Long scratch on new LOD-CE reflector... what would you do?

Just received my Fenix LOD-CE. It has a faint but noticeable scratch on the reflector all the way from the lens near the O-ring, almost all the way down to the base of the reflector, near the LED. The scratch has no noticeable effect on the beam, but you can see it when looking at the reflector. It bothers me somewhat to pay $45 and receive a unit with a scratched reflector, even though it doesn't show up in the beam. My P1 came DOA, and my L2P had annoying contact problems shortly after purchase, so my experience with Fenix is somewhat soured considering what they charge for their lights. If I cared to receive this kind of luck with quality, I would buy some other Chinese light and pay half the Fenix price!

Anyway, at least the LOD-CE works as it should, and I am wondering if it would pay to be anal and send it back for replacement, or am I asking for more bad luck and maybe get back a unit with perfect reflector, but bad electronics like my P1, or wobbly head, or... Do you think this scratch could cause problems later on with the aluminum reflector, maybe being a source for oxidation to begin and bloom on the reflector? If I keep the light as-is and this scratch does become a real problem years down the road, do you think Fenix would stand by and replace it then? With my past Fenix experiences, I am a little leery of sending it back and getting back something else wrong, or worse.

If it bothers you - and it sounds like it does - then I would send it back and get another one. Trouble is, you ALWAYS see the reflector even if it does not affect the beam per se.

At $45 you should expect no noticeable 'flaws'.

I would say exchange it and get it over with. Otherwise it's going to keep bothering you.

I would Change it over for another

TORCH_BOY said:

I would Change it over for another

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I would send it back and get a new one... Unlike Emilion.. Fenix has a good exchange policy!!!
I'm sure you have other lights that will keep you busy until your replacement arrives...
Happy Easter..
Heli

Another vote for exchanging it. The fact that you started a thread tells me you have thought about it a lot and the scratch really does bother you. It would bother me to receive a new light with a scratch on the reflector. Now if it was modded, that's a diferent story but brand new coming from the manufacturer? I think you'll feel better when you have a new unblemished one and then you can have the fun of putting character marks on it yourself.

heliyardsale said:

I would send it back and get a new one... Unlike Emilion.. Fenix has a good exchange policy!!!
I'm sure you have other lights that will keep you busy until your replacement arrives...
Happy Easter..
Heli

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Well, I guess it depends where he bought it.
Personally, if it doesnt affect the beam, I wouldnt bother changing it, since I hardly look in to my reflectors(unless the light is on of course ).
But IF it bothers you, and I think it does, you should definitely send it back. Everybody should demand satisfaction (at least no production flaws as scratches etc) for any light over 30USD. Even though there are much more expencive lights than 45USD, it's still a considerable sum for a tiny flashlight, especially considering how much profit they make on each, which I guess is considerable. If more people sent back the lights theyre not satisfied with, the manufacturers would keep on their toes to maintain high quality.

Agreed, request an exchange. I'm doing the same for my new LP M1 that arrived a couple days ago. There was a big spot on the head where the finish wasn't applied.

If I'm paying good $ for a light, I expect it to be flaw free.

coppertrail said:

Agreed, request an exchange. I'm doing the same for my new LP M1 that arrived a couple days ago. There was a big spot on the head where the finish wasn't applied.

If I'm paying good $ for a light, I expect it to be flaw free.

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n/m

Turbo, you paid for a brand new light, it should be perfect from the manufacturer. Send it back, and if you don't get satisfaction please let us know? The more issues I hear about Fenix the less likely inclined I am to purchase another, light, from them.

Well, I did return the light, and received the replacement today. It has the identical scratch in the reflector that the one I sent had! Same length, same location, same curvature, same everything. Other little indicators in the packing and light, such as the bit of extra lube I put on the threads, lead me to suspect the light I received back is the same as the one I returned. Of course, I can't prove that. But I find it odd that a second light would have the same exact scratch in the reflector. I have pretty much had it with Fenix, and the gentleman with whom I have been dealing. When I returned my DOA P1 many months ago, I asked him if he would please just take a moment to ensure the replacement P1 he ships indeed would at least turn on. His response was that he could not do that, otherwise then all his customers would be requesting that he "cherry pick" lights for them. I mean, Jesus, he just sent me a DOA P1, and I did not think that asking him to put a cell into the replacement before shipping to ensure that it turns on was asking a whole lot, considering the inconvenience of having to ship it back to him, and considering the premium price. That's not the type of great customer service attitude I see people on this board raving about 4sevens' Fenix-store.com. And now this scratch issue. Once this issue is resolved, this is my last Fenix light, ever, from any seller.

Can you photograph the defect and post it here?

EngrPaul said:

Can you photograph the defect and post it here?

