Last week I got some great advice about which lights a beginner might buy with $300USD. Since that time I’ve been watching the discount codes and coupons here, but I’ve had no success actually buying a flashlight. Is buying a light for $9.99 that normally sells for $18.99 just a “lottery win” every day for some lucky person?
Between knowing how to get the codes, getting past the security code/captcha and navigating these sites, I’m striking out. Do most folks just pay the going price? Am I better off just buying from Amazon? Have I got to put each light that I want to buy at a discounted price on its own separate order?
Any tips will be appreciated. I’m trying to buy lights, batteries & chargers.
If I’m not dying to get Light “A” I’ll wait to catch it on a deal. If you have to have it right away some of the folks who do the specials & codes will request a code if you ask them nicely. I suggest that you follow the specials threads and see what pops up. When it’s not too crazy in my life I check them a few times per day.
Thanks. I guess I’m just going to have to keep trying these codes and sites. Maybe in the next few days I’ll get to the codes before they expire or are rejected during the ordering process.
I’m about ready to spend the $19 even though someone is able to buy the same item for $9.99. Or, maybe the better strategy will be to just buy using Amazon Prime and not comparison shop these flashlights. Thanks for the suggestions.
You do have to jump through hoops a little to get on most of those over seas sellers. But the codes usually do work once logged in. You have to create a account for most of them to work. Once your account is active and you log in the code works. Fasttech codes work without logging in. But they don't offer codes that much besides the BLF code for 5%. If you do catch a 15% code they can be cheaper than the others. https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/37772/521
Some things are better to get in the states like at Mtnelectronics. If a battery cost $1.00 more in the states, I usually just buy it in the US and I can have it in a few days. There great sites in the states for batteries like Mtn, liionwholesale, and imrbatteries. Chargers can be found in the states at ebay or amazon, usually slightly higher than overseas. But if you want the very best deal and are willing to wait weeks and jump through a few hoops, overseas will almost always be the best deal. I always use paypal for payment. If they don't offer PP I stay away. Paypal is your insurance.
That’s one example, but the same saga holds for S2+, C8, Lumintop Tool, batteries, chargers & other lights. Since last Sunday afternoon, I suspect I’ve tried as many as 15 orders, but haven’t gotten close to any of the prices that folks call bargains.
Are you logging in and placing the order exactly as the link comes up when clicked on in those deal threads. Sometimes its only the option listed in the deal such as which warehouse or led tint or led type. Are you trying the code shortly after the deal is posted. Sometimes there limited to only so many sold or a certain amount of time.
I’ve set up accounts at the popular suppliers mentioned here. When I see a thread or someone suggests one to me via PM, I start on page 1 and start trying codes until I finally move to the last page of the thread and try some of the codes there. Clearly, most of the discount code threads are many pages long.
I’m here tonight because it’s a little after 1pm in China. As a shot in the dark, I was hoping maybe all my problems have been because I was trying orders and codes at the wrong times of the day.
I’ve been buying stuff (in the USA) for many years on the web, so it’s puzzling to me why I can’t seem to figure out the way these threads, codes and foreign web sites are supposed to work.
Generally, I take one of two approaches at Bnnggood, Gear Best or any of the others: 1) I click on a coupon/link in a thread and it take me to that supplier’s web site and that particular item. I add that item to my cart & see the “list” price. Then, I try to enter the code. Expired, no longer valid, out of stock or other messages appear. OR 2) I go to a supplier’s site, add an item to my cart and try to use a code found in one of the threads here. Same messages have been appearing.
Maybe I just need to stick to Sunfire & Amazon prices. I can probably get familiar with LEDs, tints, UIs, etc. with brands that aren’t discussed here, even though it would seem more useful to deal with the lights that get talked about here.
Yeah. I’m going to get off my phone and laptop tomorrow. Both of those use the Chrome browser. I’ll get over into the Microsoft world and see if somehow that works.
Last weekend I summarized the list of suggestions people had made for “first lights.” I had planned to order on Monday, but these “discount issues” have stumped me. I’ll get it sorted out over the next week or two or just buy at full price somewhere so that I can learn the lights rather than the websites.
I haven’t yet tried to buy the Thorfire light you suggested. I’ll try to buy that light if I continue to strike on buying the others I had planned to buy.
