No more Gert... kits

[mahjongg]

I think they simply decided it made more sense to sell pre built boards than kits, after they saw the gerboard really sells!
Selling packages of small quantities of components is what they do, I can't imagine that the small extra demand from gertboard made any impact on that. We are not taking about some small little fly-by-wire company here, its a multinational giant that has the whole electronic industry as its client, and don't be fooled professionals can be completely noxious too! They have to be used to that.

They cannot even comply with the distance selling regulations. There is no email address on their site (web forms do not count)

[mahjongg]

Well, yes its true! They are not geared up to sell to individuals, only to registered companies, so other rules apply.
But they do have contact information, such as here http://export.farnell.com/jsp/content/freetoair.jsp?content=contact P.S., link now points do distributor page, instead of contact info ?!

But do not compare them with an operation like Conrad, http://www.conrad.com/ which is geared only towards hobbyists, they are nothing like that, and about a thousand times bigger!

Farnell? Press the contact us button.

http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/bespoke/bespoke4.jsp?ICID=i-6a41-00001003&bespokepage=farnell/en_UK/support/help/contact_phone_numbers.jsp#telephones

Got a package today from Newark/element14 - which was supposed to be my GERT boards! Guess what? Instead of the 2 GERT boards (which I ordered back on 8/14), I got two R-Pi's (Model B).

Contacted element14. Was basically told: "Too bad." Send the R-Pi's back and we'll send you a refund. Still waiting for the RMA and shipping label via email. I think I'm going to just put in a dispute on the credit card in the meantime.

Guess I'll have to find another supplier. Kinda sad, as element14 had been fairly reliable...

In the US, are you legally obligated to go through the trouble to send back something that someone sent you that you didn't ask for? If they make it easy for you to return (eg. send a carrier to your location to pick it up from your doorstep), then sure, there's no real reason not to set it back on the doorstep if it is convenient for you. But, it seems like that shouldn't have any bearing on the original transaction. You ordered a product, you paid for it, and they haven't yet delivered it. It seems like they owe you either the product or a full refund regardless of, and separately from, any action you may or may not take to return any other products that they may have sent you due to their error..

In the US, are you legally obligated to go through the trouble to send back something that someone sent you that you didn't ask for? If they make it easy for you to return (eg. send a carrier to your location to pick it up from your doorstep), then sure, there's no real reason not to set it back on the doorstep if it is convenient for you. But, it seems like that shouldn't have any bearing on the original transaction. You ordered a product, you paid for it, and they haven't yet delivered it. It seems like they owe you either the product or a full refund regardless of, and separately from, any action you may or may not take to return any other products that they may have sent you due to their error..

In Australia, I don't think you have to send the product back except when someone asks for it back. But after x number of days, you can keep it.

I think they simply decided it made more sense to sell pre built boards than kits, after they saw the gerboard really sells!

I am wondering how many put their kit together then couldn't get it to work and what impact that had on Farnell support ?

It could well be that making it available in kit form simply isn't worth the aggravation and cost.

I think they simply decided it made more sense to sell pre built boards than kits, after they saw the gerboard really sells!

I am wondering how many put their kit together then couldn't get it to work and what impact that had on Farnell support ?

It could well be that making it available in kit form simply isn't worth the aggravation and cost.

Judging by the relatively small number of people posting in this section and the even smaller numbers of issues reported, I'm betting that it's not enough of an issue for them to have pulled the kit. If they have, it's more likely because they know after initial sales of kits, that the product will sell well, so is worth investing in. I'm hoping that's the reason anyway.

Most of the whinging about the Gertboard has centred around the fact that it needs assembly and the price. It may be that both of these can be tackled in one go.

I bet a good proportion of Gertboards shipped so far haven't been built yet as people haven't yet got a round tuit.

I bet a good proportion of Gertboards shipped so far haven't been built yet as people haven't yet got a round tuit.

I'm one of them!