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It won't show up on a photo. To be most visible, the light should be on low and viewed from the side so you are not looking directly at the LED's reflection. I have decided to keep the light as-is. I am just pissed that here I was waffling on whether to return it or not for exchange because I was worried I might receive a replacement with some other worse grief. Never would I have imagined my original light would be quietly returned to me! Maybe he didn't actually turn the light on so he couldn't see the scratch, and decided that I was smoking crack, so I probably wouldn't notice it was the same light returned. I don't know. All I know is that now I am out the additional time and postage for returning it, and I have the same light back. At this point I do not trust the seller to make things right at all from here on out. Between this and the way he handled my DOA P1 issue I mentioned earlier, I'm just keeping this functional yet scratched LOD-CE and will never buy from 4seven's Fenix-store.com again. I also wonder if he would actually honor any long-term warranty failure, as he requires an order number for returns, but I received none in my original package, nor in any email. If I ever feel the urge to buy Fenix again, which I doubt, I would probably go with lighthound.

Turbo DV8 said:

It won't show up on a photo. To be most visible, the light should be on low and viewed from the side so you are not looking directly at the LED's reflection. I have decided to keep the light as-is. I am just pissed that here I was waffling on whether to return it or not for exchange because I was worried I might receive a replacement with some other worse grief. Never would I have imagined my original light would be quietly returned to me! Maybe he didn't actually turn the light on so he couldn't see the scratch, and decided that I was smoking crack, so I probably wouldn't notice it was the same light returned. I don't know. All I know is that now I am out the additional time and postage for returning it, and I have the same light back. At this point I do not trust the seller to make things right at all from here on out. Between this and the way he handled my DOA P1 issue I mentioned earlier, I'm just keeping this functional yet scratched LOD-CE and will never buy from 4seven's Fenix-store.com again. I also wonder if he would actually honor any long-term warranty failure, as he requires an order number for returns, but I received none in my original package, nor in any email. If I ever feel the urge to buy Fenix again, which I doubt, I would probably go with lighthound.

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You can get your order number by logging into your account on the fenix-store website.

I dunno, Fenix store has been pretty darn good to me. I did have an issue with an L2T that did not get well resolved at first, but 4x7's took the light back in the end.

Fenix store is tops, many will agree. I can't comment on your situation exactly, perhaps it fell through the cracks?

Keep in mind 4x7's is out of town (I think 10 days) so some other of the staff may have made a mistake.

Get your money back, leave it a while, then buy another, if so desired.

now what you mean that kind of stuff drives me nuts i would stare and stress till i emaild them and let them no or something maybe even send it back they have a website see if you can email them maybe they can send you the part?

Turbo DV8 said:

It won't show up on a photo. To be most visible, the light should be on low and viewed from the side so you are not looking directly at the LED's reflection. I have decided to keep the light as-is. I am just pissed that here I was waffling on whether to return it or not for exchange because I was worried I might receive a replacement with some other worse grief. Never would I have imagined my original light would be quietly returned to me! Maybe he didn't actually turn the light on so he couldn't see the scratch, and decided that I was smoking crack, so I probably wouldn't notice it was the same light returned. I don't know. All I know is that now I am out the additional time and postage for returning it, and I have the same light back. At this point I do not trust the seller to make things right at all from here on out. Between this and the way he handled my DOA P1 issue I mentioned earlier, I'm just keeping this functional yet scratched LOD-CE and will never buy from 4seven's Fenix-store.com again. I also wonder if he would actually honor any long-term warranty failure, as he requires an order number for returns, but I received none in my original package, nor in any email. If I ever feel the urge to buy Fenix again, which I doubt, I would probably go with lighthound.

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Just saw your thread here. I checked my records and we definitely sent you a different light. That original one went back to the factory.

I believe the scratch you see is really just the green isolation line in the cree
die. Please post pictures as this would clear things up.

I just searched our correspondence and founds about 30 email correspondences where we took time to answer all your questions and
concerns. I've also found several returns over small things of which we
honored as this is your consumer right according to our store policy. Between this and
your numerous returns, it is safe to say you are one of the most demanding
customers we have had to handle. And we did without complaint.

Bravo 4sevens! I've made two orders from you and been impressed with your excellent service both times. Also, I really appreciate the bonus keychain light you included with my last order (which, coincidentally, was 2 L0D-CE Q2s, which are both in excellent condition).


No disrespect to the original poster here, but there are limits to what a customer is reasonably entitled to. If the beam is not affected, a scratch on the reflector - which, as you have pointed out, is nearly impossible for the average person to see even if it is described in detail to them, and furthermore has absolutely no impact on the functioning of the beam, is not an unreasonable defect on a $45 light. If it were a $4500 wristwatch, I could see your point, but the state of manufacturing at this point in time is such that any product will have "imperfections" that are still within spec. There is no such thing as a perfect product- this is why two samples of the same automotive engine component have nearly microscopic size variances that the engine ECU has to compensate for with a learning function, and why $800 LCD monitors and $5000 DSLRs still have dead pixels. Precision medical devices cost tens of thousands of dollars not because of the technology that goes into them but because of the precision required in their manufacture.

4sevens, I will continue to recommend you to others and to rely on you for my own lighting purchases. Thank you for being one of the most affordable, reliable, and accommodating merchants I have ever used.

If it can't be seen in a picture I think it is probably not a real defect but an optical illusion or just how the reflector is and should be. With a digital camera in macro mode any defect as small as it can be can be shown, you can even see dust particles in macro mode so I seriously think you should post a picture to sustain the validity of this claim.

Luigi