Porkchop Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 Not bad. 22.5" grid, like my #7K, but shorter in the main body. Wanted $950 at the "pool store" that sells them here in Champaign. Nest, 100-something extra. No extra stuff 'cept a video. No placesetter, no extra grid. I bet with all the extras, I'd be paying the same as KK OTB textured, sans shipping. Not casting aspersions on the XL; i've used a Large, and know they can do the job. It's just that, walking out of there, I was telling myself that, once done spending the money on xtra stuff that i would NEED, i'd be paying OTB money. oh, and Dennis, btw, if you ever get a franchisee here in C/U, you might have to change the name of the OTB; those initials are understood far and wide out here as Off Track Betting... so now i have 2 problems; saving up for a black volcanic OTB, and coming up with an explanation for my wife as to why i need "another one". i don't think she'll accept "lust", or "i just _do_" as an answer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 Amen to the "wife explanation" bit. I own four Eggs and the ONLY way I'll get another ceramic cooker of ANY type is if it shows up free on my front doorstep with a note that says it will cost $300 for me to ship it back, LOL! Of course, the wife is getting a total renovation of our house, hmmmmmm........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcoliver Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 Instant Gratification I live near Atlanta and this is where the BGE started. The problem with people today is they are in need of Instant Gratification and if they can go to the nearest pool store and buy a grill friday night so that they can have it for the weekend that is what they are going to do. I know this first hand. Of course if a Komodo was sitting side by side it would be a whole different story. BGE is a quality cooker but considering the price is nearly the same it would be a no brainer. Just my $.02. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkchop Posted March 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 Not just "instant gratification"... Having a dealership close by isn't only an "instant gratification" issue either. not that this is an issue for Komodo Kamado, but "some companies" use that distance between their customers as a sort of insulating factor. if something goes wrong with their product, then they are far away from the customer and can put them off without too much concern. like making their customer wait for months for repair or replacement, if that. Considering Dennis' track record of customer satisfaction, I don't think it would be an issue. several owners have already chimed in to say they received replacement cookers on warranty There's also the issue of being able to see and touch what you'll be getting. I can only imagine what an actual side-by-side comparison would be like. from what I see online, and what i already have at home, I would imagine that the Komodo Kamado would do VERY favorably in that comparison. Another thing to consider, especially when a "lifetime guarantee" is involved, is will the company be around in 10 or 20 years. that is not a reflection on character of the person/company offering said guarantee, just an observation of the uncertain times we all live in. when I got my mexican K, I brushed off such considerations, since it is supposed to be made of "space age ceramics" and will never burn out. here I am, only 4 years in, and my firebox breaks into several pieces. now, with them, it's a separate issue; they are still in business, but are not trustworthy, imo. When a lifetime warranty is at stake, folks want to see a track record of successful business management AND trustworthiness. I think Dennis has both; while his Komodo Kamado venture is relatively young, he has a well established, successful furniture business. Diversification is generally a good business strategy. one can help the other in lean times. As it is, even without an actual side-by-side comparison of units, I'd spend my money on Dennis' cooker based on the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 Great Points Porkchop In my research I see people buying other brands and receiving very poor sometimes non exisent customer service. No responese, waiting several months for parts or delivery and design issues and yet people in spite of it all still give those companies their business. Also in a lot of situations when a company that some of these people have bought from does something very wrong or commits a bad business practice the current customers seem to go out of their way to make excuses and try to justify it. With Dennis you have a guy that looked over problems and made improvements and is concerned about doing what is right for the customer. Yes he is in the starting stages but everything he is doing he is doing right. When you are doing things the way he is it should equal success. Under the circumstances why would people continue to do business with other companies that don!t do things right when this company offers so much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
