Drop.com $20 off - Lumintop Copper/Brass Tool for $10 - Discount not available as of 12/10/19

Trouble is, you can’t use that credit plus referrer code… So might as well use referrer code so you get $10 off and so does someone else.

There’s something about a nice warm emitter paired with copper. I’m not going to be happy if this is XPG. Too blue. The real pisser here is that you can’t return it and get the proper one, right? You get a credit and have to start over. And of course, now you’re done with the new account deal.

My copper tool aaa came today it is cool white. If someone has a Nichia they didnt expect I will trade and include a preon ss clip to sweeten the deal. I am talking to someone at the moment however if that falls through... Thanks Chris Drop took care of me.

Yeah, only China can get away with avoiding VAT and customs…

Got my Drop Copper Tool today as well and it is clearly marked Cree XP-G3 LED, so it is not a case of Lumintop screwing the pooch this time with labeling.

Here is new and very plausible theory;
Drop ordered a 50/50 mix of Nichia’s and Cree’s into inventory.

Members ordered Nichia’s 4 to 1 against the Cree’s.
Now they do $20 off promo to get more members and run out of stock of all Nichia’s and have all these Cree’s left over. They say Eff it! ship the Cree’s and we’ll deal with the backlash.

So, Has anyone here ordered a Cree and had the Nichia show up??

I’m keeping the thing but it still pizzes me off, only reason I gave that site a chance to earn my business and here we are.
They have some other products that interest me so will probably get something in the future but will still have a bad taste in my mouth from this ordeal.
Don’t want a $10 credit, want what I ordered and paid for.

End of Rant

I ordered the Cree version, no update since 28th. I’ll post here when it arrives the following is what I get when tracked.

November 28, 2019, 12:00 am
Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
Shipping Partner: INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE
Your item arrived at a shipping partner facility at 12:00 am on November 28, 2019. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date.

I ordered Nichia, dont know what I will receive yet.

tracking is rather confused, the tracking spent several updates at International Bridge

then it appeared in Illinois

then it went back to International Bridge…
hmmmm :slight_smile:


Tracking History

December 2, 2019, 3:47 pm
Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
Shipping Partner: INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE
Your item departed a shipping partner facility at 3:47 pm on December 2, 2019. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date.

November 26, 2019, 11:47 am
Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
WOOD DALE, IL 60191
Shipping Partner: INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

November 24, 2019, 12:00 am
Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
Shipping Partner: INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

November 21, 2019, 7:30 pm
Departed Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
Shipping Partner: INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

November 20, 2019, 9:26 pm
Arrived Shipping Partner Facility, USPS Awaiting Item
Shipping Partner: INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

November 20, 2019, 9:51 am
Merchant Order Receipt Notification, USPS Awaiting Item

My tracking was weird. As I understand it, the package was supposed to be transferred to USPS for local delivery. It landed at the huge USPS hub just a town over from me. But instead of going to my town, it went to another USPS hub further away. Then went back again to the other hub. Then to “DHL”… but then back to USPS and the DHL entry was ERASED. I kid you not. Anyway, was supposed to get mine today, but got “attempted delivery but location blocked,” which was a total lie. We had some snow here, but barely 2” accumulation. Nothing was blocked. Sidewalk was cleared. Some delivery person got behind, probably due to weather, and used a false excuse. I’d rather they just admit something like “Delivery delayed due to weather.”

Same thing here:

Just got an email from Brett
_*This is Brett with Drop Community Support. I am sorry to hear that you did end up receiving the wrong flashlight.

It looks like we do currently have limited inventory of the Nichia though, so if you could please confirm your shipping address for me I will get a return label created to start this exchange.

I will wait to hear back from you.
Best Regards,
Brett_*

sent email and got postage label

Awesome! How are you contacting them?

Contact them by replying to the original email about the mixup. I expect Drop may only be doing returns and exchanges to US addresses due to higher international shipping costs and customs paperwork.

EUW here and that’s exactly what they did. They just told me to keep the light and full refund me

Just got mine. Put battery in and nothing. On a lark, I looked at instructions. “Wait a few minutes for the capacitor in the tail switch to charge up.” WTH? Never ever in all the lights I’ve ever owned, required waiting a few minutes.

