Fanatec Podium Direct Drive Wheel Bases Thread
- Thread starter super_gt
- 3,719 comments
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- 29
- Kulichky City
- OptiMystiX
Right very-very soon? Can it be today?
- 426
- United States
- andrewhake
- 4,915
- Bulgaria
Delivery of the Podium DD1 and DD2 Wheel Bases
To all customers waiting for the Podium Wheel Base
I can imagine how much you’re looking forward to the release of this product. We’ve been working tirelessly to optimise and improve long term reliability, implementing many changes during the development phase. Until recently, it was looking very good that we could fulfill our estimated availability date in early December, but in final testing we discovered a serious issue which affects about 0.07% of the units produced so far.
We discussed if this really justifies a delay, but I made the painful decision to stop delivery. This product must be nothing less than flawless! In electronics design there’s always a chance that something can be missed, but if we are already aware of an issue, we cannot ship the unit. Not our flagship.
The problem requires thorough analysis, and we need to determine if we can rework the electronics of the units which were already produced or need to make new electronics. It is therefore important to adjust our realistic shipping date to the end of April. If we can begin shipments earlier, then we will do so, of course.
I’m sure you are just as disappointed as we are, but we want to keep you happy, and we want you to stay with us. Of course you are free to cancel your order now, but if you are willing to wait, we are offering a special gift as a gesture of appreciation.
All customers who pre-ordered the Podium Wheel Base DD1 or DD2 up to yesterday will receive a free steering wheel. It will be the new ClubSport Steering Wheel F1 2019 which is due to be released in May next year. It is very similar to the F1 2018 version we just released, but comes in a special and exciting new colour scheme. It is also a limited edition product, with a value of 349,95 USD / Euro
Rest assured that the Podium Series Wheel Bases will be well worth the wait.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
To all customers waiting for the Podium Wheel Base
I can imagine how much you’re looking forward to the release of this product. We’ve been working tirelessly to optimise and improve long term reliability, implementing many changes during the development phase. Until recently, it was looking very good that we could fulfill our estimated availability date in early December, but in final testing we discovered a serious issue which affects about 0.07% of the units produced so far.
We discussed if this really justifies a delay, but I made the painful decision to stop delivery. This product must be nothing less than flawless! In electronics design there’s always a chance that something can be missed, but if we are already aware of an issue, we cannot ship the unit. Not our flagship.
The problem requires thorough analysis, and we need to determine if we can rework the electronics of the units which were already produced or need to make new electronics. It is therefore important to adjust our realistic shipping date to the end of April. If we can begin shipments earlier, then we will do so, of course.
I’m sure you are just as disappointed as we are, but we want to keep you happy, and we want you to stay with us. Of course you are free to cancel your order now, but if you are willing to wait, we are offering a special gift as a gesture of appreciation.
All customers who pre-ordered the Podium Wheel Base DD1 or DD2 up to yesterday will receive a free steering wheel. It will be the new ClubSport Steering Wheel F1 2019 which is due to be released in May next year. It is very similar to the F1 2018 version we just released, but comes in a special and exciting new colour scheme. It is also a limited edition product, with a value of 349,95 USD / Euro
Rest assured that the Podium Series Wheel Bases will be well worth the wait.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
- 6,838
- Europe
- GTP_Slim
- PzR Slim
Honestly, I think a delay to the end of April this late in the day is an absolute joke. I've already pre-ordered the F1 2018 wheel so hope I can get a refund on that. In fact I might just cancel both preorders and have the money in my account rather than Fanatecs and then look at preordering again in April or not at all.
- 3,600
- Middelburg
This is what I just wrote on the Fanatec discussion page and want to rephrase it here. Yep for the moment 
but feel confident this is the right decision seeing the circumstances. Glad I have not sold the CSL Elite to my son yet.
===
Thanks for your update. I know -also from my own experience- how hard this is also for you and your dedicated team. They worked very hard and tried to meet the expected delivery date of begin December. You always run the risk of a possible delay. Yes indeed we both would have rather seen it otherwise. Yep **** happens....
With that said. Hope you get these challenging technical issues under control soon and I am looking forward to April-May.
Of course I am staying with you and also the F1 2019 wheel is also very welcome. Appreciated!
Meanwhile keep the faith and I try to win something via the Advent Calendar this month.
but feel confident this is the right decision seeing the circumstances. Glad I have not sold the CSL Elite to my son yet. ===
Thanks for your update. I know -also from my own experience- how hard this is also for you and your dedicated team. They worked very hard and tried to meet the expected delivery date of begin December. You always run the risk of a possible delay. Yes indeed we both would have rather seen it otherwise. Yep **** happens....
