Pro¹ X – state of production and delivery

[Rob. S. 1,634]

11 hours ago, sweetcortex said:

So we have a family of crooks who all stick together to defend this catastrophe

Defend? There's just facts to be told when people spread FUD who don't even use the phone. Your energy would be much better spent in helping your friend in either making good use of their phone, which is often possible, as has been proven many times here already, or to sell it for a good price, to one of those who have a view less prejudiced than yours and want such a phone (and maybe don't want to buy at Expansys, either). 

And however distorted your views on that matter may be, you should be sane enough to be able to realise that it's the "crooks" here that still let you hate freely in this forum although they could have long since banned you, which any other manufacturer's forum would have long since done... 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Rob. S.

[EskeRahn 5,399]

 

On 10/14/2022 at 10:06 AM, EskeRahn said:

I have the same suspicion, when something is sold very cheap, there usually is something fishy involved. I paid using PayPal, so I can get my money back if ExpanSys never delivers. Well we will know in a week:

Current status, sound fishy, as they claimed plenty in stock when I ordered, and also claims in stock currently (and when clicking the link)...

[Hook 2,907]

23 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

 

Current status, sound fishy, as they claimed plenty in stock when I ordered, and also claims in stock currently (and when clicking the link)...

The automated system says that while awaiting input from the folks who pick, package and ship.  There are no people available outside the hours of 8am-6pm M-F Hong Kong time.  You will probably see this change somewhere around mid-day Monday HK time.  People who ordered on Discord saw this, as did I.  They received theirs. 

Mine is sitting in Memphis, TN right now because for some odd reason customs decided I must be an importer and I'm in a paperwork mess trying to convince them otherwise.  I'm wondering if Expansys mislabeled.  This one came straight from HK to Memphis, when usually these come Anchorage to Memphis, so maybe it's just that the customs folks in TN don't know what they are doing.   I have communications in to everyone and no one does anything on the week-ends.  Just my luck. Lol.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Hook

[FlyingAntero 825]

On 10/14/2022 at 10:23 AM, EskeRahn said:

Has anyone tried that and actually got it?

ADD: I just tried, And we will see if something arrives, and if it arrives, I will ask FxTec if the serialnumber matches one of those that should have been sent to backers - confirming my suspicion that Expansys has 'appropriated' our devices and are fencing them off online ....

Unfortunately, this seems to be very similar situation that Jolla had with  crowdfunded tablets back in 2015. Jolla had some financial issues and was not able to pay already produced units to the manufacturer. Then manufacturer decided to sell the tablets. Jolla tried to buy some units back but was able to get small batch to the backers.

- https://reviewjolla.blogspot.com/2016/02/jolla-tablets-in-china.html?m=1

- https://blog.jolla.com/jolla-tablet-closure/

Hopefully F(x)tec can either produce more units or get phones back from Expansys. 

[Rob. S. 1,634]

Hmmm... Today I got a note from Expansys HK that my order was on hold as my region (Germany) was outside their "service region / country"; they're requesting me to acknowledge that duties/import taxes would be on me and to pay an additional HK$550 (70 €) for shipping. Did I take a wrong turn there somehow when I ordered?

[xhajt03 27]

33 minutes ago, Rob. S. said:

Hmmm... Today I got a note from Expansys HK that my order was on hold as my region (Germany) was outside their "service region / country"; they're requesting me to acknowledge that duties/import taxes would be on me and to pay an additional HK$550 (70 €) for shipping. Did I take a wrong turn there somehow when I ordered?

Explicit confirmation that duties/import taxes are on you shouldn't hurt, because that's always the case in situation like this one. Requesting additional money for delivery on top of what they asked when taking the order is very strange at best, especially if they already did deliver to the same "region" recently (at least on behalf of FxTec if nothing else, because my "region" is hardly different from yours from their point of view).

