Well, similar situation here, with an order of a bundle of available things, that was May 11
Made the wire transfer within 24h
Add to ask to get an aknowledgement that came a week after
Nothing moved since then.
So it is good to apologize and be transparent, but you expose yourself to a lot of troubles, the way you did it.
What is the percentage of waiting and upset customers that have done the search on your web site to find your message?
Backorder is one of the biggest enemy of startups. and you act as a startup.
And on top of the backorder situation, if you do not an add ad'hoc communication, you'll lose confidence.
It's just a game thing, there is no survival issues, ppl can wait ! ..........That is a last century statement that will not help you.
On top of hiring guys to assemble, dispatch, purche, source ... with all the upfront money you have, hire some communication people that could find things to tell to upset ppl , that will help to drop blood pressure.
If you do nothing with all this upfront money to take care of your customers, soon or later, your competition will take the lead.
End of frustration sharing.
I'll wait another week or two, as I am lucky to race also with real cars but know that for next purchase Fanatec will be on the bottom of the list.
Not because of the backorder, but because of the extremely poor level of communication of someone having money of others in house named banker.
after getting off to a rocky start with some unfortunate and unavoidable hiccups, I would like to commend you and your team on a quality product, also your doing a good job so don’t beat yourself up, as a small business owner myself who has had to very quickly upscale I know the pain you are experiencing, just document everything so when the dust settles you can properly analyse and identify where the efficiency’s are. Trust me it’s situations like these early in a company’s life that really help strengthen the foundation for the future! Thanks for bringing joy to mine and others lives!
I ordered my Podium Racing Wheel F1 on the 27th May which is a pre-order that is suppose to be available on the 12 of June. I just checked the AUS fanatec website and saw that the pre-order date was changed to 31 July. I just need a confirmation if it will be shipped on the 12th or I’ll need to wait until the 31st of July. I haven’t gotten any respond from anyone at Fanatec, I would just like a clarification so I can plan as I have a few endurance races coming soon.
I'm another victim of the poor stock management of Fanatec. It's not a question about Product quality or HR competencies or COVID or anything else, but just about sales practices.
Sell products already sold to another people is in general considered as a scam. But on Fanatec side, no problem let's do this... However in term of payment no problem at all. They take the money as soon as you click on order...
Below the email I just wrote them.
Seems that with Fanatec, more your order, less you have...
"Order #XXXXXXXX, totally paid
Dear Fanatec team,
I just noticed that my order has been pushed back later again due to a new product out of stock not available until July 27th. The previous date was July 3rd and I was ok with this as this was the date of availability of the CSW2.5 at the order date (on May 19th).
I don't want to await an additional month only to have an new bad surprise because another product of my command is out of stock. This is not commercial and you should just block available products as soon as they are sold for packaged order. At the moment you are just selling product you don't have because already sold to another people so I think it can be considered as a scam.
So please consider to send me each items separately if necessary (of course without extra charged) and please find a new formula V2 wheel to send me before July 27th (which was totally available on May 19th, day of my order).
I'm still expecting my command to be fully received around July 3rd.
I stay available if you need any additional information."
But it would have been more straightforward to display stock-outs than pre-orders.
Many customers end up with a blocked order because you are unable to separate an order.
I ordered a DD2 and a 918 wheel and buttons on May 24, 2020.
The buttons were to be available on May 29. On June 03 the buttons were still displayed in pre-order for May 29. On June 04 the buttons go on pre-order for July 03.
So my order for DD2 (in stock) and wheel 918 (in stock) will not be shipped before July 03.
Now imagine it recommending? I will receive my DD2 in August?
Do not ask us not to be angry, this publication should have been done 3 months ago, items out of stock should not be in pre-order, you blocked your customers. It would have been better to assume the lack of stock and respond to the messages than to come 3 months later asked us not to get upset.
I am not alone in this case.
We will receive an automatic email with a response in 7 days, now it is 14 days.
Of course since May 24 I have NEVER received an email from Fanatec.
