Montek X-1000: another misleading IGG campaign

[maverick80]

HOBOTECH just posted a fairly positive review of the Montek X-1000 portable solar generator which is currently funding on IGG. As expected, it looks like this review has caused the number of backers to increase over the last 12 or so hours.

It's a pretty neat looking kit at what seems to be a great price, but as usual, these IGG campaigns are questionable. Specifically, this is another example of a company using IGG for opportunistically marketing an existing offering, not for crowdfunding some new idea.

The proof is that Montek currently has what appears to be this same product for sale right now on their Alibaba page. It even appears to be slightly cheaper than the backer price on IGG!

I can order the product (which includes the 80W solar panel) today from Alibaba for $700 USD total including shipping and supposedly I'll get it delivered in 1-2 months here in the USA (see https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...tml?spm=a2700.shop_pl.41413.10.2c2b4e52EplEhg). If I back their IGG campaign, the same model will cost me $759 USD and I'll supposedly get it in April. Thus, the MSRPs they have listed on their IGG page appear to be significant exaggerations.

Their listing is also somewhat irritating. The product photos are a combination of clear Photoshop work and images taken from SilverCymbal's review. At the very least, Montek should mark those photos as coming from a reviewer vs. implying it is their own images. It also speaks to the symbiotic/slimy relationship between early reviewers and these campaign owners .... and why I'm glad Will stepped away from this role.

I also don't understand why they claim to be from Kowloon, Hong Kong. Based on their website, social media, and Alibaba listing, they're clearly located in mainland China. Maybe the perception of HK is better? Or they get a better exchange rate with HKD vs. RMB?

It may be a solid product, but offering it as an IGG campaign is bollocks.

 

[Genome]

The waterproof design for Montek device is good. There does not seem to have a IP rating list. However, their device on snow picture is quite misleading as well. The battery they use is no good on snow environment, especially for charging.

 

[raybythelake]

HOBOTECH just posted a fairly positive review of the Montek X-1000 portable solar generator which is currently funding on IGG. As expected, it looks like this review has caused the number of backers to increase over the last 12 or so hours.

It's a pretty neat looking kit at what seems to be a great price, but as usual, these IGG campaigns are questionable. Specifically, this is another example of a company using IGG for opportunistically marketing an existing offering, not for crowdfunding some new idea.

The proof is that Montek currently has what appears to be this same product for sale right now on their Alibaba page. It even appears to be slightly cheaper than the backer price on IGG!

I can order the product (which includes the 80W solar panel) today from Alibaba for $700 USD total including shipping and supposedly I'll get it delivered in 1-2 months here in the USA (see https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...tml?spm=a2700.shop_pl.41413.10.2c2b4e52EplEhg). If I back their IGG campaign, the same model will cost me $759 USD and I'll supposedly get it in April. Thus, the MSRPs they have listed on their IGG page appear to be significant exaggerations.

Their listing is also somewhat irritating. The product photos are a combination of clear Photoshop work and images taken from SilverCymbal's review. At the very least, Montek should mark those photos as coming from a reviewer vs. implying it is their own images. It also speaks to the symbiotic/slimy relationship between early reviewers and these campaign owners .... and why I'm glad Will stepped away from this role.

I also don't understand why they claim to be from Kowloon, Hong Kong. Based on their website, social media, and Alibaba listing, they're clearly located in mainland China. Maybe the perception of HK is better? Or they get a better exchange rate with HKD vs. RMB?

It may be a solid product, but offering it as an IGG campaign is bollocks.

Thanks for digging deeper into this new campaign. Interestingly enough, HOBOTECH mentioned in his video that getting in on the early bird price of $549 was a "no-brainer". Thanks for noting the Alibaba price comparison. Either HOBOTECH wasn't aware of it or chose to ignore it. As has been previously noted in other posts on the merits of IGG, there are significant downsides. Nevertheless, we can roll the dice if we're willing to risk it (i.e. not getting the advertised product or advertised product not measuring up to delivered product) and we're willing to, in many cases, finance larger companies vs. smaller innovators.

 

[maverick80]

The waterproof design for Montek device is good. There does not seem to have a IP rating list. However, their device on snow picture is quite misleading as well. The battery they use is no good on snow environment, especially for charging.

Hah, good point. The temperature range is even listed in the specs on the IGG page. That image is one of the pics from the Silver Cymbal review so that reviewer is either incompetent at best or intentionally deceptive at worst.

