You might remember a few posts back I wrote about the Flip camera fiasco when I went swimming with dolphins. If not, don’t worry.
The bottom line is I had a first generation Flip video camera, but I wanted to get some HD underwater footage. So I bought a Flip underwater case said to work with the Ultra line, I bought a Flip Video Ultra HD camera specifically for said case, and the two don’t work together. However, the case does work with my first gen Flip which has no reference to itself as an Ultra (as you can see by my lovely diagram above).
Flip is saying it’s the retailer’s issue and I should deal with them. I say it’s poor product labeling and design, and I’ve just been asking for the correct case (about $50). Besides, the underwater case I bought was special ordered at a store 250 miles away because not a single bricks and mortar store carried it. I ended up paying $80 to get the case special ordered, and there’s no returns. Plus I paid another $200 for an HD Flip which now can’t go underwater.
Below is Flip and I’s entire email correspondance. In my last email I threatened that if they don’t resolve this, I’m going to post everything and spread it as much as I can. Well here’s the post, so please help me keep my end of the deal by spreading this around.
It breaks my heart because I’ve been a huge fan of Flip, but customer service is everything and their complete lack of care has pushed me to this point. If they want to risk losing customers who might buy $200 cameras over a $50 accessory, then good luck with that.
And if you’re wondering what else you can get instead of a Flip, allow me to help you out with the following suggestions:
Sanyo Xacti HD1010 – Slightly more than a Flip, however it can do full 1080p, plus take stills (newer model can also do slow motion). And there’s an underwater case that can go to 150 ft (Flip is only 30) and has tons of underwater accessories and configurability.
Aiptek A-HD+ – This can also do full 1080p, is almost half the price of a Flip HD, plus it takes memory cards so you can keep shooting without downloading.
Kodak Zx1 – Same quality as the Flip but cheaper, water resistant, and can take SD cards.
Wow, actually I don’t feel so bad anymore, some of these look pretty good.
To Flip: my request still stands. All I want is the underwater case I set out to buy, and we can go back to being BFFs.
Here’s all the emails after the jump:
| Customer (Joey Daoud) | 09/05/2009 07:21 AM |
| Hi there,
I’ve been a big fan of Flip and have had the first generation model for more than a year. A few weeks ago a friend asked me if I wanted to swim with wild dolphins, which of course was a no brainer. I’m a professional videographer, so I brought my gear to document the trip, but I also wanted to get some underwater shots and that’s when I found out you make an underwater housing for your cameras. After doing some research I found that the housing you sell on your site only works with second generation Flip Ultra HD and SD cameras, while the housing sold everywhere else online is only good for the first generation Flip. Ok, fair enough. I had been thinking about getting an HD Flip Ultra, and this trip would be the perfect reason to do that. So I wanted to get the HD Flip and the underwater housing for it. The only issue was time – I was told about the trip 2 days before it was happening. I felt ordering with overnight shipping was still too risky in that it might not arrive in time, so I called every brick and mortar store I could think of to see if they carried the underwater housing and no one did. I’m based in Miami, and this dolphin trip was happening up north near Panama City, so I also called stores in Orlando. I finally found an electronics store that could special order the case and have it the next day. I verified that this was the case for the Flip Ultra, the newer models. He said it was, and he could see right there on the screen it said the underwater case said it was for the Flip Ultra. Ok, great, I stopped off in Orlando on my drive up and had to pay extra to have this case special ordered, totaling about $80 for the case (and non-returnable being that it was special ordered). Then I went to Best Buy and bought a Flip Ultra HD. Arriving in Tallahassee, where I was spending the night before the dolphin trip, I opened up my two new purchases to test them out. Well I was pretty surprised to find that the case didn’t fit the Flip Ultra. I thought it must be a snug fit, because I had been sure to purchase the right case for the right camera. The case wouldn’t’ close, and if it was forced close, it would pop open. Then I tried it out with my first gen Flip and it fit perfectly. So I just paid extra for an underwater case that doesn’t fit the quality camera I want, as well as $200 on a brand new camera that is now scratched up because I had to pry it out of the case. Looking at the box of the underwater case, it says it will only work with Flip Video Ultras. No where on my first gen Flip does it refer to itself as an Ultra. And I believe the case is now damaged because when I did use it, I could see moisture getting inside. I’m not asking for my money back. What I really want is what I thought I purchased: an underwater case for my HD Flip camera, and a solution to fixing the current housing I have. Thanks for you time and I hope this can be resolved. Joey |
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| Response (Flip Video Support) | 09/05/2009 09:59 AM |
| Thank you for your response.
Please ensure that the model of your underwater case is the appropriate model for your Ultra HD. Underwater case model AWC2T is the appropriate case for 2nd Generation Flip Ultra Camcorders (model number U1120) and Flip UltraHD Camcorders (model number U2120). This case does not work with 1st Generation Flip Ultra Camcorders (model numbers F230 and F260), nor does the case designed for model numbers F230 and F260 (underwater case model AWC1T) work for 2nd Generation Flip Ultra Camcorders and Flip UltraHD Camcorders. This information is clearly available on our website. If you did not purchase the appropriate case for your camcorder, we suggest contacting the retailer from which you purchased the case to arrange for a return. If you have the correct case for your camcorder, please feel free to contact us further. Thank you, |
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| Customer (Joey Daoud) | 09/05/2009 05:42 PM |
| As I stated in my original email, I was fully aware that there were 2 different underwater cases that fit different generation Flip models, and I did everything in my power to ensure that I bought the correct case for the HD Flip Ultra that I bought with the specific intention of using it in that case. However, through vague labeling on Flip’s part I did not end up with the correct case for the correct model. First off, I don’t understand why the most widely available underwater I have the box for the Flip underwater case that I purchased, and it Furthermore, and more importantly, on looking at my Flip first Finally, the Flip Ultra HD that I purchased for the underwater case The bottom line is I purchased a case said to work with the Flip I am clearly a loyal customer, having purchased a second Flip and Thanks again for your time, Joey Daoud |
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| Response (Flip Video Support) | 09/07/2009 12:50 PM |
| Thank you for your response.
The underwater case that you have is not designed for your camcorder. It may be best to contact the retailer from which you purchased the underwater case to arrange for a return. The underwater case for your camcorder is model AWC2T, available at http://www.theflip.com/products_accessorize.shtml. Thank you, Flip Support |
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| Customer (Joey Daoud) | 09/07/2009 04:42 PM |
| As stated earlier, the case was special ordered because I could not find it in a single retail store (this is at the same point when I went and bought an additional Flip Ultra HD specifically for the case, and the heart of this issue). Because the case was special ordered it can’t be returned. In any case, this isn’t the retailer’s fault because they too went by the package and confirmed that the case was for a Flip Ultra. I’ve attached a photo illustrating the point on how I bought a case This is your last chance to resolve this issue, or else I am posting You’re about to lose me as a customer, do you really want to risk |
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| Response (Flip Video Support) | 09/08/2009 04:54 PM |
| Thank you for your response.
We apologize for the confusion and frustration. As other retailers still sell the Flip Ultra Series camcorders, they are also selling the underwater case for the original Ultra. We can only recommend contacting your retailer for a return, or simply that you use the case with your Flip Video Ultra. The underwater case appropriate for the Ultra HD is available at the Flip online store. As previously mentioned, the product information for camcorders and compatibility with accessories is available on our website. The best resource for information about Flip Video is always www.theflip.com Thank you, Flip Video |
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