I bet a good proportion of Gertboards shipped so far haven't been built yet as people haven't yet got a round tuit.

Fortunately I found a square tuit and manage to shave the corners off

I built my board over the weekend - now for the testing - hoorah!

Fortunately I found a square tuit and manage to shave the corners off

Is that called using intuition?

Here's the rest of the story: Yesterday, I get an email from Newark/element14 - shipping two GERT boards, no cost. Figured it was a fluke. Today, UPS arrives with a box. And it's the two GERT boards ordered back in August with a note.

Thank you Newark/element14. You have a customer back. Bravo! Where can I send you all a gift basket? Seriously.!

Tuits are rare, especially the round ones.........

Does anyone know if the Gertboard kits are still going to be available to purchase longer term? - or failing that, the bare PCBs .... ?

Gert has confirmed viewtopic.php?f=42&t=20981&p=209517#p209517 that as far as Farnell is concerned the kit version of the Gertboard is no more, so the only option will be to buy a ready assembled version. Tandy may continue to do a kit but as the boards have to come via Farnell that may prove difficult if they are not going to produce any more as the assembled board layout is different having a surface mount motor controller.

I have been using Farnell for over 35 years and have always had excellent service until the last 9 months or so.
In that time there have been more errors in my orders than there has been in the last 34 years. Orders being lost, wrong parts, missing parts and so on.

Hi Mike,

I have had the same experience as you, that within the UK (commercial) and via CERN (commercial) Farnell has without exception supplied the right goods without failure and in a timely fashion (normally two days). The Raspberry Pi/Gertboard stories do seem very out of character.

Since we are documenting what has happened to each of the kits, I ordered one kit. The kit arrived three days before the last CERN Raspberry Pi Jam. After soldering until 02:30 in the morning (due to other work beforehand), I found three chips were missing. I then emailed Farnell with a query about the three missing parts. They replied by posting me the three parts and another kit. After another soldering session, I now have two Gertboards soldered and tested.

Best regards,

Will

Ooh. I've got a Farnell kit still in the packaging. I'd better inventory it.

They seem to keep poping up on e-bay.
Some for sensible prices (considering you cannot get them through Farnell anymore).

We have recieved confirmation from Farnell/E14 today that have decided that despite our best efforts to persuade them they will not be supplying any more Gerboard PCBs for kits and Gert has not taken up our offer to work with us to continue supplying the Gertboard as a kit.

Farnell have elected to keep the Gertboard and PiFace as exclusive products. As a result the only option for obtaining a Gertboard will be the pre-assembled version from Farnell when they become available.

Well a board is a board outside of a few hours of soldering what's the difference. Still sad would be a marvel accomplishment for those wanting to test their skills. But Thank You for your efforts they are very much appreciated.

Pity there's to be no more kits. Commercial decision I guess.

I still think a lot more will sell in ready-made form though - and ultimately, that means more people learning about doing cool stuff with computers.

Shame there is to be no more kits. I got one from Tandy months ago and now glad I did. Soldering SMT was not that difficult (never done it before) and I bet most kids manual dexterity is better than us olders (not an oldie yet) judging by the way my son play games much better than me.

Tandy was obviously able to make money supplying the kits, or they would not want to supply them still. For them to continue its only a case of getting boards made, but if Gert wont let them use the existing PCB layout, then it would need a new layout creating first. Also a bulk order of boards to get them cheap enough is maybe outside Tandy's finances.

I still think there is a place for the kit, given the choice of ready made / kit I would have still chosen the kit. Getting to know the hardware as well as the software is what all this "tinkering" is about isn't it.

Yes it's a commercial decision. We can't and won't be privy to the details. Gert already stated he would have liked the kit to continue, but it looks like that was not possible.

Since buying a Gertboard from Tandy, I've bought from them at least five more times and have had 100% good experiences and no errors. I find their postage rates very fair and reasonable and their prices competitive. No minimum order charge helps a lot too.

And no. I have no links with them, just giving credit where credit is due.