So I waited. And waited. And waited. 15 mins later, still no light. Switched batteries. Still no joy. Anybody else here have a DOA?

EDIT: Well, I checked both Eneloop AAA batteries. One was 1.28v, the other 1.26v. They were both operable in my Jetbeam-U and Fenix L0D… but that must be because they’re not current regulated. So I charged ’em up. Once one cell reached 1.4v, I took it off the charger and put it in the Tool. Now the light works. Seems to be not enough juice to go beyond low & medium. Btw, light came in a silvered vacuum pack, with plastic case & foam insert separate. Little paper inside showed a check mark on “CREE”. But I ordered Nichia. Drop is now out of stock on this light. So looks like exchange won’t be possible.

O/T: Btw, something weird… “CVG Returns” in Hebron KY is the return address on package. A few days prior to my Drop order, I placed an order with Neal’s Gadgets for some FW3A parts. Well, guess what? Both packages arrived today. BOTH have the same return company/address! So what I’m guessing is that there’s some 3rd party shipping going on that pools overseas shipments that arrives in USA, to then send out at various intervals. And somehow my Neal’s Gadget order plus Drop order parts arrival coincided.

I contacted support. Just like Christoph, I got a prompt reply from Brett. They still have stock, just not available for on-line purchase. So fingers crossed on making an exchange.

congrats
correct, the eSwitch has to charge up
that wont be an issue as long as you keep a battery in the light

….
meanwhile

My Cu Tool took 1 week to travel 10 miles, thanks to DHL

tracking:
—-
December 3, 2019, 11:54 am
Arrived MELROSE PARK, IL 60160

November 26, 2019, 11:47 am
Arrived WOOD DALE, IL 60191


Im also having Slow Progress w DHL handling a package from Germany, 2 weeks to find its way to the Frankfurt airport and no updates from USPS yet… poor me (first world problems… lol)


and
Update on my Brass Tool

I just got an email that my order was cancelled, refunded, and they gave me a $10 shopping credit…

phew… I really did not want a Brass Tool… sour grapes… lol

so, I wrote back and asked if they will send me a Copper Tool instead :slight_smile:

stay tuned for the next exciting updates

^ You can always make wine out of sour grapes. So… tart. :wink:

Well, got an RMA label from Drop. Only pain is that I have to drop off at UPS, which is kind of out of my way. But I’m glad I’ll be able to get the Nichia version.

So, with a totally topped off Eneloop AAA battery, I pop it in. It works. But, can’t tell difference between medium & high. Low is certainly noticeable. But the other two are not. I don’t know if this light is defective or if this is normal behavior for rechargeable AAA. Will it take a 14500 10440?

I also thought there was little difference between M and H when my light was fresh, which is why I got out my lux meter. It was a bright day and I wasn’t willing to trust my eyes. I think my H got brighter over an hour or so as the light sat with a battery installed. It was sunset when I took the measurements in my earlier post. I wonder how long the tailcap would take to self-discharge so I can verify this.

Good luck cramming a 14500 in there :wink: I assume you mean a 10440, which (we’re told) will make smoke.

Yes, typo — corrected. In my case, I visually checked the beams in a lowly lit room. Can’t believe this is a 32 to 110 lumens difference. Checked again—definitely not. Could see maybe 20 lumens difference between medium & high. I won’t bother about it any longer since I’m sending the light back for an exchange.

you have to WAIT for the capacitor to charge up so it gives you the proper maximum mode… give it at least 20 minutes… better yet, give it an hour… better yet, go to sleep, and in the morning all will be working (leave the battery IN the light)

if you use 10440 w eSwitch tools you only get maximum, until the battery drops to 3.8v and after that you will have 3 modes again…

but! 10440 is NOT recommended… use at your own risk

Tell me Jon. What other flashlight do you know of that requires many minutes before its electronic switch capacitor “charges up” to full? I have 6 flashlights with electronic switches. None of them needs more than a few seconds of connectivity. Is there some kind of understood engineering principle at hand here? I’m really curious as to why the light was designed this way.