Hey everyone,
Wanted to address the issues that are been surfaced by the many posts here in discussion.
We've been receiving reports of missing parts due to packaging and the bearing not performing up to expectations. We know this is a big letdown for those affected, and we urge you to reach out to support if affected. We’ll do everything we can to make it right.
We have already started working with our supplier to address these issues and I'll have a more in-depth update once I have all the information. While these issues ultimately affected a slice of participants, their experience is not representative of what you should expect from a Massdrop or RAMA WORKS product. For that, we apologize and urge you to reach out if affected.
The best way to do this is to go to the ‘transactions’ page (https://www.massdrop.com/transactions) and click ‘Contact Support’ on the RAMA WORKS transaction.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the drop and posted comments to update us regarding your experience with this drop. We appreciate you being a part of the community and making Massdrop better by reporting these issues.
10/6/17 EDIT:
Hi Everyone - we have an update on the replacement bearings for the spinners. They are starting to ship out from our warehouse, and you should be receiving an email with tracking information. If you do not get a tracking number by the end of next week (10/13), please reach out to our community support team.
Thank you everyone for your patience with this drop. We’re looking forward to you all receiving the new bearings!
YanboWuWhat exactly am I supposed to say to support?
Hey there the spinner I purchased from you guys is ATROCIOUSLY bad? What can you do for me? Are you guys going to be sending out replacement bearings? The bearings are literally the biggest problem with this product (aside from the missing screws people are getting which is 100% unacceptable).
I want to hear some solutions and ideas of what you guys are planning to make this right because this entire situation is a disappointment and frankly unprofessional. The cavalier PR speak of, " While these issues ultimately affected a slice of participants..." really grinds my gears--did you read any of the posts since these shipped out?
Tell me what you are going to do for us. We need new bearings and a large percentage of people even need the basic grub screws to make this thing work in the first place.
YanboWuI really wanted to support RamaWorks but since his other products don't appeal to me usually I did this group buy. I'm severely disappointed and I'm sad as well that everyone who bought this will get a bad taste of RamaWorks. I really hope you guys will fix the problems, because a lot of people are troubled by the QC issues. I'm receiving mine tomorrow and hope no screws are missing.
Edit: Posted my brief review on the spinner.
OneEyeTwoHeadYes, that is actually exactly what you should say to support. Not to say that your gripes are not valid and justified, but airing them here probably won't make much difference whereas contacting support will open a case and be the first step to actually getting your issue resolved. I've had very good response from support on the drops I've had issues with and they've always made it right.
Now if you've contacted support and they don't get back to you or don't fairly resolve your issue, then that would be the type of thing I'd probably complain publicly about as well. But if you haven't even tried contacting support, then how do you know it will be a bad experience?
ThatKawaiiGuyI agree - this is exactly the reason I joined this drop as well. I was lucky enough that my spinner has no fit and finish issues and all parts were safe, but it is a shame that the bearing is so janky. I like the spinner enough that I am going to try swapping the bearing myself with a better one to see if it resolves the issue, but I absolutely should not have to do that and I don't blame anybody who's not willing to go to the hassle.
I feel like maybe this drop would have been better off to impose a much smaller limit, at least for the initial run, then once all kinks were worked out and production is solid and predictable, do a bigger 2nd run. Many enthusiast forum group buys and Instagram/Kickstarter projects work that way - the initial runs are fairly limited, then refined and tweaked versions of the item are released again later.
OneEyeTwoHeadHey yes, please do let support know your bearings are noisy and not up to expectation.
We are looking into the best way to get everyone taken care of and new bearings is definitely one of the paths we are exploring.
YanboWuNew bearings are a potential path to solving this problem but conveniently the o-ring dampeners for cherry mx switches fit perfectly in between the thumb pads. It reduced noise and helped balance out the spinner for me. It's not a perfect solution but one that has provided me an adequate work around until I hear of an update.
jersey_boyHey, one quick tip - take off both the top and bottom caps and lay the spinner on a flat surface with the bearing inside.
