What should I do about a non working Xtar Flashlight Prize?

G0OSE · 2018-10-08T09:28:00.000Z

Hi guys, I was just after some advice and feedback on a recent prize I won.
I won the TZ28 on here and it arrived broken, I notified them that day. After a good few messages with weeks in between each (6 weeks in total), and offering to send them a video of it not working they have basically washed their hands of it. My local distributors are not interested as I don’t have a receipt, only this story, they said they will only act if Xtar contact them and send them a free one.
Am I expecting to much to receive a working prize? Should I be the one sorting the mess out? Should I just forget all about it as it was a prize and free? (if you can call a broken torch a prize)
Oddly the torch shipped from Bahrain, so should I contact Xtar in China? I am at a loss what to do, if anything.

At the time of writing this I think it is a bit bad if I’m honest
Please let me know what you think.

Just so it’s clear, here are the messages so far.

Me
Hi, I received this today but sadly it does not work? I have tried 4 different batteries in it and still nothing

Xtar
Hi Sir.
May I know what’s going with it? Can you describe it in detailed?

Me
Well, I put the battery (tried different ones) and nothing happens, it won’t switch on at all. Not even a flicker. I have never had this happen before with a flashlight.
I have tried protected and unprotected cells, none work. I am putting the + end towards the head. I am using 18650 batteries. Samsung 30Q unprotected and Keeppower 10a Protected ones.
All the batteries are charged and work fine in my other lights.
There is nothing else I can tell you really , I could do a video of it if you like?

Xtar
Ahh I see…maybe the light is damaged when it was being transferred or something? I am not sure.
We are not able to send you a new one since it’s a prize. But I think you can take this to your local distributors for after-sale service.

Andrew_Debbie · 2018-10-08T09:30:08.000Z

Try and fix it yourself?

tatasal · 2018-10-08T09:55:47.000Z

“We are not able to send you a new one since it’s a prize.”

This is the key sentence from them….shucks.

Contact Xtar China support. ( this is on the assumption that the sender of the light is not Xtar China)

service@xtar.cc

The factory should do something about the warranty…it won’t matter whether it’s a prize, a gift from a friend or bought online.

Include in your email the serial number of the light.

G0OSE · 2018-10-08T09:42:02.000Z

Andrew_Debbie:

Try and fix it yourself?

To be honest I’m not good with modding/mending, and also it could invalidate any warranty, if I even have any that is!

G0OSE · 2018-10-08T09:55:05.000Z

Thank you for that advice, I have done that now, hopefully they will help me

duramax · 2018-10-08T10:04:07.000Z

There are a lot of reasons why a light might appear DOA, among them:

- no battery contact / circuit (battery might need a magnet or something on top)

- a wire came off on the driver

- battery too short in this type of light (therefore no contact)

- polarity wrong (I guess you mentioned this one already)

- try another battery

try running the light without the tail cap (use a wire to bridge, this should work on lights with a manual switch and no electronics in the tail)

Even if you don’t mod lights on a regular basis, BLF is a great community and can help with issues that may come up. I would try a few things and then open up the light to see what it is.
A long time ago I also won a light on a different forum and the C8 came in DOA. The (+) wire came off on the driver, soldered it back on and that was it.

djozz · 2018-10-08T10:46:30.000Z

Was it a prize from from a giveaway here on BLF? Then I would send a PM to the starter of the giveaway thread (xtarflashlight ?). Or was that conversation already on BLF via PM?

Henk4U2 · 2018-10-08T10:59:05.000Z

@duramax, that was an excellent summing up of DOA-101 couse and remedy. I might add one more, though I am NOT familiar with the build (design) of this light.

Maybe the body/tube is a fraction too short.
In general the head end of the body/tube is not anodised from the threads up to the very end. Therefore the front end almost every time makes good contact, no matter how far it is screwed in.
The tail end of the body is often all anodised except for the very last end. By unscrewing a litte bit the tail-cap is can be used as a physical lockout. But in rare occasion this end of the body/tube is not long enough for touching the switch board or retaining ring, thus causing a permanent lockout. Have you tried to reverse the body/tube? The wire to bridge can help you find the cause. It is also a help to detect if the retaining ring of the switch board is not tightened enough.
BTW have you checked the retaining ring of the driver? Is it firmly screwed in?

duramax · 2018-10-08T11:04:23.000Z

Thanks, Henk4U2.

The head itself can indeed have a multitude of issues. On my S2+ the threads on the head (not anodized) are really finicky. If I screw the head on tight, the light won’t work at all. It has to be unscrewed a little bit for the light to work. Annoying, but that is how it is. Even bulb grease didn’t help.

I think OP can run many tests and report back here, I am confident we’ll figure it out together.

G0OSE · 2018-10-19T13:14:58.000Z

djozz:

Was it a prize from from a giveaway here on BLF? Then I would send a PM to the starter of the giveaway thread (xtarflashlight ?). Or was that conversation already on BLF via PM?

Yes it was the prize from the xtar 12th anniversary, and yes that is the messages from xtar.
I will try when I return from work tonight. Most of them I can rule out, springs both ends so defo makes contact, tried 4 types of batteries. The wire thing I forgot to try. Thank you for your suggestions guys.
EDIT - I tried the wire from the back of the battery to the bare threads and nothing happens, I can only presume it’s the driver. Also a friend tried the switch on a multimeter and it seems to work fine.

duramax · 2018-10-19T13:02:09.000Z

Sorry to read your message, I always felt xtar wanted to be a part of BLF and thought they are.

I am not going to comment on exchanged PMs.

Here is my idea (just an idea) - ask whether a BLF friend in the UK would be willing to take a look at the light and potentially fix it for you. We are all friends on here in a niche hobby and we should all stick together and help each other.
If this is something you don’t want to do, then fixing it yourself might be something that could work out? We are here to help as well.

G0OSE · 2018-10-19T13:16:38.000Z

Thank you for your input duramax. That is a very nice and thoughtful suggestion.
I have done as much as I can (checking wise) sadly where it only splits in 3 parts - the front bezel holding glass/reflector, the body and the tailcap, I cannot see for the life of me where you gain access to the driver.
I did look at a review on here for help gaining access to the driver Review XTAR TZ28 1100 e XTAR TZ28 1500 - 1*18650 2*CR123A and it doesn’t come out from the front so far as I can see (under a shelf) - it must come out of the body somehow. (deep inside).
I would be very grateful if I could get it working, but I think it’s going to be quite technical to do.
Indeed if there is someone out there in the UK who would be willing to have a look at it/mend it then I would greatly appreciate it - that goes without saying.

G0OSE · 2018-10-22T09:41:54.000Z

Ok, a final input from me on this - Now Xtar have decided after all this hassle to send me a replacement without needing to return the broken one.
Just makes you wonder why the hell they didn’t do that in the first place and not upset me put me through a load of stess.
Anyway one is in the post to me apparently. Thank you Xtar for finally sorting the mess out.