Fenix Changed Their Site ?!

[N_N_R]

Am I going crazy or is the site different? (I hadn't visited it for some time, then there was the warning message: Problem Loading Page for a while and now it's new? :thinking

I liked the previous way it looked much more... it was far more orderly... or have I been looking to something else ?!

 

[appliancejunk]

Yep, it's changed. I also liked the old Fenix site better, but it maybe just what I was use to.

 

[Yamabushi]

It also seems to be broken. I tried to register a new flashlight for warranty and I got an error message in Chinese.

 

[N_N_R]

I liked it before... there wasn't that annoying white page there... and as far as I remember flashlights and series appeared on the left sidebar menu or sth... Now it's full of falling menus *sigh* Well, as long as they keep making Fenix lights, I'll get used to it... haha

 

[tam17]

There was an announcement on their website few weeks ago re. temporary unavailability of some services due to site upgrade (or so). Didn't pay much attention until now, and my ancient Firefox bookmark doesn't cut it anymore. Navigation is still quite simple, but I kinda liked the old style better.

Cheers

 

[Flashlight Dave]

I was hoping someone would mention the new site. I kinda felt alone in noticing the change. I don't know how I feel about the new site just yet. I think its just different for me. Seems like its not all there to me.

 

[Mr Floppy]

Seems like its not all there to me.

I would like the specifications of all their old lights listed. That would be a nice bit of history.

 

[rjdriver]

I tried to register a couple of lights that I bought and couldn't get logged in (or read Chinese) so I emailed them and actually I got a response withing the hour stating that they know they are having a problem with that and that if I could wait and register them in a couple weeks it would be much appreciated...... I did what most have done tried to log to there site and got a error message then I google searched it .... I personally like the old site better also.

 

[Labrador72]

I would like the specifications of all their old lights listed. That would be a nice bit of history.

+1 I'd like that too. If you need to look up the specs now the Czech distributor keeps up pages of older Fenix lights with all screenshots in English. I wish Fenix did the same on their new site including date when the lights where introduced and discontinued.

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[mcnair55]

+1 I'd like that too. If you need to look up the specs now the Czech distributor keeps up pages of older Fenix lights with all screenshots in English. I wish Fenix did the same on their new site including date when the lights where introduced and discontinued.

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They are there to sell lights and not as a reference site for hobbyists,i prefer a slick quick website and all the specs can surely be found on sites like here and others.

 

[Mr Floppy]

They are there to sell lights and not as a reference site for hobbyists,i prefer a slick quick website and all the specs can surely be found on sites like here and others.

It's not hard to have a link that goes off to an archive page. Unless you're a web crawler, I don't see how that will affect the 'slickness'. The other issue with relying on third party sites is that often the information needs to be cross referenced somewhere. Better from the source than anywhere else, especially in an easily managed list rather than scattered throughout a forum in a number of posts.

I did email in a suggestion about this and it sounds like this is something that will be available. Didn't say when though.

 

[Labrador72]

It's not hard to have a link that goes off to an archive page. Unless you're a web crawler, I don't see how that will affect the 'slickness'. The other issue with relying on third party sites is that often the information needs to be cross referenced somewhere. Better from the source than anywhere else, especially in an easily managed list rather than scattered throughout a forum in a number of posts.

I did email in a suggestion about this and it sounds like this is something that will be available. Didn't say when though.

Thank you! Exactly my thought and it couldn't have been explained better! Keeping pages of older or discontinued lights live on the manufacturers' website has absolutely nothing to do with hobbists but rather with customer service: current owners may need verify some specs or want to compare them to the newer models when deciding whether to upgrade to a new light or not. Not to mention that a lot of the older lights removed from the website are still abailable for sale so potential buyers will need to verify info from an official sorce as much those wanting to buy the latest models: if anything, keeping a live archive of older lights can only be beneficial to sales. And for those who don't understand web design or have nightmares about hordes of evil hobbists conspiring to screw their "slick" surfing experience: an archive page doesn't mean somebody is going to replace the TK22 with a TK10 on the home page!!!