Start turning the grub screws in from the outside, one turn at a time and switch to the next screw - kind of like changing tires on a car.
Please let me know if that yields better spin results - judging from your review, it sounds like the bearing isn't sitting flush with the body of the spinner and that's why you are getting an oscillating effect.
YanboWuIt's nice to know that at least Massdrop is actively working to fix this clusterfuck. Based on the quality of Rama's Keyboards and previous products, I like to think is an isolated incident.
OneEyeTwoHeadThere were thousands of orders and only a small handful relative to that number have actually posted, so I think "a slice" is a fair assessment.
YanboWuYanoboWu I appreciate you posting here and helping people along , one thing that I think you should mention is that RAMA provided the designs , he was not involved in the manufacturing / QC process... I have a number of RAMA WORKS products and his quality is impeccable, he would have never let the batch of bad ones that got out even reach his customers. Unfortunately im one of the ones affected here but it does not change my perception of RAMA WORKS at all. I think you should make it clear where the lines of your agreement with Rama were because as it is now this does a lot do damage his brand as one person and minimally impacts your brand because massdrop does 1000's of transactions for hundreds of products.
All of that being said I appreciate that you guys are making this right and I have already been in contact with support
YanboWudid not have any material impact. assembled on a flat glass table. the oscillating effect is not a wobble, its a roughness that causes a periodic sound. its more likely the bearing is deformed.
ShockolateThis fiasco has almost nothing to do with Rama it seems and more with MD. Hearing all the good things about Rama and his work, this is not like him at all to let this type of thing happen.
YanboWuI finally put mine together after hemming and hawing because of the missing screw and have discovered I'm less than happy with my bearings, I've already reached out to MD regarding the missing screw, should I send another support ticket regarding the subpar bearings as well? I have a spinner literally a tenth the price that seems to spin better.
BlueCrownedI only recieved my spinner today, and my immediate response was to contact support, not post in a discussion where I'd be dismissed by people like you. That basic care wasn't taken to ensure that the product arrived intact is a tremendous failure, especially since the original packaging design would have most likely avoided the issue entirely. That they'd open this message by trying to focus on the number of complaints rather than the fact that this packaging is worse than the packaging of spinners from a gas station or grocery store doesn't exactly reassure.
jersey_boyI think a lot of the noise that you are hearing is coming from the flimsy caps and how well you fit your bearing inside the spinner.
This is why you don't have people assemble spinners, just give it to them assembled. That alone would remove 95% of the complaints all together...
YanboWuWhy not just send an r188 adapter and r188 bearing, aside from the set screws it it solved my problem. I am actually really enjoying the brass with an adapter and one drop r188 bearing in it
YanboWuI should add that hybrid and full ceramic bearings are typically a lot louder than stainless steel bearings. Keep this in mind as hybrid ceramics tend to have a bit of a ringing sound to them. A brass spinner may amplify this as well. Hybrid ceramics/ceramics tend to also "break in" over time...
YanboWuI contacted support on friday. Can we get this refund process going, since the promotional material is plainly misleading compared to what I actually recieved. Also, protip, if you replace what appears to be a sealed bearing for skating with an inferior open one, don't act like its not your fault that it readily warps when installed without mechanical precision. It should be no surprise that a design based around a bearing that would support a quarter a person's weight wont work if replaced with one that would be destroyed by that use.
vito687For me, it does changed my perception of Rama Works after this product. I dont see a post from him addressing the issue people are having. I'd feel less inclined to buy his product after this mess.
ZenxyzThat's because he had nothing to
do with manufacturing just the design... that's like asking for an apology from blue apron because you screwed up the recipe . Design /manufacturing are completely separate , im not here to convince you , just trying to help you understand
YanboWuscrews missing and pieces scratched up due to the fact that they werent held in place properly. I noticed that the clear sticker thing on the grey package was placed on the wrong edge. So obviously this was the fault of either Massdrop or Ramaworks. I've never seen such poor packaging before. And to wait a whole month+ to receive this? I expect either a full refund, or a new and flawless product, that is assembled to perfection, with expedited shipping.
rwpoonThe spinners arrived at Massdrops fulfillment center. So Massdrop dropped the ball on the shipment. Manufacturing maybe be them as well since the spinner was just designed by Rama Works.