[Rob. S. 1,634]

16 minutes ago, xhajt03 said:

Explicit confirmation that duties/import taxes are on you shouldn't hurt, because that's always the case in situation like this one. Requesting additional money for delivery on top of what they asked when taking the order is very strange at best, especially if they already did deliver to the same "region" recently (at least on behalf of FxTec if nothing else, because my "region" is hardly different from yours from their point of view).

Right, but in my original order they hadn't added anything for shipping...  

And they seem to be correcting even the shipping fees by supply and demand; while @EskeRahn paid HK$450, for me it's now 550? (I now went through the whole process again, placed a new order with HK$450 shipping and requested to cancel the one that's on hold...) 

[EskeRahn 5,399]

15 hours ago, Hook said:

You will probably see this change somewhere around mid-day Monday HK time.

It is now marked as shipped 🙂
...And has DHL tracking

[EskeRahn 5,399]

19 minutes ago, Rob. S. said:

(I now went through the whole process again, placed a new order with HK$450 shipping and requested to cancel the one that's on hold...) 

(I did the same: initially made and paid an order selecting the wrong shipping option, and shortly after cancelled it and made the correct one, and within say a quarter got a surcharge request,  a few hours later a refund for the first order, and I then cancelled their surcharge request on PayPal)

[Jacob_S 128]

15 hours ago, Hook said:

The automated system says that while awaiting input from the folks who pick, package and ship.  There are no people available outside the hours of 8am-6pm M-F Hong Kong time.  You will probably see this change somewhere around mid-day Monday HK time.  People who ordered on Discord saw this, as did I.  They received theirs. 

Mine is sitting in Memphis, TN right now because for some odd reason customs decided I must be an importer and I'm in a paperwork mess trying to convince them otherwise.  I'm wondering if Expansys mislabeled.  This one came straight from HK to Memphis, when usually these come Anchorage to Memphis, so maybe it's just that the customs folks in TN don't know what they are doing.   I have communications in to everyone and no one does anything on the week-ends.  Just my luck. Lol.

Most likely Expansys mislabeled. FedEx did the same when delivering my Pro1 to me after it was repaired at F(x)tec. Which leads to the annoying situation, that despite being the importer, you can not influence the customs process. Basically, FedEx was holding my package hostage and threatening to send it back, if I don't agree to them taking care of the customs process and paying them for it.

[Rob. S. 1,634]

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

2 hours ago, Rob. S. said:

(I now went through the whole process again, placed a new order with HK$450 shipping and requested to cancel the one that's on hold...) 

(I did the same: initially made and paid an order selecting the wrong shipping option, and shortly after cancelled it and made the correct one, and within say a quarter got a surcharge request,  a few hours later a refund for the first order, and I then cancelled their surcharge request on PayPal)

Right, that's how it went for me, too. (Also, my latest order was supposed to be the last item in stock and now there are 10+ again 😄 — they must have excellent workers who continuously fill up stock...)

[mv 84]

I get that people are doing the orders and it seems there is likely success. The question that i have that maybe it was answered, but not seeing it hear are we just taking our own stock if we make these orders. I probably would not have an issue with having two devices, though I want to make sure the backing of IGG comes through and feel this might undermne that backing.

I am not in any immediate rush but rather concerned that we might end up biting our own investment in the IGG campaign.

[EskeRahn 5,399]

20 minutes ago, mv said:

I get that people are doing the orders and it seems there is likely success. The question that i have that maybe it was answered, but not seeing it hear are we just taking our own stock if we make these orders. I probably would not have an issue with having two devices, though I want to make sure the backing of IGG comes through and feel this might undermne that backing.

I am not in any immediate rush but rather concerned that we might end up biting our own investment in the IGG campaign.

I fear that is exactly what is going on. BUT if Expansys have erhm appropriated the devices that was allocated to us, I doubt very much that we or FxTec would get them back from them no matter what. But yes there certainly is a risk that we are buying erhm appropriated goods here.... So I would love to hear an official statement from FxTec on how they see things.
 

