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TERO - WARNING TO POTENTIAL BUYERS

Discussion in 'MōVI M10' started by bevan goldswain, Sep 16, 2014.

  1. bevan goldswain

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    The main emphasis of this warning is that you may think you are buying a freefly product. You aren't.
    Despite already voicing my concerns, freefly still seems very happy to allow their customers to believe otherwise.

    The "Tero" is called the Tero only in Freefly marketing videos and on the freefly store.

    Publicly it is the "Tero"

    As soon as it is delivered by Fedex then it's about time you get used to its new name "Baja". And the new company you should deal with: "HPI"

    Freefly Modified an RC car, called it a Tero, and then after you buy it they really don't want to hear from you.
    They do not sell batteries or chargers, so you should look elsewhere for those.

    Basically any support requests are taken seemingly reluctantly, at every possible instance Freefly will politely refer you to the "Baja" manual, or "please contact HPI"

    The "TERO" part is really just the stabilisation platform the Freefly made. That is the Tero.

    If Freefly made it very clear from the start that they developed a stable platform to fit onto a 3rd part product and sold it as such it would all be a different story.
     
  2. Augusto Alves da Silva

    Augusto Alves da Silva Active Member

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    To be honest I don´t care if this is HPI or not. I have other HPI but I appreciate the effort from freefly to give us the chance of doing these creative shots. I love the Tero and what you can do with it. The model is HPI Baja 5B flux. I can tell you the car is worth nothing. The real secret is the suspension that takes a lot of time to develop and make it a stable platform. If you start adding up all the components you´ll see how much it costs. I have another Baja flux and will use it to have spare parts if something goes wrong with the tero. Of course you can try to build one but don´t think it is worth doing or even a guarantee that it will work...R&D costs money and you have to respect that.
     
  3. Wolfgang Armin

    Wolfgang Armin Active Member

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    I need to second Augusto,
    I already tried to use the Baja with the old freefly gimbal and the radians. So I had it before I first saw the Tero. BUT: I´ve put months of research into it and still don´t have a useable platform for Film. Not even on paved roads.
    It´s quite common that a company uses available material for creating new products. Kessler Crane did it in the beginning and so do others. You don´t have to reinvent the radio controlled car.
    And regarding freefly forwarding you to HPI: you should be happy about that. Otherwise you would have to pay way more for every part because freefly would have to buy the parts from HPI, add their share to cover the costs of storing, etc. and then sell it to you. I´m sure you wouldn´t be happy at all.
     
  4. Derek Cooper

    Derek Cooper Active Member

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    Bevan - Freefly made no secret about what you were buying with the Tero from the start. They're pushing the envelope.

    We get it, you are upset with Freefly's handling of your upgrade, there is nothing wrong with moving on - DJI, Defy, whatever.
     
    Wolf Schiebel likes this.
  5. bevan goldswain

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    Derek.

    Please go have a look at the Tero on the Freefly store. There is nothing there to suggest you are buying a 3rd party product.
    It's not my responsibility as a customer to go fishing through Freefly's Facebook feed, or wherever the correct information is.

    The store makes it seem as if Freefly has brought out a product and put it up for sale. the "Freefly Tero"

    And this really does matter.

    Imagine you bought a new ipad and when you had trouble with it, apple tells you to please go talk to Samsung because they make the cpu.

    For other product on the store, Freefly is very clear about what is a 3rd party product (by not putting their name on it)

    Basically Freefly gets to wash their hands of anything that goes wrong with the 'Freefly Tero" because its very conveniently the "Baja" as soon as you receive it.

    Notice how they don't even have a section on the forums for it.

    I do care very much if its HPI or Freefly I am dealing with. When you buy things that require support, spare parts etc you are buying into the brand. You buy based on the support you think you will receive from a company. You buy based on previous products that company has made. You base your purchase on the manuals they have made for previous products... and so on. So it matters very much to me who makes the products I am buying.

