HDS Systems EDC # 18

[Trip Miller]

[/QUOTE]

It has been three weeks since I ordered my light, I read there is a group buy that has waited eight months now...

Hope they all get done soon.[/QUOTE]

I cannot believe the group buy is still waiting...yikes.

 

[mk2rocco]

Is it just custom lights that take a long time or any orders?

 

[ven]

Apparently Zebralights can take a while :laughing:

 

[Trip Miller]

Is it just custom lights that take a long time or any orders?

Traditionally Custom HDS lights are 2-4 weeks I believe and when all is operating smoothly plenty of people see them within a 2 week window. It seems that since the phantom Rotary upgrade the Rotaries went on extended back order and have yet to fully recover although some folks have been getting them the past month or so, it just seems sporadic. I am pretty sure that Clickies otherwise experienced no delays or little delay during the past 9 months.

But the Group Buy that was mentioned is getting damn near a year old...

 

[mk2rocco]

Great, so a light in its standard configuration should ship out faster than the 2-4 week window?

 

[Trip Miller]

Generally they ship fast when it is a stocked item yes.

 

[kaichu dento]

It has been three weeks since I ordered my light, I read there is a group buy that has waited eight months now...

Hope they all get done soon.

I cannot believe the group buy is still waiting...yikes.

It's okay, they're going to be here pretty shortly and now scheduled for some time in December 2015. I'm expecting mine any day now. :thinking:

 

[Trip Miller]

 

[hank_612]

I hate to say this but if I really needed a light soon so I could use it, I would not buy directly from Henry. I would trust a retailer that says it is in stock. I have bought off the website items that showed 2 week lead time only to have them not delivered for months. I have been misinformed by Henry a few times in the last year and will not be foolish enough to believe his timeline estimates again. I think the group buy is another example of Henry taking someones money and disregarding the timeline. Its hard to imagine the group buy lights not being shipped to Hogo if things were "back to normal" at HDS. I believe Mr Hogo has done everything he can to keep the group buy going but Henry has not fulfilled the order to him. Hogo is hostage to the same thing HDSs direct customers suffered with.

 

[Tre_Asay]

I don't think it is due to any malicious intent, After working in a warehouse I know how inventory can get.

I talked with henry on the phone and he apologized and said that they ran out of LEDs. The LED is also mounted to the board in another shop that is busy right now so it may be some time before they can make the lights. It sounded vauge exactly how long it will take because it depends on how many other orders the other shop has qued before HDS.

 

[AndrwTNT]

I hate to say this but if I really needed a light soon so I could use it, I would not buy directly from Henry. I would trust a retailer that says it is in stock. I have bought off the website items that showed 2 week lead time only to have them not delivered for months. I have been misinformed by Henry a few times in the last year and will not be foolish enough to believe his timeline estimates again. I think the group buy is another example of Henry taking someones money and disregarding the timeline. Its hard to imagine the group buy lights not being shipped to Hogo if things were "back to normal" at HDS. I believe Mr Hogo has done everything he can to keep the group buy going but Henry has not fulfilled the order to him. Hogo is hostage to the same thing HDSs direct customers suffered with.

I wish there were someone else helping out with the process over there as well in order to keep quoted turnaround true. I personally dislike dealing with Henry directly (for earlier issues where I felt he was very unprofessional in his communication) and wish there were other sources to build customs with the supplied parts. The only thing that has held me back from purchasing another light from him is not knowing if I will receive my light (either in a timely matter or at all) and the thought that I would be having to have to go through him at all... Incredible lights, just wish my experiences with him had been better.

 

[nbp]

I wish there were someone else helping out with the process over there as well in order to keep quoted turnaround true. I personally dislike dealing with Henry directly (for earlier issues where I felt he was very unprofessional in his communication) and wish there were other sources to build customs with the supplied parts. The only thing that has held me back from purchasing another light from him is not knowing if I will receive my light (either in a timely matter or at all) and the thought that I would be having to have to go through him at all... Incredible lights, just wish my experiences with him had been better.

While it is true that the lights are not always delivered in a "timely" manner, I have never heard of a single instance where someone paid for a light and NEVER received it. For those who are not familiar with Henry and are reading this, they should know that that part of the statement is not based in truth and ought to be disregarded.

 

[MrNeal]

deleted

 

[AndrwTNT]

While it is true that the lights are not always delivered in a "timely" manner, I have never heard of a single instance where someone paid for a light and NEVER received it. For those who are not familiar with Henry and are reading this, they should know that that part of the statement is not based in truth and ought to be disregarded.