YanboWuI logged a support request last Thursday (8/24) after I received this product when I got home around 6 PM and I have yet to receive an acknowledgement that my support request was actually received.
I don't mind if it takes a while to get to my issue especially considering there seems to be many people disappointed with this product for one reason or another, but I would like to see an email (even automated) or something that just simply says "we have received your request and here's your ticket number".
I'm not sure if I did something wrong and my ticket didn't go through or if I just have yet to receive a response.
xploitHey xploit, I've checked through our ticketing system, and I can't find any tickets from you. Looks like it didn't go through for some reason. Can you resubmit it please?
vito687Your analogy makes no sense. I bought a product, not ingredients. His name is on the product so of course he get some of the blame. Perhaps he should be more hands on with the manufacturing part if he doesn't want his reputation to be ruined.
Now I'd be wary of the quality of his next product.
Zenxyz My analogy was only to explain the concept of delivering designs that someone else executes ... like an architect with builders etc (though at least the architect can influence and help the final product). I just explained the process, you can do with that info what you will. Also with regard to Ramas involvement thats not howmassdrop model works, typically its a handoff where massdrop takes the designs and thats their last formal interaction with the designer and then MD procures the manufacturer materials etc, handle manufacturing , deliver, etc... for things like this, he had no way of being involved but definitely is something that MD should consider doing (including the designer) ... Anyways you are free to be angry with whomever you want, just wanted to provide some input
ZenxyzRama's original packaging was with the secure foam and all that, but Massdrop changed it to the more cheaper plastic bs so they can gain more profit (it's the only viable explanation tbh). This alone should tell you who is at fault for more then 95% of this. If you search in this discussion I'm pretty sure a lot of your quarrels would be answered.
If you don't want to search for the truth yourself no point in me and others explaining to you what is going on. It seems like your mind is already made up anyway...
A
vito687The item should come pre-assembled with precision. The bearing is not an interference fit, in fact it is loose. The thumb pads spindle diameter is smaller than the diameter of the hole in the bearing so it is impossible to fit properly. I work in China at factories making stuff and this smacks of a design being given to the factory and then no one taking ownership for quality or control. I am sure the Rama design is perfect but the execution of it is terrible. The tolerances alone are telling me this. The factory has tossed these off quickly and substituted cheap crappy parts where they should have used quality ones. I see it all the time....
TintovicThats exactly what I think happened! Glad you see it too. Just sucks that Rama is the one who's rep is getting dragged for it. For his other projects (not deployed on massdrop) he actually goes to the factory and is involved in the QC process to make sure he gets exactly what he wants... thats why its so sad to see his rep getting damaged here
YanboWuLooking forward to getting new set screws. The machining was poor on mine and the little hex wrench wouldn't go in the hole making it impossible to tighten.
The machining on the main brass piece was pretty funky around the edges as well. Not entirely bad, but not great either.
I will be somewhat satisfied once the new screws come and I can at least assemble the spinner. I'm done with Rama works though. Their presentation on the sales side of things is beautiful to me, but the actual hardware is pretty crap to be honest.
TintovicFrom the beginning of this drop KingRama himself said that you would have to assemble the spinner yourself.
Now... seeing how the diameter to fit the bearing inside the spinner is different and not one is the same, yes preassembled would've been the best option.
Many people and myself included ordered the Kong r188 adapter. The fit for the Kong is very different from spinner to spinner. For myself it was very very snug and tight, I had to use my small watch malice to set it flush. For some others it just placed right in with no trouble. So as far as I know, the quality control is the main issue for the Remedy, nothing else. Same with the packaging and shipping, it's could've been a whole lot better. This is the worst packaging I've seen for an expensive item.
