—TK
This is an idea only toward any future group buy
Yeh, I was thinking only for group-buy participants, who would already have an account — during the group-only group buy — who could from the beginning agree that any issues get sorted out here by prearrangement first. That would screen the retailer during the first weeks or month, while it’s still a private buy.
I’m looking for a way to openly (here) address “Charlie Test” issues, before it goes to the retailer (as I hear retailers might be overwhelmed and scared off by such attention)
Sort out the sortable problems early among us. That’s after the sale — “Charlie Test” results — which we as a group of buyers could arrange to do among ourselves, since the retailers aren’t going to do that.
Once we know the results, the retailer could get heads-up before the public buy starts, like:
— “of the 200 group buy lights, twenty of the reflectors had Fred’s fingerprint on them, left index finger mostly”
or
— “of the 200 group buy lights, one in ten had the tailswitch fall out”
or such possibly useful information.
EDIT — that “Charlie Test” would be a 100 percent sample of the group-bought lights, far better than the sampling most QC uses
(Remembering
— QA is to find and fix errors immediately, by the manufacturer, during production;
— QC is after production, for the wholesaler/seller, to have an idea how many problems users will complain about; and
— CT is what happens when QC isn’t done.
So I’m suggesting future group buys formally arrange to BE the “Charlie Test” group, as a closed somewhat private thing.
Then the retailer could deal with the issues among the group buy folks — a fixed ilmited known number — and have an idea what support would cost to the later public buyers.
Benefit to us — we don’t scare the retailer, and the retailer gets a very clear idea of problems found (and which ones we can’t fix among ourselves)
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Once the retailer is selling to the general public, support and detecting parasites is on the retailer.
Anyone who bought without BLF participation, who later comes here, opens a new account, and complains/scams — won’t get our support.
Enough, off topic, just tossing the idea toward any future group buy as something to consider when setting up the announcement.