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[mcnair55]

Thank you! Exactly my thought and it couldn't have been explained better! Keeping pages of older or discontinued lights live on the manufacturers' website has absolutely nothing to do with hobbists but rather with customer service: current owners may need verify some specs or want to compare them to the newer models when deciding whether to upgrade to a new light or not. Not to mention that a lot of the older lights removed from the website are still abailable for sale so potential buyers will need to verify info from an official sorce as much those wanting to buy the latest models: if anything, keeping a live archive of older lights can only be beneficial to sales. And for those who don't understand web design or have nightmares about hordes of evil hobbists conspiring to screw their "slick" surfing experience: an archive page doesn't mean somebody is going to replace the TK22 with a TK10 on the home page!!!

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Sorry but i totally disagree with you.Sales of flashlights say to the biggest market like the commercial using trade could not care less in the main about specs.They buy they use and when it breaks they buy another.If i sell an Led light to the trade say for £100 UK all customer is bothered about is it bright enough for his intended need and how long is the warranty and that is how i find the trade thinking.

From experience i find trade users buy by the looks,that is why Led Lenser do so well via there slick packaging and display cabinets.

 

[Labrador72]

Sorry but i totally disagree with you.Sales of flashlights say to the biggest market like the commercial using trade could not care less in the main about specs.They buy they use and when it breaks they buy another.If i sell an Led light to the trade say for £100 UK all customer is bothered about is it bright enough for his intended need and how long is the warranty and that is how i find the trade thinking.

From experience i find trade users buy by the looks,that is why Led Lenser do so well via there slick packaging and display cabinets.

If we talk about clueless customers who just walk into an outdoor store to buy a flashlight without having a clue what the market offers and at what price, I can agree with you. For that kind of sales investing in slick packaging might pay off more than anything else. The point is, I don't think the uninformed, first-time buyer is the only type of potential customer that makes a flashlight manufacturer like Fenix successful in their line of business.
If Fenix would sell their lights only when an older light breaks they would have probably gone bankrupt a long time ago. There's definitely bunch of Fenix customers who do check specs and do compare lights before keying in their credit card digits to complete a purchase and those customers don't even wait for theit "old" Fenix light to break...: not worth adding a couple of web pages to their new site?

 

[mcnair55]

If we talk about clueless customers who just walk into an outdoor store to buy a flashlight without having a clue what the market offers and at what price, I can agree with you. For that kind of sales investing in slick packaging might pay off more than anything else. The point is, I don't think the uninformed, first-time buyer is the only type of potential customer that makes a flashlight manufacturer like Fenix successful in their line of business.
If Fenix would sell their lights only when an older light breaks they would have probably gone bankrupt a long time ago. There's definitely bunch of Fenix customers who do check specs and do compare lights before keying in their credit card digits to complete a purchase and those customers don't even wait for theit "old" Fenix light to break...: not worth adding a couple of web pages to their new site?

I am talking about trade professionals which i would imagine are the biggest users of flashlights.New starters in many trades are given a budget by there companies to get equipped for there particular work assignments.They will select the goods needed in a trade store for example all safety clothing and footwear plus a light and other items such as a first aid kit etc etc.

I sell to trade professionals and these are my overall observations.

My experience is made in respect to the UK and i fully understand it may well be different in other countries.

 

[Mr Floppy]

Keeping pages of older or discontinued lights live on the manufacturers' website has absolutely nothing to do with hobbists but rather with customer service

Well it does have customer service implications in a way. Fenix don't sell directly to the public (no matter how often I ask) so a lot of distributors who still have many of the old products still need this information. Especially in cases of RMA etc. Point is moot anyway. I wonder if they'll do something similar to how Zebralight does it? I.e. through google docs and links back to their website