I had to wait 10 days to know and UNDERSTAND when my order was about to GO and not arrived.
On the other hand to debit me from the 2500 € of order it only took 2 days.
You probably have the best known brand in SimRacing, but your after-sales service management and the worst.
I know very well that I would be happy with your material, but we must also judge your order management, this can only be good to take you in hand.
It seems to be impossible to place an order at the moment. There is random 500 Internal Server errors. Especially when trying to open the shopping cart. Also I must say this is maybe the most confusing online shop I have used for a while. Looks nice but really confusing to use.
Anyway I hope the Internal Server Errors get fixed. Still would like to place an order :)
Guys, i try to buy from the website since 2 weeks ago, and all the time, say payment refuse, im using de same credit card, the same address, for mi old shops with you, and no have results, also try PayPal, please need your help URGENT, im emailed to webshop adddres, since 2 weeks ago, no answer ......... please your help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
really im fill very frustrated, everyday try to made my shop, and Payment Refused, and also no answer from Fanatec
I am from Germany and I understand the struggle you are facing, but everybody everybody else does too at the moment. As a none affected person/customer, I would like to quickly share my story, to show the possible impact on your business because of the current situation.
I used my Fanatec gear for roughly a year. I bought my stuff initially second hand (CSL Wheelbase and Pedals) and was really happy with my gear. Even after the used pedals finally failed I bought a new LC Pedal Set in September last year. Nevertheless I decided to upgrade my rig with some kind of direct drive wheel end of last year and was willing to invest roughly 2k Euros. But even though my personal experience was great (also with my order) I struggled to buy Fanatec gear. Mostly because of the slightly negative reviews (stiffness and firmware of DD Wheels), reports and complaints about support and the buying process. This is not what I expect as a customer buying premium products and spending thousands of Euros.
So I went for a SimuCube 2 Pro, Heusinkveld Sprints and an Ascher Racing Wheel. Of course I paid an extra 500-600 Euros, but the build quality is near perfection. And the support from Heusinkveld answered a question I had within 24h. And this is what could be critical for your company as much as I actually like it and their products. If people like me are leaving because of the quality of your products, firmware or support, you will loose money and customers on a long term (e.g. a seconds wheel, etc.).
I think people do understand the exceptional situation you are currently facing, but communication and honesty is key in such moments. In addition, I expect a CEO to take the responsibility and accountability for issues in his company and not blaming partners for their problems. Yes, you might not have caused them, but you as a company accepted the current state of the website and took it live.
Overall I think I made the right decision and I really hope for you as company, but especially for those who would like to use your products, that things will get better very soon.
I pre-ordered the Formula V2 rim under the circumstance that it was to be expected in stock 6.12.20 as displayed on your website.
If we buy a product and then you immediately change the availability of the product and when it will ship AFTER you buy said product and don't even breath a word of when it will be restocked, that its an issue, when we're to expect it or how you plan on correcting this issue makes it look like you and your company don't care.
Times are tough, but you're also making a very sizable profit on the circumstances, and instead of providing information or how you or the company are going to correct this mistake.
I would very much just like to know when to expect my order so I can make a decision as to whether I need to cancel the rest of my order that hasn't shipped that I purchased under the false pretenses that the website provided. Also the 2 week return policy is kinda BS when you ask people to wait 2 weeks or more for a reply from Customer Service.
Thank you for breaking silence and providing an update to the community.
A couple thoughts:
Continuing to accept orders with an unclear supply chain is poor form. If you are unable to service new business, make that clear before accepting an order, much less payment. Delays in the current environment are understandable, but be transparent and up front.
Proactive communication. Understandable that the new order volume overwhelmed the current staff. Discontinuing orders while unsure of your product supply would have been helpful. There are also a huge number of unfortunate people around the world who held customer service jobs and have been laid off. There is an opportunity to use temp work to handle the communication overflow. Good for your reputation, good for the customers, and great for people who have some income even if temporary. This isn't an immediate fix, but basic customer service roles should take weeks, not months to onboard.
