Unveiling the VKB TECS Throttle Control System (In Development)

[boRada]

I think and hope that this is quite possible, but time will tell.

[aniron]

Toxic behavior?? lol

The person merely asked for an update to a product that was announced 15 months ago.

He also stated a fact that should be obvious to any business person. If you cant produce the product that people are waiting for, they will go somewhere else.
Thats hardly a toxic statement or blackmail..... it's a common sense statement.

VKB is free to conduct business as they wish, but the lack of communication is hurting their business.

Up until a month ago, I thought a Thrustmaster Warthog was the top of the line HOTAS and planned on buying one, until I did some research and found out about VKB and VIRPIL.
Needless to say, I've changed my purchase plans and have bought the VKB pedals (arrived last night, thanks VKB NA, the are amazing) and would like to buy the other peripherals that VKB offers.

The fact that VKB will not even give their customers a, "stock going out in 3 months.... 6 months.... a year", I find to be discourteous and uncaring. The attitude of "we know you
people are wanting to spend your hard earned money on our products, but you'll get it when we decide to release it" is only going to hurt business.

I have been asking for a time frame when I will be able to purchase a Gunfighter MkII MCGPRO and have been ignored. I am willing to wait if I could just get a time frame, but my
request for an rough estimate goes unanswered. I'm (and I'm sure most people feel the same) not asking for an exact date, just an approximate time frame, but VKB turns a deaf ear.

So, as the gentlemen suggested, if VKB refuses to keep customers updated they WILL go elsewhere. VIRPIL is having their restock soon. If people cant get a glimmer of hope while
waiting for their VKB product, where do you think they're going to go? I dont necessarily want a VIRPIL stick, but if I cant find out how long I have to wait, and seeing that other
people have waited over a year to get their VKB's I may just have to jump ship. And that's a lost sale for VKB.... and I'm sure other people are sitting on the fence just hoping
for a word from VKB.

It's common sense business, keep your customers updated..... it IS a big part of customer service.

Conventional business practice would agree with you, but I don't think VKB is a conventional business.

I suspect the VKB leadership are happy with the current size of their operation and have no particular desire to expand it. As it is, demand far outstrips supply and they sell everything they offer within hours. Losing some customers to Virpil and others would only be a concern if they wanted to grow their business and maximize revenue and profit.

They appear to be run by engineers who would prefer to remain engineers doing what they love in piece, selling 10% of what they could if they were to follow conventional business practice as opposed to giving that up to become businessmen, or hiring businessmen and marketers that would then dictate to them what to do.

If it works for them I can see no fault in that, even though I might personally prefer to have my Kosmosima in my hand yesterday and a TECS coming tomorrow rather than near the end of the year or even next year.

[RockaChic]

Toxic behavior?? lol

The person merely asked for an update to a product that was announced 15 months ago.

He also stated a fact that should be obvious to any business person. If you cant produce the product that people are waiting for, they will go somewhere else.
Thats hardly a toxic statement or blackmail..... it's a common sense statement.

VKB is free to conduct business as they wish, but the lack of communication is hurting their business.

Up until a month ago, I thought a Thrustmaster Warthog was the top of the line HOTAS and planned on buying one, until I did some research and found out about VKB and VIRPIL.
Needless to say, I've changed my purchase plans and have bought the VKB pedals (arrived last night, thanks VKB NA, the are amazing) and would like to buy the other peripherals that VKB offers.

The fact that VKB will not even give their customers a, "stock going out in 3 months.... 6 months.... a year", I find to be discourteous and uncaring. The attitude of "we know you
people are wanting to spend your hard earned money on our products, but you'll get it when we decide to release it" is only going to hurt business.

I have been asking for a time frame when I will be able to purchase a Gunfighter MkII MCGPRO and have been ignored. I am willing to wait if I could just get a time frame, but my
request for an rough estimate goes unanswered. I'm (and I'm sure most people feel the same) not asking for an exact date, just an approximate time frame, but VKB turns a deaf ear.

So, as the gentlemen suggested, if VKB refuses to keep customers updated they WILL go elsewhere. VIRPIL is having their restock soon. If people cant get a glimmer of hope while
waiting for their VKB product, where do you think they're going to go? I dont necessarily want a VIRPIL stick, but if I cant find out how long I have to wait, and seeing that other
people have waited over a year to get their VKB's I may just have to jump ship. And that's a lost sale for VKB.... and I'm sure other people are sitting on the fence just hoping
for a word from VKB.

It's common sense business, keep your customers updated..... it IS a big part of customer service.

Conventional business practice would agree with you, but I don't think VKB is a conventional business.

