LumaPower LumaCraft D-Mini Q2, fake, original ?

Hi

Just noticed there's a LumaPower 'LumaCraft D-Mini' popping up on some of the shadier places (DX, QCG, etc.).

Looking closer at the pics There's two odd things with it:
- It's labeled Q2, I don't think lumapower ever did a Q2 one, or did they?
- The tail section is quite different, a breaded band instead of the classic 4 grooves.

Besides that the labelling and such all looks official Lumapower

Anyone have any idea what that's all about ?
Figure these are good or bad buys ?

Anyone have one already?

It looked to me like the run is not HAIII. I wouldn't call these dealers shady - they are typical Chinese dealers but better than most - it's more an accepted way of biz in China to sell the way they do but Kyle at DX seems honest almost to a fault. Lumapower is on CPF and if these were fake I'm sure we would have heard about it by now. DX has many times gotten bigger name lights and sold them for less than the competition.

matrixshaman said:

It looked to me like the run is not HAIII. I wouldn't call these dealers shady - they are typical Chinese dealers but better than most - it's more an accepted way of biz in China to sell the way they do but Kyle at DX seems honest almost to a fault. Lumapower is on CPF and if these were fake I'm sure we would have heard about it by now. DX has many times gotten bigger name lights and sold them for less than the competition.

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Sorry, shady was meant playfully, I'm a DX addict myself
I'm just extremely curious about this run of lights, if they're Q2 they could even be better then the originals, right ?

I think LumaPower has said bad things about the MRV's on DX if I recall well. I think those were from a group that split off of LumaPower though.

So now I'm wondering about these D mini's, especially since they're built differently from the common models. Is this a newer model, is this a really old model, is this better or worse then the originals?

I do think they originate from LumaPower somehow, since the logo matches and a forger would actually make a identical model I think

I've bought several of the MRV lights and believe that they are the stock given to the group of employees that separated from LumaPower. I have ordered some of these D-Mini lights too and assume that they are inventory given to those who left as compensation. I hope that the Q2 emitters were put in the lights by LumaPower, not DX, and I'll try to comment after I receive them.:shrug:

Different tail cap, definitely.

Shady indeed.

Not a fake, but not quite the complete item - there will be no customer support, for instance.

There is a full discussion of this here:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172632

Well if we were allowed to post private emails I'd be posting the one I got from LumaPower's Managing Partner telling me that LumaPower has never marked a bin on a light yet....but we're not allowed to post private correspondance so...

matrixshaman said:

... it's more an accepted way of biz in China to sell the way they do but Kyle at DX seems honest almost to a fault...

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Hmm, does selling fake Surefire U2's make one seem, "honest almost to a fault?" They might 'do business' in an honest way but is selling product that violates international patent law honest or something that should be supported by this community?

>Mods, if I've stepped over the line feel free to edit/delete that post but da troof is da troof.

MattK said:

Hmm, does selling fake Surefire U2's make one seem, "honest almost to a fault?" They might 'do business' in an honest way but is selling product that violates international patent law honest or something that should be supported by this community?

>Mods, if I've stepped over the line feel free to edit/delete that post but da troof is da troof.

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1. Honest is not the same as ethical.
2. Ethics vary from culture to culture.

I'm just trying to maybe clarify what matrixshaman said, by the way. I think he meant that Kyle will often point out flaws or shortcomings in various products on the site. For the record: Neither Kyle nor MattK have ever lied to me!
-Winston

Can't disagree with what you've said Winston but I'm not sure that you can completely disentangle honesty from ethics. Can one really be fully honest and not ethical and vice versa? Ahh well, another time, another forum.

I totally got what matrixshaman was saying, thus my quotes on 'do business' a la they may not have screwed their customers despite their lack of ethics in selling counterfeit and knock off products. Which, by the way, the importation of which is illegal in most civilized countries and since we don't discuss illegal activity on CPF...

Anyway, I think my point is made. Remember when dealing in merchandise that violates the law it's not just the seller whose ethics are in question but the buyers as well when they knowingly buy goods that violate the law and intellectual property - be it flashlights or knock-off purses.

