BaneBots updated their home page with the following information this morning:
PLEASE READ
Due to a large number of orders, we have had to post lead times on all of our gearboxes. We are also receiving a very large number of contacts via both web and phone, most inquiring about order status.
Unfortunately, we are currently unable to answer all contacts in a timely manner due to the large number of order status inquiries. To help with this, we will post current order processing on our home page, it will be updated at least once a day so that everyone can see where they are in the process.
Please, we ask that you check this page for current order processing, we will be unable to give more detailed information if you call or send email. We understand that FIRST teams are under severe time constraints and are doing everything we can to get orders out as fast as we can. There is no way to pay for faster service or to jump in line ahead of everyone else. In order to be fair to everyone we will process orders in the order they were received.
We appreciate your understanding as we work through the current gearbox backlog.
Order shipment update:
All orders placed on or before Jan 19th have been processed
All non-gearbox orders are typically shipping in 1 to 2 business days but may be up to 3
We are currently processing gearbox orders from the 20th and 21st.
Gearbox orders placed on the 20th and 21st are expected to ship Friday (4th) or Monday (7th)
Gearbox orders placed on the 22nd - 24th are expected to ship Monday (7th) or Tuesday (8th)
We do not have a better shipping estimate for gearbox orders placed on or after the 25th other than the estimated lead time when the order was placed
We understand that orders placed on the 20th and 21st should ship by Friday (4th) to fall within the estimated lead time window. Most orders will ship on time; however, some will be delayed a day or two. We have experienced delays in receiving materials due to current weather conditions which have resulted in a day or two delay in processing these orders.
As stated above, we expect all orders placed on the 20th and 21st to ship no later than Monday.
We ordered ours on Sunday night the 23rd. Here’s hoping they ship on Monday!
Maybe it would be helpful for everyone to post in this thread when they ordered theirs and when their order was shipped so that others can gauge how long their delay might be?
We ordered ours on the 19th. Hopefully they arrive soon. I don’t get it though. What is up with Banebots? I mean, they had to have known that their motors where shipped in the KOP. I realize that in the past teams have had other options for motors, so the demand is probably up a bit, but even with that, at kickoff Banebots was already a week and a half behind. I am not doubting that Banebots is doing everything possible to get out the orders, but I don’t get why they weren’t at all prepared for the FIRST season. Not only is this irritating to just about every FIRST team, but we probably would have ordered more transmissions from them, if we didn’t have to wait 4 weeks to get them, which would have provided more business for Banebots.
I completely agree. FIRST didn’t give us many options as far as motors and 4 of them being banebots really screws the teams who didn’t plan far enough ahead to know which transmissions we needed right away. Looks like I’ll be doing some redesign based on what I can because I’m not convinced we’re getting ours before ship…
Next time FIRST changes a “big” rule like 5 CIMS to 4 CIMS, they should contact at least the big vendors (even if it’s NDA’d) and let them know that teams will probably crash their websites to find engineering alternatives…
Really not cool, I feel, because the well established, mentored, resourced teams get their CADs done in the first week and start ordering where as smaller and less established teams take sweet time designing and then we find out the fast teams get these parts and now the gearboxes have 15+ business day wait.
I mean nothing to complain about, but just thought FIRST could have been a little more upfront about this issue!
Some of the slightly more experienced teams are figuring out how to use window motors to get the job done because of the long lead time on transmissions.
There are usually several different solutions to a problem.
Agreed. Also, make sure you fax your POs (if that’s what you’re using to place the orders). We didn’t fax ours until we realized that they were waiting on them in order to process our order. Cost us about 5 days of build time on our arm… :ahh:
