Fenix Problems - Parts not available

I was asked to moved this thread and repost.

i got my Fenix 2LP about 2 weeks ago, and I love the light. Today a small piece of the anodizing chipped off on the tailcap switch. I contacted the dealer and he said he would like to help me but spare parts are not available. I wanted to buy 2 of them. No big deal right? Yes it is only a cosmetic problem, but what if I would have lost the tailcap?

I am contacting other dealers and have written directly to the company but I don't think that any of them can help me with spare parts if my dealer can't.


If I can't get parts readily, I will never order another Chinese light again, which is really too bad, because I pretty loved the light. I think it is time I start looking at American-made brands again where I am more likely to be able to get spare parts if I do somthing silly or careless.

if you had lost the tailcap then i think you would be able to get a new one from Fenix in whatever way you can.

You said that when you contacted the dealer, they said they had no replacement parts, and nor did they offer to get one for you. I don't know how you worded your request/problem to the dealer and i think it depends a lot on that. But at the same time, I am not sure that you would've gotten a different initial response from Mag, or Surefire or Inova/Dorcy/whatever, if you had just called them up and told them your anodizing chipped off and you wanted a replacement. I certainly don't see them having readily available off the shelf parts for sale.

I suppose if you bugged them more or asked specifically to buy a replacement part, you might get a more positive answer, but I don't know if you did that. However, just informing them that you chipped your anodize and you want a replacement imho might not bring the best results.

Finally it is true that some other manufacturers offer different warranty policies, but a warranty that asks you to pay for parts is pretty standard in some areas of electronic/electrical goods, and is pretty common for almost all e/e goods in pretty much the rest of the world outside N. America. what i can say though, is that if parts/labor is all included in the warranty, it never comes for free. it'll be priced into what you are paying for the light somehow. no company based on profit will operate at a loss or on goodwill. pretty much you will get what you pay for, or the price will eventually move towards what you should be paying for it. For example, I don't see <insert random manufacturer here> offering to replace my tailcap for free if i chipped the anodize off it. SF will of course fix it for free if i break it, but hey... that's certainly priced into the cost of that light

just my 0.02.

No, truly, if i had lost the tailcap I would not have been able to get one, UNLESS he would dissassemble a unit, which he was not willing to do. According to the dealer, they have to purchase 100 pieces of the same part to get them. So if he sold 2 tailpieces a month it would take him 4 years to do so and it was not fiinancially worth it to him.

He preceeded to tell me if I really wanted a new tailcap, that I should order a whole new light. If it was a warranty issue, it is a different thing. He would fix or replace the whole light and bill it to Fenix. These are the dealers exact words.

You don't have to narrow your focus to specifically "American-made" as there eventually may not be any more. You will fare better if you seek out US companies that are importing product from China rather than buying a product that is marketed directly from a Chinese vendor. It would be the vendor who chooses to offer a warranty. And the "American-made" products, in some cases, may be components imported from various parts of the world and may only be assembled in the U.S. rather than being manufactured here.

Some examples could include companies like Dorcy, Garrity, and Brinkmann. On a higher scale it could also include companies like Streamlight. And there are smaller importers, like Coast Cutlery, who have exceptional customer service, though they tend to be pretty quiet about it (and often get an undeserved bad rap frequently.)

cary1952 said:

I think it is time I start looking at American-made brands again where I am more likely to be able to get spare parts if I do somthing silly or careless.

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It's the 'just in time' supply chain that is common in Asian manufacturing. There are seldom spare parts available, and US based manufacturers often build in the cost of a complete replacement into your retail price in the event that a warranty claim is filed. They just replace the item, or upgrade you to the current version if you have an older model. It's just not cost effective to repair many of the items being manufactured in China, it actually costs less to replace it.

