This had me rolling on the floor, thanks for that!
The problem is not the forum per se, or the lack of a dashboard. The problems arise from the following factors in my opinion:
Backers treating crowdfunding like shopping on Amazon, without realizing that delays can be par for course.
The campaign taking much longer than projected and anticipated, part of which is normal when developing a product with feedback from consumers, but the largest part coming from the outbreak of the Corona pandemic worldwide, and its effects on cargo shipment worldwide. The cargo shipment affects the PPX campaign in the material sourcing phase, the forwarding phase, and the last mile delivery phase, where Covid prevention measures sometimes mean for instance that packages are left behind unattended due to lockdown etc.
The longer wait makes people anxious, and some resort to the forum to ask their questions. When let’s say 2000 backers all ask a question regarding the status of their shipment daily, the forum becomes heavily burdened under that influx of basically the same repeated question: “When / where’s my shipment?”
The communication between Philips Projection and the forwarder they are using is difficult due to language and time zone constraints, meaning we don’t always have the most accurate or timely information, and therefore oftentimes do not know the actual status of the shipments.
The lack of accurate information leads to a few overly frustrated backers flooding the forum with messages expressing their feelings or thoughts, which in turn make the actual information get lost in the noise.
The Indiegogo platform offered no way to search or categorize questions and answers, so this forum was created as not just a shipping status tracker but as a community platform, where we could exchange more than just anxiety about when we would get our PPX.
No one anticipated having this long and difficult a fulfillment phase, we should’ve been in the clear by the end of March or so. Once the campaign has fulfilled all orders I think we should just archive the whole shipping and orders section for the PPX and only focus on the operation and further development of the PPX, and sharing wisdom and knowledge as well as fun use cases and tips with each other.
If I may say a few words without being fired as has happened a few times.
Working with an international airline for the last few decades and many times facing hundreds and sometimes several hundred irate passengers alone who want to literally thrash you I have learnt one thing which is the most important INFORMATION !
Noone including philips deliberately delays but the system needs to be in tandem working as a cohesive machine and when that happens you can disburse correct information …you delay months no problem but people will be fine if you inform/update regularly.
Maybe u can set up here daily updates on all deliveries like Jordon,Amy etc with no permission for us to say anything there.
We will just follow that
Cheers
When we give no information, it’s because we have none. It’s not because we deliberately want to keep you guys and girls in the dark.
Information is key but we often don’t have it. And frankly we should not need to have it all either. In a pre-pandemic time, all we needed to do was make sure the units were: made according to a schedule, delivered to the forwarder according to a schedule, labeled by them, the tracking numbers provided to us and from us to you, and you would track your unit all the way to your delivery location, with most timelines and schedules adhered to punctually.
In that time all we would need to do is publicize a calendar or list with the intended and actual batch creation / shipment dates, and it would more or less be the guiding star for everyone.
Unfortunately for so many reasons we don’t live in that time anymore. There’s a reason that hindsight is called 2020, and this year has shown us that reason and truth all too well.
A thread without comments already exists, it’s the News Summary thread. But a community without feedback and interaction is not a community, which is what Philips Projection set out to create with this forum. So questions are okay and welcome, and answering them is part of the task package for Philips Projection. If we have the answers we will certainly give them.
May I know the reason why the list, which included all backers, can not be released? The list has been delayed three weeks until tomorrow. Would you please tell us when you would ship the PPM of the rest of the backers? Thanks.
The issue is that we are currently showing 1087 backers as unfulfilled in Backerkit. We however know that this number is not correct, as we have already allocated and sent most units to the forwarder for shipment, so it should be a lot less. The problem stems from the fact that to Backerkit the pledge is only marked as fulfilled once we upload the tracking information from the forwarder. Since we did not have much movement in regards of tracking numbers coming back to us (I believe some people listed still haven’t got tracking numbers) the Backerkit information is lagging behind reality. We are waiting until we have all the tracking info and have uploaded it to see who is truly still missing an allocation and need to be on the latest list.
We don’t want to publish a list thinking and saying “This was the last one, we’re done!” only to find some people were still left out. That’s why we are being diligent to a fault in this case.
So regardless of when this list is published, know that everyone will get their unit if logistically possible. Even the difficult routes like Brazil and Russia we’ve managed to find solution for and have shipments underway to the backers there.
So please bear with us that much longer. By the end of the week (on the 14th) if the actual list isn’t finished yet I’ll publish a list of my own with everyone we think should be on it, and you can then check to make sure you’re on that one at least if that makes you feel more at ease.
I’m working around the clock to provide you all with information and help. Most nights I don’t even make it to my bed until 3AM, or at all on some. Last (this) night I went to bed at 23:30 and was awake again at 03:15 to work on stuff with the forwarders, who are 6 hours ahead of me (and most of the Philips Projection team in Switzerland).
I don’t always have the answers, the team had and will be in many meetings the last and coming weeks (the PPX is not the only product or task on their plates, unlike me) so I can’t always reach them and get the answers. But I’m putting in all I can to help you all get this amazing product I fell in love with back in February when I got mine.
If you look at my activity (check out my likes also as that’s how I usually let the poster know I’ve read their post) or my stats on this forum alone you’ll see replies on an almost every hour of the day, with only a few gaps that are longer than a few hours in between. And that’s what you can actually see, it doesn’t show the personal messaging and staff level interaction, nor the off-forum Excel sheet, Backerkit, DHL Tracking, supportdesk, and emailing work that I’m doing also.
I’m not saying this all to get pity or praise. I’m sharing this so that anyone claiming that this campaign is a scam, a farce, run badly, is lacking in communication, etc. knows and realizes the efforts put in at least by me (and with me also by the Philips Projection team) to make sure every backer receive their perks. Your frustration is mine, known and felt.
@IvoGrijt
Thank you for every piece of information you give us.
Maybe it’s my poor English, but just for a clarification: I’m in the Amy batch. From what I understand I could have mine before a couple of weeks? Really?
I think it is a bit ambitious that all European backers will receive their device by the end of this week - I myself have not seen an update since the 3rd of June (and will not see any updates until the projector has arrived in Malta as the service Philips chose does not provide complete end-to-end tracking and DHL themselves are unable to track the whereabouts of the device as it is apparently passing through a number of European countries before reaching its final destination, unless Philips were to ask DHL to open an investigation to look into it).
Hi @IvoGrijt,
Indigogo says my projector was shipped on the 06/01/20 with DHL – CR071951070DE.
My contribution id is: 18798 My shippment is in Laurent destination country is Hungary.
I find a supposively old DHL shipment to Italy under this tracking number (i hope it was not mine). Mine is not found anywhere, Hungarian DHL doesn’t know aobut it.
Do you have any news about ti, or shall I be patient?
DHL periodically recycles shipment waybill numbers for operational reasons. Occasionally this results in information being in their systems at the same time for two shipments travelling under the same waybill number. DHL is working hard to eliminate these occurrences however, in the meantime, please be assured that while this information may be confusing, your physical shipment will be heading to its correct destination and be receiving the same careful attention as every other shipment in their network.
@djupsjob So you say Laurent packages have not been shipped yet, just the labels are created? I’m asking because if that’s an old tracking ID, than the new one is not in the DHL system yet.
L.
No, that’s not what I’m saying. The recycling of the waybill number (ie. tracking code) just explains why it looks as if your projector was delivered in Italy before it was even shipped from Hong Kong.
The way these EU shipments are designed leads to a situation where the tracking code is sent to the backer quite a long time before they start showing any progress. You can read more about the shipping process here and here. Also, we have put together a tracking and shipping FAQ which contains a lot of information.