SegaGen3sisCould you point me in the right direction of that adapter? I want to make sure I get the right thing. That will fix most of my issue though the finish of mine is still messed up unfortunately. I love the spinner - size, weight, and form factor is perfect
SegaGen3sisWhy hold Massdrop responsible for the fiasco? They did not manufacture this, a contractor manufacturer did, for RamaWorks.
It should have been a concern of @KingRama (who has an excellent reputation for quality products) to validate and verify the QC.
Most likely @KingRama was screwed by the contactor...
BobrazMassdrop is the one who secured said contractor and who was responsible for the overall delivery of the product including the QC. Rama literally handed off designs and trusted massdrop to secure a competent manufacturer... ideally massdrop should have involved Rama in the selection of this contractor and should have had samples etc from selected contractors etc but that isn't how their process currently works. Your perception that Rama somehow had more involvement in the contractor/selection is wrong
vito687I see. Are you sure of your source of information? I must have missed it if it was documented here.
Anyway at this point, I guess it's irrelevant, as I'm sure both Rama and Massdrop (who both enjoy great reputations) are sorely regretting having chosen the particular manufacturer that made these.
I have about thirty spinners ranging from $20 to $120 and I do agree that at this price point, fit, finish and quality should have been multiple times better.
Massdrop and Rama should just do their mea culpa, then bite the bullet and find a solution that will delight everybody (like sending Kong cores AND offering a credit to everyone) and thus regaining the admiration and loyalty of their customers.
It would mean a financial hit for Massdrop, but that's just money. It would still be the right thing to do, and good for business and good for their name. The market loves companies who own their mistakes while striving to find delightful solutions!
BobrazCouldn't agree more :) you are definitely reasonable in your assessment and I do think (hope) the solution being worked on will fix the 5% or so people affected ! I did also buy a kong adapter from the link above in the meantime. I have a few spinners , def not 30 ! Haha but i hope for this one to become one of the ones that stays in my pocket at all times! Cheers man, here is to great spinners and great resolutions to this unfortunate situation !
SegaGen3sisI got my kong adapter, forced it in... MAN this thing is a dream! Sad I cant use the original buttons since they were a bit lower profile but its a minimal difference in the profile. I got the black one which matches the black anno brass perfectly so the adapter blends right in
BobrazI've seen spinners on various sites but I'be no idea what they're for/do? Since it's on this & other knife shops I have to think____, I don't know really? I'm asking you since you look to collect & collect some quality ones! Thanks!
YanboWuso today i sat down and did a bunch of testing again. I tried 3 things, bearing alone, bearing in the buttons, and reseated bearing in the remedy spinner. and stopwatched it. im getting ....wait for it.... generally 10 second spins . it's totally the bearing. and it has a rough bit where i can feel it grating as it spins. its definitely deformed. i assembled it on a flat aluminum mousepad. (aluminum mousepads are totally a thing).
so taking the advice of others in this thread, i also bought a brass kong spinner from fidgethq and used that as a replacement bearing, and holy shit. the hybrid of the brass kong + brass rama remedy is fantastic, smooth, and quiet (and spins for multiple minutes). unfortunately, its 75$, a price i will never, ever spend again on any spinner that i am not fabricating myself. would still appreciate a replacement bearing or something of that ilk from massdrop though.
jersey_boyI agree, something more than another $0.06 bearing and some grubs need to be done. Something more in line with $25-$50 refund. And/or a full Kong setup, and a little something to compensate the hand finishing required to polish the sides.
On a side note, for those that only picked the Remedy up to use as a desk display toy, I ran across these over on fasttech. I picked one up for my son. It curently contains a Star Wars Lego figure.
BobrazCouch side table. Out of holster, but within reach when lounging. Thank you. The grips are just stock on the S&W Performance Center models, but do look great.