 

[maverick80]

Thanks for digging deeper into this new campaign. Interestingly enough, HOBOTECH mentioned in his video that getting in on the early bird price of $549 was a "no-brainer". Thanks for noting the Alibaba price comparison. Either HOBOTECH wasn't aware of it or chose to ignore it. As has been previously noted in other posts on the merits of IGG, there are significant downsides. Nevertheless, we can roll the dice if we're willing to risk it (i.e. not getting the advertised product or advertised product not measuring up to delivered product) and we're willing to, in many cases, finance larger companies vs. smaller innovators.

I like HOBOTECH's reviews. I've definitely learned from many of them.

But yea, I cringed when he went into full sales mode at the end of this video. "No brainer" "Buy 2!!". He really strains his credibility and impartiality when he gets so sales-y as he did in this review. And yea, it took me about 5 minutes to find their stuff on Alibaba ... I'm sure HOBOTECH is a busy guy but you would've thought he could do some basic online due diligence in addition to his physical and electrical testing.

 

[SED]

I stumbled upon the Montek X-1000 Indiegogo campaign and associated YouTube reviews and was intrigued by the product!
In doing some simple research I too found the Alibaba listings and then this forum thread.

I whole-heartedly agree with sentiments shared above and what Will Prowse's shared in his video about why he's not going to support big companies using crowd funding any longer!!
Crowdfunding is great for small makers/creators that need help getting an idea to the market. It shouldn't be used as a sales/marketing arm for large companies!

Still intrigued by the Montek X-1000, I further researched the Alibaba listing and found a few things to ad to the conversation:
1 - the Alibaba listings do NOT include any solar panels; just the all-in-one unit (no 80watt folding solar panel).
2 - there are a few different variants of the Montek system listed on Alibaba (XS-1000 has smaller 600W inverter, X-800 has smaller 25.6V30Ah battery and the OG, X-1000 with larger 25.9V40Ah battery and larger 1000W inverter).
3 - pricing for shipping to the US seems to fluctuate by the day?? One day it showed $150, then the next $350?

I contacted Montek directly via Alibaba chat and asked about the 80watt solar panel. They confirmed it wasn't part of the Alibaba listing, but they could include it for additional $100.
I asked about shipping and they said boat was $100 and air was $200.
So if you take the $565 Alibaba price, add $100 for the 80w panel and $100 for slow-boat shipping, it puts you almost exactly at the same price as the Indiegogo price ($765=Alibaba vs $759=Indiegogo).

Not saying one is better than the other, just wanted to put out some additional info I found while researching the Montek Solar X-1000.
Thanks everyone for the help and sharing!!

If this thing performs and delivers what it's promising, it looks to be a pretty awesome unit.

 

[maverick80]

Interesting. The Alibaba link I posted is for the X-1000 and def seems to show the 80W panel is included for $565. I just loaded the page and looked at it again and this still seems to be the case. Maybe a language barrier.

But yea, shipping definitely seems to be all over the place.

 

[SED]

Interesting. The Alibaba link I posted is for the X-1000 and def seems to show the 80W panel is included for $565. I just loaded the page and looked at it again and this still seems to be the case. Maybe a language barrier.

But yea, shipping definitely seems to be all over the place.

I completely agree on the 80W panel listing issue - totally looks like it's included!!??
80W is referenced in a couple places on the ad, but not visually shown in any pictures, nor is it listed/called out in the "what's included" section or other areas. If it's not included, why even reference 80W anywhere in the ad??
Definitely an area that should be clarified if the seller was interested in creating a clean, detail accurate listing.

Regarding shipping, I thought it was interesting that one day it was $150, then it jumped to $350, but when I asked for a shipping quote via chat, was given two additional and yet entirely new numbers of $100-sea and $200-air??
Again, doesn't make much logical sense why S/H pricing is all over the map??

All of these things definitely don't instill confidence in the seller or perform a distant/potentially risky transaction at such a high dollar amount.
Much of this could be a language/translation issue, but it still does brings a lot of other concerns to mind.
Can this seller be trusted?
Will they actually perform (hit delivery dates, provide what was promised, etc)?
Will the product itself actually perform as expected?

 

[maverick80]

Those are all excellent questions.

If I had to guess based on what I saw on Alibaba and other references for this company online, my guess is backers WILL get something on-time-ish, but it's clearly not at the discount they're alleging on their Indiegogo campaign .... and who knows what the reliability of the product will be.

Since the company is clearly only based in China, good luck getting warranty service too .... although that's far from unique re: many of these solar generator companies.

