EDIT: I tried to upload a photo of the broken item but can't seem to upload photos again.


I thought I should make others aware of a problem that I encountered with a recently purchased Phantom 3 camera/gimbal guard. I purchased this item on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/25198994 ... =STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I received the item yesterday or the day before. I removed it from it's package last night to install it on my Phantom 3. Looked great, however it seemed a bit flimsy. I am providing the exact communications I had with the seller, the only edit I made was removing my last name:

Jun 16:

You requested a return

Reason for return:

It's defective or doesn't work

Comments:

Dear Sir,
I purchased your camera guard last week and received it yesterday. I currently have a carbon fiber guard installed on my Phantom 3 Pro. I liked the appearance of your guard and the fact that you had the back guard as well. It looked like it would make the legs stiffer and provide better protection. I was looking at it a few minutes ago in preperation to install it. I was a bit surprised that it appeared a bit flexible. I intentionally started to bend it slightly to put a bit of pressure on it as would be the case in the event of a crash. It immediately snapped with very little pressure. It snapped by the large hexagon. I then took the remaining part and looked at where it snapped. It s a very weak point. Since I had already snapped it I decided to try it again on the remaining piece. Again, I applied very slight pressure and it snapped in the exact same spot, the large hexagon on the other side. This item would not protect the camera in the event of a crash, it may even create more damage. I have attached a picture for your review. I hope I just received a defective unit and they are not all of this caliber. I have not provided any feedback at this point in time as I thought it was appropriate to contact you first. I buy thousands of dollars of Phantom gear and am heavily involved in a few Phantom forums. I frequently recommend applications and products to other pilots. I would like to request a full refund, including shipping, for this item. If you truly believe that I just received a defective item, I would be willing to try another of better quality. Please provide you thoughts and instruction as soon as possible.
Thank you for your attention to this matter,

Jerry


Vendors Address:
LSW Inc.
105 Sly Fox Trail,
Myrtle Beach,SC,29588

Here is the reply I received, unedited:

Jun 17:

The seller offered partial refund for $10.00

Comments:

It appears that you admit to breaking the unit by hand, thats not how it is supposed to be used.

Jun 17:

The seller sent you a message

Message:
The unit is acrylic and does exactly what it is designed to do, it is designed to lessen the impact of a crash and rather than cause a bounce it landed hard, it will break away and soften the blow ( much like todays automotive bumpers ) I am at a loss to understand why you would try to break it and accomplish your intentions and think that it was somehow our fault? That being said, you do realize that your actions broke the unit while it was not being utilized correctly. While the unit is not unbreakable, it was not designed to be flexed in your hands, it was designed to either break away or break off during impact, you dont want the part to remain totally stiff or else you will break something else in a crash. What would you have us do to correct your issue? Keeping in mind that I do think that common sense would have dictated that you not stress it in your hands.


I would recommend that you not purchase this product but that's just my opinion. I've provided the exact communication with the vendor. I'm reporting, you decide.

Here's the remainder of the communications from this morning:

ME

Dear Sir,

I received your reply to my request this morning. Thank you for your prompt reply. I declined your offer for a $10 refund. Sometimes, as a vendor, you should try better to understand to what is being written and to utilize that information to provide a better product. This is not about $30, it's about honesty and integrity. As I stated in my original post, I willfully acknowledged attempting to bend the guard slightly. That's the whole point. I certainly wouldn't have acknowledged that fact if I was after $30, perhaps I would have said I received it already broken. It's all really beside the point. I explained what I did and why I did it. I was trying to determine if it would be a suitable item to install on my 1k+ Phantom. It failed a simple test miserably. I feel that the it is a defective item and should not be utilized in the application that it was intended. I gave you the opportunity to do the right thing and you chose not to do so. No biggie, you reap what you sow.
- jtrjrjtrjr

VENDOR

Hi Jerry,
signworks2 sent you a message about your request:
"I am sorry that you feel like we should be responsible for your intentional misuse of the product, while we strive to make every customer happy, in this case by your own words you did intentionally break the item not once but twice? The item was never installed as intended and was misused by you according to your first contact. We did however try to offer some compensation by way of a partial refund which you immediately declined. We feel that there is no fault on our part as you never installed the item on your quad and your only interaction with the product was to try and break it by hand which you did accomplish not once but twice. Thank you for your purchase but we feel that there is no justifiable reason for a refund on this sale."