    When I brought this up with freefly their response to me was that they do not support other 3rd party products on the store, like follow focus etc. My answer to them was: "You haven't put your name on those products"

    I think it is a very fair thing for me to warn everyone who is thinking of buying the TERO that it is a 3rd party product that freefly does not want to offer support for. This is something I advised freely to do a month ago and they still haven't. You may ask why they wouldn't make it clear?

    Derek this thread is an isolated concern of mine and has nothing to do with what you are talking about regarding upgrades.

    I also want to make it clear that I have had no problems with my Tero, it's worked well so far.
    But to put your name on something in order to sell more of them, and then once they are sold to turn your back... that is a really short term game and basically just sloppy business.
     
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  6. Augusto Alves da Silva

    Augusto Alves da Silva Active Member

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    Bevan:

    Everybody knows the Tero is a Baja...if you compare Tero and Baja even the suspensions have the same spring tension and oil. Even camber and toe in. However it gives you excellent footage while to do the same with the original Baja you´ll spend big bucks on that. Need help with the Tero? Let me know what I can do for you.

    P.S.- Even if people buy a baja they won´t be able to replicate it easy...I know what I am saying.
     
  7. Geir Magnusson

    Geir Magnusson New Member

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    Freefly lovers, back off a bit..Bevan is 100% correct.. Not everybody knows that the Tero is a Baja, personally I don't have time to go into some major research on a product, I bought my Movi 10 early on, love that product, based on that I absolutely thought that they had pulled the rabbit out of the hat again with the TERO. It appears not to be the case. As for my experience with costumer service regarding inquiries into the matter has been a big "F"..(Thats been the case with all my inquiries(reflects poorly on Vincent LaForte)) I will however give them the benefit of a doubt as they went from nothing to a game changer But for the price one pays for their product they will have to beef up their costumer service so people like my self (not geeks) that have production companies can really on a brand and that they back it up. Vincent LaForte is the only reason I gave notice to this company.
    As to the TERO, I guess that, that it isn't a freefly product is why it is now unavailable on their website (click on buy now and you get page not found) and Freefly now says that it was a limited edition.. that, my friends is a load of crap!
     
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  8. Augusto Alves da Silva

    Augusto Alves da Silva Active Member

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    Hi Geir I am not a Freefly lover. I bought and use what I think it suits my needs. That is why I also have other gimbals for different purposes and multirotors from Freefly DJI Steadidrone Luminier etc... About the Tero It was a limited edition as the platform (HPI Baja ) has been discontinued. But even if it wasn´t I can guarantee that it is not easy to:

    1- tune it up to do great shots
    2- Driving it smoothly enough to have a smooth shot
    3- harmonize both Movi tero and car driver and gimbal operator

    As with all technology gear the best you are tuning it the better results you get. I have seen and heard people furious and disappointed with their gimbals...why? Because there is something called experience which can´t be replaced. When steadicam was introduced everybody loved the shots it allowed us to do. How many people bought it and got nice smooth shots? 1 out of 100? The same happens with the Movi, Tero or whatever you use being an accessory or a camera. Why do the Maserati cars have Ferrari engines? Or Volvo Renault engines? Or Skoda Audi engines? Freefly can´t manufacture everything...they make multirotors and stabilizers why should they make RC cars when there are decent platforms to apply their technology? And if any of us designs one adapter to attach a Movi to a crane and sell it? If the gimbal fails are we going to ask the crane manufacturer to repair it or are you directing them to freefly? Come on... everybody is trying to get into a niche of the market and only tech advances will pay off. Nothing which is mainstream or common gives any money.
     
  9. Desmond shea

    Desmond shea New Member

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    Sounds to me us with the movi s , Can change the HD mount or something and rename it and we are in business , !!
    I think permission must have been given from H P I if not their could be a problem for freefly .
    I know you can build a motorbike completely from S&S parts and it looks like a Harley Davison , But it is not it would at best be a clone ,
    yes I was an still disappointed in the tero noise at low speeds mine, not allow on one set , spoke to freefly about noise ,there answer
    was that is the noise the hpi fussion makes , in other words live with it . Their is not much sense in having a quite follow focus if everything else is noisy LOL
    $ 5000 for a cheese plate an wire , is a little over kill for profit
    they should Sell it For What it is Noisy and third party Cheese plate and wire does not make it a new product .
     
