DJI RONIN Group Buy

[Dan Kanes]

These are interesting points that you bring up.

Based on what you are saying, I would propose the following:

If what you say is accurate (I have no idea) - Then you still can all place your order at Aerial Media Pros, and maybe AMP can do something extra if there are 300 people ordering through them.

My point here is this:

You all have the freedom to purchase wherever you like right? Choices are good - the tough part being - you have to make a choice.

One thing that is important to remember though - I am sure they can only allocate product to whomever has bought it, so if dealer X orders 300 pieces, and dealer Y orders 100 pieces, and there are only 100 pieces in the first batch, its fair to split the allocation up, and whoever is paying up front first gets product first.

Obviously there is a lot that makes up business, right?

Hello Dan,

I desagree in part of what you posted in the following respect:

ZEB started a fantastic group buy that was intended to be relationship between us RU's and AMP ( AMP will sell one of their future products to the red community) and that sounded great....we had awesome feedback and interest from the AMP guys as obviously they were interested in getting a large number of buyers from our community while providing us with special package deals!

we were sort of NAIVE as to let DJI take over the RUGB because , as said before, some dealers that we usually deal with are already willing to give us a 7-10% discount based purely on our relationship while selling single units!

DJI took advantage of this GB not in our favor, but in my view, favoring their own dealers, by getting the deal away from the original AMP's exclusivity and dissolving this group by on the hands of many different dealers ( so they would all be happy with DJI!!)

On our side of the equation.....we got screwed! meaning that we would have much more power and punch dealing only with AMP's that would definitely provide us better package deals for getting almost 300 orders at once

Now....when push comes to shove .....our group by got dissolved and divided throughout many dealers and all we have gotten is an extra battery and a 10% discount ( as the package provided by DJI is the same for our GB as it is for any other individual buyer out there.

both us RU's and AMP's got screwed allowing DJI take over this awesome job done by ZEB.....and what pisses me of the most is the lack of respect DJI is showing to ZEB......Whom by this time should have received not only the BETA UNIT ( for free) but should have gotten the whole damn line of products they sell for free!!

Just my 2 cents!

 

[Sabyasachi Patra]

So much of interest generated in this group buy but DJI seems to be have taken everybody for granted. Sad for reduser because this appears to be the beginning of the end of group buys. Due to the volumes there was a bargaining power. Unfortunately despite such high interest levels, if DJI does this, then in future other companies too will offer peanuts for group buys. If there is no commensurate benefits to redusers for the volumes that the companies get from here, then groupbuys will die down here. Zeb did a great job too in arousing interest, so sad to see this outcome.

Hello Dan,

I desagree in part of what you posted in the following respect:

ZEB started a fantastic group buy that was intended to be relationship between us RU's and AMP ( AMP will sell one of their future products to the red community) and that sounded great....we had awesome feedback and interest from the AMP guys as obviously they were interested in getting a large number of buyers from our community while providing us with special package deals!

we were sort of NAIVE as to let DJI take over the RUGB because , as said before, some dealers that we usually deal with are already willing to give us a 7-10% discount based purely on our relationship while selling single units!

DJI took advantage of this GB not in our favor, but in my view, favoring their own dealers, by getting the deal away from the original AMP's exclusivity and dissolving this group by on the hands of many different dealers ( so they would all be happy with DJI!!)

On our side of the equation.....we got screwed! meaning that we would have much more power and punch dealing only with AMP's that would definitely provide us better package deals for getting almost 300 orders at once

Now....when push comes to shove .....our group by got dissolved and divided throughout many dealers and all we have gotten is an extra battery and a 10% discount ( as the package provided by DJI is the same for our GB as it is for any other individual buyer out there.

both us RU's and AMP's got screwed allowing DJI take over this awesome job done by ZEB.....and what pisses me of the most is the lack of respect DJI is showing to ZEB......Whom by this time should have received not only the BETA UNIT ( for free) but should have gotten the whole damn line of products they sell for free!!

Just my 2 cents!

 

[Zeb B]

Real simple fix:

AMP is the exclusive RED User Group Buy domestic dealer since DJI can help them with the initial support demand spike. This allows us to get the full details of the deal from a single source posted on RU before any money changes hands. It would also allow for the highest level of operations / shipping efficiency (and therefore discount) and RU communication. Patrick of AMP is a member of this forum and a friend of RED management - the other hobby lobby DJI dealers proposed to fulfill and support this RED User Group Buy . . . not so much.