Telling you to buy a new light to replace a damaged or lost tailcap is pretty much what you should expect to hear when it comes to most of the products coming out of China, including high priced items like iPods. (notice that iPods are always replaced, never repaired?)

cary1952 said:

According to the dealer, they have to purchase 100 pieces of the same part to get them. So if he sold 2 tailpieces a month it would take him 4 years to do so and it was not fiinancially worth it to him.

He preceeded to tell me if I really wanted a new tailcap, that I should order a whole new light. If it was a warranty issue, it is a different thing. He would fix or replace the whole light and bill it to Fenix. These are the dealers exact words.

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This is very interesting way to do business. So I lose a $5 tailcap, I have to purchase a $40 light. Or if i crack a $3.00 lens (window) I have to purchase a $40 light. Hmmm. I don't think that would be the case with Surefire or streamlight would it? There is easy access to spare parts I would think? or not?

Cary

I stand corrected on the lost tailcap. it would seem you would have trouble finding another if you lose it. luckily it's usually not that easy to lose one - much easier to damage or break it than to lose it.

Most things in "business" these days go on volume. that's how you get cheap goods. if you do a custom or small run, you either have to pay exorbitant prices, or be pushed to the bottom of the priority list, or both. The high prices and low priority will probably nullify any cost savings to be found outside your home country. The requirement for volume pretty much filters all the way down, from the subcontractors making the different components, through the "manufacturer", right down to dealer as you have experienced.

As Brighteyez mentioned those companies that can do it easily have already factored the costs into the retail price, or have devised some way to make money off you in providing replacement parts. Some even make it a business model--ever heard of printers and replacement ink cartridges?

It might be likely that most mass-market companies won't particularly factor in making replacement parts available because of these reasons. but i suppose if there is enough demand they will start doing so... but again the costs are what is prohibitive. Ever check out how much it costs for small run items such as in the Sandwiche Shoppe? no knock on Wayne, he provides great, high-quality stuff that I like and I buy. but he is clearly aimed at a higher market at smaller runs. Check out how much the price goes up such as for a DSpeck Fire~Fly body when you don't have the volume... the body alone costs as much as a complete Fenix light!

it's just a fact of business these days, however fortunate or unfortunate it is, depending on which side of the coin you're on i guess =P

If you're worried about the light's finish you shouldn't use it...If you need to use the light then you should forget about the finish and just use it, all tools start to show wear eventually.
for $40, the L1P is a great light for the price, even with NO warranty.

I'm not worried about a scratch! Mine doesn't work!: http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1484425#post1484425

Cary,

BTW, a few years ago the switch on my SL Stinger broke. I shipped the light to them. They put a new switch in for free & wrote that "your lens was a little scratched so we replaced that too" Wow! I didn't even mention the lens & they replaced it anyways. Unfortunately SL doesn't sell a luxeon 1watt 1xAA model!

John

cary1952 said:

This is very interesting way to do business. So I lose a $5 tailcap, I have to purchase a $40 light. Or if i crack a $3.00 lens (window) I have to purchase a $40 light. Hmmm. I don't think that would be the case with Surefire or streamlight would it? There is easy access to spare parts I would think? or not?

Cary

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Probably, however for the luxury of having those spares available you pay a premium price at the get go.

I don't know who you bought it from but you could ask 4sevens if he can help; he was first on the scene w/Fenix.

Good luck

Karl

Maybe we could do a group buy. I think with all the fenix owners we could go through 100 tailcaps. I would definately like an extra.

You could always buy a complete light yourself and part it out. Sell the body and head on BST, there is a demand for both.

red_robby said:

If you're worried about the light's finish you shouldn't use it...If you need to use the light then you should forget about the finish and just use it, all tools start to show wear eventually.
for $40, the L1P is a great light for the price, even with NO warranty.

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My thoughts exactly.

red_robby said:

for $40, the L1P is a great light for the price, even with NO warranty.

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No, it isn't. When my 40$ Inova T1 had it's tailcap die they sent me two new tailcaps free, without having to send back the dead one. Longbow swapped out my Micra twistie tailcap for free too.