Waiting lists. Allowing people to sign up for a waiting list would send a message that you are unsure when you can meet their demand, but value their business.
Order updates. It wouldn't take much to send an email to those with orders placed when the estimated availability date changes. Dominic has provided responses here that the availability date may not match with expected shipping dates, but the store date is the only point a customer has to expect in the absence of all other customer communication. We customers don't want to badger the staff for updates, we just want an idea of what is happening.
There seems to be little doubt that Fanatec makes a great product and fits in a unique area between the entry tier retail names and the top tier professional products. My experience with aftermarket automotive upgrades makes me believe that this kind of niche demand lives or dies based on how they treat their community. Again, I will thank you for breaking silence, but please do better.
Same issue as all other people. I order a complete setup. UPS lost the Podium Hub part. It’s « simple » to send another one and check with UPS, but.... not a single answer from Fanatec since 29/05....
I can’t wait July for my setup. Please respond to e-mail to solve already placed order, or refund to let us order simucube solution....
DD2, V3i, GT3R can’t be used due to the loss of the podium hub part....
Same here, you're not alone. I asked a lot of people and they placed an order after me but they received their order in just a few days. I spent $3000 and I ordered on May 13 but have to wait until July 13 for DD2 + Handbrake + Shifter + Pedal+....
Hi everyone, I believe I have now contacted all customers privately in this thread who had specific order issues/concerns, and these are either resolved or in progress. If I have missed someone, please send me a PM.
Can you shoot me a PM on my order status - I've been trying unsuccessfully to reach the customer service team by email since May 25th with no response other than FAQ's that don't answer my question. Order: 1085833
I confirm that Dominic has replied to my comment there so first of all thank you for this, I worked in a Support role some years ago and I know that it is not the best role to have in this period.
So basically for those who hadn't the luck to get an answer, and more specifically about product availabilities, here is the "official" answer.
"It's a difficult time for us at the moment, the inbox is flooded and certain availability dates have been inaccurate for various reasons."
So at the end "Available on X" date means nothing. And I think even the term Available as there are multiple case of people having ordered "available" things which were in fact not.
Hi Marco, generally speaking that is not usually the case. If you order something which was marked as In Stock, and it continues to be marked In Stock, that is a good indication that it should ship imminently. We try to keep our availability dates as accurate as possible, but there are some limitations with our current system. The sales team are doing their very best to ship products out quickly.
I would like confirmation that you will send my order as soon as you have the DD1 in stock. if the steering wheel stickers are not in stock you will send them to me later.
My order (1077061) was placed may 9th and I have made nearly weekly attempts to get in contact with anyone at fanatec. You seem like the only Fanatec employee responding to customer inquiries, maybe you can answer some of my questions.
Please DM me if you see this and thank you for all your efforts on the forum
Comments
Well, similar situation here, with an order of a bundle of available things, that was May 11
Made the wire transfer within 24h
Add to ask to get an aknowledgement that came a week after
Nothing moved since then.
So it is good to apologize and be transparent, but you expose yourself to a lot of troubles, the way you did it.
What is the percentage of waiting and upset customers that have done the search on your web site to find your message?
Backorder is one of the biggest enemy of startups. and you act as a startup.
And on top of the backorder situation, if you do not an add ad'hoc communication, you'll lose confidence.
It's just a game thing, there is no survival issues, ppl can wait ! ..........That is a last century statement that will not help you.
On top of hiring guys to assemble, dispatch, purche, source ... with all the upfront money you have, hire some communication people that could find things to tell to upset ppl , that will help to drop blood pressure.
If you do nothing with all this upfront money to take care of your customers, soon or later, your competition will take the lead.
End of frustration sharing.
I'll wait another week or two, as I am lucky to race also with real cars but know that for next purchase Fanatec will be on the bottom of the list.
Not because of the backorder, but because of the extremely poor level of communication of someone having money of others in house named banker.