[claude0001 1,271]

59 minutes ago, mv said:

are we just taking our own stock if we make these orders

I guess there is a risk of that, yes.

While it is not completely excluded that Expansys indeed legitimately bought a large stock from F(x)tec for re-selling, their very low price tag and the deafening silence from F(x)tec on the matter rather suggest the batch in question is being grey-marketed.

I do not think this is the result of plain theft, as Expansys is a very large business and I see no reason for them engaging in what would qualify as all-out petty crime by their standards. Rather, I think the situation has resulted from F(x)tec somehow (unknowingly?) failing to meet supply and/or payment deadlines in their contracts with Expansys as logistics partner; and Expansys requisitioning devices already in stock based on some fine-print clauses.

I must admit that I have also ordered a Pro1-X from Expansys. 60%+ off is just too tempting. Yes, this way I might get a device for cheap, while some early IGG backer might never recieve anything. I agree that that is unfair, and I do not feel easy about it. However, what can we possibly do? In the end, I think it is also important that the Pro1-X finally hits the community (this community!) in sufficient numbers for alternative ROM development to lift off. If all the Expansis devices disappear in some shady grey-market environments with no one caring for them, we might loose everything.

Edited October 17, 2022 by claude0001

[Rob. S. 1,634]

1 hour ago, mv said:

I get that people are doing the orders and it seems there is likely success. The question that i have that maybe it was answered, but not seeing it hear are we just taking our own stock if we make these orders. I probably would not have an issue with having two devices, though I want to make sure the backing of IGG comes through and feel this might undermne that backing.

Just in addition to what @EskeRahn and @claude0001 already said—I have similar suspicions, but of course we cannot really know. Back when the first batches of the original Pro1 were about to appear, there also were a handful of retailers who had been promised a number of devices and they got them even before some of the earliest of individual orderers (also causing a bit of anger among some of these...). The chances may be limited, but maybe it's just a coincidence that this retailer is also Fxtec's shipping company? 

Anyway, and more importantly, as much as I'd like to, there's nothing we can do (or refrain to do) to improve the situation. The phones Expansys sells, no matter whether that is totally legit or they're somehow 'requisitioned', are out of Fxtec's hands, and if someone is going to get them, why shouldn't we who have a real interest in those phones, maybe even have open orders, be among them? In the absolutely worst hypothetical case (which I really hope is not going to become reality!) it might even be our last chance to get a brand-new sample.

Edited October 17, 2022 by Rob. S.

[VaZso 1,997]

They have recently published a new update here:

Quote

 

by FX Technology

Oct 18, 2022 • 3:37PM

 

Pro1-X Update - October

Dear Pro1-X backers,

Here are the latest updates!

Firstly, we would like to apologise for the ongoing delays. We understand that this is frustrating, but until we have resolved the contractual issues with our partner in Hong Kong, we are unable to resume shipping.

As mentioned in our last update we are still working towards a December shipping date, so bear with us! 

Pro1-X user-feedback:

In the meantime, we have been reviewing feedback from our fulfilled Pro1-X customers with and are super pleased to see positive responses regarding the useability and functionality of their devices:

OS development:

On the OS development side, our core development team is actively fixing a number of stock Android bugs that have been brought to our attention. Thank you all for taking the time to report these issues to us! To list some notable ones that we are working on:

• Cellular and Wi-Fi connections occasionally drop
• Microphone/speaker-related issues while on-call or playing music
• Battery goes into “protection mode” after being depleted for a long time

Once these issues have been reproduced and solved, we will be able to certify a new stable build so our LineageOS and Ubuntu Touch OS developers can take the next step forward in their development. But don’t worry! Our community developers have already made amazing progress in the past month:

