Why make it so difficult to get spare parts?

[jenschr 6]

Our hackerspace has 3 Ultimakers and tonight I was going to order a bunch of spare parts. That is however no longer possible? Is it true that I now have to "shop around" across the whole world, to find the spare parts I need? It's just incredibly much more convenient to buy this directly from Ultimaker.

Why on earth am I forced to buy from resellers that don't have the parts I need?

[meduza 191]

Just contact the local reseller of Ultimaker, even if they do not have it on their webshop they will get the spare part for you, no need to shop around.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Guest

[jenschr 6]

Thanks for replying @meduza, but it's still incredibly cumbersome. I know exactly what I need. All I want is to add the parts to a shopping cart and pay to get it delivered.

I don't want to wait another day so I can call during business hours. I don't want to explain what parts I need to someone with limited experience. Based on former experience they're not capable of ordering the correct parts for Ultimaker Original since they've only ever sold UM2's.

I don't enjoy to be forced to order through someone that don't have the parts, so they have to order them and then when they receive the package they have to contact me and then I have to wait another week to get the stupid parts that I could have received a week earlier if I could order from Ultimaker?

This really isn't an improvement.... Someone should notice and fix it (but I guess Ultimaker have become so big that such things won't happen?)

In the mean time, I shopped around and eventually found two different british webshops that have the parts I need. They'll deliver what I need in two days using DHL. It's just much worse for the environment, me and anyone not living in a country big enough to have a large UM reseller with spare parts in stock. Ultimately also Ultimaker. From a business standpoint, cumbersome solutions makes you consider other options the next time you need printers. They still make the best printers though, but I just do not think this is better in any way.

[neotko 1,417]

Well it doesn't fell as fast but for me at least, even when I did fell the same, I think it works great. I just go to github check the BOM and send an email to my reseller here in spain and they do deliver quite fast the parts.

Not all of them show all the small parts but I think all of them have basic replacement parts ready to ship. Ofc it would be easier if all of them had a full spare parts catalog.

[jenschr 6]

@neotko I don't need screws and bolts. I needed:

2 x Heated bed kits

1 x Ulticontroller

2 x Thermocouples

1 x Bowden kit

1 x Fan kit

All together, this is spare parts for 600 EUR and these all used to be in the Ultimaker web store.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Guest

[neotko 1,417]

I'm sure that the reseller nearby can provide that parts for you if you email them.

[jenschr 6]

I'm sure that the reseller nearby can provide that parts for you if you email them.

 

Sure, but they do not have any spare parts in stock. They have to order them just like I do, so they're just making things take more time...

[neotko 1,417]

I suppose the main issue is that the heated bed and umo (not plus) where discontinued a few months ago, so stock might be low anywhere.

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

Best thing you can do is to ask directly the distributor of your region. But I agree with @neotko that UMO parts are going to be more and more difficult to get with time.

[foobiwan 1]

Despite i can not order parts online like i used to do.

I can even not buy a new Ultimaker3 right now, ok. Fine. No interest in selling?

Kewl. 3000 Euro Saved for me. How long did you notice your resellers that the new Ultimaker 3 is coming?

Im a German Customer, i wanted to buy an Ultimaker 3 right now. I klick on the Links you provide me and have to watch a silly Video instead.

I look elsewhere for a company who is interested in doing Business with its customers. This is stupid @Ultimaker.

[reprogue 0]

@jenschr

Had the same difficulty trying to get my hands on an UMO Heated Bed Upgrade Kit. You can still get one at a German company, here: iGo3d.

I ordered one and it was delivered within a few days.

They also have most other spare parts.

Good luck.

[meduza 191]

Im a German Customer, i wanted to buy an Ultimaker 3 right now

 

So why is it you cannot order it here?

https://www.igo3d.com/de/ultimaker-3-3d-drucker.html

[ultiarjan 1,223]

Thanks for replying @meduza, but it's still incredibly cumbersome. I know exactly what I need. All I want is to add the parts to a shopping cart and pay to get it delivered.