Forgot to mention, those little display stands were only $2.30 delivered. 👍🏻
YanboWuI find this highly ironic how everyone keeps asking for a more expensive bearing. More expensive doesn't necessarily mean "better", and even "better" is a subjective term. Hybrid ceramic bearings tend to be more expensive, the next step up is usually a full ceramic bearing which is even louder. I highly recommend you people buy a cheap stainless steel skateboard bearing (608), take off the shield and clean them (give them a nice alcohol bath and spin them dry for 5 minutes to avoid rust). To make it dead silent, add a couple drops of valve oil (though this lowers spin time). In my experience with spinners and bearing combinations, hybrid ceramics tend to always have a shorter spin time and are much louder. Granted I've only been able to test hybrid vs SS on a few 188-sized spinners: Zentri, Sol Spin, Stealth Aventador Mini, Voltri, and even a cheap Chinese spinner or two. In just about every instance, the hybrid ceramic bearing was always louder than the SS and didn't spin as long. On the other hand, the hybrid ceramics tend to be smoother in their spin and give a little better feedback; they also seem to be more robust to my clumsy hands. This makes them better in terms of being a fidget toy.
The other thing to note is that in general, a smaller bearing will be quieter than a bigger one.
For just about everything everyone else is asking for, longer spin time and quieter spin, a cheaper, SS bearing will provide just that.
tinyman392I personally bought a Kong to replace it. But the bearing isn't even what I'm upset about with this drop. It's the fact that almost NOTHING came as advertised. I bought the gunmetal version, it came blue. I bought a $50 spinner and it didn't spin more than 30 seconds. The screws were shown to be good quality and they were cheaply made ones. This wasn't worth $50 at all and we need to be refunded.,
YanboWuJust lost the spinner because of my shitty angled pockets, and it of course had my kong bearing because the bearings that came with it were garbo..
im sad ):
tinyman392You're experiences are interesting... I have tested multiple types and brands of bearings in many spinners and have never had an experience where a hybrid is louder or has a shorter spin time than a SS. My experiences are that most hybrids create a different sound and have a different feel than a SS but are not louder, and after a few hours of break in, all of my hybrids out spin (duration) my SS bearings. The bonus of a hybrid is, there is less concern for rust, which can happen quite easily. Quite often, a higher priced bearing - a couple bucks vs. less than $0.50 - can mean better materials manufacturing overall. There are cheap (lacking quality) bearings out there, and then there are cheap (better quality, fairly low price) bearings out there. I think the one included was the former, while everyone was wishing for the latter.
EdcandrewIt's a ZT countertop spinning display. With perfect timing, you may run into a knife dealer going out of business and offer more than it's worth. But the real value is the look your wife gives every time you mention bedroom decor. 😁 Or I guess you could become a dealer. 😜 That route I'm guessing would be a little more expensive. If you go the second route, it may be frowned upon to fill one side up with Spyders, GEC's, Rough Riders, Boker, etc.
madindeheadDid anyone else get a shipment notification today? I wish Massdrop would have been more forthcoming on how they were resolving this issue. For if I was not satisfied with what they decided to do, I would have requested a refund. Now I have a "Your Massdrop x RAMA WORKS S01 Remedy Spinner has shipped" email, but have no idea what is coming to me.
I guess I'll either be happy with their solution and keep the spinner, or it will be Massdrops loss for not communicating when I still request a refund.
GunsThey're like a fidget thing for people who can't focus or have issues like autism and ADHD. for me it just helps distract from the sensory overload the entire world piles on me constantly as an autistic person. helps other people focus on their work.
floyd923Yes I just got a ship notification. I already I got a refund and I guess they are also sending parts.
After a lot of experimentation I decided this spinner is never going to work consistently well with a 608 bearing so I didn't really need the parts. It works very well with an adapter (which of course adds $20 to the cost of an already expensive spinner).