The Fenix is a good light for 40$; but for 40$ and a go-to-hell warranty it is sub-par.

spoonrobot said:

No, it isn't. When my 40$ Inova T1 had it's tailcap die they sent me two new tailcaps free, without having to send back the dead one. Longbow swapped out my Micra twistie tailcap for free too.

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The same I have read about the Fenix lights, not with 2 but with 1.

Carry, don't worry about a scratch in the tailcap. I have fixed a lanyard on the tailcap, so I can't loose it. Perhaps I can loose the light, but not the tailcap:lolsign:.

IMO the Fenix lights are great at all for that price.

Best regards

_____
Tom

Try contacting Fenix directly. When I had a problem they were good about returning my emails. [email protected]
You paid good money and shouldn't settle for a light that is blemished.

Brighteyez said:

You don't have to narrow your focus to specifically "American-made" as there eventually may not be any more. You will fare better if you seek out US companies that are importing product from China rather than buying a product that is marketed directly from a Chinese vendor. It would be the vendor who chooses to offer a warranty. And the "American-made" products, in some cases, may be components imported from various parts of the world and may only be assembled in the U.S. rather than being manufactured here.

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Sadly, I've found that not to be the case. Most US-based companies that used to manufacture goods here, and always had full spare-parts availability, then moved their manufacturing to China have nearly or completely eliminated spare parts availability along with the manufacturing shift.

It seems that when you're in search of that last penny of profit, it's not just being made off of nearly free labor and a lack of government regulation, but as much or more savings comes from the use of inferior materials, lack of QC, and elimination of the expensive spare-parts chain.

I can't think of one US-made light that I can't get a spare tailcap for (Inova, Streamlight, Surefire, HDS, ...).

I can't think of one Chinese made light that I can (Fenix, Streamlight (try to get a spare for a Twintask? Ha, they'll scoff at you), LRI (spare cap for a Proton?), Dorcy (nope, not available- I called them on a Super 1 watt - see my previous thread), ....

red_robby said:

If you're worried about the light's finish you shouldn't use it...If you need to use the light then you should forget about the finish and just use it, all tools start to show wear eventually.
for $40, the L1P is a great light for the price, even with NO warranty.

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Ditto here. If you want the light to look perfect all the time, put it on a shelf (where the term "shelf queen" came from) in a glass covered display box and screw it down to the shelf so it won't get knocked off and scratched.

All my lights have scratches and knicks because I bought them to use and that is what happens when you use something- no way around it.

Just my 2¢!

UPDATE

Last week I contacted Fenix directly from their webpage. After several cordial replies, they said that they would send a couple of tailcaps for $6 each, to be shipped on the next order to my dealer. He could then mail them to me. It could be several months but that is ok. Also, I did manage to find a CPF'r that had an extra one and he said he would send it to me immediately.

Also, for the record: Parts ARE available for Fenix Lights through the local dealers from the manufacture in China. Probably all parts, not just tailcaps. However a minimum stock order of 100 part pieces must be made by the dealer. The dealer that I purchased it from said it wasn't feasable for them to put in an order for 100 tailcaps. I think the idea of a group buy may be good, depending on the price. I am sure several people could use a spare tailcap or 2. Especially if a person purchases the L1P/L2P combo. Then a person would only have to switch the head and it would save a lot of wear and tear on the tailcap and O-rings. I guess we just need to convince the dealer to put in that large of an order.

cary1952 said:

Also, for the record: Parts ARE available for Fenix Lights through the local dealers from the manufacture in China. Probably all parts, not just tailcaps. However a minimum stock order of 100 part pieces must be made by the dealer.

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This, in red, is in my opinion, a bunch of crapola. They are already sending complete lights to the dealers, why would they put such a high minimum number on parts that would/could be mailed along with the complete lights.

I may have to be more selective where I spend my flashlight money.