Surefire suppport - no warm fuzzy

Sir,
You will need to purchase a complete tail cap, no parts available
for sale. If you have any further questions please call us at
800-828-8809. SureFire strives to provide World class customer service
to all of our customers.
SureFire technical support
1-800-828-8809
1-714-545-9444
1-714-545-9537(FAX)

-----Original Message-----
From:ME
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 8:29 PM
To: helpyou
Subject: L6 tailcap replacement parts

Hello,

I just got a used L6 with the Z58 momentary/clicky tailcap that has been
slaughtered.

Is it possible to buy just the guts and use the existing Aluminium cap
and
rubber boot?

If so, could you please direct on how to do this?

Thanks.

Jim Linch

Click to expand...

So, anyone got a good deal on a Z58?

Funny I just got a similar email about the tailcap on my 6P...BUT, while I was awaiting a reply from the email, I called customer support and they agreed to send me a new tailcap. The whole conversation took about a minute, no hassle, just customer service the way it used to be.

I got the email yesterday and made the call yesterday.

Try a phone call. BTW my 6P is old at least 5+ years one of the laser solutions or someting enscribed.

If the tailcap is broken, call up SF and get a new one. I went through 5 Z59's to get one that works.

oregonshooter,

I just bought two Z58s and neither one works on the L6. They work on the L5 and C2, but not the M3T, M3, or L6. ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO WORK?? My L6 CAME with the Z58 and it works fine. I bought a Z59 to backup my U2 tailcap and IT also works fine on the L6. Is it possible that the Z58 on the L6 is different??? It shouldn't be that way or we would really get confused. So far, I have 3 Z58s that do not work on the L6, and 2 Z58s and a Z59 that do. Is the quality control that bad?? What is going on here!!!

Flashdark sends, confused!

Call them.

oregonshooter said:

So, anyone got a good deal on a Z58?

Click to expand...

Jim, your use of language likely gave the impression that the TailCap had been violently or brutally abused.

I suggest you call SureFire and just say it is broken. After all, you don't know for certain how it was used previously do you and there is no benefit in speculating.

Al

From your email it sounded like it was deliberatly destroyed by the previous owner, and you were asking about buying parts for repeair which they answered were not possible. I don't see anything wrong with their reply, and you have the option to make them a call as they pointed out. If it was slaughtered because it broke, then you probably will get a new one if you call them and say that it broke.

Well, I was being honest up front. See what that gets ya?

Yes the previous owner trashed the contact bar and it was obvious that the switch had been pried open at least once.

The light is a friends at work and I am trying to help him get it into working condition. After showing him the cap on my M3T, he is leaning towards a traditional twisty (at my encouraging) because I don't feel the switch is well made to begin with and have read a lot of trouble with them in just two days looking here on the forums.

Their email did not imply for me to call them and get a different answer, they were saying "call and we will sell you a complete cap."

I have never delt with SF for service but was expecting a top company to consider that I was honest up front and maybe use it as a chance for good PR by offering one at cost (or free) since it's a $250.00 light!

My friend has been using a Streamlight for years here at work and after the batteries died, lens was all scratched up, they repaired replaced everything for cost of shipping. Lifetime warranty, no BS (Dillon style) policy.

SF has got to know their switch has had problems?

Anyway, not impressed. No they don't owe me anything, but not the way I would run the business.

So anyone know the part number for the twisty that goes on the M3? My 6P twisting is what he's using on the L6 now. I suppose the M3 will work also, I'll double check it tonight if he brought his light into work.

Somebody point me to a good deal please! Thanks for all the responses also, CPF rocks! :rock:

Lighthound.com should be able to hook you up! Sorry that happened to you...

BTW, I have an SW02 that I use on my M2 and M3 and it's SWEET...good excuse to upgrade... But if you want stock, the one they show as the Z41HA is the one you want...lighthound.com is great. Excellent service.

JM-99

I'll check and see which lock out tailcap works with that one and will hook you up if you'll shoot me an email or PM. Thanks

When I first dealt with SF CS, I was a bit disappointed as well. That all changed.
I was showing a friend kuboton techniques with my L2 and it hit the tile floor.
It bent the ring on the end of the bezel, so I e-mailed SF and asked if I could buy a new bezel ring. They said it was a factory repair and I would have to send it in.:huh2:
Not wanting to be without the light, and being stubborn, I called CS and explained what happpened, being honest that it was I who screwed up the light, and they again told me it was a factory repair. I asked why? The ring just unscrews! I can just screw the new one back on. They told me it wasn't supposed to unscrew.
When I asked what it was going to cost, they said "nothing". I sent the light back without batteries and in two weeks, I had it back in my grubby little hands with new batteries in it and they had also replaced the tailcap as they stated that they found a problem with that as well!

When I had a problem with the tailcap on my M1, they sent another out ASAP and just told me to throw out the bad one.:goodjob:

I think if you just call them, they will send another out without question.