I suspect the VKB leadership are happy with the current size of their operation and have no particular desire to expand it. As it is, demand far outstrips supply and they sell everything they offer within hours. Losing some customers to Virpil and others would only be a concern if they wanted to grow their business and maximize revenue and profit.

They appear to be run by engineers who would prefer to remain engineers doing what they love in piece, selling 10% of what they could if they were to follow conventional business practice as opposed to giving that up to become businessmen, or hiring businessmen and marketers that would then dictate to them what to do.

If it works for them I can see no fault in that, even though I might personally prefer to have my Kosmosima in my hand yesterday and a TECS coming tomorrow rather than near the end of the year or even next year.

If they were only engineers and not happy to sell, I believe they would just keep the gear for themselves. I think I will wait for the well known and trusted Thrustmaster to come up with their new gear, it will probably take as long as having the opportunity and luck to put an order from Virpil and VKB. I have used Thrustmaster for years and recently I bought the new Thrustmaster Pendular and are super happy about them.

[Seb71]

We estimate the price range for the main TECS base somewhere about US$ 200, and the extension panels – about 40 galactic credits.
Now, the question is WHEN?! – stay tuned!

Is that initial price range estimate still valid?

[aniron]

If they were only engineers and not happy to sell, I believe they would just keep the gear for themselves. I think I will wait for the well known and trusted Thrustmaster to come up with their new gear, it will probably take as long as having the opportunity and luck to put an order from Virpil and VKB. I have used Thrustmaster for years and recently I bought the new Thrustmaster Pendular and are super happy about them.

Ah, but engineers need to eat. Engineers need to buy new toys to play with. For this they need to sell, but only so much.

Thrustmaster may be well known, but trusted? Not since VKB and Virpil has shown how it's done these days.

I trust Thrustmaster to cut corners.

[UIV]

We estimate the price range for the main TECS base somewhere about US$ 200, and the extension panels – about 40 galactic credits.
Now, the question is WHEN?! – stay tuned!

Is that initial price range estimate still valid?

Yes.

[Fri13]

IMHO, thrustmaster is the market leader in HOTAS. Because it was for very long time a only good choice for military simmers. CH is the second, great for general aviation that must be big market.

But the market share or brand never tells about quality, that is measured only by product itself.

And if I would build my own HOTAS, it would be better than anything on the market, but it would be such a project that I don't see a reason to do it because there is manufacturers like VKB that does "second best" (compared to mine non-existing). And as VKB offers better than others in market, there is little reasons to do own.

Thrustmaster and others can sell hundreds of thousands units, and not care of a hundreds are faulty or bad. Their reputations can withstand more than these smaller custom made controllers, so quality is made better in these special ones and if you can wait the small batches to be built, you get to enjoy more.

VKB is like a tailor, it takes time to receive the tailored suit, but it will be better while more expensive, but you get something you can value....

[BillClement]

There's no point in blackmailing us.

Nobody's 'blackmailing' you, fella. It's a simple fact- if you can't offer product, customers will shop elsewhere. Once they've had a positive experience with a competitor, they might not want to deal with you any more. -insert smiley face here-

For the record, my experience with your company has been atrocious so far- buying a Gunfighter was by far and away the most stressful purchasing experience of my life! The sale was a complete fiasco, I eventually got a MGC Pro grip with Russian markings (I'd have preferred the English ones I paid for) weeks late; the stick extension I bought with it was eventually delivered even further down the line. You did manage to take my money on the day of the sale, though!

'Blackmail' would be advising you that customers have certain statuary rights in most of the countries you sell to and trying to leverage some advantage from that. -insert another smiley of your choice-

Please be a little more careful in your choice of wording- slander is another hazard you might want to consider. -smiley face-

You want us to say a deadline and then explain why we couldn't? We don't want that.
There are many factors that affect the production time.
Now I can only say one thing: After the summer, not before.

There we go, that wasn't so hard, was it? You've now confirmed that the product won't be on sale for a few more months and can't commit to a firmer deadline than that. That's all I asked for! My initial query has been answered, I can go away happy. This is what customer service looks like. Well done, keep it up.

[BillClement]

First of all, OP edited his post, to be more polite.
As it was it was very offensive and I responded to that.

'Toxic' is jumping all over a fellow poster and playing the victim card when you're called on it, Ms A.

I wasn't 'toxic' in asking a perfectly reasonable question in a civil manner and I certainly haven't edited my post.

Perhaps you could demonstrate how civil and reasonable you are by apologising for accusing me of something I clearly am not guilty of?

