Please do that. There have been numerous recent reports from backers of problems with getting refunds. For example here is a recent post from the KS comments section: Sorry to be here again but I’ve sent over ten emails to info@rockwellrazors.com. I have received only 3 replies and the last one guaranteed a refund within 24 hours. That was four days ago. Can you please respond to my emails and process the refund I requested a month ago? Rockwell responded to this request on the comments board with a very obtuse, convoluted explanation as to why the refund request wasn't fulfilled, but of course promised it would be. Either incompetence has reached new heights, or something is rotten in Denmark (or Canada).
Even the smallest company can burn through $600k in three years; it really isn't that much, especially when you consider it's a hardware manufacturing company. Additionally, the way crowd funding works -- from what I've read -- it will leave them with a considerable tax liability if they do not ship product in that first year. Many KS campaigns have found themselves in trouble with the tax authorities. If RR made the same false reports to the Canadian IRS about units shipped that they've made to their backers, then they would be in very deep trouble. I can easily see where funds might be getting a bit tight for RR, even if the principles are not pulling salary from those funds.
Those are great points, all. I concede to knowing very little about what it would (or should) cost to capitalize a project like the Model T. Clearly time is money and the fact that this campaign is dragging out to going on three years has got to be putting the hurt on Rockwell. I think that the fact that the original KS fundraising goal was just $50k may be telling. I think these guys were overwhelmed (perhaps in more ways than one) by the response to the campaign and probably a) all that fast money was intoxicating, and b) once they grasped the reality, they simply couldn't get their arms around the sheer number of pledge obligations.But still, they took the money. You buy the ticket, you take the ride. The tax issues surrounding crowdfunding had never occurred to me, but that makes total sense. So not only may there be a cash squeeze, could be tax problems as well. Thanks for your explanation.
My request for a refund was responded to with a "sorry to see you go" and request for a PayPal address. I was looking at buying a Rockwell 6S and asked for the model T to be replaced with the Rockwell 6S and they complied immediately. Case closed ! Sent from my MI MAX using Tapatalk
No idea. I just hope the delays are worth it. I think they bit off a huge chunk with this design for the price. Hopefully they can work out the bugs and start cranking these out to turn a profit.
As much as I detest the conduct of this campaign by Rockwell, I have to give it to them on the finished product. I received a white chrome Model T some months back and it is a fantastic shaver; at least as good as anything in my den. Whether it is worth the ridiculously long wait is an individual thing. For me, I had pretty much given up on the campaign, so receiving an actual razor was a bonus. As to whether they can "start cranking these out to turn a profit", I have my doubts. Rockwell has so far shown no ability to produce these razors in the numbers needed to sustain ongoing sales. And I think they have an image problem: In the process of reaching a final production design they dumbed-down the materials (read: zamak) to the point where the razor is viewed by many as just another made-in-China pot metal special, yet it is priced like a premium SS razor. As good a shaver as mine is, I'm somewhat skeptical about long term durability. To compound these issues, in the nearly three years since this campaign was launched, the competition has stepped up their game. Many new razors have come on the market, including some really excellent CNC machined , full stainless razors at prices considerably lower than the Model T. There was a lot of buzz when the Model T was launched; indeed, the campaign generated more than 6,000 pledges. To capitalize on that interest, Rockwell needed to produce and deliver numbers of Model Ts in a timely fashion. Had they done so, I delieve they would have had a very commercially successful product. Instead, they utterly failed in that mission, and in so doing they squandered all that initial momentum. I think Rockwell now faces a tough road ahead with the Model T.
I have to almost agree with everything that you have said here in your post. As I have said before I have wasted more money gambled and squandered more money in Reno NV and Las Vegas NV. At real casino's and so called Indian Casino's in So. California. So if I ever get this Razor I will be surprised. I rate the Rockwell T razor right along side the Camp Fire in a Can projects that I backed.
Unfortunately you are probably right. I want to see them succeed. I'm pretty sure most of us do. If they can work out the production problems and price things fairly they may still have a hit on their hands. Only time can tell.