Thank you Thomas,
after getting off to a rocky start with some unfortunate and unavoidable hiccups, I would like to commend you and your team on a quality product, also your doing a good job so don’t beat yourself up, as a small business owner myself who has had to very quickly upscale I know the pain you are experiencing, just document everything so when the dust settles you can properly analyse and identify where the efficiency’s are. Trust me it’s situations like these early in a company’s life that really help strengthen the foundation for the future! Thanks for bringing joy to mine and others lives!
I ordered my Podium Racing Wheel F1 on the 27th May which is a pre-order that is suppose to be available on the 12 of June. I just checked the AUS fanatec website and saw that the pre-order date was changed to 31 July. I just need a confirmation if it will be shipped on the 12th or I’ll need to wait until the 31st of July. I haven’t gotten any respond from anyone at Fanatec, I would just like a clarification so I can plan as I have a few endurance races coming soon.
Hi all,
I'm another victim of the poor stock management of Fanatec. It's not a question about Product quality or HR competencies or COVID or anything else, but just about sales practices.
Sell products already sold to another people is in general considered as a scam. But on Fanatec side, no problem let's do this... However in term of payment no problem at all. They take the money as soon as you click on order...
Below the email I just wrote them.
Seems that with Fanatec, more your order, less you have...
"Order #XXXXXXXX, totally paid
Dear Fanatec team,
I just noticed that my order has been pushed back later again due to a new product out of stock not available until July 27th. The previous date was July 3rd and I was ok with this as this was the date of availability of the CSW2.5 at the order date (on May 19th).
I don't want to await an additional month only to have an new bad surprise because another product of my command is out of stock. This is not commercial and you should just block available products as soon as they are sold for packaged order. At the moment you are just selling product you don't have because already sold to another people so I think it can be considered as a scam.
So please consider to send me each items separately if necessary (of course without extra charged) and please find a new formula V2 wheel to send me before July 27th (which was totally available on May 19th, day of my order).
I'm still expecting my command to be fully received around July 3rd.
I stay available if you need any additional information."
I can understand that your team is overwhelmed.
But it would have been more straightforward to display stock-outs than pre-orders.
Many customers end up with a blocked order because you are unable to separate an order.
I ordered a DD2 and a 918 wheel and buttons on May 24, 2020.
The buttons were to be available on May 29. On June 03 the buttons were still displayed in pre-order for May 29. On June 04 the buttons go on pre-order for July 03.
So my order for DD2 (in stock) and wheel 918 (in stock) will not be shipped before July 03.
Now imagine it recommending? I will receive my DD2 in August?
Do not ask us not to be angry, this publication should have been done 3 months ago, items out of stock should not be in pre-order, you blocked your customers. It would have been better to assume the lack of stock and respond to the messages than to come 3 months later asked us not to get upset.
I am not alone in this case.
We will receive an automatic email with a response in 7 days, now it is 14 days.
Of course since May 24 I have NEVER received an email from Fanatec.
I had to wait 10 days to know and UNDERSTAND when my order was about to GO and not arrived.
On the other hand to debit me from the 2500 € of order it only took 2 days.
You probably have the best known brand in SimRacing, but your after-sales service management and the worst.
I know very well that I would be happy with your material, but we must also judge your order management, this can only be good to take you in hand.
cordially
Damien
PS: I put the dates at the bottom of the screen
It seems to be impossible to place an order at the moment. There is random 500 Internal Server errors. Especially when trying to open the shopping cart. Also I must say this is maybe the most confusing online shop I have used for a while. Looks nice but really confusing to use.
