Hi guys, I was wondering if you have any experience with Sofirn Aliexpress store. I made some orders on their 11.11. event but they haven’t shipped anything. All items have tracking numbers an they just read “logistiy order created” which means they havent actually sent the items. When I asked them about it or when will they ship I always receive some automated messege about large order volume and my messeges are viewed as unread. Does anyone have the same experience?
Edit 2.12.2019:
I sent several messeges to sofirm and after several rounds of automated repplies I managed to get a human to talk to me. They promised me to ship everything tomorrow. They will even start shipping a next batch of lanterns tomorrow.
Edit: 7.12.2019
Sofirn still hasnt shipped my ordes and I requested a refund. They promissed my 2.12. to ship it “tomorrow” and never did. They also stopped responding to my messages. At this point I now longer care how good the flashlights I ordered are. They lied to me several times and their behavior can be best described by the word fraudulent. They have very dishonest business practices and I will avoid them in the future.
Edit: 23.12.2019
My refund request was denied. After I submitted a request for a refund sofirn provided AliExpress with a tracking number that says that the items were shipped on 3.12.2019 (I bought and paid for the items in stock on 11.11). AliExpress rejected my refund request because they shipped it, they didnt care the order was shipped after more than 20 day from purchase. Some of the items were supposed to be christmas gifts (I bought differnt ones few days ago locally). Now I know they will not arrive before christmas and they didn’t even provide my with partial refund, or any show of good faith for violating AliExpress rules (shipping so late after purchase). AliExpress gave a resolution that they will have a look at my complaint again in 10 days from now if the items don’t arrive by then. So I will have some items I don’t really need after new year. I think I personally am done with sofirn (in my opinion the way they treat customers is very detestable and their business practices where they lie to you and ignore you after you pay are borderline fraudulent) and will be very careful about purchasing from AliExpress any expensive things in the future. I will stick to ebay and amazon where the purchase protection is more aimed at the customer, not the seller. If you really want a sofirn flashlight (because of its features, built quality, specs, etc…) I would recommend you to buy from ebay store or amazon.
Edit: 7.1.2020
Received the order today. The lantern had no lube on any of the threads and something is rattling in the head on SP36… Fast production…
I’m in the same situation, I created several separate orders which have been given the same tracking number and nothing shipped yet. I’ve not bought from the Ali store before.
It is the same every 11-11 sale, same last year. I think that both they sell items that they do not have in stock (or even made) and also that the volume that need to be shipped is too large to handle efficiently for Sofirn/post service. The way they deal with that is very chinese and not how we like it. It does not help that they are a small company so capacity for every activity is limited.
The most practical way for customers to deal with that is to let them know what went wrong but at the same time not be too upset about it and usually in the end your items arrive (too late).
If you can not buy stuff at 11-11 without getting upset, it may be better for your health to not buy around these sale events, the deals are not that great anyway
I bought a few Sofirn C01S lights a week after 11-11 and they were shipped within two days and will arrive well before my 11-11 Sofirn items.
I agree that specifically Sofirn shows this issue, and I think it is the size of the company that causes this, together with the seemingly low-caring attitude (part of it is deliberate, some is ignorance) that many chinese seller have towards customers. Lumintop is a way larger manufacturer, more likely to deal smoothly with large sale volumes, but if you think that Lumintop is a fine example of how to deal with customers, read the story of the BLF-GT and find some similar stories that are going on with Sofirn now.
But what I find difficult to understand is that so many customers do not simply anticipate with a more easy-going attitude on the same things that go wrong with chinese selllers for as long as I am into the hobby (8 years now) . You know beforehand that there is a fair chance that you will be treated unjust, then you decide to get involved with chinese sellers anyway (Sofirn, Banggood, Gearbest, and quite a few more), then you get angry and loud about indeed being treated unjust. ?
Btw, my impression is that showing being upset hardly has influence on them, while phragmatically telling them what went wrong and clearly telling them how they can make it right is the most effective way to get things done. Repeat when needed. You get your stuff in the end, for a price that you will never be able to achieve at home, if even you could find it elsewhere.
This is actually the first time ive had to deal with a dishonest seller on aliexpress who uses fake tracking numbers and sells out of stock items, falsely claiming they are in stock
Hell even the seller of my 35 cent light from 11.11 shipped it promptly with tracking and it has arrived … when a small little “garbage” selling store can fulfill orders more honestly and promptly than sofirn …
Unless folks speak up LOUDLY, those sofirn folks will just keep on doing it, they arent even responding to the OP through aliexpress chat …
They responded when i filed a dispute, they promptly send me more fake tracking nunbers
It is not nice how Sofirn deals with their fulfillment issues, same thing happened to me this 11-11. But hey, Sofirn has almost limitless credit IMO for making innovative new flashlights together with BLF, helping with changing the flashlight industry to our liking. (your 35 cents flashlight seller has done nothing about that, they just stock up what seems to sell and then sell it) I therefore hardly care about how and when I receive my flashlights, as long as I get them eventually.
Well ill give em credit for being inventive with the fake tracking numbers … they look just like the real thing until u punch em in !!!
What is doubly hilarious is that they were trying to pump up sales this black friday despite them being out of stock and not fulfilling the backlog from 11.11 in time
Yeah if they want to be a real consumer brand, not just some flashaholics workshop …
Then they should probably stop violating aliexpress rules (fake tracking numbers, selling out of stock products), stop lying to their customers (fake tracking numbers, claiming stock when not yet produced) and actually answer them (see OP)
I actually have a message where they admitted the item wasnt produced yet when ordered
I ordered some and paid over 89 dollars for DHL so I could have them in time to reship as Christmas gifts. The tracking number they gave is not valid. The really annoying thing is that I had gone with Sofirn over Astrolux to avoid Banggood as I have had nothing but problems with them. I hope Aliexpress will look after it’s customers better than Banggood.
Thanks for posting this as I can niw see I need to get something else for Christmas gifts.
In other news, Emisar made another sale to me. I was sitting on the fence, but with the shenanigans some of these companies pull I will just stick with the honest company.
I sent several messeges to sofirm and after several rounds of automated repplies I managed to get a human to talk to me. They promised me to ship everything tomorrow. They will even start shipping a next batch of lanterns tomorrow.
Some two weeks ago, Lumintop sent me a tracking code (2 characters, 9 digits, 2 characters) followed by some gobbledygook. After a week of trying, 17track still had not recognized the code. Till I filled in the whole sequence they sent me. And voila, a complete detailled report of the wanderings my light had made thus far.
I have two Sofirn orders that have hardly moved in a month. Both do have genuine tracking numbers, but there are long gaps in between movement. At least one left China yesterday finally. I put it down to 11:11 and Black Friday, clogging up the post system.
Last year I ordered my first big purchase (Sofirn Q8) along with other items but it was missing from the package. Sofirn said they would reship but the tracking number was unusable. After 3 weeks of frantically holding off filing a dispute I finally received the missing Q8. I’ve bought many things from them since and that’s the only incident so far.
My experience with Sofirn is shaky but I think they are honest and they are the opposite of others blatant scam that will make a fake tracking notice and than cancel shipping 3 weeks later without giving a refund or respond. I reported the scam and AliExpress and gave me a refund within 10 minutes.
(your 35 cents flashlight seller has done nothing about that, they just stock up what seems to sell and then sell it) I therefore hardly care about how and when I receive my flashlights, as long as I get them eventually.
