Goodbye GoPro Hero 3
Come on GoPro be MY Hero!
Thinking about buying a GoPro 3? Or an earlier model? Here’s my story, for others – google GoPro wont turn on.
As I write this I am reluctantly filling in the the RMA request to GoPro to return my GP3Black and collect my full within 30 days refund. I don’t want to do this for 2 reasons:
- When it works it’s amazing! No really this thing ROCKS! If you see my earlier post Maggie Strike! you will have some idea what I was planning to do with the GP3. I also have this instructional video I need to make.
With my GoPro (and many many others it would seem) you don’t just turn it on and use it. You have to charge, remove the battery, remove the memory card, pray to your gods, stand on one foot, cross your left index finger – or who knows what scheme to beg it to turn on. If you need to film something – it just wont turn on at that moment. - I have to pay about $80 to ship it back to the USA – that will mean $160 in totally wasted shipping. Oh and a slightly broken heart. I want this thing in my life.I have a better idea – let me pay shipping for a replacement unit and let me keep the dead one. What’s going to happen to the dead one in the USA? and how much is it really worth in it’s current useless state? Bet it’s not worth the $80 shipping to return it.
It’s a crying shame because of the image clarity – ease of use – quality of engineering – I love it!
I have tried contacting GoPro support – I have a case number (419103) – but no response so far. Hmmm????
Yes I have updated the firmware – automatically and by hand. I am using the recommended 64Gb class 10 memory cards. I have two – neither makes any difference. Yes I have formatted them.
I have asked if an exchange can be made here in Australia – saving me a lot of postage…. but will I hear from anyone at GoPro?
So if your thinking of buying a GoPro3 – buy locally so you can get to your store and make an exchange. But be prepared – this turn on fault seems to be rather common in the GoPro 2 and 3 family and seems to appear from out of the box or out of the blue. Mine was playing up from out of the box.
I can’t find anyone saying ‘GoPro told me to……’ to try and diagnose the fault, but in fairness I can find ‘GoPro RMA …. quickly and painlessly’. I am now hoping to join the second group so that I can use the cash on something else as amazing. Suggestions? – email me please.
If only GoPro would:
- answer emails (must be busy shipping GoPros that turn on – they can’t all be bad),
- answer support requests in a couple of working days…,
- talk about this particular fault. There seems to be little or no mention of this fault officially.
My RMA request
PS Don’t re-size the text box on the bottom of the RMA form – the box and then the page dies and you have to start again – sigh
My RMA text – gotta paste it somewhere to redo the form
My GP is faulty – it has the wont turn on fault. It does turn on – occasionally but not with out battery removal and much plugging and unplugging of chargers, usb connections. I have yet to find a reliable turn on proceedure. A red led glows dimly on the rear of the camera when it wont turn on – indeed that will turn on but nothing more. My guess is the software wont boot.
I lodged a support request a week ago – heard nothing.
I have manually updated the firmware and automatically. It says it’s up to date. It has taken footage since the updating.
Looking round on the internet for a solution – clearly a lot of people have this same fault. I have lost confidence that these wonderful devices are reliable. They seem to be able to take a punishment and yet the simple function of turning off and on didn’t last 24 hrs on my desk? The video from this unit is amazing – if only I was able to determine when I used it – not the camera.
I would like take advantage of the 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE to minimise my financial loss.
Not particularly pleased about this – by the time I have paid for shipping twice between US and Australia – I will be $160 worse off with no camera.
Is it possible to exchange the unit at a dealership in Australia? That would be a far better outcome.
Reluctant to give up on this camera. But I need a working camera urgently.
There’s more on my blog at https://www.tbitc.com/goodbye-gopro-hero-3
thanks
Tim Burgess
Now it’s after XMAS – where are we at with this?
GoPro offered a replacement unit or full refund within 30 days.
I thought long and hard about this…. and opted for a full refund – I thought I would drop into the stores in Adelaide and buy one. Thus getting warentee locally. GoPro told me there is no warentee facility in Australia. So it’s swap it at the retailer or send it to the USA.
So I packaged up my dead Hero 3 and sent it off to the USA.
Later that day off I went to buy a new Hero. Trouble is I couldn’t find anything more than GoPro display cabinets with battery packs and mounts and back packs….. and in one shop the GP2. No mention of the Hero 3. ARRGGHH dead lines zooming past – what to do? Online? – no stock till Feb –
What to do now? Go for an alternative – because if the Hero 3 dies – repair and/or replacement is going to be a real problem.
I did my research and it turns out that Sony have a neat cam, and there are several other offerings now in this sport camera range.
However, none of them truly suit my application like the Hero 3 does. (Check out the Sony BTW it looks like it gives slightly better video – I so nearly pulled the trigger!)
So in the end I decided to change my mind and take a replacement unit. Cap in hand I wrote to GoPro and asked could I change my mind about the refund. They were not in the least be problematic – and agreed to send me a replacement as soon as the were holding my dead one in their hands……..
Then the bomb shell dropped…. an email from GoPro support on Australia’s XMAS day, advises me to apply a software update and that WILL FIX my problem.
So there is a turn on issue that’s known? DAMN! Why didn’t they admit there was a problem? <>
17/12/12 10:17 Received and awaiting clearance for delivery USLAXA
14/12/12 02:56 Received and ready for processing MELBOURNE
12/12/12 13:00 Accepted by Australia Post GAWLER SA
As you can see I posted 2 days before the fix was available – but I could easily have waited for 2 days and tried the fix. Had I known.
I am not angry but a little more information would have saved me a 50 mile trip to the local post office and about $38 in postage – plus I could have got my filming task completed!
Fingers crossed for a working GoPro early in January 2013
A funny thing happened to me in the shops a coupla days ago ….
I had to get out of the way of a chap wheeling an empty stand out onto the shop floor. I looked and saw it was a GoPro stand! I watched in excitement as he stocked it full of GP3’s. I am now the proud owner of GP3 number 2 who is working fine at the moment. I have updated the software and taken a couple of little clips. Early nervous days but we are up and running. I bought a ‘The frame’ as well. Phew at last! I was in another electronics store an hour later and they were loading their cupboards with them too. I even got mine about $15 cheaper than the GP webstore price NOT including shipping.
So now I am only down original shipping cost and the cost of returning the unit to the USA – plus the fun of it all. $84.95 + $30 = $115! Wow – a pricey frustrating experience no matter how you look at it. At least now if I have a problem the camera only has to go about 50 miles south to a large electronics retailer for exchange.
I am pleased to report that #2 has been out with me today and so far has behaved pretty good. I have had one ‘crash’ where I had to remove the battery – but that’s all. What a relief!