Hey, my thread! Less about grey market and more about this specific light
*g*, just kidding ofcourse


Ahh, ethics, I gave up on those when I realised our ( kapitalist ) way of life just doesn't work together with ethics
Car's are inethical, trying to find bargains is usually inethical, big corporations are inethical, makign a profit is inethical, eating meat is inethical
We can pretend we're ethical cause we're usually shielded from the effects we cause, but well, let's be honest

*g*, well, ok, I do think ethics matter ^_^
So I compromise, I buy from Matt/LP to support them, and then sneak in a cheap 'deal' now and then too
Can't fault me at that ^_^


Actually, the no shipping cost is what makes DX so tempting too, there's not really any significant LP dealers in europe, and the ones that do exist have limited stock and tend to be priced a bit high.
I'd love Matt's if I'd actually be living in the US and didn't have to cash out the extra 20$ for every impule buy


To get back to the mini, according to Matt it's not from LP then. I'm wondering if it could be partial stock from the 'bad guy' who left LP, mayby it missed a tailend and driver and such ?
So they added a driver + Q2 + own machined tailend ?

Dunno, could be a fully fledged replica too, someone 'd have to hold it next to a real one and see the differences


Ahwell, I'm out of money anyways, no more shinies for me in a long time ^__^
Probably..

cranphin said:

... Actually, the no shipping cost is what makes DX so tempting too, there's not really any significant LP dealers in europe, and the ones that do exist have limited stock and tend to be priced a bit high. ...

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Do you know this one: www.qualityflashlights.eu

tl

taschenlampe said:

Do you know this one: www.qualityflashlights.eu

tl

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They're ok, I guess. Just not quite the same as batteryjunction tho really..
Where's the SE's, and the special deals?

Don't recall seeing them (in person) on CPF before either

I really need to start a site in Europe - or have a Euro ship point.

MattK said:

I really need to start a site in Europe - or have a Euro ship point.

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I think thats a great idea! We have lots of europeans here, BUT you have to be able to provide them with very close to US pricing, otherwise no point for you or your potential customers!
I think you could have lots of biz if you get your pricing right, we europeans are really tired of looking at US prices and feeling angry at what they expect us to pay locally.

Mash said:

I think thats a great idea! We have lots of europeans here, BUT you have to be able to provide them with very close to US pricing, otherwise no point for you or your potential customers!
I think you could have lots of biz if you get your pricing right, we europeans are really tired of looking at US prices and feeling angry at what they expect us to pay locally.

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Threadjack number two for me so far (for anyone keeping score):duck:

I'm tempted to move to Europe just to get in on this thing. This sounds like some lucky EuroCPFer's ticket to prosperity!
1. Batteryjunction takes order on website
2. auto-emails it to European partner who
3. drop-ships it to customer
4. good times are had by all

Euro-warehouse doesn't need to bother with website, customer service, or payment processing; and Matt doesn't need to box product, maintain extra inventory, deal with customs, etc.

I'll leave the final details to you guys
-Winston

MattK said:

I really need to start a site in Europe - or have a Euro ship point.

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Yes! ^_^
And if it takes a year to set up, I'll have money to spend again

And imagine what LumaPower will have invented by then

MattK said:

Hmm, does selling fake Surefire U2's make one seem, "honest almost to a fault?" They might 'do business' in an honest way but is selling product that violates international patent law honest or something that should be supported by this community?

>Mods, if I've stepped over the line feel free to edit/delete that post but da troof is da troof.

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You passed that line on 9/27:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=169604

I can understand your frustration with LumaPower's declining market value. But why knock multiple threads that are related to another dealer ?

Take a step back from the situation & ask yourself. Who is to blame for your current situation with LumaPower's product line ?

Another dealer, who has the advantage of being local to the factory or a manufacturer who is having severe management problems ?

LGCubana said:

Take a step back from the situation & ask yourself. Who is to blame for your current situation with LumaPower's product line ? Another dealer, who has the advantage of being local to the factory or a manufacturer who is having severe management problems ?

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I don't believe MattK is crapping in this thread. The issue in the title is whether or not this light is a fake. Matt's comments about the bin label are thus appropriate to the topic. As others have also pointed out, the tailcap is also clearly not of lumapower design.

selfbuilt said:

I don't believe MattK is crapping in this thread. The issue in the title is whether or not this light is a fake. Matt's comments about the bin label are thus appropriate to the topic. As others have also pointed out, the tailcap is also clearly not of lumapower design.

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Agreed, and I started the thread I'm just really curious to the details of this light, MattK provided the most interesting info thus far
This thread kicking up some dirt was to be expected anyways, and I'm quite happy with a dealer who shows so much interest in the forums

So now the wait is for someone to actually get the light and compare it to a known D-Mini ^__^
Been multiple people who said they will already I think

-why- Am I so interested? I'm a geek, I don't need a reason
It just caught my eye I love lil mysteries ^_^