Anyway I hope the Internal Server Errors get fixed. Still would like to place an order :)
Guys, i try to buy from the website since 2 weeks ago, and all the time, say payment refuse, im using de same credit card, the same address, for mi old shops with you, and no have results, also try PayPal, please need your help URGENT, im emailed to webshop adddres, since 2 weeks ago, no answer ......... please your help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
really im fill very frustrated, everyday try to made my shop, and Payment Refused, and also no answer from Fanatec
If paying with card, check with your bank. I have chase and my attempts were coming back as fraudulent attempts
You are actually able to go to checkout? For me the cart does not even load and other pages get 500 status responses too.
no problem with the bank, im try with visa, MasterCard, amex, PayPal .... nothing works and have my cards healthy ... =(
Hi Thomas,
I am from Germany and I understand the struggle you are facing, but everybody everybody else does too at the moment. As a none affected person/customer, I would like to quickly share my story, to show the possible impact on your business because of the current situation.
I used my Fanatec gear for roughly a year. I bought my stuff initially second hand (CSL Wheelbase and Pedals) and was really happy with my gear. Even after the used pedals finally failed I bought a new LC Pedal Set in September last year. Nevertheless I decided to upgrade my rig with some kind of direct drive wheel end of last year and was willing to invest roughly 2k Euros. But even though my personal experience was great (also with my order) I struggled to buy Fanatec gear. Mostly because of the slightly negative reviews (stiffness and firmware of DD Wheels), reports and complaints about support and the buying process. This is not what I expect as a customer buying premium products and spending thousands of Euros.
So I went for a SimuCube 2 Pro, Heusinkveld Sprints and an Ascher Racing Wheel. Of course I paid an extra 500-600 Euros, but the build quality is near perfection. And the support from Heusinkveld answered a question I had within 24h. And this is what could be critical for your company as much as I actually like it and their products. If people like me are leaving because of the quality of your products, firmware or support, you will loose money and customers on a long term (e.g. a seconds wheel, etc.).
I think people do understand the exceptional situation you are currently facing, but communication and honesty is key in such moments. In addition, I expect a CEO to take the responsibility and accountability for issues in his company and not blaming partners for their problems. Yes, you might not have caused them, but you as a company accepted the current state of the website and took it live.
Overall I think I made the right decision and I really hope for you as company, but especially for those who would like to use your products, that things will get better very soon.
the service/commercial response time was very bad even months before Covid19.
The typical attitude of a good leader should be "NO EXCUSES" and not "blame others"
I pre-ordered the Formula V2 rim under the circumstance that it was to be expected in stock 6.12.20 as displayed on your website.
If we buy a product and then you immediately change the availability of the product and when it will ship AFTER you buy said product and don't even breath a word of when it will be restocked, that its an issue, when we're to expect it or how you plan on correcting this issue makes it look like you and your company don't care.
Times are tough, but you're also making a very sizable profit on the circumstances, and instead of providing information or how you or the company are going to correct this mistake.
I would very much just like to know when to expect my order so I can make a decision as to whether I need to cancel the rest of my order that hasn't shipped that I purchased under the false pretenses that the website provided. Also the 2 week return policy is kinda BS when you ask people to wait 2 weeks or more for a reply from Customer Service.
Thank you for breaking silence and providing an update to the community.
A couple thoughts:
Continuing to accept orders with an unclear supply chain is poor form. If you are unable to service new business, make that clear before accepting an order, much less payment. Delays in the current environment are understandable, but be transparent and up front.
Proactive communication. Understandable that the new order volume overwhelmed the current staff. Discontinuing orders while unsure of your product supply would have been helpful. There are also a huge number of unfortunate people around the world who held customer service jobs and have been laid off. There is an opportunity to use temp work to handle the communication overflow. Good for your reputation, good for the customers, and great for people who have some income even if temporary. This isn't an immediate fix, but basic customer service roles should take weeks, not months to onboard.
Waiting lists. Allowing people to sign up for a waiting list would send a message that you are unsure when you can meet their demand, but value their business.
Order updates. It wouldn't take much to send an email to those with orders placed when the estimated availability date changes. Dominic has provided responses here that the availability date may not match with expected shipping dates, but the store date is the only point a customer has to expect in the absence of all other customer communication. We customers don't want to badger the staff for updates, we just want an idea of what is happening.