 

[DWColorado]

HOBOTECH just posted a fairly positive review of the Montek X-1000 portable solar generator which is currently funding on IGG. As expected, it looks like this review has caused the number of backers to increase over the last 12 or so hours.

It's a pretty neat looking kit at what seems to be a great price, but as usual, these IGG campaigns are questionable. Specifically, this is another example of a company using IGG for opportunistically marketing an existing offering, not for crowdfunding some new idea.

The proof is that Montek currently has what appears to be this same product for sale right now on their Alibaba page. It even appears to be slightly cheaper than the backer price on IGG!

I can order the product (which includes the 80W solar panel) today from Alibaba for $700 USD total including shipping and supposedly I'll get it delivered in 1-2 months here in the USA (see https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...tml?spm=a2700.shop_pl.41413.10.2c2b4e52EplEhg). If I back their IGG campaign, the same model will cost me $759 USD and I'll supposedly get it in April. Thus, the MSRPs they have listed on their IGG page appear to be significant exaggerations.

Their listing is also somewhat irritating. The product photos are a combination of clear Photoshop work and images taken from SilverCymbal's review. At the very least, Montek should mark those photos as coming from a reviewer vs. implying it is their own images. It also speaks to the symbiotic/slimy relationship between early reviewers and these campaign owners .... and why I'm glad Will stepped away from this role.

I also don't understand why they claim to be from Kowloon, Hong Kong. Based on their website, social media, and Alibaba listing, they're clearly located in mainland China. Maybe the perception of HK is better? Or they get a better exchange rate with HKD vs. RMB?

It may be a solid product, but offering it as an IGG campaign is bollocks.

So there are pages of ads for this product on Alibaba (all three sizes) . I went through 15-20 of the ads and didn't find one that said the panel was included. It's insinuated all over but never stated. Given that each cable is listed under "box content", it seems odd that the panel would not be listed. As of Feb. 11 2021, the price (shipped to the US is $915. I'm not sure if this is a case of the manufacturer using IGG as a fund raiser/marketing tool, or a reseller using IGG to sell a batch of existing products without ever having to use their own money. I will admit they got $750 from me and I'm torn between upset about waiting unnecessarily, and happy that I know the product will actually be produced.

 

[jleblan1]

Looks like they make a variant with a lifepo4 battery.

 

[DWColorado]

I asked the IGG campaign if their presence on Alibaba meant that they were ready and could be delivered sooner. There response was "Hi Darrel, alibaba order is for distributors’ test, not final product. We don’t sell to end users there." Not 100% sure i buy that, but I do know a UK dealer that just received a sample, and he did confirm that it is not the production model.

 

[Mary]

The one on Indiegogo was lifepo4. I didn't see that on Ali Baba, but maybe I missed it.

I have one of these, and it's awesome. I bought 2 on Indiegogo (before Hobotech said to LOL), and persuaded them to send me an early version for one of my purchases because I have a really tiny YouTube channel and needed it for a trip. I don't really do reviews, it's not that kind of channel, but I do show off things I like, and I like this. I can say for sure what I have is NOT a final production model. I paid for it, and for its early air shipping, so there's no special relationship there. It took some arm twisting to get it, because they were definitely not ready. There are a few glitches in the one I got, but they were explained to me up front and I accepted full responsibility for taking an early version.

I've corresponded pretty extensively with the company. My experience with the guy I'm dealing with who is the same guy handling pretty much everything as far as I can see is that he's a pretty straightforward person.I have dealt with others in the field and have not had that experience. Honestly, this is the kind of company crowdfunding is FOR. He's been pretty direct with the Indiegogo backers that he's making only demos for distributors at this point. He's just a guy trying to build a business.

 

[DWColorado]

The one on Indiegogo was lifepo4. I didn't see that on Ali Baba, but maybe I missed it.

I have one of these, and it's awesome. I bought 2 on Indiegogo (before Hobotech said to LOL), and persuaded them to send me an early version for one of my purchases because I have a really tiny YouTube channel and needed it for a trip. I don't really do reviews, it's not that kind of channel, but I do show off things I like, and I like this. I can say for sure what I have is NOT a final production model. I paid for it, and for its early air shipping, so there's no special relationship there. It took some arm twisting to get it, because they were definitely not ready. There are a few glitches in the one I got, but they were explained to me up front and I accepted full responsibility for taking an early version.