This is how this Group Buy was originally conceived but since then is has evolved into multi DJI dealer program with unspecified off site terms and conditions.

The tail is starting to wag the dog

 

[Nick Fury]

So much of interest generated in this group buy but DJI seems to be have taken everybody for granted. Sad for reduser because this appears to be the beginning of the end of group buys. Due to the volumes there was a bargaining power. Unfortunately despite such high interest levels, if DJI does this, then in future other companies too will offer peanuts for group buys. If there is no commensurate benefits to redusers for the volumes that the companies get from here, then groupbuys will die down here. Zeb did a great job too in arousing interest, so sad to see this outcome.

Hi Sabyasachi,

Actually there have been group Buys, where the interest and anticipation were at a fever pitch, but the discount unknown and which fizzled, when the discount was revealed-10%. Now, The DJI discount , includes a pelican case, for example, which boosts the raw number. EVERY Group Buy is different, however, depending on the demand for the product (DJI through the roof), timing, competition and other usual market forces. ZE and DJI B, I am sure, did the best he could, at the outset, but there were and still are a lotta moving parts.

I have hesitated to post on this, but anyone who posts, with a preface that includes they really don't know what is behind the scenes, is likely not helping-me too. Just wanted to give an historical perspective. The % discount is relevant, as factored by usual market forces-a very individual dynamic.

 

[Daniel Murphy]

Most of us can agree Zeb deserves a lot more love than he's receiving. Ronin gimbal is not even listed as an available product on DJI website yet due to champion efforts by Zeb there are at least 300 interested parties to buy this item.

This is a potential bonanza for DJI as even if only 200 are purchased initially it saturates market before another competitor can seize the moment at an attractive price level. Others whom see and witness our setups during field work may be inclined to buy their own.

Pull Group Buy then DJI is left with scant marketing from dealers versus tremendous buzz created by Zeb. These numbers of 200,300, 400 buyers is small compared to vast amounts of RED cameras in the wild; this could be the beginning of something huge. But we are professionals and do not hang our hats on potential. Zeb has gained our trust from a company whom has a sketchy record when it comes to service and support.

Zeb has helped ensure our confidence that despite Ronin being relative unknown product it will be all (or most) of what we could hope in a gimbal about one third priced of a Movi.

Once again, he has done a great job in organizing this buy, facilitation of interested buyers and taking feedback from the RU community to make this product functional for how we need it to perform.

Remember, many of us on this board do higher profile jobs which should translate into some sort of a bargaining chip to DJI; let's hope they do the right thing as there is still time to make this amongst the best on RED User.

 

[Note Suwanchote]

One thing in confused on is there's the initial interest list and then there's the sign up form dji put on the 6th. How does one affect the other?

 

[orlando schirch]

+ 1 ZEB ....Agree we should all deal with AMP's as was the first and main partnership to begin with....the only you had idealized before inviting us in! Sorry for the other DJI retailers.....they should begin their own GB's with their own proposals ( if they have any!) Not fair to just let them "SURF THIS WAVE"

 

[Tyler Dreher]

One thing in confused on is there's the initial interest list and then there's the sign up form dji put on the 6th. How does one affect the other?

They will ship in the order of the list on here.

 

[D Anderson]

I sure hope this can be pulled back on track. The price/performance of this unit will hopefully have other manufacturers look at their pricing.....read Movi.

 

[john zerihoun]

Hmm...

I don't like where this GB is heading...

A 10% discount for a package same as offered publicly...its just not worth being lab rat for such a weak deal.

As things stand now, I will opt out and just let other take the first hits of a product not field tested and just add a couple of hundred bucks further down the road to whomever prove to be the best aerial gimbal out there.

Will keep a watchful eye on how things unfold in the following weeks....

 

[Abiodun Shote]

Hmm...

I don't like where this GB is heading...

... It seems, what I perceived, that no matter what goes down here, the guys in China are running the show.

They certainly neeed to borrow a leaf from what Hienle's doing over at Helix GB!!!

 

[Philip Lanyon]

I'm out too, not enough of a reward to be a Guinea pig for this. I'll check back in a few months.

 

[D Anderson]

Hmm...

I don't like where this GB is heading...

A 10% discount for a package same as offered publicly...its just not worth being lab rat for such a weak deal. .

You could say lab rat jumping from a sinking ship. To be clear, I would too.

In a few months the dust will have settled and problems will be visible. A few hundreds bucks saving for an item like this, that could EASILY give you plenty of headaches just isn't worth that $ saving.