[boRada]

Nobody's 'blackmailing' you, fella. It's a simple fact- if you can't offer product, customers will shop elsewhere. Once they've had a positive experience with a competitor, they might not want to deal with you any more. -insert smiley face here-

For the record, my experience with your company has been atrocious so far- buying a Gunfighter was by far and away the most stressful purchasing experience of my life! The sale was a complete fiasco, I eventually got a MGC Pro grip with Russian markings (I'd have preferred the English ones I paid for) weeks late; the stick extension I bought with it was eventually delivered even further down the line. You did manage to take my money on the day of the sale, though!

'Blackmail' would be advising you that customers have certain statuary rights in most of the countries you sell to and trying to leverage some advantage from that. -insert another smiley of your choice-

Please be a little more careful in your choice of wording- slander is another hazard you might want to consider. -smiley face-

I appreciate you putting me in my place. When you receive a product from our competitors, we can return to this discussion in more detail and compare in fact.

[Aynareth]

'Toxic' is jumping all over a fellow poster and playing the victim card when you're called on it, Ms A.
I wasn't 'toxic' in asking a perfectly reasonable question in a civil manner and I certainly haven't edited my post.
Perhaps you could demonstrate how civil and reasonable you are by apologising for accusing me of something I clearly am not guilty of?

I haven't play a victim card. I can understand your reasons, but vkb never posted a specific Date and telling them to buy else where - at least in my understanding - sounds like blackmailing to me.
It's your right to do so, but why do you have to tell us in this Discussion?

If you haven't edited your poast, thats my fault, and for that I apologize, so it's all my fault and I must read something wrong.
But that doessn't change my opinion.

[BillClement]

I appreciate you putting me in my place. When you receive a product from our competitors, we can return to this discussion in more detail and compare in fact.

Do you really want to do that?

Take your pick- Saitek, Thrustmaster, MGF Crosswind, VirPil.

None of them took payment weeks before sending the product, all delivered on time, all delivered the complete package as ordered. I'm not sure how much more detail or fact you want?

BoRada, why are you doing this? Surely the website and forum are maintained to aid your companies' sales? Taunting paying customers isn't a great way to achieve that.

[BillClement]

'Toxic' is jumping all over a fellow poster and playing the victim card when you're called on it, Ms A.
I wasn't 'toxic' in asking a perfectly reasonable question in a civil manner and I certainly haven't edited my post.
Perhaps you could demonstrate how civil and reasonable you are by apologising for accusing me of something I clearly am not guilty of?

I haven't play a victim card. I can understand your reasons, but vkb never posted a specific Date and telling them to buy else where - at least in my understanding - sounds like blackmailing to me.
It's your right to do so, but why do you have to tell us in this Discussion?

If you haven't edited your poast, thats my fault, and for that I apologize, so it's all my fault and I must read something wrong.
But that doessn't change my opinion.

Really?
"First of all, OP edited his post, to be more polite.
As it was it was very offensive and I responded to that. "

Reads kinda miffed, hurt and totally not to blame to me, Ms A!

No-one is denying your right to an opinion, but when you resort to being so economical with the truth you're going to hear other people's opinion right back. Thank you for the apology, I appreciate it.

[Aynareth]

You can think what you want, but writing something like "Don't force us to go to the other company- if we do, we might not be back...
Top" still sounds like you speaking for more people than yourself and I don't like such behavior.
Speak for yourself, but VKB never set a Date, it's just a teaser for things to come.

[boRada]

Your behavior is aggressive, do not expect me sweet words.

I appreciate you putting me in my place. When you receive a product from our competitors, we can return to this discussion in more detail and compare in fact.

Do you really want to do that?

Take your pick- Saitek, Thrustmaster, MGF Crosswind, VirPil.

None of them took payment weeks before sending the product, all delivered on time, all delivered the complete package as ordered....

Well, I'll tell you with Russian frankness: you either lie or do not know the facts. You initially mentioned VPC, and they only after payment processing of the order 22 working days. Go read on their website. Especially if we talk about paid pre-order, then here you have to wait even longer.
We never take an advance payment. Production is paid only when it is in a warehouse. The waiting time for the paid product depends only on the courier service.
If personally you want to go to competitors-go. That's your right. Personally, I won't beg you to stay here. But that doesn't mean you have to teach us how to live and work. I work seven days a week and it makes no sense to me to listen to such as you "experts" of marketing and designing.
PS Sorry all for my English from Google - I hope the meaning of my post clear
PS2 Write to Saitek, Thrustmaster, etc. and demand the release dates of new products. And be sure to say that if they answer incorrectly, you will go to their competitors. I would like to see what they will answer you.