The light from Neals finally arrived. It was the wrong Lumintop EDC18 LED. Ordered SST20, but received Nichia 219C. Yep, I’ve opened up to check. Unmistakeable look of the 219, looks very similar to a Jaxman E2 Nichia 219B.
Oh yeah, no magnet for the copper EDC18, because it’s too heavy
Initially, it failed to light up. After cleaning the contact points with some lighter fluid, the light finally worked.
EDIT: I just found out that the copper EDC18 is supposed to come with a vacuum seal to prevent patina out of box. My light didn’t come in this vacuum seal and is simply exposed. When considered in isolation, each of these small incidents can be forgiven, however, when all these occur at the same time, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
a) inconsistent tracking information
b) shipping incorrect LED (i.e. wrong product)
c) product missing part of original packaging
Well. My previous order was fine. My black Friday order still hasn’t shipped two weeks and 1 email later. It’s funny. I ordered sst20 FW3T a long time ago. I got Nichia. I tried various ways to get that rectified but it never worked. Neal tried but the language barrier and such made it impossible. Luckily I like the Nichia but it’s not what I ordered or wanted.
Well. My previous order was fine. My black Friday order still hasn’t shipped two weeks and 1 email later. It’s funny. I ordered sst20 FW3T a long time ago. I got Nichia. I tried various ways to get that rectified but it never worked. Neal tried but the language barrier and such made it impossible. Luckily I like the Nichia but it’s not what I ordered or wanted.
Since it’s a nice copper light, I’m not inclined to return it.
219C yellowish vs SST20 greenish. Think the 219C is ok to keep.
Here is the way i see it,
As long as you are a new customer he will respond and help you out, once there is a problem with your acquired item, first of all you must make sure not to hold your breath while you wait for his response, and if you were born on a blue moon night you might get lucky enough to get a response, however if your luck is as bad as mine he will ignore your inquiries and treat you like yesterday`s news and never respond….
I for one will never deal with him again, he has my money and I got a dead charger…
Yes I am pissed off, because normal people do not do this to others…..
Serenity now….
So I filed my paypal dispute on Thursday. Friday I got a shipment notification. Monday the flashlight got delivered. Really fast delivery from Hong Kong. Only problem is that he shipped me the cool white MS18 instead of the neutral white. I’m guessing he didn’t have the neutral white and was waiting for it. But guessing is all I can do because he never responded to my emails.
I’m a patient person and would have waited longer for the neutral white if that was the issue, but with no email response what choice did I have but to file the dispute?
So I’ll change my rating of nealsgadgets from negative to a low neutral. I would still order from him if he was the last person on earth and I really really needed a flashlight. Or if he had something cheaper than everyone else.
I’ve had similar experiences with Neal. Ordered black Friday, no further communication for a few weeks. I pestered him on messenger. Was told the LED choice I wanted was out of stock. He gave me a choice. Shipping soon after and received the light in the usual time frame, maybe a touch faster. If I didn’t get a hold of him I don’t think he would have told me he was out of stock. Not a scammer but a very poor communicator. This has happened the before (not every time). It was a good sale and ultimately I’m happy but it’s not a smooth experience and I do not enjoy the buying experience.
I ordered a E05C and three batteries at Christmas from Neal. My order was shipped and arrived much faster than I was expecting which was good.
But the order was missing 2 batteries. Contacted by email and waited a week then tried messenger but got no response. Opened a case on paypal and still didn’t get a response. Escalated the case to paypal before the cutoff date (28 Jan) and awaiting their verdict.
Came here to find the thread to contact Neal as he won’t respond to my emails. I see I’m not alone, his customer service seems to be lacking. Lesson learned.
Never ordered from Neil but I can tell you Gear Best is Pretty BAD. I ordered 3 x S21’s three months ago. Still nothing. I opened case with them, they said it will take longer.
I didn’t plan to order from either one again. I ordered 3 times from GB and had problems with each order. GB now has some ridiculously high prices. Despite that I don’t hate GB, I kind of respect them for providing jobs for the mentally handicapped. I swore I’d never order from Neal again but just signed up for the FW3A group buy as I wanted one with the raw finish. I’ll see how it goes.