BlueCrownedThanks for clueing me in! I'd never heard of spinners prior to Massdrop! Seems they have a large following! Beats the ole rubbing stones I guess? This is the 2nd time I've replied to you. I believe the 1st was erased when I was checking out the beautiful bird you must have! Thanks Again!
YanboWuFinally received my spinner today and man this is a BIG disappointment. First of all.. im missing one of the screws because of the poor packaging and damn this bearring is noisy as hell and doesn't spin for more than 20seconds. This was a bad experience as a first time massdrop customer and i would think twice another time before joining drops again
vito687Well Dudes - I am happy. Massdrop offered me either a full refund or to wait for the new parts. I opted for the refund. Truly good customer service in my opinion although the mess-up could have been avoided with a little more QC/QA in the process.
TintovicFull refund? Then i guess u have to send it back? In my case if so i have to pay another 25$ to ship it back due to customs in norway. For my allready almost total 80$ spinner included the custom fees.
YanboWuReceived those 5 screws by mail today. Please, tell me, who is that fucking moron who set $49.99 price in the invoice for them? I just paid 8 euros of import tax for 5 fucking screws. Should I mention that I have NOT received the spinner yet?! Should I also mention that support replied to my complaint 3 days later with a message "We'll get back to you soon." and it was 2 weeks ago?!
Never ever again Massdrop, never again. You're dead for me.
AdelscottIf my post will save at least one member I'd be happy already ;)
I've requested a full refund and attached my message from here. Will post updates here.
YanboWuso uh, i just got a pack of screws in the mail, but what i needed was a replacement bearing, as my bearing didn't spin more than like 15 seconds or something like that. thanks... but why?
jersey_boysame. just fired off another email to Massdrop customer support. Massdrop has some of the worst customer support I've ever experienced -- MONTHS go by without any updates on major issues with drops, and they only finally say something if you threaten to take them to court for fraud.
BobrazMy Massdrop experience has been god apart from the Rama Works thing for which they issued a full refund. I bought many other things from Massdrop and they are good. They fucked up on this one but I will still use them.
RayanthAs Bobraz mentioned, That is also not my experience, though that does not take away from the bad experience you had and I understand your frustration.
But you threatened taking them to court for fraud? I work in corprate fraud, I don't think you fully understand what that term means. Under what premise? I'm honestly curious how you would go about pursueing that. What would you tell your lawyer? "Hey i ordered a figet spinner on Massdrop and they took longer than expected to repond to my support ticket" Or better yet -
"Hey I ordered a figet spinner on Massdrop, It took months to get to me and they didn't give me updates"
"Did you eventually get your spinner?"
"yeah but it only spins for 2 minutes"
"..."
Yes there has been gaps in quality and yes, lots of better decisions could have been made. But with that said, Support has repsponded to every request I had for an update on replacements or the status of the support on this and many other drops.
Every response has been profesional, well worded, courteous and every confusion was explained with a reasonable and understandable explination.
Taking the time to learn how to write to companies with profesionalism and tact can go a long ways.
jersey_boyHey! I emailed the person in charge of my ticket since I also recieved screws that I did not need. I put in for a replacement bearing.
They responded same day saying that screws were sent to basically everyone that sent in a ticket because A) that was a large amount of the tickets and B) they are still currently working on getting the logistics straightened out for the bearings.
If you put in for a replacement bearing, As far as I understand, we're still on the list to receive it. This was just the first wave of resolution for those who requested replacements.
PuppetIn a separate drop issue, they acknowledged an expensive mistake, specifically told people NOT to submit support ticket for that mistake, and then stopped providing any information or responding to any inquiries, for close to two months. It very much resembled a "take the money and run" - mysteriously, after I said exactly that to them, they suddenly released a "still working on it" message. This only reinforced, to me, that they have a terrible idea of what customer service is, and only communicate with their customers when they absolutely HAVE to.
Regarding getting screws when you only needed bearings - they could have at least told everyone in advance that it was going to happen. It appeared to me and many others that they went for the cheapest option to solve problems, because again, they provided no communication to explain what to expect. On top of that, marking the full purchase price as the value of the package really screwed some people over, as mentioned in other comments, when they had to pay huge customs fees for a couple of tiny screws they didn't need.
