General info about shipment and manufacturing

I don’t have access to the Indiegogo platform, I think PhilipsNono posted that, either based on information he got but I didn’t, or because he’s making sure to leave some room for delays in scanning or whatever, so our heads aren’t bitten of the moment the clock turns to Monday the 15th.

This is purely the responsibility of the local DHL Branch.
There’s nothing Screeneo or Ivo can do about it now. You have to contact DHL. According to the screen shot you attached here, the package is in your homecountry, in the hands of DHL and right now is a pure DHL logistic problem how, when and where it gets delivered.

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The thing is I have already contacted DHL 4x as mentioned and they said to contact the shipper of the package! From the things I’ve read here, I’ve seen that there are issues with this Vigo Logistics Company who handled this shipping! That’s why I’m asking for help from them as they have contact with this logistics company!

Note that I’ve ordered a lot of items for the past week and DHL was able to deliver it to my address without problem.

Before you say it, DHL is not completely blameless here having no knowledge of the location of the package that is already in their system but it would help if authorities here can also bring light to the issue since they have contact with the logistics company!

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Please send me a PM with what you want me to pass on @jadd

We unfortunately don’t have direct contact with the German partners of the forwarder in China, and are not allowed to get in touch with them directly, so I’ll have to pass the request on via via.

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Hi @IvoGrijt, PM’ed you. Thanks!

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guess what… i didn’t check even once over the weekend for full 2 days!

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Lol you’re a better man then. I kept checking like crazy! Any news from Hong Kong @IvoGrijt?

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Honestly, It wasn’t easy, but I tried keeping myself busy in other tasks away from the computer and phone… I am trying to be not too optimistic for today either as our forwarder has been famous for not being punctual.

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Hi, @IvoGrijt ,

Today is 15th, Could you please help us to update the list? When could Philips ship the PPM on the list? Thank you.

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Shipping news:

  • Last night PhilpsNono messaged me that the EU shipments were being held by German customs, who were again asking for all sorts of import documents we have already provided in the past. Luckily he has them and can send them in first thing in the morning today, but it’s not clear to me if the items will be released immediately after them receiving the documents or if it will take longer. If released today DHL might pick them up today, or maybe not.
  • This morning I contacted the forwarder asking for status updates regarding the ROW pickups in Hong Kong, and the Taiwanese shipments in particular. I haven’t gotten a reply yet but will update this post with info as soon as I have it.
  • updated List 3 batch Joy will be out today, with shipping expected around the 19th (pending flight availability)
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@IvoGrijt @Philips_Support_N I think we can all agree on three things:-

  1. The first manufacturing factory was a disaster. It seemed that the slow production and a lot of the product failures was because of this factory. The second factory seems must better.

  2. Your light engine supplier was not a great choice! (Although not sure if there is anyone else who could produce the same light engine for you)

  3. The freight forwarder has been very poor. Making and breaking several promises. Failing to keep Screeneo informed.

Of course I understand that this is a learning process for Screeneo… but hopefully going forward you guys will find better partners! Looking forward to my tracking number going live!

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Although the points you raise are not without merit, I also think that the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on many aspects of life have also made things bad or worse than they would’ve been otherwise.
Without the pandemic:

  1. The factory might’ve had a chance to learn through their QC checks of the mistakes made, and gotten better. Now we have a second company, but we still have issues surfacing in a small percentage of units which we didn’t have in the first factory’s batches. So the 2nd factory benefited from the lessons learned with the first, but made new errors here and there. It only requires one small faulty batch of source chips or one worker over tightening certain screws to create issues in a small part of the production runs. Do you then blame the whole factory? Without the lockdown for weeks the same factory might’ve bettered their manufacturing procedures to the point of little to no issues perhaps, we will never know.
  2. Without the crisis, the light engine supplier might’ve also produced and delivered what we wanted when promised and at the price point agreed upon previously, again, we will never know.
  3. The freight forwarder also faced the cargo difficulties brought on by the worldwide decrease in flights, borders being closed for certain products or entirely, which in turn made them perhaps make mistakes or have delays they wouldn’t have otherwise. The same goes for the last mile delivery services, which previously would not leave a package unsigned for behind, or would’ve made more attempts at proper delivery than under the current circumstances. People would also not work from home and be able to collect the units at work like specified when sending in the survey, some even moved or had mandatory lockdowns imposed on them, causing more overhead and work than usual.

So it’s difficult to point fingers and assign fault or blame when there are so many factors and different circumstances that didn’t exist 6 months ago.
And yes, Screeneo has also learned a lot and still has more to learn, cause for them it was already a new world with the crowdfunding campaign, which then was turned upside down by the pandemic and its effects.

Best thing we can all do is enjoy the projector when we finally get them, and we as Philips Projection will endeavor to make that happen as soon possible to the best of our abilities.

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As a resident in Germany that already ordered stuff from China and US and had to personally go to the German Customs in order to clarify bureaucracy, I should warn everybody that German Customs are not necessarily known as a fast moving/fast reacting Institution.

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do they (German customs) not know who we are, bloody hell… :angry:

excuse my bad language- don’t boot me from the forum please :angel:

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With all due respect, Sir, German Customs are supposed to check lots of international shipments on a daily basis, check documents to be according to both EU and German laws (depending on where the package is supposed to go next: in Germany or in EU but outside Germany).
It doesn’t always happen that one batch (or package) is processed by the same employee that processed the previous ones, which means, they most likely won’t base their checks on previous experience with the sender (specially that it is a relatively new case for them, not yet a regular import)

One more detail: For shipments from outside EU to one of the EU countries, the Customs will be performed in the country where the package first enters the EU.
Which means, even if your package is supposed to go to any other EU country but Germany, the customs will still be done by the German Customs :slight_smile:
Therefore, have some more patience! It’s almost there! You just have to wait one more tiny bit.

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It was a joke @dragos :stuck_out_tongue:

I of course know and understand that German customs are supposed to check packages coming from outside of the EU without bias.

I was pretending we were celebrities who weren’t getting recognised and receiving preferential treatment. You know what they say about explaining jokes though, they aren’t funny any longer if they have to be explained; either that or they just weren’t funny in the first place haha.

:slight_smile:

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He who has the last laugh was just slow to get the joke!

:rofl:

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Me watching German Customs

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It must have been really difficult to find a forwarder that

  • does not speak English
  • does not provide any feedback or status updates
  • keeps promising deadlines which are never realized
  • collects the goods then disappears from the face of the earth for 3 weeks
  • does not provide tracking information until the goods have already arrived at the door
    If I were you, next time I would use a different distributor.
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Apparently it must be difficult for you to read.

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