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Coogee
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Superfly

Sat May 05, 2012 12:39 pm

Hi Everybody
last year I ordered and payed for a Superfly. Mr Goff and I swapped a couple of emails and worked out postage to Australia and the deal was struck. I asked for an invoice as at the time the exchange rate was good and voila the deal was done. Mr Goff told me that lead time on the kite was 5 weeks. Cool. It is now close to 6 months from the date I ordered and payed for the kite. I have had patchy responses to my emails from Mr Goff. Most have gone unanswered. He has also answered a few. These have been apologetic about the delay but have have assured me that because of various hold ups, sewing machine problems supply issues and the need to make sure the design is right, he is " getting there". Recently I watched the thread on getting in touch with Mr Goff. I sent him an email to enlighten him about this, mainly to ensure MY kite would eventually arrive. I make no bones about it I want my kite, self interest is the real topic here. I have also received an email from Mr Goff saying "your kite will be on its way on or before the 21st of March". I sent an email asking if my kite was on its way or not. No reply. I have PMed another forum user and he had a similar story. So I am not the only one who has this story to tell.
So WTF is happening. I see a couple of the kites on vids and "Vee" has a proto but it seems that is that. The reason I am posting this is because I have no response from Mr Goff, his promises have amounted to FA and I have been ignored. Pretty easy to see why I am pissed off with Mr Goff. I really do not know if posting this as a forum topic is an appropriate way to approach this situation but I feel any body who may want to have business dealings with Mr Goff should be aware of this situation.
Mike
 
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ObijuanKenobe
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Re: Superfly

Sat May 05, 2012 2:17 pm

I feel the need to respond.

I know and understand that when you order a kite, you don't expect anything but a kite in the mail.

But this is not Benson we are talking about here...it's a college student. Even more, a college student that expected to sell 20 kites...not +100. He doesn't have years of experience turning out kites to order. He doesn't have years of experience with quality control. He just designed and built a kite he liked, then offered a few for sale. He never imagined the interest would be so overwhelming.

This project is not going the way anyone expected, the least of which the guy who is supposed to make the kites.

This is not about protos, or friends getting kites first...it's about a kid/young man that got in over his head. He is feeling the pressure and is taking all of it very personally.

While this may not be of any consolation, this is what I know from having ONE single PM from Chris. I never ordered a kite, but I do consider him less than a stranger having spend a few hours chillin/flying with him.

While you have no kite at the moment, this young university student has a busy life and classes in between which he should sew more 50 perfect kites.

He's a flyer...not a builder. I imagine he is still in way way over his head, and at the moment has no idea how he's going to get out of it other than to keep his head low and do his best.

If that means he doesn't get most of this kites out till summer, I guess that sucks.

But nobody who has ordered a kite is going to get the shaft...except maybe in terms of not having there unrealistic expectations for perfect kites delivered in 4 weeks met.

Should Chris have stated publicly (when the orders took off beyond his expectations) that delivery would be delayed drastically? Yes. If there is one fault with his process up till now, this might be the big one. But this is not anything more than a gross underestimation of the potential for orders by a humble pilot turned designer.

That's my two cents plus,
obi
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ObijuanKenobe
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Re: Superfly

Sat May 05, 2012 4:24 pm

I have had some private conversations that have indicated to me...reminded me that this ordering process started almost 6 months ago.

Coogee, just wanted to say directly to you that I, as you, might be at least a little upset with where things stood as well.

I come to Chris' side in this argument only because I know there is nothing overtly shady going on...not to defend the six month delay and lack of communication.

I hope this clears up where I stand on this (given I have no money involved).

You staring at your screens saying, "Why don't you butt out if you didn't order a kite," is also a legit response to my first post.

I wish you (and Chris) luck resolving this issue. I sure hope when you get your kite, you are happy with the build quality and flight characteristics at least.