I've corresponded pretty extensively with the company. My experience with the guy I'm dealing with who is the same guy handling pretty much everything as far as I can see is that he's a pretty straightforward person.I have dealt with others in the field and have not had that experience. Honestly, this is the kind of company crowdfunding is FOR. He's been pretty direct with the Indiegogo backers that he's making only demos for distributors at this point. He's just a guy trying to build a business.

Mary, did you ever receive your sample?

 

[Mary]

ok I did it again. see below for my reply.

 

[Mary]

Mary, did you ever receive your sample?

Yes, I did, and I really think it's great, but I did want to say I misspoke and it is NOT LifePO4. I was confusing two different things in my head when I said that - he told me they are working on a LifePO4 model. I tried to come back and correct it but I guess you can't edit after a certain time period. I'm of course not putting it through the same kind of rigorous paces Will would but it is performing like a champ for me. The Indiegogo production unit is supposed to arrive by the end of June.

 

[Olly0072003]

Hi guys. Just joined as I would like to defend Montek. The claim about the X1000 being available for general sale while on indigogo is wholly incorrect. I am a retailer in the UK and spotted listings for this unit on Alibaba before the I indigogo campaign went live. I can confirm that the product was in development at this time but only a few handmade pre production units existed. I got one of those pre production units about the same time as Tom Botech in USA. Trust me its not a production unit. In effect its a prototype and hasa few shortcomings compared to the final production unit which did need crowdfunding. Nothing dodgy about this at all. I speak to Monte regularly. I can't even place an order until he has honoured the indigogo orders. This is why I'm defending him. His ethics are whiter than white. He often asks me about improvements for the future range. He is very keen on producing the best possible products. This post has got him totally wrong. He's one of the good guys.

 

[Olly0072003]

I asked the IGG campaign if their presence on Alibaba meant that they were ready and could be delivered sooner. There response was "Hi Darrel, alibaba order is for distributors’ test, not final product. We don’t sell to end users there." Not 100% sure i buy that, but I do know a UK dealer that just received a sample, and he did confirm that it is not the production model.

Is that me ?? Its true. The listings on Alibaba were only pre production. I think I may be the UK dealer you refer to. I'm waiting to place my order on Alibaba Which is for trade purchases only. But he won't take my order until he has finished the crowdfunding production.

 

[Olly0072003]

HOBOTECH just posted a fairly positive review of the Montek X-1000 portable solar generator which is currently funding on IGG. As expected, it looks like this review has caused the number of backers to increase over the last 12 or so hours.

It's a pretty neat looking kit at what seems to be a great price, but as usual, these IGG campaigns are questionable. Specifically, this is another example of a company using IGG for opportunistically marketing an existing offering, not for crowdfunding some new idea.

The proof is that Montek currently has what appears to be this same product for sale right now on their Alibaba page. It even appears to be slightly cheaper than the backer price on IGG!

I can order the product (which includes the 80W solar panel) today from Alibaba for $700 USD total including shipping and supposedly I'll get it delivered in 1-2 months here in the USA (see https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...tml?spm=a2700.shop_pl.41413.10.2c2b4e52EplEhg). If I back their IGG campaign, the same model will cost me $759 USD and I'll supposedly get it in April. Thus, the MSRPs they have listed on their IGG page appear to be significant exaggerations.

Their listing is also somewhat irritating. The product photos are a combination of clear Photoshop work and images taken from SilverCymbal's review. At the very least, Montek should mark those photos as coming from a reviewer vs. implying it is their own images. It also speaks to the symbiotic/slimy relationship between early reviewers and these campaign owners .... and why I'm glad Will stepped away from this role.

I also don't understand why they claim to be from Kowloon, Hong Kong. Based on their website, social media, and Alibaba listing, they're clearly located in mainland China. Maybe the perception of HK is better? Or they get a better exchange rate with HKD vs. RMB?

It may be a solid product, but offering it as an IGG campaign is bollocks.

The indigogo price is similar to the Alibaba price because the Alibaba listings are aimed at trade buyers NOT Retail so in effect anyone who has bought on the campaign has paid around the same price that I need to pay when I order for reselling . Then when I have paid a similar price to the backers price I then have to add shipping on top. Then when they arrive in the UK I will be charged import duty and value added tax. Then I will go to the port clearing house and collect them. That's another expense. They will then incur selling costs the UK and domestic delivery costs too. In short the Retail price will be in the region of £925 UK pounds. Indegogo buyers got a brilliant deal. You've got this one majorly wrong.

 

[Olly0072003]

UK stock. Facebook page montek X1000 and solar. UK stock there