Sofirn Warning! *Shipping Now Take Many Moons*

It’s all smoke and mirrors. At this point were just giving them short term, interest free loans .

I hadn’t thought about the whole shipping broker angle. I was of the mindset it was just bad behaviour adopted from selling on 3rd party websites that require shipment within a specific timeframe. Either way, I think Sofirn are more transparent and honest than most and fingers crossed everyone gets their packages soon.

Seems like the airlines missed an opportunity to keep running. Remove the seats, stuff with packages. They were already doing it with the spare room underneath. But maybe that just doesn’t make economical sense versus not flying. Hopefully they are taking the opportunity to do maintenance and deep cleans.

I think my suspicions about the new stuff getting piled on to if the old is true. Just received some LED pcbs. Ordered April 7, received May 2. Tracking still shows them in China. Meanwhile stuff ordered back in March is no-show. I bet they suddenly appear in June.

I placed an order on sofirnlight.com back on March 15th . The Tracking number indicates it is in Nanning China . Has not even left the country.

I placed a different order from Sofirn through eBay on April 11th. That tracking number indicates it arrived in California on April 30th .

So what the hell is going on ?

An order from six weeks ago came in. It was missing two units which are no longer made. Lan Lee promptly credited my PayPal account for the two items. I’ve ordered from Sofirn a total of three times now and have had good transactions. I like the company and I like their flashlights. Though I don’t dive, I use the SD05 all the time. Nice tight beam, decent spill, three speeds. Useful unit for muggles like me.

Well, We all have “suffered” some lately. I myself had about 6 orders out there from China this year so far. Only one came in a timely manner (compared to pre Covid orders anyway). Three more came a bit late, and tracking was delayed then… “bam!” - they suddenly arrive!

The other two were more problematic: one was shipped to Hawaii (3000 miles from Kansas), and the other is still in shipping since mid-March.

But just to say… Sofirn was mostly good compared to other sellers. Also, they missed a battery and got a replacement out in pretty decent time. I am happy with Barry and Lan at the Sofirn (not aliexpress) store. Good pricing, they REPLY to emails in a decent time-frame, and they also manage the Amazon orders for most of the world.

At least in the US, I see no benefit buying from Alixpress where prices are about the same, but they charge (US based inter-state) taxes— and that is pure bullsh! China is not turning in taxes to the US Feds… they have no authority to charges taxes, but they started this in Jan. and I STOPPED buying anything from aliexpress right then.

So I am very happy with the new Sofirn store: no BS taxes, great service, and fair pricing. I’m getting all my Sofirn lights from Barry and Lan going forward. When they give us codes for Amazon discounts… that is just showing me they really want to compete by doing things the right way. And they are doing it mostly through this Covid storm that just changed a LOT of services we have come to expect perfect efficiency from up till now.

So I’m still buying lights, batteries and parts- much from Sofirn. Anyway, one guy’s experience in the middle is the US, fwiw.

Cheers All!

Have a feeling US customs is a mess right now.
Waiting for a package from Canada that has been 2 weeks so far, but it will get here.

Amazon is my friend right now and have really not had reason to buy anything new in last 2 months with or without the covid.
Later

I had probably over a dozen orders from Sofirn and never had any shipping issues. They were always prompt and usually came in a month or less. But I bought through Aliexpress. Never bought directly from their store but I see no reason why it would be different.

I’ve only had two orders from them (both through Ali and their site) that had no problems. I’ve had three come very late and this one I’m currently in a Paypal dispute over makes the third that has simply disappeared. There was also the one order that, after a week since ordering, I questioned them and was then told the item was out of stock (even though it was still on sale on their site). At least on that one they returned my money quickly.

The sales tax thing is nationwide for online sellers ufortunately, and some states require it, other don’t. It just depends on who you order from and where you live. I live where sales tax is mandatory, and every place I buy from online SAVE Mountain electronics (thanks Richa4rd) charges me the 8.4% on the order. Aliexpress does it, Kaidomain, Banggood does it, Amazon does it, eBay does it. If I buy from Oregon, I don’t pay it, which is why I cross the river to make big purchases. I don’t agree that online sellers should charge it though. It was that way for years until Colorado won a lawsuit and passed a law requiring online merchants to collect the seller’s state sales tax on every order. I think it’s lame since it’s more expensive for the seller and the buyer. Until enough people complain though, it’s here to stay.

I’m in the same boat. If I’m going to order anything it will probably be from Mountain electronics. I’m hesitant to buy from China now since I have 7 orders outstanding from Convoy and some other stores still in limbo and not sure where they are. The tracking is still moving since last week though for everything except my Shockli batteries…

[/quote]
The sales tax thing is nationwide for online sellers ufortunately, and some states require it, other don’t. It just depends on who you order from and where you live. I live where sales tax is mandatory, and every place I buy from online SAVE Mountain electronics (thanks Richa4rd) charges me the 8.4% on the order. Aliexpress does it, Kaidomain, Banggood does it, Amazon does it, eBay does it.
[/quote]

The sales tax "thing" is a US based tax-- if you are paying it to sellers outside the USA, you are gettin' screwed (but not gettin' kissed).

And, I also happen to live in one of the ten or so states left who do NOT require inter-state taxes to be held. It might change any day here in Kansas, but until then... if you try to charge me tax on ANY online transaction-- it's not happening mister! BTW: eBay still does NOT charge tax to Kansas as they understand liability in doing so as they DO know the law.

As my great college professor Sam G. said at the beginning of his classes: "Use the law, don't let the law use you." Oh, and he also said, "marry only one woman if you can." (took me two, but I got it down finally).

I’ve ordered something vom BG in April, 26th. DHL announced it for May, 7th. Amazing. If it arrives, that is.

Its been 2 1/2 months and my Sofirn order has not arrived. It’s just one flashlight I ordered directly from sofirnlight.com The tracking number indicates it has been sitting in an airport in China for most of that time .

Yet a different order I placed with Sofirn through eBay is only 24 days old and is about to be delivered in the next day or two.

There is now a light at the end of the tunnel! After 38 days of silence from its tracking number, it suddenly showed up on the shores of the States. It apparently came in through Warrendale, PA (where ever that is). So I guess eight to nine weeks is the new norm for shipping from China… at least for some.

Warrendale PA is a big hub near Pittsburgh.

My LT1 has been stuck in Nanning City since 4/7 and shows no signs of moving.

Yeah, my last Sofirn order shows tracking as:

But yesterday I got email saying the purchase protection date had been extended, and also email saying my order had just shipped.

I think the boys are a mite confused.

Sofirn SP10S. Order Number : 80115263 via Banggood. ORDERED ON JANUARY 21st, almost 4 months ago. Still stuck in Hangzhou.

2020-03-02 21:02 Origin Post is Preparing Shipment, We have received notice that the originating post is preparing to dispatch this mail piece.
2020-03-02 21:02 CHINA,HANGZHOU EMS Processed Through Facility, Your item has been processed through a facility in HANGZHOU EMS, CHINA at 9:02 pm on March 2, 2020.”

No movement. Keep hope alive?

I’d definitely put in a Paypal claim on that one…