YanboWuJust wanted to say thanks and shout-out that yes, received additional screws and the new bearing is MUCH better/improvement. Indeed, it really SHOULD have been included originally, but appreciate the Massdrop "Remedy" to the RAMA Works S01 Remedy problems. ;-)
Wanted to address the issues that are been surfaced by the many posts here in discussion.
We've been receiving reports of missing parts due to packaging and the bearing not performing up to expectations. We know this is a big letdown for those affected, and we urge you to reach out to support if affected. We’ll do everything we can to make it right.
We have already started working with our supplier to address these issues and I'll have a more in-depth update once I have all the information. While these issues ultimately affected a slice of participants, their experience is not representative of what you should expect from a Massdrop or RAMA WORKS product. For that, we apologize and urge you to reach out if affected.
The best way to do this is to go to the ‘transactions’ page (https://www.massdrop.com/transactions) and click ‘Contact Support’ on the RAMA WORKS transaction.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the drop and posted comments to update us regarding your experience with this drop. We appreciate you being a part of the community and making Massdrop better by reporting these issues.
10/6/17 EDIT: Hi Everyone - we have an update on the replacement bearings for the spinners. They are starting to ship out from our warehouse, and you should be receiving an email with tracking information. If you do not get a tracking number by the end of next week (10/13), please reach out to our community support team.
Thank you everyone for your patience with this drop. We’re looking forward to you all receiving the new bearings!
Hey there the spinner I purchased from you guys is ATROCIOUSLY bad? What can you do for me? Are you guys going to be sending out replacement bearings? The bearings are literally the biggest problem with this product (aside from the missing screws people are getting which is 100% unacceptable).
I want to hear some solutions and ideas of what you guys are planning to make this right because this entire situation is a disappointment and frankly unprofessional. The cavalier PR speak of, " While these issues ultimately affected a slice of participants..." really grinds my gears--did you read any of the posts since these shipped out?
Tell me what you are going to do for us. We need new bearings and a large percentage of people even need the basic grub screws to make this thing work in the first place.
Now if you've contacted support and they don't get back to you or don't fairly resolve your issue, then that would be the type of thing I'd probably complain publicly about as well. But if you haven't even tried contacting support, then how do you know it will be a bad experience?
I feel like maybe this drop would have been better off to impose a much smaller limit, at least for the initial run, then once all kinks were worked out and production is solid and predictable, do a bigger 2nd run. Many enthusiast forum group buys and Instagram/Kickstarter projects work that way - the initial runs are fairly limited, then refined and tweaked versions of the item are released again later.
We are looking into the best way to get everyone taken care of and new bearings is definitely one of the paths we are exploring.
Start turning the grub screws in from the outside, one turn at a time and switch to the next screw - kind of like changing tires on a car.
Please let me know if that yields better spin results - judging from your review, it sounds like the bearing isn't sitting flush with the body of the spinner and that's why you are getting an oscillating effect.
All of that being said I appreciate that you guys are making this right and I have already been in contact with support
This is why you don't have people assemble spinners, just give it to them assembled. That alone would remove 95% of the complaints all together...
I don't mind if it takes a while to get to my issue especially considering there seems to be many people disappointed with this product for one reason or another, but I would like to see an email (even automated) or something that just simply says "we have received your request and here's your ticket number".
I'm not sure if I did something wrong and my ticket didn't go through or if I just have yet to receive a response.
Now I'd be wary of the quality of his next product.
If you don't want to search for the truth yourself no point in me and others explaining to you what is going on. It seems like your mind is already made up anyway...
A
The machining on the main brass piece was pretty funky around the edges as well. Not entirely bad, but not great either.
I will be somewhat satisfied once the new screws come and I can at least assemble the spinner. I'm done with Rama works though. Their presentation on the sales side of things is beautiful to me, but the actual hardware is pretty crap to be honest.
