Oculus drops shipping fees as apology for Rift delays

The majority of people who preordered the Rift virtual reality headset are still waiting for it after its launch last week, and now Oculus VR is finally updating those people about the status of its shipping operation.

You will no longer have to pay the shipping costs for your Oculus Rift if you have ordered one through today, according to the Facebook subsidiary. Oculus sent out emails this morning to its customers with open Rift orders confirming that it is experiencing component shortages that are causing a number of delays. In response, the company is now charging a flat $599 for the Rift as long as you get your order in by today. I checked, and my personal Rift no longer has the $30 fee attached. This is a big move as Oculus strives to keep the faith of its earliest adopters, who are likely the ones who will fuel VR’s word-of-mouth buzz as it potentially grows into a business worth $30 billion by 2020 (as tech adviser Digi-Capital predicts).

In addition to eliminating the shipping costs, Oculus has confirmed that it will start updating the arrival window for its customers. The company originally told many people to expect their Rifts in March, but we’re now into April and many March orders still haven’t reached their destinations. But you can expect to get an up-to-date status by April 12 on the Oculus.com website informing you when your order will get to you.

Here is the full text from the Oculus VR email that I received this morning:

“We know you’re anxious to receive your Oculus Rift and apologize for not updating your order status sooner. We’ve been working through an unexpected component shortage, and unfortunately, that issue has impacted the original shipping estimates for some early customers.

We’re working hard to get up-to-date ship windows, and you should expect to see your order status updated on oculus.com by Tuesday, April 12. Although many Rifts will be arriving on schedule and in line with original estimates, we’ll be covering shipping and handling costs for all orders placed through today.

We’re shipping Rifts everyday. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the Oculus support team if you have additional questions.”

If you’ve ordered the Rift but still haven’t received it or the above email, you should probably get this update soon. And if you are an international customer and are wondering if you can expect free shipping, Oculus chief executive officer Brendan Iribe took to the Oculus message board on Reddit to answer you.

“We apologize for not updating you earlier,” Iribe wrote. “The first few batches are going out slower than we estimated, so we’re giving free shipping for all preorders, including international.”

Fans are getting anxious and frustrated, and delays could give VR a rough first impression for a lot of people. The Reddit comment is Iribe’s first post on that site in 11 months, which suggests the company recognizes the importance of successfully navigating these first few days of our new virtual era.