—
I feel sorry for people who don't have a hobby or interest to escape to.
Wow, Neal’s store made it on to Trustpilot can’t be a good thing……..100% bad
I am at a loss why he seems to treat a good portion of his customers so badly, it literally makes no sense to me.
I got one thing from him, it arrived so I won’t judge him on that, however one cannot simply ignore the carnage he causes for many customers.
There’s an odd dichotomy of interactions with Neal. According to the positive things about Neal, either he does things right and ensures customers are satisfied or he just ignores you outright. Usually people are consistently one or the other, not both.
Wow, Neal’s store made it on to Trustpilot can’t be a good thing……..100% bad
I am at a loss why he seems to treat a good portion of his customers so badly, it literally makes no sense to me.
I got one thing from him, it arrived so I won’t judge him on that, however one cannot simply ignore the carnage he causes for many customers.
Just read those reviews on “Trustpilot” seems like they were all written by the same disgruntled individual. Majority of the “reviews” are from users with less than 5 reviews seems very sus.
Wow, Neal’s store made it on to Trustpilot can’t be a good thing……..100% bad
I am at a loss why he seems to treat a good portion of his customers so badly, it literally makes no sense to me.
I got one thing from him, it arrived so I won’t judge him on that, however one cannot simply ignore the carnage he causes for many customers.
Just read those reviews on “Trustpilot” seems like they were all written by the same disgruntled individual. Majority of the “reviews” are from users with less than 5 reviews seems very sus.
That may be the case of course, I generally only go on there if I have something very good, or very bad to say. Seems a lot of hassle to go to, but hey, some would do it obviously – we’ll never know for sure.
There’s an odd dichotomy of interactions with Neal. According to the positive things about Neal, either he does things right and ensures customers are satisfied or he just ignores you outright. Usually people are consistently one or the other, not both.
The distinction:
– If the ordered items are all in stock they will be sent within a week – Good Service.
- If there are no issues with the items when received – Good Service.
- If the ordered items are not in stock or just one item out of stock despite the site showing in stock your order with sit and dwell with no communication until the item/s are in stock and will then be sent. This can take a few weeks to months to half a year, all with no communication, you will be lucky to get a response. Very Poor Service.
- If there is an issue with the order when received such as faulty items, factory damaged goods, used items being sold as new or items missing (all examples well documented) prepare to be ignored and receive no response from Neal no matter which channel of communication used. Very Poor Service.
- The other scenario, items are never sent, no communication is established, your funds are gone unless you have chargeback or PP which leads to the next point -
If you still want to risk using Neal, always use PayPal, Neal also tends to ignore PayPal disputes as was the case with me, this does however make getting your money back a little faster.
I just left a review on TP. I only have 2 reviews so far – didn’t even remember the first one, apparently it’s from when I booked a car in Mexico just before the pandemic.
I can assure you I’m not “the same disgruntled individual” as the others.
I once bought 2 Jetbeam Mini one from Neil which should be made of titanium. I was really looking forward to it, lamps made of stainless steel were delivered. To my complaint came the succinct answer that titanium would be more expensive. That’s ridiculous and that’s how he annoys his customers.
I’ve had all GREAT Experiences with Neil until this one. I ordered a fire flies E07 on February 22. I was very excited to get one it was my first ff. I got a acknowledgment order email but the item never shipped. I figured it was Chinese new year so it may be longer but I asked other people and they had to order shipped in the same timeframe. I also ordered a second different light on March 2nd and that shipped. But my feb 22 order still didn’t, still no word or response from Neal. I emailed Neil five or six times saying I would pay more for upgraded auxiliary lights if the one I ordered was out of stock and that was the actual hold up. I got no response. I had to reach out to contacts he hasOn here to reach out to him and I think that’s the only reason I have any resolution. Last night I got a refund to my PayPal saying that it was my request. I never requested a refund but at least after 3 weeks I got my $75 back.. I went on neals site To order a different variation of the EO7 bc I still wanted it and thought it was just the version I ordered that was the problem. Well every single combination of LED, auxiliary LED , and body color was out of stock. It was not like that two hours before, because I had been checking almost every day.