 

[Jay A. Kelley]

Guys,

What did you expect? Back when we started group buys, the idea was that the group would take on the position of a wholesaler. We would then get the discount that re-seller would get. However we are purchasing these things THROUGH the re-sellers so in fact there is no way for them to discount this thing much.

The fact that this is an untried product makes this group buy a disaster waiting to happen. The manufacturer is going along with this as a sort of "What the hell, why not?" attitude. But in reality, why are they really motivated to do a group buy on a new product that will most likely sell well when it hits the streets anyway (Unless it's crap)?

You have to always ask yourself "Why would these people be interested in a group buy?" It usually works well on products that have been out a while, have made their R&D money back, and provides the creators with a way to jump-start a little sales.

Group buys do not work for everything. As we are seeing.. Still I applaud Zeb for the attempt.

Jay

 

[Steve Das]

Guys, What did you expect? Back when we started group buys, the idea was that the group would take on the position of a wholesaler. We would then get the discount that re-seller would get. However we are purchasing these things THROUGH the re-sellers so in fact there is no way for them to discount this thing much....

Yes...if the group buy had avoided resellers and just shipped everything to people worldwide straight out of China from DJI then we could have had whatever
% that the resellers get...no idea what it is but if it's like 5% comission on every Ronin they sell well then the sum of the group buy could have been
15% discount which would have been excellent discount for a new product. As it stands at 10% it's still really good. But probably DJI were
required contractually to go through resellers or they just didn't want to upset their relations with their resellers.

You have to always ask yourself "Why would these people be interested in a group buy?" It usually works well on products that have been out a while, have made their R&D money back, and provides the creators with a way to jump-start a little sales.
Jay

Think DJI doing this as a show of good faith to all the people on the list....and part of it might be Willis has convinced them it would be a good idea.
It's like if a list of 250 people showed up at your door for a party. Would you A. Slam the door or B. Try to make them feel at home the best you could.
So all this DJI slamming feels really wrong and uncalled for at this stage of the game.

Because the truth is a $1.5 million dollar deal isn't that much for a company that has over 500 employees and
offices located worldwide. http://www.dji.com/company
DJI probably need to sell couple thousand Ronins over the next few years just to pay their bills.

Still curious if the final weight will allow this to be lifted by a multi-rotor.

 

[Demetri Zuev]

Not going to comment on everything else, but one point of this GB got really messed up — why bother with making lists and counting heads when someone just randomly puts a deal link in the thread out of nowhere?

I mean, I was really busy on a recent project and now I finally got a chance to check RU only to find that some link was posted on 6/6 and today is 6/10 and who knows how many people who stated interest after me have already put a preorder, just because they were checking the thread every day? At least I expected a PM to everyone on the list in order of stated interest.

This fact disappoints me.

EDIT: My bad, found Willis' post that states that the initial list order will be honored. This fact makes me happy

 

[Peter Majtan]

Not going to comment on everything else, but one point of this GB got really messed up — why bother with making lists and counting heads when someone just randomly puts a deal link in the thread out of nowhere?

I mean, I was really busy on a recent project and now I finally got a chance to check RU only to find that some link was posted on 6/6 and today is 6/10 and who knows how many people who stated interest after me have already put a preorder, just because they were checking the thread every day? At least I expected a PM to everyone on the list in order of stated interest.

This fact disappoints me.

You need to catch up on the reading then - Willis has clearly stated that despite that link to outside registration of interest and dealer preference - they will still honor the original list from here...

And speaking of which - Willis has also clearly recommended on several occasion that we chose AMP as the preferred dealer and officially confirmed that AMP will receive the very first batch of the units ahead of the other dealers...
The question now remains whether the priority AMP units will cover the numbers in this GB that ended up choosing AMP - because that will essentially fulfill the original "concept" of this GB, as AMP is able to offer their own special deal on top of the DJI's 10% discount.
So we still have the power to negotiate with AMP to further strengthen this deal IMHO...

:sifone: Petrucio

 

[David Coughlan]

So we still have the power to negotiate with AMP to further strengthen this deal IMHO...

This would be really bush league. The truth is the time for real negotiating was up front directly with DJI/AMP before this thread even started. Trying to retroactively improve the deal with AMP is just going to make them and others hesitant to do business with RU groupbuys going forward.

 

[Adam Johnson]

Letus Helix > Ronin

 

[Philip Lanyon]

Still TBD, even the helix is untested by a independent third party.
It is looking sweet though!

Letus Helix > Ronin