Surefire Bummer!

[Campdavid]

Sent in my U2 for repair....just needed the lens replaced. It was a really good U2....good color, no donut hole at all.
Got it back a couple of days ago....the lens is dirty on the inside and now it has a big ole dark spot in the middle of the beam. Obviously this is simply a new head.
I am soooo bummed. Looks like I am going to have to complain and then send it in for one with, at the very least, a clean lens.

 

[vic2367]

i would send it back,,,the money you paid ,the light should come back better ,,,

 

[Impact]

I would definitly send it back, the prices paid for those lights, there is no reason to provide substandard service. Infact i'd bet they would like to fix the problem for you.

 

[zapper]

I've read about these situations too many times. I wonder if we as a group are just too critical? Do any other users of their lights such as enforcement types or SAR members return them for the same reasons? Do they just care if it works or not and that's it? Still, this is just reinforcing that point that SF has some substandard QC. Or, once again, that we are just more apt to relate our experiences to others? Good luck to you as it seems in the past that CS is a hit or miss 50/50 kind of game.


:goodjob:

 

[skyline_man]

i thought surefire has the greatest customer service? Afterall, isn't that what you pay for?:laughing:

 

[GreySave]

<< I wonder if we as a group are just too critical? Do any other users of their lights such as enforcement types or SAR members return them for the same reasons? Do they just care if it works or not and that's it? >>


I think our expectations are higher because many of us are recreational users (For lack of a better word) as opposed to a firefighter or LEO who wants a light that is dependable and the majority of whom probably do not care about minor donut holes or dust inside of a lens. I have an L4 with a slight donut and I could not care less, but I also purchase and use my lights for use in a variety of volunteer services. Like a firefighter or a LEO I expect that they will get scratches and dings (or worse), so a minor donut hole or dust inside of a lens is no big deal to me. As one battery manufacturer likes to advertise, it just has to work.

Many of you are a different breed. You purchased your lights as collectables or for truly recreational purposes. There's nothing wrong with that. You have different expectations and desires than some of us.

I think it is important to note though that these are still mass produced lights. They are going to break. They may not be "perfect" to each of our individual standards. Each manufacturer will have their own strengths and weaknesses within their product. None are going to be perfect 100% of the time. I think it is a tribute to SureFire and other companies who are willing to take back and "repair" a light that has a minor amount of dust in the lens or a very minor donut.....Lights that are likely to be considered as commercially acceptable by most standards even within SureFire's perfect beam advertising. Remember that they do not know what type of user each of us is, and to provide "collector" quality lights to everyone would undoubtedly drive the prices up even higher.

Now that being said.....If I had a light as good as Campdavid's original and it came back in a condition that was substandard as compared to the original light I would probably send it back as well. Likewise, if I originally received a light that had a lot of dust that was affecting beam quality or that had a significant and visible in normal use donut or other beam characteristic I would probably also ask for a repair.

 

[Patriot]

I've read about these situations too many times. I wonder if we as a group are just too critical? Do any other users of their lights such as enforcement types or SAR members return them for the same reasons? Do they just care if it works or not and that's it? Still, this is just reinforcing that point that SF has some substandard QC. Or, once again, that we are just more apt to relate our experiences to others? Good luck to you as it seems in the past that CS is a hit or miss 50/50 kind of game.


:goodjob:

I was asking the same question myself. I know that many of us CPFers get a bit exited sometimes about beams that arn't pretty. But mechanical things and build quality should still be very high. Nobody should be getting parts with dirt in the bezel. C'mon!! what is the technician thinking when he sends out a part or flashlight like that? Especially when the customer has sent the light back for a problem in the first place. That's just poor commitment to detail on their part.

 

[FredericoFreire]

GreySave is right. If you had a nice one, and was afraid of loosing/changing for another one, you should have kept it.

Since you sent to Surefire for service, they sent you back working well.

We CPF'ers have flashlights as a jewel, but it was made to work fine, handle bumps, sand, dust, water.

I'm sorry about your U2, but now I think that you should start looking for another one that fullfills your needs.

 

[Gointothelight]

Look, if you spend $200 to $300 on a flashlight, you have an absolute right to expect and receive the very best, both at the outset and after repairs, regardless of what you're using it for. Come on, those prices are at the higher end of the flashlight world... if you spend top dollar on an automobile you have the right to expect that the paint isn't chipped and the engine doesn't knock, no one would fault you if you were outraged that your new luxury car arrived dirty, engine sputtering and tires flat... you order a luxury flashlight you have the right to have the same expectations. If I bought a $20 light I wouldn't expect much but NO ONE should feel guilty about being demanding about the quality they get (or didn't get) in a $300 flashlight.

 

[AndyTiedye]

If they're sending lights like that to Iraq, too bad for our troops.
There might be a roadside bomb in the middle of that doughnut hole.

 

[GreySave]

<< GreySave is right. If you had a nice one, and was afraid of loosing/changing for another one, you should have kept it. >>

I was afraid my comments might start a bit of a war...

Actually, that was not what I intended to say. If I had a light that met my expectations originally I would expect the light to exhibit the same quality when returned after repairs. If I had just purchased a light and there was a minimal amount of dust or a slight donut in the beam I would accept that as being commercially acceptable. But that's me.