Ubuntu Touch OS

• Pro1-X has been added to the UBPorts system-image server and can now support installing OTA updates through UBPorts recovery
• The virtual keyboard can now appear/disappear depending on the slider state
• Enabled MTP for file transfer via USB and ADB in developer mode
• Pro1-X can now stay connected to Wi-Fi even in suspend mode

Sailfish OS

• Optimised headphone detection, video recording, and playback functions
• Fixed Bluetooth car kits (OPP and PBAP protocols)
• Also fixed WLAN connectivity while in suspend mode

IGG Perks and accessories:

All fulfilled orders which are still waiting on accessories or additional components - once mass shipping has finished we will begin the second phase of shipping which includes: all accessories; screen protectors, spare parts, etc. 

Once we have a confirmed shipping date, we will let you know. In the meantime, thank you once again for your continued patience and support.

You can reach us at (info at fxtec.com) for any questions related to your order, shipping, delivery, or technical support.

Team Fxtec 🙂

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by VaZso

[EskeRahn 5,399]

...Still not a clue on what the issues are...

[Olga 0]

It's been almost a year since I pre-ordered this phone and I have still not received it. I wonder if it would not be wise to ask for refund and buy it at Expansys? I am sick and tired of waiting in vain for an indefinite period of time, while in the meantime the technology will have become outdated...

[sequestris 710]

So back in the when  - back when I placed the order for my husband's phone - they asked me if I wanted Batch 1 or Batch 2. I had picked Batch 1. Waiting you know? Then a bit later they said that there were some suspected problems with Batch 1, but I could get it anyways if I was willing to take the risk. I opted for Batch 2 😄

So this whole thread is making me wonder. Rather than lose money on all those batch 1 phones what if fxtec decided "Hey, let's sell these dirt cheap or bulk to someone overseas?" I mean - the devices were already IN Asia, so shipping wouldn't be all that much all things considered.

So then Expansys takes these phones, packages them up all pretty, and then sells them to those of us who either can't or won't wait? So what are you gonna be getting from Expansys? And what good is having a "warranty" from a company that has these kind of reviews?

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.expansys-usa.com

Maybe you'll get them, but if you do, what exactly are you getting and what kind of guarantee do you have that there are not any weird tracking devices or stalkery bits?

[Hook 2,907]

11 minutes ago, sequestris said:

So back in the when  - back when I placed the order for my husband's phone - they asked me if I wanted Batch 1 or Batch 2. I had picked Batch 1. Waiting you know? Then a bit later they said that there were some suspected problems with Batch 1, but I could get it anyways if I was willing to take the risk. I opted for Batch 2 😄

So this whole thread is making me wonder. Rather than lose money on all those batch 1 phones what if fxtec decided "Hey, let's sell these dirt cheap or bulk to someone overseas?" I mean - the devices were already IN Asia, so shipping wouldn't be all that much all things considered.

So then Expansys takes these phones, packages them up all pretty, and then sells them to those of us who either can't or won't wait? So what are you gonna be getting from Expansys? And what good is having a "warranty" from a company that has these kind of reviews?

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.expansys-usa.com

Maybe you'll get them, but if you do, what exactly are you getting and what kind of guarantee do you have that there are not any weird tracking devices or stalkery bits?

A couple of things.  I don't think Expansys USA exists anymore.  It may have been an off-shoot of the original operation, but not the exactly the same.  Expansys in Asia has been pretty dependable over the years (I used them long ago and they have always been FxTec's shipping partner).

Secondly, Fxtec has stated in Discord discussions that they will back the warranty on the Expansys sold models.

[sequestris 710]

1 hour ago, Hook said:

A couple of things.  I don't think Expansys USA exists anymore.  It may have been an off-shoot of the original operation, but not the exactly the same.  Expansys in Asia has been pretty dependable over the years (I used them long ago and they have always been FxTec's shipping partner).

Secondly, Fxtec has stated in Discord discussions that they will back the warranty on the Expansys sold models.

Food for Thought. Thank you for that.

