In the process of trying to get Solarforce-sales (now -flashlightsales) to replace a defective clicky switch on one of my L2s. They have agreed to send me a replacement part however are asking $3.00 shipping, the light was bought in March.
I am almost certain their shipping is normally $2 so believe they are simply trying to get me to foot the bill for the part. I don’t think this is on considering their product broke after less then 100 hours or so of use.
So question is: what is their warranty like (threw away packaging when I got the torches) and do you think what they are asking is fair?
Bought in march? $3 bucks is reasonable, considering that the light has been probably been used quiet a bit. Clickies are wearing parts. If the light was new, it would be a different story.
My lights all together had been used less than 100 hours for sure. So I wouldn’t call something “defective” that failed after a good use of it Maybe Surefire can offer such warranty :bigsmile: Switch, IMO, is one of the most frequent things that fails first. Have you tried to find a replacement elsewhere? (DX, Manafont, IOS, etc.)
Just reviewed the 100 hours and decided it is allot of use: its more like 30 hours —> 1 hour a week for those 5 months. The switch is actually inside a WF-504B (fits perfectly) at the moment (swapped it into that host as I use it more due to tail-stand and no sharp edges and wanted the reliability (which turned out to be a waste of time))
$3 is still allot of money… I am a student at the moment… I could get 1/2 a SK-68 for that (well almost).
Will see what Solarforce say regarding the warranty (I swear I read about it somewhere).
They’re obviously not requiring you to return the faulty switch for examination (which is something that I feel they have the right to do). They’re not requiring it because they know it would be a prohibitive expense for you. So they’re already giving ground. As such, meeting them in the middle seems like the fair thing to do.
Yip… only ever used a 3 X 7135 driving a XP-G with it, feels more like a mechanical failure then a electrical one, went to turn it on one day and the switch went all soft… no flickering before hand. Will have to get myself a few cheapies off DX and see if they cant be pulled apart and modded to something better (A WF-501B switch I had was only pressed together… allowing me to get to the rust that had formed inside (WF-501B + water = bad :zipper_mouth_face: ) )
Right, just got a reply from Solarforce: they are shipping me the part free of charge (after I told them I was not too keen to pay for it). I almost feel bad about it now (mind you last time a package arrived from HK from Solarforce it had $0.40 USD worth of stamps on it) … ahh well, another $3 to spend on a Solarforce L2p. They will be getting my future business, excellent service.
Still haven’t found any warranty information: I think allot of resellers offer their own warranties due to the quality of the torches.
Great news. It doesn’t surprise me actually. solarforceflashlight-sales (along with their separate eBay store itc_shop) deliver some of the best after-sales service I’ve ever encountered.
I guess for some people, who have a limited budget, even $3 can be too much…
Its not up to us to tell him that $3 is not much. If he says so, believe it.
I`ve been in the same situation, that almost any amount I had to pay unexpectedly looked too much.
Think opportunity costs (and my bank account will be sitting on empty for the next few weeks), + I was more annoyed about them trying to pass the replacement part off as a sale (actual shipping costs being less then $0.5). I think you guys are probably right: I still got my moneys worth out of the old switch, and they are trying to make a living as well.
I think you're off on shipping costs ..but yeah ..factor in lights rent payroll,inventory taxes,paypal and a 1000 other costs of running a business ... they aren't getting rich on 3$
Well,
I am more inclined to buy from them now more than ever. Sounds like better than average customer service and head and shoulders above most Chinese retailers. I think they make a quality product and it is good to know that they have customer service as well.
Was that USD or NZD. If it was USD its probably $5 NZD. Personally I would have paid it but each to their own. I have found solarforce to have excellent after sales service so Kudos to them for sending it for free.
All my packages from solarforceflashlight-sales.com have about $21 (HKD) worth of stamps on them. That comes to about $2.70 (USD).
EDIT: Out of the 4 envelopes I still have laying about, it is (HKD) $21.10, $23.10, $28.10 and $21.10. Obviously it must be by weight, with $21.10 most likely being the cheapest (since one of those orders was just an S8 tail and a couple of replacement inner switch sets).
Could have sworn it was $4 HK dollars (I remember being flabbergast at how little it cost them to send something 1/2 way round the world)… mind you I could be out by a factor of 10 (wouldn’t be the first time I have been wrong). :~