This is more of a warning that you can order something that is not in stock and he may or may not get a hold of you for weeks, holding up your money and keeping you in anticipation if you’ll ever even get a refund. Although he did refund my money so there is that. I don’t know, just really bad experience I feel compelled to share. And wierd because I had a dozen other perfect transactions with him. On the other hand the competition (Hank) emails me back everyday I email him. Every time.
There’s an odd dichotomy of interactions with Neal. According to the positive things about Neal, either he does things right and ensures customers are satisfied or he just ignores you outright. Usually people are consistently one or the other, not both.
The distinction:
– If the ordered items are all in stock they will be sent within a week – Good Service.
- If there are no issues with the items when received – Good Service.
- If the ordered items are not in stock or just one item out of stock despite the site showing in stock your order with sit and dwell with no communication until the item/s are in stock and will then be sent. This can take a few weeks to months to half a year, all with no communication, you will be lucky to get a response. Very Poor Service.
- If there is an issue with the order when received such as faulty items, factory damaged goods, used items being sold as new or items missing (all examples well documented) prepare to be ignored and receive no response from Neal no matter which channel of communication used. Very Poor Service.
- The other scenario, items are never sent, no communication is established, your funds are gone unless you have chargeback or PP which leads to the next point -
If you still want to risk using Neal, always use PayPal, Neal also tends to ignore PayPal disputes as was the case with me, this does however make getting your money back a little faster.
Apparently I have fallen from the great responses from Neal to the completely ghosting the customer , from Neal.
Why does it take a PayPal dispute to get an answer out of Neal
I got a light that doesn’t work. I was told I’d be sent a replacement. It has been over a week and I haven’t received a shipping number and have been ignored. I open up a dispute and get messaged within a few hours that they’ll ship it tomorrow.
If I cancel the dispute, I won’t be able to start another one and if I don’t get a working replacement, I’ll lose the ability to get my money back and a light.
The light from Neals finally arrived. It was the wrong Lumintop EDC18 LED. Ordered SST20, but received Nichia 219C. Yep, I’ve opened up to check. Unmistakeable look of the 219, looks very similar to a Jaxman E2 Nichia 219B.
Oh yeah, no magnet for the copper EDC18, because it’s too heavy
Initially, it failed to light up. After cleaning the contact points with some lighter fluid, the light finally worked.
EDIT: I just found out that the copper EDC18 is supposed to come with a vacuum seal to prevent patina out of box. My light didn’t come in this vacuum seal and is simply exposed. When considered in isolation, each of these small incidents can be forgiven, however, when all these occur at the same time, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
a) inconsistent tracking information
b) shipping incorrect LED (i.e. wrong product)
c) product missing part of original packaging
X
Dang, I've been happy with my copper EDC18 from Neal, LED's are XPL HI as ordered. Neal is difficult to reach though for me too:
Those sure are attractive .
Well. My previous order was fine. My black Friday order still hasn’t shipped two weeks and 1 email later. It’s funny. I ordered sst20 FW3T a long time ago. I got Nichia. I tried various ways to get that rectified but it never worked. Neal tried but the language barrier and such made it impossible. Luckily I like the Nichia but it’s not what I ordered or wanted.
Oh, and the process to get it fixed was slow and frustrating. Neal can have good deals but communication has always been awful.
Since it’s a nice copper light, I’m not inclined to return it.
219C yellowish vs SST20 greenish. Think the 219C is ok to keep.
X
My order of the MS18 from November 24th never shipped. Neal isn’t responding to my emails. I’m about to file a dispute.
Here is the way i see it,
As long as you are a new customer he will respond and help you out, once there is a problem with your acquired item, first of all you must make sure not to hold your breath while you wait for his response, and if you were born on a blue moon night you might get lucky enough to get a response, however if your luck is as bad as mine he will ignore your inquiries and treat you like yesterday`s news and never respond….