To reply now, see your request details.
If you have not agreed on a solution by Jun 20, 2015 , you can ask us to step in and help. If you and your seller need more time to work things out, your request will stay open until Jul 28, 2015.

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2015-6-18 02:11
Here's the remainder of the communications from this morning:

ME

Just so everyone knows, I will not be seeking anything further from the vendor or Ebay. IMHO, I just blew $30 on a poorly designed product because it looked cool. I just wanted to advise others of my mistake so you can decide whether you want to take the gamble.

Jerry

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2015-6-18 02:15
Just so everyone knows, I will not be seeking anything further from the vendor or Ebay. IMHO, I ju ...

(Just including this now to be fair):

VENDOR

Dear jtrjrjtrjr,

The product does exactly what it is designed to do, it was however not designed to have a person grasp it in their hands and flex to the point it breaks, this misuse of the item is totally beyond me. I will take your opinions and suggestions into mind and consider them in future designs or products, I will go a step further and offer to replace the one your broke if you will simply return it, although it clearly states NO RETURNS on the sale and especially under the circumstances you have described but I will replace it for you if you like.

- signworks2

ME (Hopefully the end of this saga)

Dear Sir,

I do appreciate your prompt responses although I obviously disagree with the content included. I do understand that it states NO RETURNS. It is my belief that product I received will not provide the protection that was intended and was described in your listing. I will gladly return it to you if you'd like, I'll even pay the shipping. However, it will not be necessary for you to send another of like quality because in my opinion it will not protect my very expensive Phantom 3 camera. I am not looking for anything further from you. I made my points, you made yours, that's good enough. I am a bit surprised that some vendors immediately take offense to a valid customer complaint. I hope you take the information I provided you and redesign your product to do as it was intended. I'm not really upset that you're not providing me a refund, I'm more upset that you're trying to somehow make me out to be a bad guy. I'm the customer friend! I certainly didn't buy your product to break it and send it back for a refund! I was suspicious of it's integrity and did a simple non-scientific test that I've done to the six other camera guards that I have. Yours failed, sorry. Good luck to you in all of your future endeavors!

Jerry

You know your address and what not is posted here...right?

KittenSwagger Posted at 2015-6-18 03:10
You know your address and what not is posted here...right?

Kitten,

Thanks for the heads-up. I think that's the business address of the vendor. I edited the original post to indicate the change. Thank you very much!

Jerry

Jerry, It unfortunate the vendor won't make good on their .50 cent product that they charge $30. for.

Thanks for this Jerry its good information to know, I am currently waiting on a carbon fibre version from UAVbits - Adam

Adamation Posted at 2015-6-18 03:29
Thanks for this Jerry its good information to know, I am currently waiting on a carbon fibre version ...

Adam,

That's actually the one I currently have installed. It's a good product, I also use theirs on my P2. A much as I hate to say it, a major reason for even getting this other one was the appearance. If it would protect my camera and look better, why not? Live and learn I guess.

Jerry

PublicRealtor@g Posted at 2015-6-18 03:25
Jerry, It unfortunate the vendor won't make good on their .50 cent product that they charge $30. for ...

Pub,

95% of the product I buy is what I expected it to be, another 3% is acceptable, It's this 2% that ends up coming up. I really just wanted to put the alert out there. I really do hope the guy just makes a better product.

Jerry

Adamation Posted at 2015-6-18 03:29
Thanks for this Jerry its good information to know, I am currently waiting on a carbon fibre version ...

Got it, good choice.

