Sorry, but the manufacturer is not (always) to blame.
Suppose you buy goods from a seller.
This is what happens: you get the goods, seller gets the money.
So, if the goods are not okay => you grab the seller by the pony.
When you address the manufacturer: the seller laughs all the way to the bank.
IF the manufacturer wants to step in: that is a matter of pure good will.
Because the manufacturer already made his deal with the seller (goods <=> money).
Even more if it is a fake: the seller and the fake manufacturer are LOL.
And the real manufacturer who has nothing that links him to the goods, takes the wrap?
He should step in, according to you?
You are NOT always responsible if something goes wrong with a product that bears your name.
By the way: why am I thinking about a kettle and a pot?
I was a little irritated to see they have the FW3B for way cheaper than the “group buy” I got from Neal. I wondered if Lumintop was just dumping the rest, but this thread makes me wonder what is going on.
So, for example, you buy a discounted Zebralight or an Olight or any other light from store X (a non-authorized deal) at a price lower/higher than usual (meaning, you give your money to them, even if they are not selling things “authorized” by the main brand/store).
Then, because of some reason covered or not in the “official” warranty, you go and ask for refunds, technical support, or something else to the authorized seller or main brand/store. Meaning, you’ll give the official seller/brand the trouble to fix or to refund money for a light they didn’t (???) receive anything for.
I’m not sure that it is entirely fair…but I may be seeing things in a narrow way…
That thing with the LT AA Ti sold at 1/5 of the market value may be the tip of the iceberg.
EDIT: the flashlight was not sold by the price initially stated, as it was a mistake. Customers were informed about the real price to pay by FT store. Refunds were made.
If Lumintop doesn't want to provide a warranty, they can do that, but the consumer may not know that even though they are buying a genuine Lumintop product.
It's a very anti-consumer approach, and I don't like it one bit.
Some brands have ways to verify if the products are legit or not, and even to register them on the brands official websites.
Efest batteries have codes, Nitecore chargers and lights have codes that can verify/register the products bought, Wuben and Acebeam have serial numbers, Olight have serial numbers that are used to verify the authenticity of products.
Ultimately, bigger brands can start making this to avoid fake and to provide actual warranty to those products, when sold by “authorized” sellers or not. Then it will be up to them, as the produt is legit.
I am not sure if LT has that policy as I never checked for serial numbers on their boxes, lights or other materials.
And I may be seeing it wrongly again, but that seems to be more a pro-customer approach (in the way that they want people to have authentic products, and provide warranty support [hopefully!!!] ), although it is also a pro-brand approach (as it means restricting the places where the lights are being sold, and getting more direct income from the customers, instead of intermediates).
Again, I’m not saying they are right or wrong, I’m just trying to perceive their reasons for this :+1: