Really (not) disappointed with GoingGear.com

I purchased a ThruNite Neutron 2A. It didn't last a month before it stopped functioning properly.

This message is in regards to the ThruNite Neutron 2A that I purchased from
you on 7/29/11 (Order number 18465). This light has started to malfunction
and now has two brightness levels. With the head tightened, I get low and
low brightness strobe. With the head loose, I get very low, low, low, low
and low SOS. I have tried several sets of freshly charged Eneloops and they
all do the same thing. I have also cleaned all of the contacts.

Would it be possible to return this light in exchange for a Spark SL5-190NW
plus a payment of the difference and shipping?

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Date and Time: Thu Sep 1 2011 18:30:01 EDT



Here is their response:

I am sorry to hear about your light, and it sounds like you did everything you could. Unfortunately, you are past the 30 day limit for an exchange or return. However, you can send the light back to us and we can send it in to ThruNite for repair. Here is your RMA #: (removed). You can send it to:

Going Gear
4480 S. Cobb Drive STE U
Smyrna, GA 30080

Let us know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
Andy

That would be understandable but, here is my original order information:

Order Number: 18465
Date Ordered: Friday 29 July, 2011
Detailed Invoice:
https://goinggear.com/

That's right, I was over by TWO DAYS. If even that because the light was sent out August first; here:

Seller
Going Gear, LLC
orders@goinggear.com

Shipping details
Mailing date: Aug 1, 2011
Shipper: U.S. Postal Service

I have sent them a message every month for the past three months asking for information on my light that was sent out for repair. I get the same generic response:

Hey Erik,

We are still waiting on ThruNite to send us back the lights. Unfortunately, they are overseas, so transit times can be long. Let us know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
Andy

Am I wrong for being frustrated over this whole situation?

"We are still waiting on ThruNite to send us back the lights. "

- What about TN warranty? 2 years? Anyway, if the don't want to send you a new light, man, the only thing that can be faulty is the driver and/or emitter |( 2 months and they still can't fix it? Shame on TN.

I'm sure it was the driver board because the emitter looked fine, it's just that every mode was low mode. I really liked that light and would have loved to get it repaired which is why I didn't make a stink about having to send it in for repair but now that I have been waiting since the first of September and that I'm out sixty dollars, I really feel like some other action should be taken at this point.

I loved the Thrunite lineup, great UI and modes. I did my homework on the lights over at CPF. There were a ton of complaints on their lights, a ton! And the Thrunite rep would not address any of them. I still would love a 1A or 1C but no way would I ever go there. I would not want this guys frustration. Obviously Thrunite doesn't care, strange.

I agree. I really liked the light when I had it and, assuming it was a premium brand, didn't expect it to fail the way it did. The only issues I ever saw on the lights were the loose head, which TN said they fixed. The head on mine was fine and all of the modes were perfect until it malfunctioned.

It's sad too because I think it is a really good looking light that feels great with nice weight.

It's not GG problem. I'm sure they sent it to TN right after they received it, IMO. The only thing that comes to mind is tell GG support team to send TN an email, just to know if they've already repaired it and sent it back, or they just not even started to fix it.

I agree it’s not a GoingGear problem. However, they (GG) should realize that if a customer buys an expensive flashlight and it doesn’t last much more than a month they’re not likely to be happy or to buy from GG again.



Since it was that close to the 1 month GG return period I would have taken it back and sent the customer a new one from stock rather than make them wait.



The only reason I buy from GoingGear on occassion is so I don’t have to wait for shipment from China.



I also never heard good things regarding Thrunite and the reliability of their lights. The new TI has a tab that seem to continually have to be bent back in order for the mode switching to work.

you're correct in saying they may not be happy, but as far as buying again it has been shown over and over and over on this forum people will put up with a lot just to get a DEAL!

Wow, if that's the way Going Gear treats customers, I know where my hard-earned dollars are going in the future. (If they were selling deep discount ultra-budget lights, I'd think a little different, but we're talking some serious coin with a supposedly premium brand, here.)

Let's hope that GG steps up and settles this properly. Please keep us posted.

I agree with gcbryan. I've handled customers for 35 years in various jobs. 2 days over warranty, I took care of customers.

It's good business.

Service means everything, after the sale.

For a premium brand, Thrunite has major QC issues. It's really too bad, because they seem to do a great job on the engineering end and responding to suggestions on how to improve the design of their lights. Their manufacturing tolerances are just not where they need to be. I'm glad I returned my 1A before the 30 days were up, even though I really loved the UI on that light (and that is one of the few lights that everything worked the way it should on both nimh and 14500). Their half-assed response to the issues I pointed out helped in my decision.