If not, PM me and I'll take it. :oops:

obi
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"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." L daVinci
 
Coogee
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Re: Superfly

Sat May 05, 2012 6:16 pm

Hi Obi
as I have said to Mr Goff in an email I do not think he is now "laying on a beach in Goa" spending the ill gotten gains from the proceeds of the great Superfly sting. I have no doubt Mr Goff is an admirable young man with a great many good points. However getting some form of communication from him about what is happening with the kite I have ordered has been hap hazard at best and the last email in which he said the kite would be in the mail on the 21st March has not been followed by any more communication or by the kite. I too have a busy life BUT it takes very little time to drop people a line telling them what is happening. If a deadline comes that you can not meet tell the customer you can not currently meet your commitment. This is a simple courtesy that most people will accept. In Mr Goffs case I would be disappointed that I was still waiting but would be cool with that. A promise of delivery then nothing is not courteous. Frankly, I am pissed off!
Mike
 
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Re: Superfly

Sun May 06, 2012 9:04 pm

Just came back from Weymouth kite festival (pictures posted here). Saw Chris and had a chat with him. Basically, there are two more or less separate issues:

1) Chris way way WAY underestimated the interest in the SuperFly, which means that the scale of the operation is far bigger than he anticipated. On top of that come the lack of experience in running a kite-making enterprise and the vastly increased work load of his university studies (I can completely vouch for that as a university lecturer: workload for students in year 2, compared to year 1 is of a different magnitude). All that means his initial estimates as to when kites would be ready were completely unrealistic. I think I can speak for at least the majority of the people who ordered a SuperFly when I say that that delay is not a major issue (for me, it isn't an issue at all). I'm sure most people can understand that he, maybe naively, misjudged what it would take to get the ordered kites out on time.

2) Lack of communication, not or hardly replying to e-mails. I said to him that the delays, for which he felt bad, were not the major issue, but the almost complete silence was. Chris readily admitted he had been crap at this front, and he said he would really try and improve that aspect of the enterprise. Basically, if things take longer than expected, just let people know.

Cogee, without mentioning names, I did say an Australian guy on FA was pretty pissed off. I hope things will improve from here onwards, and that we will all (including me!) get our ordered kites soon now. I really want Chris to succeed in this; one, because he's a friendly guy with his kiting heart in the right place, and two, because the interest in kite flying is clearly decreasing, with one maker/shop after the other closing down, so a new kid on the block deserves to make it.

I seriously hope Chris has been shaken awake and that communications will improve, and that his kite-making enterprise proves a success.

And just to prove that a SuperFly is not a mythical beast:

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Re: Superfly

Tue May 08, 2012 8:13 pm

I too spoke to Chris at length about this at Weymouth; he has a cunning plan to get kite out in higher volume than he has been able to do currently. I will not say more than that as it's not my place to do so, but rest assured it will be worth the wait. I only have a late stage prototype I won at Bristol festival's auction and it is awesome.
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Coogee
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Re: Superfly

Wed May 09, 2012 7:54 am

Perhaps that 'cunning plan' could include giving his customers a quick heads up on WTF is happening.
Mike
 
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Re: Superfly

Wed May 09, 2012 9:38 pm

Does this cunning plan include getting one of the other british builders to take up the slack in the rope?

...... or pick up the rope.
 
Coogee
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Re: Superfly

Tue May 15, 2012 11:12 am

Well at the risk of seeming churlish I find the silence deafening...

Mike
 
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Flying Fish
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Re: Superfly

Tue May 15, 2012 11:33 am

Have you tried e-mailing him during the last week or so? If not, might be worthwhile, so your e-mail is near the top when he next opens his inbox ...
 
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Re: Superfly

Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:14 pm

She's here! Arrived today and just put her together. Will write a bit more once I've had a decent chance to fly her.
 
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Re: Superfly

Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:33 pm

Coogee, why you do not ask for money back, it`s just a kite.
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Coogee
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Re: Superfly

Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:01 am

Hi Pink
sheer pig headedness.
Mike
 
Coogee
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Re: Superfly

Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:02 am

And by the way I have my kite.
 
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Re: Superfly

Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:45 am

Had chance to fly it yet, Mike? Any thoughts?