I for one will never deal with him again, he has my money and I got a dead charger…
Yes I am pissed off, because normal people do not do this to others…..
Serenity now….
***Rofis MR70*TurnRaise*Catapult V6*BLF Q8*BLF Mini*BLF Micro*Haikelite MT09R* Convoy C8*BLF D80v2 SST40*MatemincoX6S*AstroluxFT03-xhp50.2*AstroluxFT03-sst40*BLF-LT1*AstroluxFT03S-SBT90.2***
Only problem with that is……. Seems ‘normal people’ are less and less normal nowadays.
Im not a Pessimist …. just an Optimist with a lot of experience
A little John Prine
So I filed my paypal dispute on Thursday. Friday I got a shipment notification. Monday the flashlight got delivered. Really fast delivery from Hong Kong. Only problem is that he shipped me the cool white MS18 instead of the neutral white. I’m guessing he didn’t have the neutral white and was waiting for it. But guessing is all I can do because he never responded to my emails.
I’m a patient person and would have waited longer for the neutral white if that was the issue, but with no email response what choice did I have but to file the dispute?
So I’ll change my rating of nealsgadgets from negative to a low neutral. I would still order from him if he was the last person on earth and I really really needed a flashlight. Or if he had something cheaper than everyone else.
I’ve had similar experiences with Neal. Ordered black Friday, no further communication for a few weeks. I pestered him on messenger. Was told the LED choice I wanted was out of stock. He gave me a choice. Shipping soon after and received the light in the usual time frame, maybe a touch faster. If I didn’t get a hold of him I don’t think he would have told me he was out of stock. Not a scammer but a very poor communicator. This has happened the before (not every time). It was a good sale and ultimately I’m happy but it’s not a smooth experience and I do not enjoy the buying experience.
I ordered a E05C and three batteries at Christmas from Neal. My order was shipped and arrived much faster than I was expecting which was good.
But the order was missing 2 batteries. Contacted by email and waited a week then tried messenger but got no response. Opened a case on paypal and still didn’t get a response. Escalated the case to paypal before the cutoff date (28 Jan) and awaiting their verdict.
Came here to find the thread to contact Neal as he won’t respond to my emails. I see I’m not alone, his customer service seems to be lacking. Lesson learned.
Bought once, got a dead Fw1A, no help at all from Neal, never again.
I would start a thread on here with some details, I’m sure someone may be able to help.
The BLF Flashlight / Accessory / Battery / Spares Retailers Thread with Discount Codes
Because I like big lights, my flashlightical views lean heavily toward both the extreme bright and the extreme heft.
Never ordered from Neil but I can tell you Gear Best is Pretty BAD. I ordered 3 x S21’s three months ago. Still nothing. I opened case with them, they said it will take longer.
I didn’t plan to order from either one again. I ordered 3 times from GB and had problems with each order. GB now has some ridiculously high prices. Despite that I don’t hate GB, I kind of respect them for providing jobs for the mentally handicapped. I swore I’d never order from Neal again but just signed up for the FW3A group buy as I wanted one with the raw finish. I’ll see how it goes.
I feel sorry for people who don't have a hobby or interest to escape to.
Wow, Neal’s store made it on to Trustpilot can’t be a good thing……..100% bad
I am at a loss why he seems to treat a good portion of his customers so badly, it literally makes no sense to me.
I got one thing from him, it arrived so I won’t judge him on that, however one cannot simply ignore the carnage he causes for many customers.
The BLF Flashlight / Accessory / Battery / Spares Retailers Thread with Discount Codes
Hard earned reputation.
Mike
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that. George Carlin
Anyone offended by my signature please fill Complaint Form. Thank you.
If a lot of people listen to Slayer, the world would be a better place to live" - Tommy Wiseau
There’s an odd dichotomy of interactions with Neal. According to the positive things about Neal, either he does things right and ensures customers are satisfied or he just ignores you outright. Usually people are consistently one or the other, not both.
