AliExpress Sofirn Official Store doesn't ship orders and doesnt respond

Me too bought more than a dozen of Sofirn from AX. I have had good experience like you til lately after Sep this year.

1. Ordered 2 full sets of light with battery kit. Came only 1 light. Worse part, only received 1 light without battery kit. Of cos, they resend.

2. My 11.11 order took 1 week to dispatch. Another week tracking show airline departed on 11.25. Total already 2 weeks. For my location, shipping is fast. All my Sofirn lights received in 2 weeks time UPON ORDER. This time almost coming to a month and tracking still shows “airline departed on 11.25”. Parcel LOST?

3. My latest order for Black Friday. No reply or response from AX messenger for a week altogether til I have to contact Barry. I really do not want to go through Barry knowing he is super busy with BLF LT1 or even his new born. But my frustration just can’t help.

Anyway, I just give a couple of reasons this time for Sofirn. They can’t cope with the mass order for the BLF LT1 and the probably add on huge order for 11.11.

Hope they work it out if really can’t cope or at least explain.

It is just not a smart move to first create a tracking number that does track but says shipment cancelled after a few days. That alarms even people like me who are normally patiently waiting (even forgetting the order) for many weeks for an item to arrive.

I now understand that it is a way to fool the AE system so that there is more time to fullfil the order than AE allows. And I understand that is a way that a small company like Sofirn can sell a large volume at 11-11 without producing large amounts of goods beforehand and run the risk of overstock. They produce a reasonable amount of stock that will probably sell, then collect the sales at 11-11 and after 11-11 producing whatever is still short. I have understood from Barry that Sofirn has suffered before from overproduction of models that did not sell in the end.

And I’m actually fine with that (what helps is that over here we do not have the deadly Christmas deadline like in the US), but this way of cancelling shipments does not explain that or anything, it just makes people feel uneasy about their purchase.

For Sofirn’s own sake, they must come up with a better, sustainable solution.

It would help to at least rule out 11.11 and 12.12 from this shady, questionable practices. For it runs a great risk of pissing people off by not being able to deliver items before Christmas.

I received my 11/11 order for the SP36, SP36S, SP33 v3.0, and SF02 in 3 weeks time which is a little slower than usual for Sofirn store, which sometimes I receive orders in 2-3 weeks. However, many people don’t realize that the norm for receiving items from most Aliexpress sellers and other China sellers with free shipping typically takes 4-7 weeks time to arrive. So therefore, since it’s not even a month since 11/11, I think people are unfairly judging Sofirn. Even if you receive the product in another two weeks, it is still just the norm for free shipped goods although not the norm for Sofirn.

To be fair, we’re not judging based on transit time, but on how sellers try to trick out the shipping deadlines. Which often leave us a really bad taste.

Then again, stuff like these happens more than I can count with one hand, and I’m more than willing to forgive the sellers as long as the item arrives within a reasonable period.

Also, considering that buying item outside the market place may lead to an even longer lead time, I don’t know anymore on how I would judge them.

It is not the shipping times that bothers people, but the trickery with tracking numbers and the shipping cancellations followed by different tracking numbers that are outside the AE system.

Shipping times have halved since I started the hobby in 2012 so I’m totally fine with 3 or 4 weeks.

Wrong

All my 11/11 other orders have arrived, it doesnt take 4-7 weeks, most were here within 2-3 weeks even those shipped china post small packet (slow boat)

Hell liitokala was at my door in 10 days … but they werent selling goods they havent produced yet

Sofirn is lying about stuff being in stock and selling it, thats all there is to it

Once my disputes are resolved ill post up msgs from em admitting to not having items made when it was sold or marked as “shipped”

In the meantime is what a sofirn seller posted on their fbook group ….

Their lights are fine but their aliexpress sales practices are poor

And 17track says it arrived in the Netherlands, and postnl says possible delivery tomorrow.

So if Sofirn finds a for the customer less alarming way to match their production/selling strategy with the Aliexpress system, no fuss at all would have been created. I got my 11-11 order within a month and that is totally fine.

