I orderd 3 items from Manafont on Monday (25 Oct) and was almost immediately informed that my order was being processed.
The very next day (Tues) I got an e-mail saying my order was being shipped!
I've ordered stuff from all over and I've never seen things happen this quickly. I live in Singapore and am waiting to see just how long my package takes to arrive. Ordering from DX and LT and FP has taken anything from 8 days to 11 weeks! Let's see if Manafont will set a new record. Will keep y'all updated.
Just thought I'd add my experience, based on five orders (so far). All orders were fairly small, usually just a couple of items (flashlights and/or knives). They seem to be pretty good about getting orders out the door. Yes, it's a smaller operation and they arguably have less overhead than the large(r) players but what matters is that I got my orders within 3-4 weeks, which isn't bad at all. Packaging was the regular yellow, padded envelope we've all come to love with plenty of bubble wrap to protect the flashlights. All knives came in a cardboard box with no extra bubble wrap (ie. if the manufacturer doesn't supply bubble wrap you're not getting any). All items were exactly as described. No complaints from me.
I had no reason to contact their customer support. I don't really have anything bad to say about their website either. I wish there was a way to actually sort by price, date listed, etc. and the items on the invoice page should probably be clickable but that's usability stuff. Their website works even with JavaScript disabled which is nice for those of us who like to use mobile/embedded devices other than smartphones. The item weight listed on their website seems to be slightly higher than the actual weight but not by much. Their reward system is transparent and actually works: you tick a checkbox to use your points and that's all there is to it. No CSE, no partial refunds, no going back and forth. That's the way it should be. Pictures show the real thing and the items I ordered were exactly as pictured (ie. no photoshopping away logos or any of that). There is no RSS/Atom feed. Edit: There is no wishlist feature either which is a real shame.
As I see it, you have to pay for a tracking number, no matter how much you order (I could be wrong about that since all of my orders were smallish). Prices are mostly on par with the competition (sometimes a bit more, as they seem to round up a lot; I don't think I would have even noticed if I wasn't so used to seeing $1.99 instead of an even $2 everwhere).
As long as they keep adding more knives and flashlights they'll be getting some of my business.
I've had no trouble with orders from Manafont that weren't problems with HK (or UK) Post. I've still not received my BLF special ordered in October, though the Ultrafire H3 ordered two weeks later arrived yesterday. There is a package waiting for me at the PO which is probably either the BLF special or another MrLite light I ordered - which was ordered before the H3. Though it might be a DX order of a PSU for a Dell laptop, but it should be going elsewhere, not here so I hope it isn't that.
From the cashback promotion i recieved 3 dropins and 2 P60 hosts. The q5 1 mode failed in 2 min.
Contacted Jim by means of private messages with the issue. There was the expected request for photo of the item and the package.
Upon supplying it, they refunded me the asking price of the dropin in manapoints for manafont.com use. I believe there would be no problem to get a classic refund but for me it is perfectly suitable as
i requested a same treatment a while ago for some minor items that were delayed by suppliers, they probably thought it was ok for me since i was planning (and notified them) to get another R5 5mode which is great.
So, here it is the first case of malfunctioning product. The process was fast and smooth.
Oh almost forgot... they even took an extra step and reserved a R5 5 mode dropin in case i place an order rightaway so it gets shipped quickly.
Very neat! Good job Jim and manafont!
Admin, you can update the manafont RMA policy if you like with this positive experience.
Thanks very much for the experience, Budgeteer! Description updated accordingly. And congratulations to Jim @ Manafont for being one of the very few polite, responsive, intelligent customer service guys I've dealt with.
One idea! Since they are nice you can perhaps make a BLF logo like a certificate with some text like: BLF reccomended trustwothy dealer as a sign of gratitude to put on their page if they want.
It can help us as a community and them since they are not yet widely known. I believe they would like such a certificate from an objective (non bribed) comunity such as ours.
I would like to add some pleasant addon on MF reputation.
A recently bought ultrafire single mode dropin driver failed in about few hours of use. I contacted them for a driver board only if they have spares.
I was immediately contacted and asked for the usual proof of purchase. The process was smooth and easy. I have to take the driver picture but thats an easy task.
But there is the astonishing part!
They asked me if i would rather want the 5 mode instead of single if i like it better and that it would be sent along with the led.
Intermission: I once contacted Jim for a SMO reflector if they have some to sell...
This information was also passed to my support contact and she decided to send me the WHOLE dropin with SMO reflector since i previously asked for one, so they sent me one for free!
The whole process with few mails was around 2-3hours and the replacement is already shipped!
Now youre all wainting that i write it was all a joke eh?
It is true! As it may sound too good to be true but it is true.
To my book, manafont has proven twice their commitment and made an outstanding service!
That's excellent news Budgeteer. Manafont will be my first choice if the same product is available at several retailers. And don't tell anyone, but I'd be willing to pay several dollars more for a Manafont product because their customer service is infinitely better than the competition. Any light we are interested in buying we should really request to Manafont to see if they can offer it first.
For my part, I noticed that they had an error in a flashlight description, apparently mixing up the description of two Tank007 models, listing the TK-568 as having a magnetic tail. I notified them, and within about 12 hours they thanked me for notifying them and changed the description. That fast.
Yep, that's why i gladly share the info. It the rare cases something goes wrong you have some very decent after sales support which is quite rare nowadays.
Contact Jim at manafont he will sort it out. He is very fast to reply usually but keep in mind timezone differences. Well Jim is not the only one tho, anyone will help you fast no need to look for Jim especially but he is often seen on BLF with promotions and such.
Thats more than enough. Might get tricky since it is unfortunately friday. At worst expect a reply on monday.
Damn, i must get paid for being a customer care for manafont lol. :)
Just today i recieved a RMA for one failed r5 dropin. So far the service and after sales support was awesome i don't think you will have any problems sorting it out. I did many orders at MF without any issues in ordering steps.
Dont worry, if nothing else paypal is also an option but it will probably be unneeded. No need to worry as of now and enjoy the weekend!
. I live in Singapore and am waiting to see just how long my package takes to arrive. Ordering from DX and LT and FP has taken anything from 8 days to 11 weeks! Let's see if Manafont will set a new record. Will keep y'all updated.