Isnt that great:
When you buy a surefire, you not only pay for your flashlight - you also pay for someone elses flashlight, that he just destroyed.

Standing behind their products is great, but they should not just replace anything that got scratched in any way.

When i destroy one of my lights i BUY a new one. After all, it was my fault.

BBL,

Are you arguing that sending out a replacement part at COST is raising the cost of everyone else who buys a SF? Including me? If it's at cost, then they loose a markup of a few dollars. They loose a lot more by customers bitching and going to Streamlight or whoever on their next purchase. It's good business to keep customers happy, and it costs more to be cheap on a $15.00 (guess) part that they sell for $38.00 on a flashlight that someone paid them $250.00 for.

If you read my post, you should see clearly that I did not ask for a free part, was hoping for replacement part at cost, will be buying a part from another vender who treats their customer base a little more wisely.

It wasn't my fault the guy before destroyed (and get this.. a known faulty part) but I'm not whining about paying for it if that's the impression you got. If it is, I'd reread the thread and see if you missed something?

oregonshooter said:

Are you arguing that sending out a replacement part at COST is raising the cost of everyone else who buys a SF? Including me? If it's at cost, then they loose a markup of a few dollars.

Click to expand...

Every cost has to be recovered from their sales, so if increased cost then they will have to earn more money on sales, either by selling more lights (good CS may be important for that) or by increasing price, or both.

When sending you out a part, it probably cost them more in shipping (must also remember the salary for the guy packaging and sending it out) than the part itself.

"good CS may be important for that"...

There are two models I see today for business, "short nickel/long dime." The short nickel says "it cost what it cost, you bought it, it's not our problem anymore." Long dime says "keep the customer happy and he will come back."

Dillon reloading sells very expensive gear. They are the best in their field as IMO SureFire is in theirs.

Difference in marketing models could not be further apart if the email I got is representative of SF's, which another poster here has said it is.

I call Dillon tell them I found a 550 press in the trash can, but the charging handle is bent, their answer is not: "We can sell you one." Their answer is "we stand behind our gear 100% for life no matter who has it or what has been done to it." They send you a free handle.

Cost? Easily offset by the word of mouth PR they get for taking such a stand. That's why they are number one and no one compares.

Streamlight seems to have the same model. Surefire seems to settle for a short nickel. Like I said in the beginning, it's their company I guess I was wrong to expect more from them considering the quality products they make and their position in the field.

As for the last part... I agree. So why not offer the part at cost of such and build a relationship with a potential repeat customer?

Anyway it seems the thread is becoming a ***** session, so I'd appreciate it if a mod would close it.

I'll be buying from TacticalSupply who offered to hook me up.

Jay,
I'm gonna send them that exact email to see if you are right. Wanna place a bet?

I have swapped several emails with Surefire CS this morning. My 6P rolled off of my desk and hit the floor, barely 3 feet, and bam, no more P60. It wasn't on. I emailed them and asked if it should be that easy to kill and they said sorry, no warranty on bulbs and offered to sell me a replacement. I said no thanks.

I never did get the P90 bulb replacement that I was promised by them for a LA that instaflashed when it was brand new on their batteries.

I believe that I am done with Surefire incandescents...

That was fast... So do you think a hacked up switch is gonna be considered warranty work? (notice they did not say they would warranty it) They did not seem to think so in the first letter. I'll call them today and see how they feel on the phone. I won't be lying by ommission though as it's obvious what happened to the switch.

Sir,
You can return the tail cap for warranty repair /replacement to
Surefire. If you have any further questions please call us
at 800-828-8809. SureFire strives to provide World class customer
service to all of our customers.
SureFire technical support
1-800-828-8809
1-714-545-9444
1-714-545-9537(FAX)

-----Original Message-----
From: ME
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 10:49 AM
To: helpyou
Subject: Replacement Tailcap


Attn: Customer Services Manager

Dear Sir/Madam,

I have recently come into possession of one of your excellent L6
flashlights. Although I am very please with the quality of this light
it is not a new item and unfortunately the Z58 tailcap fitted to it
is not in working order. Due to this, please could you let me know if
it is possible for me to obtain a replacement tailcap. The outside
appearance of this cap is fine as is the rubber switch cover so
perhaps it is possible for me to obtain just the internal switch ?

Any help you could give me in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Yours faithfully,

Jim Linch.

Click to expand...

OK, got through on the 800 number. Told the lady that I had been reading about Z58 failures in CPF on early switches and wondered if she had heard anything about this? She said "no, haven't heard anything about that."

Then I told the lady EXACTLY what I said in my first letter and how it was bent, one side of the clip broken and she said "oh wow! That's definitely something we can warranty."

Took mailing address down, said she was sending a new one out. I asked if they wanted to see the old one... "no, just discard it."

It seems the emails are a first line of defense, since nothing new was given in the description nor was it sugar coated like the last email suggestion.

SUREFIRE SUPPORT ADVISER: Don't bother with emails, they are a different customer service group on the phone.