Complaint Review: Om/One

   Back in November, I previewed a video of a new product coming to market - a cool looking levitating bluetooth speaker. I preordered one and received an order confirmation directly from Om/One, the manufacturer.  Numerous delays ensued, and numerous emails were received by me giving a variety of excuses. Finally, in May I received the product.  Junk from the word go. 

   I went to set it up and immediately had an issue with the LED charging cable - could not get the orb to charge despite a variety of diagnostic efforts (different USB cable, LED cable plugged into different USB power port, etc). As far as I can tell, the problem is either with the orb charging base or with the orb itself. I can get contact, but after ten seconds, every time, the LEDs go dark with the orb. Conversely, I am able to charge other microUSB devices with the LED cable no problem. At the suggestion of someone who responded to my service request , I removed the little rubber gasket from the base, but contact clearly wasn't the problem.  

   If that were the only issue, I would have just harangued the company for a replacement orb or base or something. However, there were other issues. First, getting the orb suspended is so difficult that it seems impractical. I was able to finally get it suspended in the magnetic field three or four times, after herculean efforts, but the orb fell out of the magnetic field on its own after 15, 20, 30 minutes - with a loud and unexpected THUNK onto the magnetic base. Unacceptable. 

  Last but not least, I was able to get my phone connected, briefly, to the orb (which had some charge left on it from the factory, I suppose - although it kept repeating “battery low”), and for a few brief moments I was able to hear sound quality…. it was poor.

   As others have reported here, I contacted their supposed customer service line - they responded with some suggestions on how to make things work, not of which solved the problem.  They then referred me on to Dave DeVillez, the lead partner for Om/One. he responded to my email telling me that he couldn't refund my $ - that could only come from the outlet from which I bought the product. But wait, I am confused... didn;t I buy it direct? Wasn't my order confirmation coming from Om/One?  He refered to a company called SparkArt, which I had never heard of.  

   After some back and forth, he offered to ship me a new unit and personally get on the phone to walk me through set up.  Even asked me for my shipping address and what color my speaker was.  Then radio silence... despite numerous emails asking what the story was.  Either they are having a epic meltdown as a company, or they are swindling people right and left. Either way the consumer is screwed.  My advice? Avoid anything the bears the Om/One brand...