Now... seeing how the diameter to fit the bearing inside the spinner is different and not one is the same, yes preassembled would've been the best option.
Many people and myself included ordered the Kong r188 adapter. The fit for the Kong is very different from spinner to spinner. For myself it was very very snug and tight, I had to use my small watch malice to set it flush. For some others it just placed right in with no trouble. So as far as I know, the quality control is the main issue for the Remedy, nothing else. Same with the packaging and shipping, it's could've been a whole lot better. This is the worst packaging I've seen for an expensive item.
It should have been a concern of @KingRama (who has an excellent reputation for quality products) to validate and verify the QC.
Most likely @KingRama was screwed by the contactor...
Anyway at this point, I guess it's irrelevant, as I'm sure both Rama and Massdrop (who both enjoy great reputations) are sorely regretting having chosen the particular manufacturer that made these.
I have about thirty spinners ranging from $20 to $120 and I do agree that at this price point, fit, finish and quality should have been multiple times better.
Massdrop and Rama should just do their mea culpa, then bite the bullet and find a solution that will delight everybody (like sending Kong cores AND offering a credit to everyone) and thus regaining the admiration and loyalty of their customers.
It would mean a financial hit for Massdrop, but that's just money. It would still be the right thing to do, and good for business and good for their name. The market loves companies who own their mistakes while striving to find delightful solutions!
so taking the advice of others in this thread, i also bought a brass kong spinner from fidgethq and used that as a replacement bearing, and holy shit. the hybrid of the brass kong + brass rama remedy is fantastic, smooth, and quiet (and spins for multiple minutes). unfortunately, its 75$, a price i will never, ever spend again on any spinner that i am not fabricating myself. would still appreciate a replacement bearing or something of that ilk from massdrop though.
On a side note, for those that only picked the Remedy up to use as a desk display toy, I ran across these over on fasttech. I picked one up for my son. It curently contains a Star Wars Lego figure.
Forgot to mention, those little display stands were only $2.30 delivered. 👍🏻
The other thing to note is that in general, a smaller bearing will be quieter than a bigger one.
For just about everything everyone else is asking for, longer spin time and quieter spin, a cheaper, SS bearing will provide just that.
I guess I'll either be happy with their solution and keep the spinner, or it will be Massdrops loss for not communicating when I still request a refund.
After a lot of experimentation I decided this spinner is never going to work consistently well with a 608 bearing so I didn't really need the parts. It works very well with an adapter (which of course adds $20 to the cost of an already expensive spinner).
Never ever again Massdrop, never again. You're dead for me.
But you threatened taking them to court for fraud? I work in corprate fraud, I don't think you fully understand what that term means. Under what premise? I'm honestly curious how you would go about pursueing that. What would you tell your lawyer? "Hey i ordered a figet spinner on Massdrop and they took longer than expected to repond to my support ticket" Or better yet -
"Hey I ordered a figet spinner on Massdrop, It took months to get to me and they didn't give me updates" "Did you eventually get your spinner?" "yeah but it only spins for 2 minutes" "..."
Yes there has been gaps in quality and yes, lots of better decisions could have been made. But with that said, Support has repsponded to every request I had for an update on replacements or the status of the support on this and many other drops. Every response has been profesional, well worded, courteous and every confusion was explained with a reasonable and understandable explination.
Taking the time to learn how to write to companies with profesionalism and tact can go a long ways.
If you put in for a replacement bearing, As far as I understand, we're still on the list to receive it. This was just the first wave of resolution for those who requested replacements.
Regarding getting screws when you only needed bearings - they could have at least told everyone in advance that it was going to happen. It appeared to me and many others that they went for the cheapest option to solve problems, because again, they provided no communication to explain what to expect. On top of that, marking the full purchase price as the value of the package really screwed some people over, as mentioned in other comments, when they had to pay huge customs fees for a couple of tiny screws they didn't need.