With that said. Hope you get these challenging technical issues under control soon and I am looking forward to April-May.
Of course I am staying with you and also the F1 2019 wheel is also very welcome. Appreciated!
Meanwhile keep the faith and I try to win something via the Advent Calendar this month.
Good for them for being (what seems like) up front about it and for tossing in the wheel. But man is this just one screw up after another. This sounds like an issue with no known fix, not some quick solve. It’s so close to the ship date that a 5 month delay is absurd. I know stuff goes wrong and you have to do what you have to do but 5 more months for something teased over a year ago? It feels like step 1 all over again.
And the personal info release? That just compounds the amateur feel. To me, it’s just one amateur red flag after another with no end in sight. I didn’t think paying Thrustmaster prices was an issue but when you start talking Simucube money, you better start acting high end custom in your behavior. This is far from that.
And the personal info release? That just compounds the amateur feel. To me, it’s just one amateur red flag after another with no end in sight. I didn’t think paying Thrustmaster prices was an issue but when you start talking Simucube money, you better start acting high end custom in your behavior. This is far from that.
Ugh I was just about to preorder on the 6th when my Christmas bonus came in. So I just barely missed out on this free wheel offer which I could have used since I currently only have the CSL P1 which won’t even use the Podium to its full potential. This would have been an excellent delay for my situation. But I guess not much point in preordering now since I miss out on the wheel and would have to wait till April. Congrats to all of those who got the free wheel.
- 97
- Italy
To me this is a big fat red flag. 0,07% of defective unites is great for a company stand point. So postpone the shipping for 6 months and give away for free a new rim seems to me the problem is bigger than they want us to belive. This is my assumption and neither Dom or Fanatec will change my opinion, this after they inform us about a massive rework of the case to accommodate better the motor and electronics.
- 426
- United States
- andrewhake
A company can be completely transparent about something and still people will speculate into oblivion for no reason like it's some big drama. Products are complicated to develop, get over it. Good on Fanatec for giving out a very expensive wheel for free for those who pre-ordered and even give them the discount if they have pre-ordered both.
I do think it would be smarter to not take pre-oders until they have a solid ship date. Make announcement on new product as soon as you want with a target ship period, take pre-orders 2 weeks or 1 week before item is ready to ship.
I do think it would be smarter to not take pre-oders until they have a solid ship date. Make announcement on new product as soon as you want with a target ship period, take pre-orders 2 weeks or 1 week before item is ready to ship.
- 634
- Sofia
For those that are not super impatient - this extra f1 rim is very good bonus and few months to wait is not a big deal. Fanatec growing bigger and bigger and this compensation matches the image of serious company! Alot of speculations can be discused here, but the result will be the same in april preorders will have F1 rim added and delivered. To produce hardware/electronics hides huge risk something to happen even in last minute. You know guys even games are delayed sometimes with 6 months or year, so for hardware product is not something impossible.
- 29
- Kulichky City
- OptiMystiX
To be honest It wasn't a big surprise today. But their "gesture of appreciation" confused so much.. I'm glad for those who preordered DD1, but I was waiting for Podium Racing Wheel pre-order as others since September and now nothing: no pre-orders, no apologies, no free F1 wheel.. I find it some kind of unfair to PS4 players - It's not my fault that I could not place a pre-order =(
- 29
- Kulichky City
- OptiMystiX
- 634
- Sofia
As the preorder for PS4 version wasnt open and release date wasnt 12 of december (at least what I saw) - it is obvious that Fanatec didnt delayed their preorders, so it is obvious that the case is differentyes, I read it. The matter is PS4 owners have to wait as well as others for April release but won't recieve "a gesture of appreciation"
Who knows what will be desicion for their preorders if they delay.You assume they’ll ship in April? I assume they won’t. What serious company waits till 3 days before shipping preorders to announce a delay? FeelVR? Oh wait I thought we were talking serious companies. This is far from a serious company doing quality work. It’s a amateur company guessing.
Final testing should have been done before the release date. They should have already had production samples, checked batch QC, and had everything in packaging at this point. Again, Fanatec feels more like FeelVR than they do Leo Bodnar. That’s not the look you want in the DD market.
- 6,838
- Europe
- GTP_Slim
- PzR Slim
- 97
- Italy
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