I ordered my Rockwell T in the original Kickstarter campaign. Your pledge information Your current pledge level: $175 Reward - THE MORE, THE MERRIER You'll receive 2 Rockwell Model T razors and 200 Rockwell Blades (good for about 4 years of shaves for one person, or 2 years of shaves for 2 people!) Free US, Canada, and EU shipping. Rest-of-world shipping will be $20. Shipping will be charged prior to delivery. See shipping details or FAQ for more info. THE MORE, THE MERRIER You'll receive 2 Rockwell Model T razors and 200 Rockwell Blades (good for about 4 years of shaves for one person, or 2 years of shaves for 2 people!) Free US, Canada, and EU shipping. Rest-of-world shipping will be $20. Shipping will be charged prior to delivery. See shipping details or FAQ for more info. I paid for these add ons below on 01/16/17 Pledge Items Pledge Questions Shipping Fees 1 RR-100B 1 RR-SAFE 1 RR-SHEATH-GL 2 Rockwell Model T Brushed Chrome I still have not received any of this stuff. To make matters worse I was backer number Backer number 1,689 of a total of 4,024 backers total (from the Kickstarter web Page}
Excellent points. I'm glad the product turned out so well for you. I think they''ll have to drop the price considerably for it to sell, at least to the established wet shaving community. When you read their marketing hype, they're clearly trying to lure new wet shavers, those with little experience with DE razors. As much as they claim otherwise, there is nothing particularly innovative or ground-breaking about the Model T. Price-wise, to me, the Model T should be in the range of the Parthenon and Variant. Though those two are very different razors, they both contain less pot metal than the T. The Parthenon shaves like a TTO Futur and the Variant is basically an improved Progress. With a few minor tweaks, the Parthenon could be a terrific shaver, especially for under $50. The Variant is excellent already.
@PatrickA51 I'm sorry to say that it doesn't look like the brushed chrome will be showing up any time soon. I'm surmising that Rockwell hasn't yet begun production of the brushed chrome finish Model Ts; it may well be that the parts themselves haven't even been manufactured. Rockwell's last update made a big deal of the fact that they had (finally!) received the parts for the gunmetal razors, and they posted pictures of the gunmetal parts and of the finished razor. Conspicuously absent from the update was any mention (or pics) of the brushed chrome finish, either parts or razor. So I think it's probably going to be a while.
Great post. I agree that there isn't anything especially revolutionary about the Model T. It's really just a reprod of a vintage Slim or FatBoy, a good example of which can be had for half or less than the Model T. And those are solid brass. Or as you have pointed out, an excellent shaving Parker Variant is under 60 bucks, also less than half the current asking price of the Model T. I'm sure you're right that in order to sell, the Model T will have to come down in price; the question is whether Rockwell will be able to do this and still sell the razor at a reasonable profit. Plus, if the eventual retail price ends up being way under the pledge price, they will have a legion of PO'd crowdfunding backers on their hands.
As I have said before, I will believe it when I see it. I have wasted and or squandered and or lost more money feeding slot machines. At so called casino's. So if and when I ever receive the Two razors that I backed and the accessories I paid for from these "Flim-Flam Men" (I must be getting old when I can remember the movie "The FlimFlam Man" starring "George C. Scott " . If you have Amazon Fire TV or Netflix it's an enjoyable movie to watch. Not one of George C Scotts best works but it is a decent movie.
Some of you probably saw this already as I posted it on KS but earlier this week, I became one of the first backers to receive the gunmetal Model T so I put together a "first look" photo compilation video that I've uploaded to YouTube: I put the photos in an IMGUR album, along with additional comments on each.
I have a question for any other KS backer who ordered multiple razors as addons: how much did your extra razor(s) cost, and were they the same price as your original pledge amount? You can check on the order review page in Backerkit - it'll show under "ADD-ON ITEMS". The reason I ask is that I ordered multiple razors and they did cost me the same as my original ($79 ultra earlybird) pledge amount.. and I'd always thought it being the same price was by design - but I'm now wondering if that was actually just coincidence. That's because my additional razors did not each come with a 100-pack of blades + blade safe/bank, as did our original pledges (though a leather sheath and a starter 5-pack of blades does come inside every razor box). Maybe that was my stupid mistake in not realizing it - and perhaps I would have added those items on if I'd known they weren't going to be included. Maybe others backers were expecting full multiples, too and will be similarly suprised. I don't know. What were you guys expecting? Thanks.