I know it doesn’t help anyone in their current situation, but I totally avoid ordering in November through the end of February from any chinese seller. The chance of problems are exponentially greater during those 4 months. You have 11-11, Christmas, and the Chinese new year, where the entire country shuts down for a week or more.

That is the whole problem right there! Dishonesty .

I think people are just blowing this whole thing way out of proportion. To me what is important is I get the items I order and I’ve made close to a hundred separate orders from Aliexpresss since 2014 so I know how long it takes and what to expect. I don’t care what methods they use to get around Aliexpress’s tight restrictions as it doesn’t affect the fact that Sofirn will deliver. Also what is important to me is if the seller stands behind their products. Sofirn is top notch in the warranty/guarantee department from my experience and this is what matters. In fact, I trust Sofirn more than the much more popular Lumintop and Mateminco/Astrolux.

Aliexpress “restrictions” are there for a reason, so seller dont FALSELY mark stuff as in stock

Even banggood and gearbest make some attempt to mark stuff that isnt in stock

The problem with sofirn doing this is that you DONT KNOW what they really have or dont have in stock when ordering

As some folks found out the hardway

If sofirn wants to become a major CONSUMER flashlight brand, they shouldnt be playing these games … just be upfront and honest with yr customers

If it aint in stock just tell us and give us an estimate

Dont lie about it and make up fake shipment claims and tracking numbers

I’m still waiting for my 11.11 order coming with EMS, most of my other 11.11 items have been delivered and some were even using free china post.

:+1:
That is what it is about. Not slow shipping once the item is actually shipped. The concern is about a seller not being able to admit the item is not presently in stock and faking tracking numbers.

I believe much of it is cultural. Happened to me when ordering 200 custom flashlights to resell. Several promises were broken, including over 6 wks late shipping. Breaking verbal contracts is more like amending to them, and late shipping was more like saving face, even though it was one broken promise after another. Sofirn is very interested in serving westerners, and gets it right most of the time according to western standards.

Here’s a short article that might explain some, and maybe help understand ways to communicate better.

Yeah if sofirn wants to sell to westerners in quantity …

That is become the next fenix or olight …

Then they had better learn to say “we dont have it in stock”

Nothing pisses off “western consumers” more than being lied to

Just be honest and upfront

However if they want to be a flashaholic workshop where flashaholics will put up with anything for the right tint/cri/output …. :wink:

Just don’t deal with them anymore. You’ll teach them a lesson, and you won’t get your blood pressure worked up. a win win

One question: did your orders have a delivery guarantee?

Mine did and if I don’t receive my order by the original deadline (today) I will likely file a dispute. It might seem harsh especially since my order has now reached customs, but if a contract is not respected, it is misleading and dishonest. The seller was under no obligation to offer such a guarantee.

Very interesting article. Most of it rings true, but I am surprised by the section on contracts. In my experience Chinese are extremely rigid on punctuality and contract terms. It’s something I quite appreciate in my Chinese friends; they are reliable. They usually expect those who breach contracts to admit fault and compensate.

The bits on communication are very relevant. I found patience, politeness, and repeated attempts are especially helpful. Otherwise, the different styles of communication (Western: direct and detailed; Chinese: very concise and sometimes not addressing all questions raised or the intentions of the questions) can result in lots of frustration.

Yes, Robert, this is very cultural. It is difficult for a person used to western ways to remember the huge differences. Good article, too. Thanks. I need to take my own advice and just Chill.

Once the disputes are settled im done with sofirn

Their products are fine, but if folks keep letting stuff like this slide or making excuses for em they will think nothing is wrong and keep these shady practices

The folks in china dont know how to say NO until u point out they lied about shipping in time, used fake tracking numbers and u ask to CANCEL the order

Then they sure know how to say NO :wink:

As a note making fake numbers and falsely marking stuff as shipped prevents the buyer from cancelling the order (which should have been auto cancelled at that point)