Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai yet?
 

Mine has been on pre-order, and fully paid for, since the summer. Initially it was due to arrive in October, but since then, every week, I have received an email from my supplier (Creative Video) saying that shipping has been delayed for a week or so ... EVERY WEEK!

I'm so very frustrated and no-one can offer any real information. Atomos support told me the second (yes, second) batch would be in the UK early December, after quality issues with a cable. Well, the latest weekly delay email states 6th Jan as the likely shipping date.

My latest enquiry to Atomos was ignored and then deleted (I do concede that their Facebook page wasn't the most appropriate forum for a potentially embarrassing discussion, but this whole delay with no firm info is rather taking the piss, I feel).

So, has ANYONE in the UK, apart from Alister Chapman (whose excellent review recently compounded my frustration), actually got a UK sourced Samurai? Anyone in the UK got any better delivery info etc?

Frustrated (in case you hadn't realised),
Dominic

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

I would try speaking to Atomos' MD. His name is Jeromy Young and see if he is aware of the promised supply situation getting out of hand. Not the best way to earn a reputation for a new product going to market.

Chris Young
Sydney

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

Thanks Christopher. Any relation? Don't suppose you have a direct email address? D

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

Dominic... it's my understanding all of the initial production of the Atomos Samurai were sold to the "pre-orders". Which, based upon your "pre-order" status, should have reserved you one of the first production units. It looks as if your retailer was 'over-booking' their initial order. Taking money in excess of 'the order' is, at the very least, unethical! It is possible the 'retailer' did not receive the amount of units from the 'distributor' they had originally ordered, I don't know. Quite frankly, I believe you got screwed! If I'm correct, and nothing says I am, IMHO your 'issue' is with your retailer/distributor not Atomos. I'd be on the phone with my distributor/retailer everyday until I either received the goods I paid for, "...pre-order, and fully paid for...", or, all of my money was returned to me! Then, I'd make it my personal mission in life to trash that distributor/retailer on every website that would have me. These 'retailers' know exactly how many units they ordered, and if you didn't receive the unit you paid for, the 'retailer/distributor' is pulling some monkey business. The WWW is a very powerful tool to identify shady business dealings.

I believe Atomos is currently working on their 2nd production run. Unfortunately, if you get out of the queue, you go to the back of the line.

I really despise companies doing business like that and will not do business with them if I know about in advance. I don't know if B&H Photo still has any Samurai in-stock, I also don't know how much more it would cost you in VAT and Customs fees if you ordered from the U.S.

I hope you get the issue resolved, I wish there was something I could do to help, beyond 'moral support'.

J.

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

Hi Dominic, I don't have a Samurai, but I do have experience of Creative Video taking orders and money for products they can't possibly deliver as promised. When questioned, it's always the "manufacturers fault" or "out of our control" but meanwhile they've been happily using your money for six months.

Best reply I've had so far is that the "date on the web site was wrong". Now I'll only order items from Creative Video that are definitely listed as "in stock".

Maybe, if they only took a deposit which was returnable when they failed to meet delivery promises, the service would get better?

Good luck - I know this can be frustrating.

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

I would think that failing to meet delivery promises would be grounds for a full refund even if it was "non-refundable." CVP are generally well regarded and it sounds like it is a supply issue. However, CVP still have a legal obligation to you.

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

Thanks for the comments, everyone. Although the fundamental issue is outstanding, I have had a personal reply from Jeromy Young (CEO of Atomos), which I copy below and which I will be taking to CVP, as I feel they owe me a proper explanation (I must add that I've used them many times and have only ever had excellent service, which really does add to my sense of ire):

Atomos The Samurai has been shipping for over 6 weeks, the first deliveries to the UK were around 20 November. The Pre Orders have been overwhelming and were filled based on receipt of order date. Depending on when you ordered, the second batch arrived on Wednesday and should cover all remaining pre orders.

We apologise for the delays you are experiencing, however the Samurai is not delayed, it is shipping and the order you receive your unit will depend on the reseller and their order placement to us, alternatively if you have pre ordered directly that will be filled in order as well.

Could you let us know who your reseller is and we can check what the status of their orders is please?

Thank you for your patience, you will not be disappointed with the Samurai it is a very well rounded and solid performing product.

Regards
Jeromy Young
CEO

Atomos

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

No, not a relative Dominic.

Why I suggested contacting Jeromy Young is that he is developing a good reputation on one of the pro cameramen forums as being pretty hands on in seeking tech feedback on the Atomos units. Seeking feedback re the tech side to better develop the product is a good sign and would suggest he should be interested in hearing about the supply side issues, especially as he is the company CEO.

Good luck with your order.

Chris Young
Sydney

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

As I told Mr. Jeromy Young when he returned my email a month or so ago, "I like a Boss who answers his own phone.", metaphorically speaking.

It looks a though CVP is getting mixed reviews, that alone would put them 'last' on my list of vendors.

I hope you get things sorted out to your satisfaction.

Regards,

J.

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

Update from my supplier: "Your order is being packaged and will be shipped to you soon" ... Should I allow myself to get a teeny bit excited that I may have my Samurai in time for the next project?

update to the update: 8pm here in the UK and I've just got consignment tracking confirmation from the courier. Looks like I should be a happy man tomorrow! D

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

I hope you get yours soon. I got mine the last day of the year. Impressed with the unit and packaging so far.
I have just tested it with my EX-3 and EPIC-M and it seems to work good with both units.

I haven´t used it on any productions yet. I was planning to use it as a playback device for my Epic, but the latest Beta firmware (that includes playback for the first time) seems stable enough to use on this job. I will keep the Samurai, but probably only use it for my EX-3 and AF101.

Re: Anyone in the UK (other than Mr Chapman) actually received their Atomos Samurai y
 

HURRAH! Samurai arrived yesterday morning, so the rest of the day was lost in testing and familiarisation. Everything seems good, apart from the fact that my Docking Station won't mount discs on my Mac. Oops! Still, Atomos support has been amazing and are already dealing with getting me a replacement. D