Sondors Fact Finding. Due Diligence. Scrutiny.

His response was significant, seems there is an organised attempt to confuse, complicate and frustrate with "shopped images" - it was almost as if Philip Hillis was hiding behind that user ID. So a few US backers have got bikes who are not bothered about the spec claimed or shipping cost - what about the 6950 others and the companies Sondors owes money to?
 
If you guys liked the "Storm Surge" image, I imagine you also loved the image of the first Sondors on the moon. (It's a shame there wasn't a bigger fuss made about that one. It was much higher quality)

Just wait until you get a load of the first Sondors to scale Mt Everest. That image is a delight of Photoshop debauchery!
 
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When you made your first comment Not sam, I hadn't commented on the picture in any way. you are the one jumping to conclusions here, not me.
 
When you made your first comment Not sam, I hadn't commented on the picture in any way. you are the one jumping to conclusions here, not me.
And if you read my first comment carefully, you'd see that I didn't comment on you making a comment. What's your point?

(though if you think I did, maybe that's a reflection on you?)
 
[...] despite conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory, what we've witnessed so far are people in the U.S. getting shipping confirmations, and then several posting about receiving their ebikes and a few documenting in pictures and video their enjoyment of their ebike. I expect we'll see more pictures and video.

People all over the world bought these bikes, and were charged a helluva lot more for shipping. We were told "pay now or you won't get your ebike on time." We all "paid now", so where the Hell are our ebikes? People all over the world also bought extra batteries. What happened to those?

I just want what I paid for, or my money back. Plain and simple. I don't care about their videos, which just serve to divert attention from the fact that these bikes are arriving in the US only, months behind schedule, with no ETA for international buyers. Show me videos of bikes arriving in my country, or send an update telling international buyers when they can expect their shipments, and I might be more impressed. I was excited to see the first videos like everyone else, and am still happy for those who got or are getting bikes. But now this whole "Oh looky, *some* people in one country are getting their ebikes!" thing stinks to high heaven, just like all of those plastic lunchbox photos, which were also used to divert attention from the FACT that they promised a May *arrival* date.

We were told to expect our Storm to arrive in May - they didn't even start building them until May 31. We were told we'd receive our ebikes in order of who contributed first. Now they're arbitrarily picking one colour and one country to ship to, everyone else gets to stew in their own juice indefinitely. They were supposed to be shipped to ALL backers, now it's only the Americans. These are facts, not conspiracies. And we haven't heard a word about when we can expect the remaining colours to be shipped, or to whom.

If they can't or won't fulfill international orders, then they need to say so and return people's money - instead of stringing us along for half a year (and counting).

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's fed up with Ivars' total disrespect for customers. How hard would it be to send an update to international buyers explaining why only US customers are getting their orders now, and giving us an ETA on when we can expect ours? Very hard, when you're laughing at all these gullible schmoes, stringing them along with pretty pictures.

And I find it offensive that disgruntled customers are being accused of making up conspiracy theories just because we're irritated at handing our money over and being treated like garbage in return. Maybe people wouldn't be forced to speculate if they were provided with some honest information by Sondors, for a change. Those accusers aren't the ones out of pocket by hundreds of dollars, with no evidence whatsoever that they will ever see anything in return.

So yes, I'm annoyed right now, and I think I have every right to be. I'll stop being annoyed when Sondors & Co. starts showing some respect for those whose money they are holding, while offering nothing in return.
 
There were no guarantees on the shipping dates -- there were estimates given, and that is a very big difference. In addition, it was pointed out right from the beginning on this thread and in many other places all over the Internet as well that production and shipping of most CF projects are late, and things can often go wrong even when a campaign is well-planned and well-executed (which this one certainly wasn't).

Predictions were made that no one would ever receive a bike, and we are seeing that prediction was simply false. Have faith... or don't. There's really nothing else that can be done other than hire a lawyer and go after the crowdfunding platform company and/or the campaign owner.
 
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Easy Motion chargers act somewhat similarly to the one in the video above. With my charger, you have to connect the charger to the wall first, not to the battery first. Then when you connect the plugged-in charger to the battery the charger light will show solid red, which is how you know the battery is charging. Once the battery is full, the light turns solid green. If you do it backwards, the charger light will blink green and the charger won't properly charge the battery. Why this is, I don't know. I just know this is the way it works.
 
Easy Motion chargers act somewhat similarly to the one in the video above. With my charger, you have to connect the charger to the wall first, not to the battery first. Then when you connect the plugged-in charger to the battery the charger light will show solid red, which is how you know the battery is charging. Once the battery is full, the light turns solid green. If you do it backwards, the charger light will blink green and the charger won't properly charge the battery. Why this is, I don't know. I just know this is the way it works.

That is interesting, the radrover instructions stated to do the opposite!
 
Must be a circuit design shortfall, a blocking diode is missing, it is a $.25 part in bulk or about $2500 for the whole project!

So far we know;

1) People are happy having gotten a bike and having experienced an e:bike for the first time
--There is an expectation that this is durable/off road capable bike
2) There are no instructions! Lord of the Flies support system
3) (in some cases) There are some issues and concerns with the brakes as they relate to either the brakes or the fork
4) (in some cases) There are concerns with the quality of the bearing
5) We don't know how much diligence (was given to the electronics, battery or charging) How are the cells charged? What is the quality and layout of the BMS system? I would like to see a battery torn down!

