Re: Sunwayman L.E. V10R Ti2 Gold (or black)...what was your "out of the box" conditio
The intended use of the light should have absolutely zero bearing on something like this.
It's very simple...if you buy an item then you should rightfully expect (and demand) that you get what you have paid for. It shouldn't matter if it's a $5 light, a $50 light, or a $500 light.
The fact is, sunwayman has offered to refund in full, if you are dissatisfied. That is as good as it gets. You don't get to 'win a prize' if your light doesn't meet your expectations and get more than what you paid for in return. If you were to sue a company and win, you would 'be made whole'. That means, you would get your purchase price back. There is no additional for pain and suffering, regardless of how rational or irrational your expectations are.
This also doesn't mean that sunwayman deserves to go out of business. Were mistakes made? Apparently. But this is just a stumbling block, and if you want to use this episode to justify why you won't ever buy their products, then that is your prerogative. However, I just recently purchased the v10a, and I don't think there is a better bang for the buck flashlight available. Not even close. So if you want to miss out on that, go right ahead. It's your loss.
The fact of the matter is, if I had bought such a light as this, I would likely be disappointed if I noticed the scratches, but that would likely fade after a day or so. I would then enjoy my light and appreciate it for what it is.
I am not a collector, nor am I some valuation expert, but I would think with the limited number available, the condition isn't going to factor in to any noticeable degree. By that, I mean, there are less than 200 of these worldwide, regardless of color. You know about half of those at least will never be sold. Of those, how many are in your particular country? So if you want one, you'd better be ready to pony up, regardless of condition. Otherwise somebody else will have already bought the light while you are nitpicking over scratches and demanding pictures to prove condition.
And if somebody is so dissatisfied that they return their lights to sunwayman to be destroyed, that is just one less available light.
The only thing I really see coming out of this is that sunwayman, and other flashlight companies, will tend not to want to make nice flashlights like these at reasonable prices. It just won't be worth it to them because there will be no way they can win. Companies need to make a profit and budget their time and resources. So that would leave us with $400-500 customs. I'd rather have an option in the middle. I think $150 for a standard ti is very reasonable. I also think $200 for a special edition that comes in a $30 retail value box incredibly worth it.
If I were sunwayman, I would offer a full refund for anybody who originally purchased this light. I would then throw in some kind of limited coupon, like the ability to purchase a v10r or v10a regular for $60 or so. Maybe the option to get a regular ti for $120 or something. Those prices are off the top of my head, so that discount may be too little, or too much. But I would try to make it a decent coupon, but only for one item, and make it reasonable.
I think sunwayman tried to do something special, and it has backfired. Unfortunately, there are some who won't let it go, even after the offer has been made multiple times to refund. It has now become a situation I doubt sunwayman, or any other company, will want to pursue in the future. And why would they? If they make a minor mistake, and scratches are minor, they will get raked over the coals repeatedly.
Sunwayman has admitted there is a problem and offered to buy these items back. If you are so dissatisfied that you cannot stand to look at your light, there is your way out. You would lose zero money. It may not be the ideal resolution, but at this point, there is no ideal resolution. If anything, how many companies would even acknowledge a mistake was made? In a public forum? At least this shows if you do buy a sunwayman product, they will stand behind it. You are not at risk of losing your money. You might not get what you want, but is that ever the case? If you go see a movie, and it turns out to be total crap, you don't get your money back. At least in this case, if that's what you want, you will get your money back.