Nitecore is also notoriously bad with QC, but I am not sure if they are better at taking care of customers with their frequently broken products.

ireceeived a response stating that they would send me a Neutron 2A from their stock but only a cool white model. I don't like cool white lights and I am worried that I am going to have the same issue with the new light if I were to accept this deal. I responded with a request to sell me a Spark SL5-190NW at a discount (I left that open so they could set the terms, I would have gladly accepted a 50 percent discount) and they said that wasn't possible.

I wonder if I should call Marshall...

if there improper punctuation or missing characters it's because this board not cmpatible with my Blackberry browser.

I don't really get it... they're offering you a new item that retails for about 65 bucks. (So they're "out" $65, which they'll probably just have to chase thrunite for.) And you asked for something that was 15 bucks or so more, but you offered to pay that diff, right?

So they don't really lose any margin on the whole thing. They'd make a customer happy. They'd show how cool they are to a bunch of other future customers.

I don't get it.

That was my original message. My most recent offer was just a discount on the light. I would be all over it with a 50% discount and they wouldn't even do that. I am definitely not pleased. I don't want another ThruNite and I definitely don't want a cool white light.

Why didn't you send the light directly back to Thrunite? I agree that GoingGear is off the hook if they have a 30-day return policy and you were past that (even if only 2 days, though it would have been nice if they had extended it for you). After that the manufacturer's warranty kicks in.

Ask GG what day they sent the light back and when they expect the new one to come in. I like what Thrunite has been doing, but agree they don't have much of a track record and their drop-ins seem way overpriced. I would guess that GG is as frustrated with TN as you are. GG has a huge inventory and keeping every permutation of every light is mind boggling. I pity anyone who is a 4Sevens rep given all the variations they have.

You put Going Gear in a bad spot, asking for a different light altogether after the expiration of the 30-day warranty period. Not sure what they would do at that point with a bad Thrunite. If it came back repaired, would they sell it later to some unsuspecting customer? If that customer was me, I would not appreciate buying something used that I thought was new.

I was out by TWO DAYS. They could send the light back to ThruNite for repair and give me a replacement under the exchange policy. I don't think that is too much to ask for.

"Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to do that. The only thing we can do is give a new Neutron 2A at no cost. Let us know how you would like to proceed, or anymore questions."

All I am asking for is the Spark at 50% discount. They get the light back, sell it, make money off of that and everyone is happy. I'm starting to wonder why this is an issue; I want to give them MORE money and let them MAKE MORE MONEY off of me!

I don't even know if that should be counted as over the 30 day limit. I ordered the light late Friday (the 29th) and it was sent out on Monday (the 1st), I notified them of the fault exactly 30 days after they sent the light out. Hell, here is the original delivery information from USPS: "Your item was delivered at 10:50 am on August 03, 2011 in CHARLOTTE, NC 28227." I didn't even have the light for 30 days!

I have...several times. I get the same response "ThruNite is located in another country and transit times are long. We are just waiting on them to return the light." So, as it stands now, I might never see this light nor my monies worth in a suitable replacement ever again.

I've got to tell you, I'm with trooplewis on this one. Yes, they could have handled it better. In fact, I think they should have. And it might have even been in their best interest to do so. They should have tried harder to make things right, IMHO. But I can tell you straight up that I would be pissed if I ordered and paid for a new light, and got what amounts to a refurbished one that has been sent twice around the world. I am willing to forgive a lot of things if the price is right and I don't mind the occasional ding on the latest *fire light, but TN isn't a budget brand and doesn't command budget prices.

Liken it to a car, if you will. You go out and buy a nice BMW. You know it's going to cost you up-front. You know it's going to cost you in terms of insurance, maintenance and whatnot. You accept that. And then you bring your shiny new M3 in for some warranty work, you sit down in that really expensive leather chair at the dealership, sip your espresso and they tell you "water's free but that espresso is going to be $8.99, Sir". That's just not right.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what's going on, but there's no way they could have re-sold that light as new, if at all.

If TN is going to send them a replacement light, why can't they sell the replacement (which is likely going to be new) as a new light? If this were the issue though, why can they send me a ThruNite Neutron 2A in cool white without complaining? They are still going to have to sell that neutral (warm) white 2A when it comes back in.