How have your buying patterns changed over time (if they have) regarding purchases from Hong Kong (DX, Manafont, etc) or that area?
I hate the wait but initially I stocked up on cheap parts and supplies. I also bought cheap versions of the various types of lights I heard talked about so much.
This was a way for me to figure out what I liked without going broke in the process. Now I don't order from there as often. I still don't (for the most part) buy expensive more mainstream lights I just have hosts laying around the house and buy drop-ins locally (U.S.). I buy from Shiningbeam, BatteryJunction, GoingGear, SBLights knowing that I'll get what I order in 3 or 4 days and if there is a problem they'll correct it with little hassle to me.
If I wanted a host or a new type of flashlight (to me) that's when I'll sometimes do the HK thing and wait it out.
I've only had a few problems with DX (other than the wait) but the few problems I had weren't worth the hassles. The communication issues just are not for those of us without patience. Nelson Mandela could probably handle dealing with DX week after week...I could not :)
The next time I need something I may try Manafont since everyone says they are a little faster. One benefit of having dealt with DX for a while is that now when I order something from the U.S. and get it with 3 or 4 days I'm giddy with glee :)
Thanks DX!
Is this a common pattern or are there some of you who order just as frequently from DX and the others now as you did when you first heard of them?
DX is slow as molasses, so I buy things I have no immediate need for from there. I usually budget 4-6 weeks for delivery, but more than half that time is canadaian customs. I've had orders ship in 2 days, arrive here within a week, and then wait for a month in customs.
I doubt any of the major overseas vendors can avoid those kinds of delays. I can't even blame the postal system (much).
As for options... American resellers seem to gouge pretty heavily for shipping, and local resellers are just insane. Almost by necessity, it's become more of a laid-back hobby for me.
The only real change that came with experience is that I split all of my DX orders. I think most DX delays are caused by waiting for items from suppliers. A $1.50 roll of solder will hold up a $100 order for two weeks. I have rarely waited longer than 15 days from order to get stuff from DX after I started doing that and those that took longer were the ones that would have held up larger orders. I will still order from Manafont first if the difference is only a few bucks.
I never bought anything from the budget suppliers in China until I came to BLF . I had heard several bad stories on CPF .
Then I bought a few things from DX , BOB , Manafont , Exduct , and Meritline and haven't had any bad experiences yet .
So far , so good .
EDIT : This was after reading a lot about specific sellers and deals here . So thanks for your honesty and forthrightness in your dealings BLF members .
i like buyinf from dx - it gives me time to think about what i have done... and develop a plausible justification
DX slow , no issues , cheap , No SRM knives, and they hold everything for years rather than do a partial ship - still like the site. paid more for shipping , its seemed to slow things down
Like devman, mostly necessity. It's tough to get parts, lights and knives at a decent rate in Canada so I'm willing to buy from the Chinese/Taiwan resellers. Canadian customs is a PITA, though. Getting a tracking number saying that an item is in the country and then have it wait a week+ in customs sucks.
I tend to buy often from china. What started as a 8usd try on which i "invested" 1 month of research prapidly went to 100€ monthly. Even 200€ once. Now it is steadily decreasing overtime as i pretty much have anything i really like or need. This month under 20€ probably...
Recently very involved i buildin my own contraptions. Bathroom lighting, cutom flashlights and so on. Mostly buy parts alone. If i really find a host i tlike i look carefully for the juskest internals i can find (to save cost) and redo it properly.