I've got a couple of Rode mics - on the high recommendation of others - and I'm pleased with my purchases. Then Rode took over the Pin Mic, which seems a great idea - so I ordered one.

Only trouble is Rode's delivery to the US supplier through which I ordered has been utterly abysmal. I have been waiting four months now and the latest I hear is it is at least another month away!

Yet apparently B&H have them!

Chip Thome commented: ' I have NEVER seen better advertising for one’s competitors than RODE has shown me with both this pin mic for Renton and the VMP for me...' saga. Someone else made equally damning comments...

I'm saying send Rode a rocket to get their act into gear, and air ship our orders...

Renton

I don't think this is a RØDE problem - you should take this complaint back to where it belongs - the supplier that sold you the mics. Personally, I'd cancel the order. Re-order the mics from one of the great trusted DV Info sponsors like B&H, you'll be happy you did.

And you do realize that not only is RØDE based in Australia but they have a lot of suppliers in New Zealand?
RØDE dealers in Australia (http://rodemic.com/wheretobuy.php?region=Australia)
RØDE dealers in New Zealand (http://rodemic.com/wheretobuy.php?region=New_Zealand)

It's a global market now...

I'm happy with my supplier, but not with Rode's delivery to my supplier...

I have had the Rode Videomic Pro on order for weeks now. I knew it was backordered when I ordered it but then the date came and went that was the estimated in stock date. Finally today my order status changed from backordered to processing so I am hopiing it will get here soon.

Rode does a great job of promoting their new products but they really ought to make sure they can meet the demand they generate.

they really ought to make sure they can meet the demand they generate.

Just as a purely hypothetical question, how can anyone possibly do that? You won't know how much demand there is until you advertise the product and thereby generate the demand. You can "guesstimate" the demand ahead of time, but you won't know the amount of demand for certain, until after the fact. If the public thinks your product is more desirable than you had anticipated... well, the sword cuts both ways. And I'm sure this mic isn't the first product in history that has been "sold out" temporarily.

--

I will also mention one interesting anecdote, although I certainly don't mean to imply that it has any direct bearing on this particular complaint.

Many years ago, when I was working as broadcast engineer, I had ordered some parts (I don't remember more detail than that) from a local parts store. They never came in and they never came in and... you get the picture. One day I happened to be eating lunch at a diner near the store. I noticed that the guy next to me at the lunch counter had some official logo on his clothing (RCA, GE, or whatever). So I struck up a conversation. It turned out he was a rep for the company that made the parts that I had been waiting for. I started complaining that I had been waiting forever and telling him what a despicable company he worked for. He then informed me that he was in town to try to collect on some many-months-overdue balance from the local dealer. Of course he wasn't going to ship them any more parts until they paid their bill.

Moral: unless you know the whole story don't be too quick to make assumptions about placing blame.

Now I don't know who your local vendor is, and I certainly have no reason to believe thie above situation applies in your particular instance. But there just might be something going on -- shipping problems, manufacturer can't get the parts they need, etc. -- that you don't know about.

Regarding what Greg said, I wonder if Rode sources parts from Japan? Their manufacture and exports are still pretty well messed up from what I understand.

Things got messed up down under from Australia's own hurricane a while back. And they did'nt expect such a big response to their new lavs and VMP. I guess I shouldn't have made my videos so awesome... Sorry everyone!

RØDE PinMic Song on Vimeo
RØDE VideoMic Pro Test 2 - Straight into T2i w/ Magic Lantern on Vimeo

...but B&H have them...

Update on my Rode Videomic Pro situation;

1. The stock finally came in where I bought it and mine has been shipped!

2. Rode does have their pulse on customer complaints because I got an email today from someone at Rode regarding my post in this thread complaining about availability. I was very impressed that they took the time to contact me about my concerns.

I also wanted to mention that I already own the original Rode Videomic and also a Rode NTG-2 and I love both of them. That is one of the reasons the delay in getting the Pro was so aggravating, I am anxious to use it!

I got a personal reply from a few people at Rode about an issue with an NTG 3 on this forum. I gave them the serial number per their request so that they could track down the exact mic and try to identify any problems in production or materials. They are on it.

The terrible events in Japan and the tragic floods in Australia don't affect any production at Rode here in Sydney.

Any new product from any manufacturer takes a bit longer than current product to settle into the path of the delivery stream.

Cheers.

I just got an email stating that my order was shipping for a Rode lav and a headset mic. I ordered them last year sometime (October?) and had completely forgotten that I even placed the order.

Alas, the adapter plugs (1 XLR and one 3.5mm for my wireless) are back-ordered(!!), so when they arrive, the mics will (still!) be only decorative curiosities (very expensive nick-knacks.) Leaves rather a bad taste. :-(

I was going to buy a Rode Lavalier, but ended up not finding stock anywhere so I went with a competitor instead.