<< if you spend top dollar on an automobile you have the right to expect that the paint isn't chipped and the engine doesn't knock, no one would fault you if you were outraged that your new luxury car arrived dirty, engine sputtering and tires flat. >>


I agree. In this example we are talking about major concerns. I work in the automotive field. I could provide many examples of how some customers felt that their mass produced Lumina should be built to single unit hand built and assembled tolerances for body panels and trim fit and finish.....essentially show quality standards. That type of expectation is not realistic of a mass produced product. While I would expect more of a Cadillac, I still would not expect show quality. Now if that same vehicle was delivered with any of the items gointothelight mentioned then yes, that is absolutely not acceptable.

Lights such as those built by SureFire are high end lights. No question about that fact. They thus should be held to a higher standard. Yet we should try to remember that these lights are still intended to be tools, not collector's pieces. They are intended to be used.....by LEOs, firefighters, the military (Attached to weapons in some cases I might add) , and even by us under conditions that would cause those inexpensive lights to fail very quickly. They are not really intended to be show pieces.

If someone feels that they deserve the "perfect" light, that is their right. It is up to the manufacturer or their representative to determine if that is a reasonable request. What I am suggesting is that we often DO expect more than most folks would from these lights, and we should keep the manufacturer's side of the issue in perspective as well. We can accomplish far more by working with the manufacturer in a constructive way. Even though they may not actively engage us in discussion here I would suspect that they do keep an eye on the comments we post and the trends they see.

Peace

Edited For Spelling

 

[selfbuilt]

Look, if you spend $200 to $300 on a flashlight, you have an absolute right to expect and receive the very best, both at the outset and after repairs, regardless of what you're using it for. Come on, those prices are at the higher end of the flashlight world... If I bought a $20 light I wouldn't expect much but NO ONE should feel guilty about being demanding about the quality they get (or didn't get) in a $300 flashlight.

I agree.

While there's understandable hand-wringing about how we hold Surefires to a higher standard than other lights, I think that's only appropriate given the price tag.

I can understand why Surefire simply swapped the head of your light for warranty service, but I think you are well within your rights to return it again and expect one without dirt inside the head.

The donut hole is more problematic, since it's common on this light. This is more of a judgement call IMO - a mild donut is not a warranty claim, a major one is. Clearly, since they can make some lights without too bad of a donut, why should you have to settle for a bad one at that price tag? You shouldn't.

 

[Luna]

GreySave is right. If you had a nice one, and was afraid of loosing/changing for another one, you should have kept it.

They will not sell you a new lens...

 

[sp5it]

Sent in my U2 for repair....just needed the lens replaced. It was a really good U2....good color, no donut hole at all.
Got it back a couple of days ago....the lens is dirty on the inside and now it has a big ole dark spot in the middle of the beam. Obviously this is simply a new head.

Simple.
They couldn't open the head glued with threadlock.
The replaced whole head - stupid move IMO. That's the reason I will never send my light to them. Half a year without flashlight and russian roulette what I will receive. Brick or purplish huge donut crap. No thanks.
Mike

 

[FredericoFreire]

They will not sell you a new lens...

The lens are covered by warranty? Even if you drop it or scratch it by your fault?

 

[LEDcandle]

The lens are covered by warranty? Even if you drop it or scratch it by your fault?

From my last correspondence with SF, yes, if you break your lens even by your own fault, they will replace it.

 

[zapper]

So how does Streamlight charge less, same type of lifetime warranty, and we don't hear about doughnut holes or dead switches on those? Are they doing something vastly different? Firefighters use SL lights and that's definitely in the "Has to work everytime" catagorey. Don't hear about TL-3 or others with these problems. Maybe Sf puts all their really good engineers on the silencer design teams and the rest on the accessories team!! :touche:

 

[FredericoFreire]

So, if they don't open, change lens and close with threadlock; instead of just send you a new head, is a good or bad idea?

For Campdavid it was too bad, because he lost the head that he liked.

For other cases, it should be fine replacing the old scratched head for a brand new one.

That's the way Surefire offers the best service they *think* they can offer. They replace the bad part for a new one.

 

[guntotin_fool]

Its called a marketing team, The local cop shop where i visit to peruse the latest and greatest in tackticool stuff sells 6 times more Streamlights than Surefire. In fact although they sell both, the guys on the floor prefer to sell streamlight because they have far less issues with them, a 4 dollar bulb vs a 21 dollar bulb set. They sell to the PD's and FD's here and the State Patrol and they just say, Streamlights may not have that last 5 % of beam quality, but they work, they are tougher, and they cost half as much.

Now they are pushing a new LED light from china that they have been using, costs less than streamlight but has an honest 140 lumens and is way brighter even than the fancy Gladiator. Huntlight I think is the brand. They really like them and have sold a ton of them, and get this, they have not had a single one, nada, zip, zero, come back. I was going to get one but they had sold all the stock they had to a local cop shop So i will suffer on with my rechargable stinger till then.

 

[Patriot]

It's strange how my opinion of Surefire has changed over the last year. I see a light like the P3D CE as light years ahead in performance and technology. Whether that's true or not, all I can say is that my five Fenix lights perform perfectly and have had zero problems. Half of all the Surefire lights I've purchased have had some kind of issue... from bad clickies, mis-machined pocket clip dovetails, canted bulbs within the lamp assembly, two L4s gone bad with 3 month and almost 5 month replacement times. Dust and lint behind the lense of an L2. And other problems not worth mentioning, but still issues. Every Fenix I own is flawless with beautiful operation and the most I've ever paid for one was $69 bucks. I'd sell my U2 long befor parting with P3D.