Improper fork assembly number 3;
aka injury and follow on strict liability lawsuit waiting to happen.

 

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@ Ann, Tara

As many will know my Facebook Page ran alongside my comments on this forum, my only intention was to ensure that I, along with others, had the ability to voice concerns about the Sondors Campaign. The Page, which links often to posts here, has been unpublished after an orchestrated attempt by Sondors supporters who have been abusing me on the Page and via PM and then have used my responses to report the Page - lesson learnt. I run my own business and unfortunately following the Page being unpublished the attacks began through the Reviews section of my website, which I have had to disable. I would have responded sooner but I have just driven to the South of France to work, arriving back home after 1600 miles in 52 hours!

The new page is to be found at (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
 
Theodore Voltaires' (the other one... the lunatic from Texas) has a few things to say about the Sondors and Rad Rover, who would have guessed the Rad Rover didn't stack up..

Re: "Sondors" ebike - new fat tire entry
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)by Theodore Voltaire » Sat Jul 11, 2015 10:37 am

I like this owners preliminary review. I remember the trolls rolling their eye when Storm announced about the quality of the boxes. Who's laughing now? "Like an Apple Product"

Got home from work and my honey Craig had her put together and waiting for me!!! She is AWESOME!!! Thank you Storm for creating such a high quality ebike! Craig had gotten delivery of a Radrover a couple days ago and the motor broke within the first 2 miles, not to mention it was shipped shoddy with torn shipping box and gouges and scrapes in the frame/paint ... My Sondors bike was packaged like an Apple product and in perfect condition!!! I rode her 8 miles on a not quite full charge, pedal assist on gentle inclines and she just purred the whole way!!! Started green and ended yellow on battery indicator. Craig is so looking forward to his yellow/ black Sondors delivery and is waaaay impressed with Storm's ebike quality/ packaging as compared with the more expensive Radrover disappointment. Way to gogogo Storm!!!
Theodore Voltaire
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Posts: 1499
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:41 pm
Location: Dallas
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Re: "Sondors" ebike - new fat tire entry
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)by Theodore Voltaire » Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:06 am

Trolls were saying over and over that Storm bikes would have no factory support. Our Facebook owners group might not be official factory, but imo Storm bikes instantly have more support than all brands of eBikes combined, from our 1600 members. So far only one person has needed a replacement part, and Gosondors was all over it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWRZpU ... e=youtu.be
 
Reference is now made to a post I put up on April 12th 2015

Let’s watch for
1) 30 days warranty (EDIT: no mention or reference to it anywhere)
2) Series of demo days as stated (EDIT:there was one 2 hour session where riders could go 100-150 metres on tarmac in a crowded area and were old not to go on the sand, there have been no further days arranged)
3) 50 miles range…… er with pedal assist now (EDIT:no reviews whatsoever to date but quite simply the range is inaccurate)
4) 90 minutes full charge (EDIT:now 4-5 hours)
5) Shipping refund (EDIT: no mention or reference to it anywhere)
6) May 2015 delivery for early Pledgers (EDIT: the earliest shipments to US backers were received second week of July 2015 - all bikes have been built is the claim by Sondors - international donators are told that more news is........ coming soon i.e. no bikes have been shipped)
7) 90 minutes of riding without pedaling (EDIT: unachievable but subject to a review from the bike press)
8) bike retailing at $1299 have all been duped to pay $500-$700 for a bike built to price?*
 
Hey Hulk, did you initiate the chargeback with your credit card company in the first week of June like you said you would?
 
Theodore Voltaires' (the other one... the lunatic from Texas) has a few things to say about the Sondors and Rad Rover, who would have guessed the Rad Rover didn't stack up..

Re: "Sondors" ebike - new fat tire entry
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)by Theodore Voltaire » Sat Jul 11, 2015 10:37 am

I like this owners preliminary review. I remember the trolls rolling their eye when Storm announced about the quality of the boxes. Who's laughing now? "Like an Apple Product"

Got home from work and my honey Craig had her put together and waiting for me!!! She is AWESOME!!! Thank you Storm for creating such a high quality ebike! Craig had gotten delivery of a Radrover a couple days ago and the motor broke within the first 2 miles, not to mention it was shipped shoddy with torn shipping box and gouges and scrapes in the frame/paint ... My Sondors bike was packaged like an Apple product and in perfect condition!!! I rode her 8 miles on a not quite full charge, pedal assist on gentle inclines and she just purred the whole way!!! Started green and ended yellow on battery indicator. Craig is so looking forward to his yellow/ black Sondors delivery and is waaaay impressed with Storm's ebike quality/ packaging as compared with the more expensive Radrover disappointment. Way to gogogo Storm!!!
Theodore Voltaire
100 kW
100kW.gif

Posts: 1499
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:41 pm
Location: Dallas
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Re: "Sondors" ebike - new fat tire entry
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)by Theodore Voltaire » Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:06 am

Trolls were saying over and over that Storm bikes would have no factory support. Our Facebook owners group might not be official factory, but imo Storm bikes instantly have more support than all brands of eBikes combined, from our 1600 members. So far only one person has needed a replacement part, and Gosondors was all over it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWRZpU ... e=youtu.be

What keeps Gosondors afloat? It's great that they have a dedicated group.
 
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