You are correct. I should reiterate..

That specific comment regarding not knowing if I would receive my product was intended with a more sarcastic or joking tone than serious or factual. It is mainly referring to my ordeal with him on a purchase that I had to send back (in short, my brand new light came with a good sized scrape + smudge on the reflector and I was basically told nothing is perfect… Obviously, but I also feel that when I spend over $250 on a ANY product it should at least arrive to me new for ME to scratch and gunk it up) and he lied about when he shipped it out. Never sent a tracking and when I asked, it was the wrong number. When I asked again over the phone this time, he gave an annoyed sign and was silent for a few minutes and upon speaking again rattled off the numbers too fast for anyone to write down and without warning, then when I asked if he could repeat it for me, he signed again and repeated the numbers overly slow (I'm talking full 5 seconds between each number. Clearly to show me he was annoyed) but then left out several numbers. USPS is 22 and he only have me 19 the first time, then 20 the second time to where I had to end up emailing him to get an actually number only to find out it was shipped that day and not the week before like he had told me.

Again, this was a personal experience and in no way is it meant to discourage anyone else from conducting business with him. I am simply sharing a portion of my story and experience for the sake of explaining my reluctancy of future purchases. I just believe he could have conducted himself much more professionally attitude wise than with the childish manner in which he chose to act in. The problem was corrected non the less and I did never bothered him or gave any reason to warrant this type of response. In fact every interaction PRIOR to my purchase was amazing and he was extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

 

[kaichu dento]

While it is true that the lights are not always delivered in a "timely" manner, I have never heard of a single instance where someone paid for a light and NEVER received it. For those who are not familiar with Henry and are reading this, they should know that that part of the statement is not based in truth and ought to be disregarded.

Yeah, Henry is definitely not the continental version of a certain British light maker who deliberately and caluculatedly swindled scores out of thousands of dollars, only to be caught selling their lights to others.

Henry ain't perfect, because he's human, but all in all he's brought game changing designs to the table for all, and even though he has the right to refuse to make certain asked for changes, time and time again he's relented after being allowed to think it over again.

Anyone who can't afford to wait for their light should (if financially possible) buy a used Clicky or Rotary instead, or while waiting. I'd be going nuts right now waiting for the 4000k (which I don't even really want anymore) if I didn't have three other of his lights. They're the only lights that I always know will not have a dead battery because they're my only light that has auto-shutdown.

Yeah, Henry and his lights are a keeper.

 

[trojansteel]

Correct. Clickies are easy to swap buttons. I did that for one that cracked.

How often does the rubber button cover crack? I am considering an HDS purchase, but I imagine this is one of the first parts to go. Has there ever been a metal button cover rather than rubber ?

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

Henry strikes me as a man of integrity who's simply terrible at time estimates.

 

[recDNA]

Then lead time should be listed as 6 weeks + or simply relaying the situation. Items should never be listed as in stock unless they are physically assembled, packaged, and ready to go. We know about the wait. The unsuspecting consumer does not. It isn't malicious but it is unprofessional.

 

[AndrwTNT]

Yeah, Henry is definitely not the continental version of a certain British light maker who deliberately and caluculatedly swindled scores out of thousands of dollars, only to be caught selling their lights to others.

Henry ain't perfect, because he's human, but all in all he's brought game changing designs to the table for all, and even though he has the right to refuse to make certain asked for changes, time and time again he's relented after being allowed to think it over again.

Please refer to my latest post of explanation. Clearly Henry is not on the same level as a Mac's type person (although I heard he has FINALLY sent some buyers their lights this past month that have been waiting over a year with no contact.. interesting).
I don't think anyone with a basic form of common sense expects a business man to be "perfect", I would encourage others however to be real with themselves and be willing to admit that even those who tend to be praised to the high heavens for their incredible work still do tend to have some pretty notable character flaws arise from time to time and should be held accountable to an extent.

Anyone who can't afford to wait for their light…()

Should buy a McGizmo from Don in the meantime and have it on their doorstep in less than a week

Then lead time should be listed as 6 weeks + or simply relaying the situation. Items should never be listed as in stock unless they are physically assembled, packaged, and ready to go. We know about the wait. The unsuspecting consumer does not. It isn't malicious but it is unprofessional.

+1

 

[nbp]

How often does the rubber button cover crack? I am considering an HDS purchase, but I imagine this is one of the first parts to go. Has there ever been a metal button cover rather than rubber ?

I think it's pretty rare. I haven't see very many mentions of it over the years.