UPDATE: Went on to ebay and viewed this item. Apparently the item I purchased has been updated as of today! I have a copy of the old listing but the new listing has two significant additions/changes. They are as follows:

"The bottom unit is not made to flex much at all, the design is intentional so that in a hard direct crash on the base, in order to protect the camera and gimbal the protector rather than cause a bounce is designed to lessen the blow by breaking away. This is much like crumple zones on todays automobiles."

and...

"Limited production run, crystal clear protection and easy to install. Better to save your camera system with a sacrificial piece of acrylic than ruin your quad"

Jerry

JtrJr-UAV Pilot Posted at 2015-6-18 05:29
UPDATE: Went on to ebay and viewed this item. Apparently the item I purchased has been updated as of ...

Well, I must give credit where credit is due, I received another note (Maybe things will work out in the end for everyone. I'll keep everyone posted.):

VENDOR

Dear jtrjrjtrjr,

Well, I am going to go a step further, I will make you one custom without the holes in it and I wont charge you a single penny for it, I still stand by the design as a break away rather than bounce unit and think after flying heli/quad/prop craft for 20 plus years that this is the better design but that's me. I may even lessen the amount of holes at the risk of adding a slight bit of weight just to insure that they are not broken by hand unless a good amount of force is applied. I did not intend to paint you as the "Bad Guy" here but I was personally insulted when I saw the photo and you said you broke it in your hands by applying pressure intentionally. All of that aside and for whatever reason I still would like to fix the issue you have with what you bought ( I guess I am just  built that way and cant stand to see anyone upset or unhappy ). So, if you would provide me your preference, either no holes or less holes in the new one, I will send it out by Friday. Toss the other one out no need in spending funds to return it so I can toss it out here.
I would ask that you revise the feedback if this makes you happy but either way I will still make you a new one with your preference ( you tell me what you think will work best for you ) of design just so that I know I tried to fix your issue with the item.
Thank you for your time and your concern, I do want to tell you that while I was upset, I can see your point of view and I should have allowed you that opinion.

- signworks2

ME

Dear Sir,

I must say, I do appreciate your tenacity. I do apologize that you felt insulted but I did say "slight" pressure, meaning minimal, not nearly what would occur in even a minor crash. We obviously disagree on the design element and I'm not certain that the acrylic will withstand a crash. I see your point regarding the idea of the item "breaking away" but would be concerned that it may cause the broken guard to interact with the gimbal or camera upon impact, possibly causing further damage. I did have a relatively severe crash with my P2 with a carbon fiber guard and I definitely believe that it and the Phantom fix gimbal guard saved my camera. I do understand that there is a significant difference in the material properties of acrylic vs carbon fiber. I do love the appearance of the item and the overall design and "fit" seems great. As stated earlier, I am no longer holding you or ebay accountable for anything. If you choose to provide a "new" version, I'd gladly accept it and would update my feedback based on my review of that new version. I don't think you'd have to do much to improve upon the design. Honestly, I think if you just eliminated the two large hexagon's the strength would be increased greatly. As seen in my picture that was certainly the weak spot on both sides. If you choose to do so great and I'll certainly afford you the credit and update my reviews accordingly. Honesty, integrity and a quality product is all I'm after, maybe that's all you're after as well.

Jerry

I bought one of those also. It is definitely "breakaway" and light duty. It needs to be tie wrapped also or you'll pull your hair out keeping it on. Lol. It does look cool though.

Thanks for the update Jerry, look forward to hearing how the new versiin holds up - Adam

With the exception of the breaking issue did you manage to use it in flight or an alternative. I purchased a different one but similar and found that it was no good a the wide field of view of the lens meant it was always in shot when looking down unless I trimmed it to the point of being useless and the same at the rear but due to the ground sonar and camera which had a hissy fit as it was not only picking up on the panel. I meant that to stay out of shot and keep the sensors happy you could only have effectively a small strip across the bottom under the back of the gimbal which is fine for a vertical crash but no use for anything hitting at an angle.

What are others experiences?