As jason said, no need for a dispute, they will send you a refund without a problem (it just might take a little bit as everything is moving slowly right now).
TA, I’d be willing to chip in to help others out! This may be a good solution, but we need others to follow suite!
Don’t be too hard on Lumintop, they are doing there very best to find other options, which is why I didn’t even hear about this till the other day.
Also $40 is not even close to how much the GT costs to make. The hunk of raw aluminum for the head alone costs something like $22 + a similar hunk for the reflector + the body + the engine + the machine time + the high quality ano + all the other mics parts + the driver + assembly + packing + everything else involved with this.
All said and done, they are loosing money on the $117 lights for sure. I have no doubt about it. Even the $157 lights are iffy on if they will turn a profit at this point from what I am hearing.
They have invested over $100,000 in this project, keep this in mind. That is no small amount of money even to a company like Lumintop.
It is just a tough situation all around, they never expected so many lights to sale at all, much less internationally. They are not getting rich off this, that is for darn sure.
I am looking for alternative options, but I am not finding any good ones. If someone has a better idea, I am all ears, I already talked them into splitting the extra shipping costs with the buyers as anything more was unacceptable and this is as “fair” as it can get that I can see.
The group funding option is the only other option I have seen with any promise at all.
Oh, hadn’t noticed I got those in my GT pics which I just pulled down thinking I may have posted my question on the wrong thread, but regarding the wrap on the D4’s it is called Talon Grip WWW.TalonGrip.com which is generally used for handguns but I found it to be very useful for lights as well, especially these D4’s which I personally felt should have had some knurling instead of a smooth tube as it does or did, so using this Talon Grip material it is now really nice IMO to hold and not slippery as it was. First light I think I used this grip on was the ThorFire S70 I think it’s called, it had a very smooth ano and it drove me nuts so I used this material on it and the light is awesome looking and feels great in hand.
The great thing about Talon Grip is that it is only .50 mm thick, so thin but extremely durable with a rubberized bumpy type texture to it, once you ably it properly which is key to using this successfully, it holds up really well, the heating process on the last install step really adhere’s the wrap to light but still if you wanted to remove it at sometime later it is not difficult to remove and cleans up nicely any adhesives left over and won’t ruin the ano at all,
It’s a bit costly but you get what you pay for.
I am currently putting this on my GT’s carrier tube on the flat smooth areas and I think it will turn out great, good grip, keeps your hands warmer and definitely less likely to accidentally drop the light.
Probably more info than you needed but I hope that helps, by the way, there is some knock off stuff out there so don’t get tricked into thinking there’s no difference because there is, I tried to go with the cheaper stuff and it was a waste of money and still ended up going and buying more Talon grip from Talon the company itself as I think it was a bit cheaper than on Amazon. They have it in grey and another texture which is like sandpaper which I don’t like at all. Good luck.
This, as long as it is sent to Neal (as a gift, which it is) and no monies are diverted to paying import dues/taxes.
Cheers David
Yeah, the money would go to paying for the shipping costs only, all taxes and duties are still 100% the responsibility of the buyer.
lumintop agreed to the shipping price. How much it takes to ship to different countries is up to lumintop, they need to suck it up pay what they need to pay to ship the light. Coming back to the buyers asking for more money is not right and not the buyers problem. It’s as simple as that.
Sheesh, give someone time to respond before you edit your post to a more aggressive one
True, however putting FALSE info on the packages so others can avoid taxes is not the sellers problem, but yet they did.
Think long term, how many more GB’s will they do if they lose money, and other light manufacturers will be taking notice, they don’t want to lose money either.
Cheers David
Thanks, I appreciate the detailed information! :+1:
Ill help with the shipping for others as well.
Lumintop is a multi million dollar company that agreed to a set price that included shipping cost. It’s not the buyers responsibility to worry about shipping cost after payment was sent. You no what would great? If lumintop was this worried about the crappy reflectors and getting everyone the correct ones.
Decades ago, I’d have whole-heartedly agreed with Seery - and a part of me probably still does, a little. But having lived a lot of years and learned that all of life is a negotiation - nothing is Black and White, I see it differently. I think the Shipping Contribution Fund is the best way to go. It does no one any good to cut off your nose to spite your face and that’s, in my humble opinion, what telling LT to absorb the additional shipping costs is doing. They won’t be around again if BLF wants to do another project. I’m happy to contribute.
I’m in
Your very welcome, highly recommended for slippery types of ano, covering branding or spots without knurling like on the Q8 & GT battery tube, looks real nice.
Remember that Lumintop is also currently working on another BLF light, the FW3A. If we convince them that BLF and “group buys” are not worth the aggravation, then that project might get cancelled or at least delayed indefinitely while we try and find another company to build it.
It’s a small light so there would be no shipping nor reflector problems, if Lumintop wants out, by all means, 10 other manufacturers will be scrambling to take their place.
Tatasal, when something like this gets started, it takes a lot of work on all ends to complete. Nothing ever runs smoothly when getting something manufactured, so to say there are 10 other manufacturers to take Lumintops place seems a little harsh on them and on all the BLF members that worked so hard to get this project going.
l know there was a lot of work, but that work was already done by the Giggles team, they were simply the recipient of a design from the hard work of the Giggles team, which are all volunteers and will not share in the profit.
What is happening now is not being harsh on them by the way, it’s just in business, losing is also a part of making money, lots of it if you’re good .
I’m from one of these remote countries I think. I received my light in exceptionally little time after it was sent… while I believe in the principle of staying true to your word once you offer a deal, like Lumintop have, it’s a little bit different when it’s not just a one off deal you’re losing money on. There are many lights still needing to be shipped and Lumitop certainly lost money sending my light to me where I am… So I would be willing to make a small contribution to the shipping fees to help out. Trust me the last thing I want to do is pay more for my light, the economy here is terrible and my currency tanked before the payment was required so I ended up paying the equivalent of $11 more for my light had the payment been requested a few weeks earlier or only now.
I think it would be wise at this time to remind everyone here that this light, for 99% of the buyers, is just a toy and not life and death… relax and enjoy yourself, life is short try not be bitter, how much in life really works out EXACTLY as you pictured it would?
Maybe set up a spreadsheet for those that choose to opt in to assist, others may see the willingness of the community to assist and be inspired to assist too.
[quote=tatasal]
that is a super bold statement to make. Do you have any experience with chinese flashlight manufacturers to back this claim up?
I’m in for the shipping fund!