I don't think you could ask for a better response then this: very positive statements from both SureFire, and one of their very large stocking dealers.
I was placing an order on line for a SureFire MN20 lamp very recently, and the LPS site brought up the wrong lamp in the shopping basket.
I called LPS's toll free number, and talked to a very nice gentleman (wish I had his name so I could give him credit...)who apologized for the error, and took my order over the phone.
After apologizing for not recognizing my name(!), the fellow spent a few minutes explaining how LPS stands behind the SureFire lamps they sell, and said even after some time, if it fails in normal use, LPS will replace it ASAP, (Priority Mail) without having to wait the usual 2 weeks or so that SureFire can take.
He acknowledged that some SureFire lamps had known problems, but he wanted to assure me that LPS stands behind *all* of the SureFire lamps they sell.
And, all of this was at his initiative; I didn't bring up anything about lamp problems in any way. I was very impressed with the way he stated LPS's commitment to warranty a product at *their* expense, for which they distribute, and do not actually manufacture.
I'm sure LPS is reimbursed for lamps they replace, by SureFire, but I doubt if that reimbursement by SureFire includes LPS paying for shipping in both directions for these replacements. This is something that LPS has chosen to do to provide faster lamp replacement for their customers, at their expense
I think that SureFire is doing everything possible to take care of their costumers who have problems with SureFire lamps.
We all know that SureFire doesn't manufacture their lamps, but they are the people who catch the flak when, as has been happening much more than anyone would like lately, there's an abnormally high rate of failures.
I think it's safe to say that SureFire is just as unhappy about the lamp failures as each of their customers is who experiences a failure of one, or more, of the SureFire lamps.
SureFire makes a premium product, with premium prices to match, but they also back their products with premium customer service. This is as it should be, but manufacturers who provide the quality of customer service that SureFire does, especially when you consider how *big* they are, are really not very common.