. And that's a shame, because they deserve more.

I know the GH is a convection vape and the PAX is a conduction vape, and they both have their pros and cons, so I can see FC members getting both. But most regular folks who aren't vape enthusiasts just want one good working portable vape, and I'm pretty sure the PAX 2 would win out in the basic comparison done by average buyers, unless the price of the GH is too good to resist.

I just hope they release the GH before it becomes irrelevant. I want one now, but who knows what's around the corner and what's coming down the road?

This is all about "Price Elasticity".

The portable market is currently being flooded with all kinds of new products at many different price points, Pax2, the upcoming halogen PocketPot, S&B is now a major player.....that said, I think the GH's unique form factor will give them an advantage in a few areas. IMO, the high cost of Crafty/Mighty has really thrown the elasticity of portable vaporizer pricing a bit out of whack in my mind.

 

[CarolKing]

Hopefully this company has a bit of a financial cushion because they are going to need it. We have a small business and when we started off we had to have quite a bit of money just sitting that we didn't even use right away. Of course the company is considerably smaller than the GH company. You never know when an unexpected event happens where you need to have some extra money due to a part breaking or something else we hadn't thought of. So I understand they needed to charge the credit cards of the customers.

Not sure how much they generated all together with their fundraising but $365,000.00 is nothing when it comes to a big company. They should have tried for a million, they probably would have gotten it.

I'm hoping this company can produce what they have promised to their customers and I wish them good luck.

 

[JoeKickass]

Man this thread has so much potential, but as an outsider looking in, this is what it feels like:

90% - Why is it taking so long?
80% - Grasshopper isn't doing it right!
85% - People explaining the above two

1% - Pictures, Video, and useful information

Yes I'm aware that is a total of 156%, but that's why this thread is 200 pages... why not just chill and wait for the people with grasshoppers to fill this thread with pictures, tips, and reviews?

 

[Shit Snacks]

I'm rooting for them to succeed, and a price increase is more than justified. But I think the massive success of the PAX 2 release has put them in a bind when it comes to how much they can charge. Before PAX 2, a $200 price would have been good. But now people can get a PAX 1 for $200, and a PAX 2 for $80 more.

To compete with the PAX 2 juggernaut now, IMO they'll have to keep the GH price as close to $150 as they can. And that's a shame, because they deserve more.

I know the GH is a convection vape and the PAX is a conduction vape, and they both have their pros and cons, so I can see FC members getting both. But most regular folks who aren't vape enthusiasts just want one good working portable vape, and I'm pretty sure the PAX 2 would win out in the basic comparison done by average buyers, unless the price of the GH is too good to resist.

I just hope they release the GH before it becomes irrelevant. I want one now, but who knows what's around the corner and what's coming down the road?

Yeah I think GH technology would justify higher price than Pax, incredible that it is less, but really I think both Pax are way over priced. Never would've bought a Pax1 for $250 and $200 is still a terrible price imo, its like a $75 vape to me in its tech and design

 

[CarolKing]

This thread will disappear after the GH comes out. Pictures and reviews will come. Basically this is a waiting thread, it's the waiting game. This is what folks talk about in a candidate thread. There's only one real unit out at this point, so not much to talk about other than speculation. Don't rain on everyone's parade.

 

[marduk]

Hopefully this company has a bit of a financial cushion because they are going to need it. We have a small business and when we started off we had to have quite a bit of money just sitting that we didn't even use right away. Of course the company is considerably smaller than the GH company. You never know when an unexpected event happens where you need to have some extra money due to a part breaking or something else we hadn't thought of.

I hope their pursuit of perfection results in a very reliable product with almost no warranty claims for a couple of years at least. Otherwise, I can see a repeat of the Thermovape Cera debacle where the company just can't deal with warranty issues and decides to close up shop and sell their patents with no prior warning to their customers.

Man... what was it? $300 for the Cera LL? It's been a crazy couple of years in the vape industry for sure.

 

[lwien]

I hope their pursuit of perfection results in a very reliable product with almost no warranty claims for a couple of years at least.

I can pretty much guarantee you that that will not happen.

If a company with as much financial and experienced manufacturing and management resources as S&B couldn't make it happen, there is no way in hell that an inexperienced start-up with limited resources and no experience in the manufacturing, management and logistical support areas can make it happen.

 

[Reliable ShotZ]

Yeah I think GH technology would justify higher price than Pax, incredible that it is less, but really I think both Pax are way over priced. Never would've bought a Pax1 for $250 and $200 is still a terrible price imo, its like a $75 vape to me in its tech and design

Completely agree not sure why anyone would of paid that price for a pax 1. The grasshopper has everything I want in a vaporizer for an amazing price which makes the wait that much more unbearable

 

[mitchgo61]

I can pretty much guarantee you that that will not happen.

If a company with as much financial and experienced manufacturing and management resources as S&B couldn't make it happen, there is no way in hell that an inexperienced start-up with limited resources and no experience in the manufacturing, management and logistical areas can make it happen.

If GH thinks design, manufacturing, and rolling out a brand new product, from a brand-new company, is difficult and expensive....just wait till they find out how hard it is, even for an existing company with tons of infrastructure (witness S&B) to keep up with support and repair of a 1.0 device that is sure to break down under heavy usage.

This phase that they've had so much trouble with, so far, is the easy part of the whole "portable vaporizer company" problem. The support phase will be a positive shit-storm compared to what's transpired so far. Hope they saved some cash for hiring.

 

[marduk]

I can pretty much guarantee you that that will not happen.

If a company with as much financial and experienced manufacturing and management resources as S&B couldn't make it happen, there is no way in hell that an inexperienced start-up with limited resources and no experience in the manufacturing, management and logistical areas can make it happen.

I disagree that there's no way in hell they can do it. Whether they achieve a low return rate remains to be seen, but I think they have a good shot at it.

Yes, they have no management structure, but that can be a positive thing. The owners/engineers can overspec things and not have to worry about the bean counters making them compromise in the name of profits. When I look at the Crafty/Mighty points of failure and then look at the GH design, I think the GH team does have a fighting chance.