Just read those reviews on “Trustpilot” seems like they were all written by the same disgruntled individual. Majority of the “reviews” are from users with less than 5 reviews seems very sus.
That may be the case of course, I generally only go on there if I have something very good, or very bad to say. Seems a lot of hassle to go to, but hey, some would do it obviously – we’ll never know for sure.
The BLF Flashlight / Accessory / Battery / Spares Retailers Thread with Discount Codes
The distinction:
– If the ordered items are all in stock they will be sent within a week – Good Service.- If there are no issues with the items when received – Good Service.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
- If the ordered items are not in stock or just one item out of stock despite the site showing in stock your order with sit and dwell with no communication until the item/s are in stock and will then be sent. This can take a few weeks to months to half a year, all with no communication, you will be lucky to get a response. Very Poor Service.
- If there is an issue with the order when received such as faulty items, factory damaged goods, used items being sold as new or items missing (all examples well documented) prepare to be ignored and receive no response from Neal no matter which channel of communication used. Very Poor Service.
- The other scenario, items are never sent, no communication is established, your funds are gone unless you have chargeback or PP which leads to the next point -
If you still want to risk using Neal, always use PayPal, Neal also tends to ignore PayPal disputes as was the case with me, this does however make getting your money back a little faster.
I just left a review on TP. I only have 2 reviews so far – didn’t even remember the first one, apparently it’s from when I booked a car in Mexico just before the pandemic.
I can assure you I’m not “the same disgruntled individual” as the others.
Keep posting the bad experiences. The Neal appreciation thread is gathering steam
never fear shadows…it means a light shines nearby
I once bought 2 Jetbeam Mini one from Neil which should be made of titanium. I was really looking forward to it, lamps made of stainless steel were delivered. To my complaint came the succinct answer that titanium would be more expensive. That’s ridiculous and that’s how he annoys his customers.
I’ve had all GREAT Experiences with Neil until this one. I ordered a fire flies E07 on February 22. I was very excited to get one it was my first ff. I got a acknowledgment order email but the item never shipped. I figured it was Chinese new year so it may be longer but I asked other people and they had to order shipped in the same timeframe. I also ordered a second different light on March 2nd and that shipped. But my feb 22 order still didn’t, still no word or response from Neal. I emailed Neil five or six times saying I would pay more for upgraded auxiliary lights if the one I ordered was out of stock and that was the actual hold up. I got no response. I had to reach out to contacts he hasOn here to reach out to him and I think that’s the only reason I have any resolution. Last night I got a refund to my PayPal saying that it was my request. I never requested a refund but at least after 3 weeks I got my $75 back.. I went on neals site To order a different variation of the EO7 bc I still wanted it and thought it was just the version I ordered that was the problem. Well every single combination of LED, auxiliary LED , and body color was out of stock. It was not like that two hours before, because I had been checking almost every day.
This is more of a warning that you can order something that is not in stock and he may or may not get a hold of you for weeks, holding up your money and keeping you in anticipation if you’ll ever even get a refund. Although he did refund my money so there is that. I don’t know, just really bad experience I feel compelled to share. And wierd because I had a dozen other perfect transactions with him. On the other hand the competition (Hank) emails me back everyday I email him. Every time.
Check out some of my new lights (picture heavy) and quick first impressions of them here: https://budgetlightforum.com/node/77180
Apparently I have fallen from the great responses from Neal to the completely ghosting the customer , from Neal.
Check out some of my new lights (picture heavy) and quick first impressions of them here: https://budgetlightforum.com/node/77180
Why does it take a PayPal dispute to get an answer out of Neal
I got a light that doesn’t work. I was told I’d be sent a replacement. It has been over a week and I haven’t received a shipping number and have been ignored. I open up a dispute and get messaged within a few hours that they’ll ship it tomorrow.
If I cancel the dispute, I won’t be able to start another one and if I don’t get a working replacement, I’ll lose the ability to get my money back and a light.
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