[EskeRahn 5,399]

4 hours ago, sequestris said:

So this whole thread is making me wonder. Rather than lose money on all those batch 1 phones what if fxtec decided "Hey, let's sell these dirt cheap or bulk to someone overseas?" I mean - the devices were already IN Asia, so shipping wouldn't be all that much all things considered.

Interesting theory. But it is both (most of) batch 1 and 2 that have been sent to "our warehouse", and never any further, so it would have to be both batches they sold for your theory to explain what is going on.

But sure your theory could be correct if the first batches were fundamentally flawed, and they sold them of cheap and are producing new ones. I doubt it very much though, since if so it would be hard to honestly label the cause as "contractual issues with our partner in Hong Kong". - note by the way that they state issues in plural...

It is a bit mysterious how they as early as September 9th had December as a new 'shipping date', and confirmed it in the newest update yesterday.
Your theory would fit here, if they got new production dates. But I think it is more likely that they early on got a court date in December for the disputes (what ever these "contractual issues" are).

So until told otherwise I still think Expansys is currently selling 'our' devices. Whether that is happening with the accept from FxTec or some sort of vigilantism prior to a court decision I do not know (either).

[Hook 2,907]

By the way, I did buy one (which just got released by US customs after a paperwork snafu that doesn't usually happen in the US), but not for me.  I talked two friends into buying a Pro1x.  One received his in August and I just wanted to be sure my other friend would get his.  I will wait for mine from FxTec and if they come through, I will end up with two Pro1xs because my friend will send me his if it arrives from FxTec.

I did not buy one of these for myself.

I still have faith in FxTec.  I know they will come through if they can. And if they can't, it won't be because they were either liars or crooks.

[749121 10]

Have to say, this latest update on IGG (again they've not bothered to e-mail it to backers) is quite spectacularly useless and content-free.  While there  are some possibly slightly outlandish theories that have been been aired on this forum, that's pretty understandable as plainly "something is going on", and FxTec's communications with their backers have been, and remain, frankly atrocious.  I find it hard to blame people for coming to, and voicing, their own conclusions.   It's an object-lesson in how not to handle such matters.  

*If* the reason for them failing to explain the situation to us backers is because elements are sub judice, then they can and should simply say that: that of itself would help restore confidence in them amongst in the backer community, but as it is, we can have no faith in what little they are saying.  

Anyway, one positive to have come out of this: I have very belatedly realised what an excellent  phone the Blackberry Key2 is!  It's likely that if I ever do receive my Pro1X, it will go straight onto E-bay.......  My one-year-old 128MB Key2 cost about the same as Expansys are charging for a Pro1X, and unlike the latter I can be confident that it works.......

Edited October 19, 2022 by 749121

[mv 84]

44 minutes ago, sweetcortex said:

 

This is what my money has afforded me:

Fxtec want all the glory without the guts.  $100

They have no character, honesty or integrity. $100 

They have no backbone. $100

They are amateurs over their head. $100

They are arrogant. $100

They have no respect for the backers that pay their bills/livelyhood $100

They have approach the whole project in a less then intelligent way $100

 

Please stop.

You made your points, there are people here who invested in this project knowing that, you are doing a disservice to the intent of the project and to those that have supported this from the start, many of us have the Pro1 or supported it since then and see this is a project worth backing. You approach amounts to not achieving anything if whomever you are advocating for put money in through IGG then they need to read what that actually means.

I have had my pro1 serviced and supported and I myself support the group even though the Pro1 is not my daily driver. But many of us support this cause we come from liking an actual tactile keyboard. I myself was sold on the idea over a decade ago with the Nokia N900 and this is in my opinion the closest to bringing that design model back. I look forward to either having the Pro1x and/or a repaired Pro1.

I fully back this IGG support and the risks that come with it. Keep it FXtec, small team trying to make a big splash in an ocean controlled by some huge companies.