Unfortunately you are right about many re sellers not having all parts on there website. but at makerpoint you can put most directly in your basket

http://www.makerpoint.nl/nl/3d-printen/upgrades-parts/ultimaker/

[StephanK 30]

So why is it you cannot order it here?

https://www.igo3d.com/de/ultimaker-3-3d-drucker.html

Because the link that pops up when i tried it a few minutes ago is broken. After selecting IGo3D it leads to a 404 page where you can see a UM printing the error msg.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Guest

[jenschr 6]

So why is it you cannot order it here?

https://www.igo3d.com/de/ultimaker-3-3d-drucker.html

 

Thats what I did. They will arrive tomorrow

Edited October 19, 2016 by Guest

[jenschr 6]

Unfortunately you are right about many re sellers not having all parts on there website. but at makerpoint you can put most directly in your basket

http://www.makerpoint.nl/nl/3d-printen/upgrades-parts/ultimaker/

 

Uh, oh.... "No shipping methods found for this country"? I'll message them on Twitter and see if it's possible. They have exactly that extra part that I need.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Guest

[DidierKlein 729]

So i'm one of the smaller resellers out there i work on my own on everything, i try to update my website the best i can but if i have to insert every single spare part listed by Ultimaker it could take me several days.

So usually i list the parts after i sell them (to have them in the system). When someone needs some parts they just send me an email with all the needed parts and i come back to them with the detailed price. Then usually i have to wait maximum two days for the parts from my distributor then i can send them out.

You do realise that even if some spare parts were available on the Ultimaker Website before it didn't list all of them? And that the process was the same?

I try to keep the stock at the minimum but i know what i talk about and i don't mix a UMO for a UM2 and tomorrow normally i have one UM3 in stock \o/

[Ronan 58]

How to get spare parts:

Step 1: Contact your local Ultimaker reseller/distributer (or use their online shop).

Step 2: Place Order & Pay.

Step 3: Wait a few days for parts to arrive.

That's how we do it, ordered from a tiny missing screw, all the way to a full head. Never had any issues. It's a lot easier/quicker than traditional methods with bigger 3D printers/machines.

[terryparadise 3]

confusing Jenschr. In the same post you whine about trying to get spare parts, then say I found them at 2 different web sites in the UK and get them delivered in 2 days via DHL. Perhaps you should "should consider other options". I'm not in any way affilated with ultimaker but there product,customer service, forums AND availbility are simply outstanding. This undoubtly is an argument that has no winner/loser. But come on man really is 2 day delivery the game changer?????

[jenschr 6]

@terryparadise You don't understand that spending an hour just to locate who has a spare part is an inconvenience? You don't understand that I find it clumsy to have to shop Italian websites when I don't speak Italian? (yup - one of the shops were in Italy, not in the UK as I thought)

Earlier you could just go to the source (Ultimaker) and they would ship it right away. Now I have to figure out why CREA and iGo3D still have not shipped any of the parts I'm paying DHL shipping for. To me that's a MAJOR downgrade compared to actually having the parts today...

 

confusing Jenschr. In the same post you whine about trying to get spare parts, then say I found them at 2 different web sites in the UK and get them delivered in 2 days via DHL. Perhaps you should "should consider other options". I'm not in any way affilated with ultimaker but there product,customer service, forums AND availbility are simply outstanding. This undoubtly is an argument that has no winner/loser. But come on man really is 2 day delivery the game changer?????

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by Guest

[jenschr 6]

iGo3D shipped right after I ordered. Great service!

CREA3D never got back to me. After a month without hearing anything, I emailed them and was offered a refund :-(

[macintosh 0]

Hi Jens,

iGo3d is really the best solution to get UMO parts and printers in Germany. Sometimes not all parts are on stock, but their service and communication is really good.

UMO 3 will arrive today....looking forward to it