There seems to be little doubt that Fanatec makes a great product and fits in a unique area between the entry tier retail names and the top tier professional products. My experience with aftermarket automotive upgrades makes me believe that this kind of niche demand lives or dies based on how they treat their community. Again, I will thank you for breaking silence, but please do better.
Same issue as all other people. I order a complete setup. UPS lost the Podium Hub part. It’s « simple » to send another one and check with UPS, but.... not a single answer from Fanatec since 29/05....
I can’t wait July for my setup. Please respond to e-mail to solve already placed order, or refund to let us order simucube solution....
DD2, V3i, GT3R can’t be used due to the loss of the podium hub part....
Same here, you're not alone. I asked a lot of people and they placed an order after me but they received their order in just a few days. I spent $3000 and I ordered on May 13 but have to wait until July 13 for DD2 + Handbrake + Shifter + Pedal+....
I ordered a new wheel, payed with paypal, when going back to the site after the payment I got an error page.
Result: Money gone, no order on my account and zero response from Fanatec ....
Hi everyone, I believe I have now contacted all customers privately in this thread who had specific order issues/concerns, and these are either resolved or in progress. If I have missed someone, please send me a PM.
[Fanatec Community Manager]
Hi Dominic
Can you shoot me a PM on my order status - I've been trying unsuccessfully to reach the customer service team by email since May 25th with no response other than FAQ's that don't answer my question. Order: 1085833
Thank you
-Rich
I've done payed for my order over a month ago no info has been provided and it went from available 6/12 to 8/27 unacceptable
Ciao volevo sapere se è arrivato il bonifico non ho ricevuto informazioni al riguardo il bonifico è stato effettuato l 11 giugno 2020...
I confirm that Dominic has replied to my comment there so first of all thank you for this, I worked in a Support role some years ago and I know that it is not the best role to have in this period.
So basically for those who hadn't the luck to get an answer, and more specifically about product availabilities, here is the "official" answer.
"It's a difficult time for us at the moment, the inbox is flooded and certain availability dates have been inaccurate for various reasons."
So at the end "Available on X" date means nothing. And I think even the term Available as there are multiple case of people having ordered "available" things which were in fact not.
Good luck all :)
So...
Sorry if i answer this to you and sorry for my poor english.
i have ordered the CSL Elite bundle on 10 June... the state was available and it is now available anyway
My question is ... Is it possible that I don't receive the product even if it is available ...?
Hi Levi, please wait a few more days. There were many units due to ship on the 12th that were delayed slightly and are due to ship today or tomorrow.
Hi Marco, generally speaking that is not usually the case. If you order something which was marked as In Stock, and it continues to be marked In Stock, that is a good indication that it should ship imminently. We try to keep our availability dates as accurate as possible, but there are some limitations with our current system. The sales team are doing their very best to ship products out quickly.
Oh... Good news. Thanks a lot Dominic.
I will wait for the actual shipment of the product.
Where will the tracking code appear?
Thanks again. :)
Hello Dominic, ...sorry for my English.
I would like confirmation that you will send my order as soon as you have the DD1 in stock. if the steering wheel stickers are not in stock you will send them to me later.
Thank you
12:06AM
Hey Dominic,
I ordered on 13th of May in Fanatec USA.
I wish to know what is happening with my order
Will it be sent soon or it will be delay to 7th Aug?
Hi Dominic,
Placed my order (1087241) on May 23rd. Site has stated ship date of June 12th since then.
Today site says July 24th for availability date on Clubsport Wheel Base V2.5
Does this date apply to my order?
Have received no emails from Fanatec regarding my order.
Please update as I plan to cancel my order if my products are unavailable for another 5 weeks.
Thank you.
Hi Dominic,
My order (1077061) was placed may 9th and I have made nearly weekly attempts to get in contact with anyone at fanatec. You seem like the only Fanatec employee responding to customer inquiries, maybe you can answer some of my questions.
Please DM me if you see this and thank you for all your efforts on the forum
Praying that my items ship today