Rode has been in touch with me as a result of this thread...but I haven't heard further...

Tom and Richard's posts wouldn't have encouraged them...

I did a wide search and found a PinMic and 1/8" Micon at Sweetwater, XLR Micon at B&H, and Sennheiser wireless Micon at Markertek. It took a week or so to get it all, and all those shipping charges added up, but keep searching and you will find...

I've been told...

'I have been told that the US orders are being fulfilled and ******** should have stock very shortly. I don't have an exact date unfortunately.'

...Hope so...

Scott Emerton of Rode Australia, kindly said he would send me a PinMic on extended loan until mine arrived. He then advised me by an email that I received yesterday at about 6-00pm that the PM had shipped from Aus.

Two hours later I received an email from the US saying that my ordered PinMic had shipped from there! Would you believe it?!

The one from Aus arrived today - super fast shipping.

A very neat unit...

...the saga is almost over...

Thanks Scott...

Things got messed up down under from Australia's own hurricane a while back. And they did'nt expect such a big response to their new lavs and VMP. I guess I shouldn't have made my videos so awesome... Sorry everyone!


Yeah it's all your fault, Chad! XD
Seriously, I love the mic shootout videos you made.

I'm glad it worked out for you in the end, Renton. My wife bought for me a VMP as birthday gift last month and it arrived within 2 weeks to Singapore. The B&H has them in stock and they're reliable :)

Now just wished that shipping didn't cost so much...with import tax, the total cost does add up.

I had a minor problem with a Rode product last year that I contacted them about (Rode stereo video mic bag ridiculously small and not fit for purpose) but had no response so moaned on here about. Hey presto got a response from a Rode person on the forum and then an email from Rode saying they would look into it and get back to me. This looked good all round for me and them of course to be seen to be responding. Guess what? Never heard anything again.

Geoff

Well I can say as the person who started this thread that moaning here has had Rode responding in an exemplary manner...producing a complete and highly satisfactory solution...

Well that's great Renton and to be fair most people speak very highly of the company and we all know the products are mostly excellent.

I suspect with my problem they just decided it was to small to bother with. Still annoying though and the product is still for sale.

I have found Rode's customer service to be very responsive. I feel they truly want to fix your problem. If you say you never heard back from them, I have to ask if you ever wrote/called them again? Yes things can fall through the cracks, but also with any company the squeaky wheel gets the grease. They must have tried putting the mic in the bag before they sold it, so it mic must fit in the bag. Is it that you just wanted the bag to be bigger? Anyway I feel that getting service is half my own responsibility.

Hi Chad,

Thanks for the response. No I never tried to contact the company again. My problem is that the mic does not fit the bag - yes you can squeeze it in at a push but with the bag bulging and stretching uncomfortably and with no room for other accessories as is suggested. It's just too small. I now use it for my D50 recorder though which fits it perfectly so there was a silver lining!

Geoff

I had a minor problem with a Rode product last year that I contacted them about (Rode stereo video mic bag ridiculously small and not fit for purpose) but had no response so moaned on here about. Hey presto got a response from a Rode person on the forum and then an email from Rode saying they would look into it and get back to me. This looked good all round for me and them of course to be seen to be responding. Guess what? Never heard anything again.

Geoff

You are in the UK and Rode is distributed by HHB (Source Distribution).

I have always found HHB / Source to be the best in the business when it comes to Customer Service.

Have you contacted them? Or were you trying to deal with Rode direct in Australia?

Whatever - give HHB a ring, I'm sure they will sort it for you.

Hi John,

I contacted Rode via their website but got no repsone so posted here about it. I got an email from Allan Black as a result saying either he or Head Office would look into the issue and get back to me but I never heard anything. I kind of lost the will to carry on chasing as the probelm did not seem big enough. I suspect it is too late now as it was July last year. Another forum poster agreed with my complaint but like me, found other uses for the bag.

Thanks for the advice btw,

Geoff

Well I can say as the person who started this thread that moaning here has had Rode responding in an exemplary manner...producing a complete and highly satisfactory solution...Thread title changed from "Rode's delivery is bad..." to "Rode responds in an exemplary manner"

Thread title changed from "Rode's delivery is bad..." to "Rode responds in an exemplary manner"

Meanwhile, My Micon adapters have finally shipped. 6 months after I ordered them. I am looking forward to finally using my lav and headset mics that have been collecting dust for a month. I have several Rode microphones and I very much appreciate their cost/benefit ratio. But I will be wary of ordering new products in the future. Rode's "vaporware quotient" has significantly gone up in my experience.