  10. Shadd Williams

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    I have to say that I am one of those guys whose mouth watered when I saw the TERO. It is most definitely misleading. They use the words "from the ground up" in their advertising.

    I am also someone who spent quite a bit of time researching/looking into purchasing the TERO. I did not know that it was a BAJA. It is most definitely an overstatement that everyone knows the TERO is a BAJA.

    Disappointing. There is no way to cut this as not misleading.
     
  11. Rob Drewett

    Rob Drewett Member

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    Kevin Descheemaeker likes this.
  12. Augusto Alves da Silva

    Augusto Alves da Silva Active Member

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    I am glad people think it is expensive....I have mine and they don´t sell it anymore. I will not have Tero competitors. And if you come across one I don´t think you should buy it...it is really too expensive ;-)
     
  13. Marko Lahdenpera

    Marko Lahdenpera New Member

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    Many products have parts from different manufacturers, the point is that Freefly should state that the car of the Tero is made by a 3rd party manufacturer.
     
  14. Ziad Oakes

    Ziad Oakes New Member

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    Hey can anyone recommend some good batteries for the Tero and fast charger?

    Thanks,

    Z
     
  15. Desmond shea

    Desmond shea New Member

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    E-flite 22.2 v 5000mah 30c
    is my second batt
    charger (name) is dynamite will need to get ec5 charging cables
     
    Derek Cooper likes this.
  16. Ziad Oakes

    Ziad Oakes New Member

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    Thanks Desmond
     
  17. Pablo Barrera

    Pablo Barrera Member

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    I definitely agree with bevan,
    As with all free fly products rediculously overpriced.....5000 for an rc car that has a wire vibration dampening kit on it...
    Come on fellas...free fly makes some awesome stuff, but my first real car cost less than that and I could carry 4 people in it and it had an AC. What I'm saying is this says a lot about freefly business practices. Bevan is 100% right. You spend 5k on an rc car where most of the RnD has been done by HPI and then you are turned away for service or repairs? That doesn't fly in my book...
    I recently had an issue with freefly regarding my MOVI MR kit landing gear.
    Like I said I have been with freefly for a long time and I had the original cinestar 3 axis gimbal and upgraded to movi m10...all I needed were the brackets that connect the booms with landing gear to the MOVI. They would not sell it to me individually. I had to order another landing gear just to get the connecting pieces i needed. What if something snaps or a threading goes bad? The guys at freefly were super content with telling me I'm going to have to order a new landing gear set $350.00. You dont need a masters in business to know that this will piss people off...a lot, especially if you have been with the company for so long.
    The TERO seems to be back for sale on the site....I plan on building one myself shortly
    Buying the frame from manufacturer and buying vibrations dampening kit http://www.stratus-productions.com/cinema-vibration-dampener
    Save me a good $3000.00....you know, for new landing gears.
     
  18. Derek Cooper

    Derek Cooper Active Member

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    $5k is peanuts on a gig that justifies the Tero. Freefly is bleeding edge and delivering incredible products. You have to know that going in you will need to work hard on getting the most out of their amazing gear.


    If you're not a fan, I hear Lego is tons of fun! ;-)

    Sorry, but I just don't get it - if you don't like their stuff, move on...
     
  19. Pablo Barrera

    Pablo Barrera Member

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    Come on Derek..don't be that guy...adding a smiley face at the end of a demeaning comment directed towards someone stating facts doesn't make your comment any less ridiculous, childish and inappropriate. I'm happy for you that you can spend 5k on an rc car...really i am...I will be even happier when the one I build at less than 1/4 of the price will render the same results.
    Hah...Legos .... This guy
     
  20. Derek Cooper

    Derek Cooper Active Member

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    All good Pablo - no harm done.

    If you have the time to build one, that is awesome! Please share photos when done. Cheers.
     

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