Cobalt Canopies

[FlyGuy 0]

I would like to hear about others experiences with Atair. I ordered a custom Cobalt back in feb. and almost three months later i still have no canopy. I have been in contact with them and I was promised delivery today, and guess what, still nothing. The original ship date was April 4th. Is this a common practice. I paid for it in full at the time I placed the order, so now I have no other choice but to wait.

If anyone has had a similar experience, I would like to hear from you.

[Ron 7]

Well learn this...Almost never pay in full up front.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[FlyGuy 0]

Yeah, I was thinking that too. Hindsight is 20/20 ....

[JJohnson 0]

As the canopy is made overseas, Atair here is at the mercy of the factory. Plus the shipping company, customs...and whoever else you want to add in there. I seem to recall my canopy being a touch late from them as well...but not much..maybe a week. This time of the season I think most skydiving manufactuers are pretty busy and delaying stuff. There was mention of this in the last Parachutist, that things had been slow and had suddenly picked up.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[JJohnson 0]

I must amend myself, I just checked and my 120 was delivered in 6 weeks......not late at all. It was my old Safire that was late......

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[FlyGuy 0]

I understand all that, which is why I didn't make too much of a fuss about it, but i got an e-mail from them on Tuesday and they promised delivery today. I just feel like they lied to me. I guess I should have requested a tracking number. (making another mental note)

[FlyGuy 0]

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I must amend myself, I just checked and my 120 was delivered in 6 weeks......not late at all. It was my old Safire that was late......

Thanks, just rub salt in the wound, LOL! I guess I am just lucky.

[JJohnson 0]

Damn, sorry....I'll make it even worse for you......I bought a brand new never jumped 105 from a local guy here in Chicago. He bought it for a little girlfriend of his and she never got off student status.....So I took it. Purple and Teal were the colors.which I din't like at all.....But I remembered that Atair had a really cool Purple and Neon Pink 105 they were using as a demo......
Atair swapped me the ugly one for the pretty one and I got that sent within a couple of days......
Of course my wife quit her job and I cannot afford a container for the 105.........

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[JumpHog 0]

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I remembered that Atair had a really cool Purple and Neon Pink 105 they were using as a demo......
Atair swapped me the ugly one for the pretty one and I got that sent within a couple of days......

That would be my old Purple and Pink Cobalt 105. I didn't much care for the pink, so I swapped it out for a Purple and Yellow one (to match my other Cobalt).

[darkvapor 0]

i got my cobalt last october in ~5 weeks I think... it was originally scheduled to be delivered like 2-3 weeks after my wings container.. but they ended up being delivered at the same time.. what a trip to the post office!
;)

[jtval 0]

Ken,
Didnt they tell you for the last few weeks that they were gonna send it out?
I thought you finally asked them for a tracking # and THEN they said oh yea...um...it was sent on such and such a date.

hope it flies better then it arrives!

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[FlyGuy 0]

I e-mailed them and was promised delivery today, so I took their word for it and didn't ask for a tracking number.

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hope it flies better then it arrives!

Yeah, me too! I am sure it will all be fine when it finally arrives.

Hopefully tomarrow....

[JJohnson 0]

I don't think it is the same one. When I got it as a demo it didn't have risers on it and had never been jumped. A year later and it looks like maybe 100 jumps tops have been put on it.
Did you jump it at all? Would you remeber the SN#?

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[AggieDave 6]

Call them, be annoyed, ask to talk to Dan himself. Threaten to cancel your order, etc.

Just because they're skydivers, doesn't mean they shouldn't run their business like any other business. There has to be a certain amount of professionalism here, and they're obviously NOT showing it.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[FlyGuy 0]

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Call them, be annoyed, ask to talk to Dan himself. Threaten to cancel your order, etc.

Just because they're skydivers, doesn't mean they shouldn't run their business like any other business. There has to be a certain amount of professionalism here, and they're obviously NOT showing it.

I e-mailed them today and if I don't hear from them or have a canopy waiting for me when I get home from work tomarrow, I will be giving them an earful.

I have heard both good and bad about Atair on these forums, so I am not too sure about them as a company. Hopefully they will get their act together before they piss too many people off. It's too bad too, because I really do like their canopies but the service so far sucks.

[Brains 2]

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Call them, be annoyed, ask to talk to Dan himself. Threaten to cancel your order, etc.

Just because they're skydivers, doesn't mean they shouldn't run their business like any other business. There has to be a certain amount of professionalism here, and they're obviously NOT showing it.

I e-mailed them today and if I don't hear from them or have a canopy waiting for me when I get home from work tomarrow, I will be giving them an earful.

I have heard both good and bad about Atair on these forums, so I am not too sure about them as a company. Hopefully they will get their act together before they piss too many people off. It's too bad too, because I really do like their canopies but the service so far sucks.

They WILL make things right by you. Mine was a little late but got here, Snowflake waited i think 16 weeks for his. They will deliver your canopy.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[darkvapor 0]

I don't think this has anything to do with Atair. You name me one canopy/rig manufacturer that has consistently delivered their product on or ahead of schedule year round to every customer. Getting pissed at Atair isn't going to resolve this problem. Would you rather have it done right or fast? I would rather have a manufacturer delay my canopy/rig for 2 or 3 weeks than rush the construction or QC processes.

[AggieDave 6]

No matter who it is, I'd be on the phone with them pronto.

Being late is one thing, that I understand. Promising a non-exsistant delievery, THAT causes problems.

You know, when I bought my gear, all custom, everything arrived early. The container was 2 over 2 weeks early, the canopy came in in 4 weeks...guess I was just really lucky and caught both of those companies at just the right time that they didn't have a lot of other things being made at that second.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Brains 2]

Also remember that Atair is in the process of launching a new canopy. Their lead time for the onyx(i heard) is about 10 weeks already.
i have stated before and i will say again; I have never been unhappy with Atair or Dan Preston. I am not sponsored by them, and i will continue to fly and buy their products.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[Jimbo 0]

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It's too bad too, because I really do like their canopies but the service so far sucks.

This has been my experience exactly. Fantastic canopies, but the could use some work on the customer service end of things. I never felt as though I was lied to, but did feel like Atair made some promises that they couldn't keep. It's small, but I think that there is a difference.

Anyhow, good luck.

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.