Waiting for Carley Lamps

Ginseng

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Feb 27, 2003
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3,734
Oh well, it looks like the bulbs may ship today or tomorrow. I'll post back in the mosnter thread once I am able to get confirmation.

Wilkey
 

lemlux

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Mar 27, 2002
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San Diego
Ginseng:

I've had similar experiences with Carley ship date forecasts. Followup is adviseable as you've discovered.
 

PaulW

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Mar 23, 2003
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Laurel, Maryland
Ginseng,

I do appreciate your work keeping on top of this. I'm disappointed in Carley's response, but believe the wait will be worth it.

Thanks for keeping us updated.

Paul
 

hmmwv

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Oct 27, 2000
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Santa Clara, CA USA
I've ordered lights and reflectors from carley lamps several times for custom lights (mostly video) - some things you need to remember --

they're selling custom bulbs at a mass production price by grouping your order with larger production orders for guys like SF, etc - so you're getting a low price compared to having a custom bulb made to your specs! that's a rare deal these days.

they also will finish their reflectors to your specs for very little $ (typically under a buck) - consider that you're getting a precision 99% reflectivity surface for less than 10-10-220 charges you to talk to an answering machine! - it's a good deal.

Yes - it takes them time to put the order together (last one I had included custom reflector finishes, and custom welded leads on the bulbs so I could solder directly to them - these stretched the delivery out an extra 2 weeks)

There aren't many places who can deliver such a wide variety of bulbs and reflectors at a low price - companies may spend $100+ for tooling on a new bulb design for each order - Overall Carley is doing a great job supplying parts to experimenters and researchers even with the delay - they're a brick and mortar company - not a click and ship company - that's why we know the names of their sales staff!

By the way - from my dealings with them - they are VERY responsive to emails (usually within a few hours if during pacific standard time 9a-5p hours) - my custom finished reflectors were missing the setscrews (probably removed during the finishing process) -- all I had to do was email them and they mailed me the missing parts in an envelope - try getting that service from buy.com! Even if the person who took your order isn't working when you email - their staff will research it and update you on the progress.

Overall - I've been very satisfied with the carley product - you just have to wait for quality (but they don't invoice your credit card until they ship) - it's a rare resource on the net that CPF members can use - otherwise we'd be chopping up surefire $20 reflectors to get a $6 lamp out of them!
 

lemlux

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Mar 27, 2002
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San Diego
hmmwv:

I think that shipping delays do indeed arise from all the non-standard product and activities Carley is willing to do on small orders from people like us. Priorities shift and forecasts change.

I by no means meant to be critical of Carley on my previous post. I've ordered 3 times from them and will send them another order in the near future. (I'll buy Carley bulbs, reflectors, and have Carley ceramically pot a number of high amperage Welch Allyn T-2 1/4 bulbs in PR bases for the very reasonable price of $1.65 per bulb.
 

Ginseng

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Feb 27, 2003
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hmmwv,

I understand all that you've said. I appreciate that we can get pricing such as this and I am really glad Carley worked with us. My one and only beef, whether it's with Carley or any other vendor is that when timing changes, communicate. If plans change, communicate. If anything affecting a clear expectation changes, communicate.

I would expect that they know their production cycle well enough to give a reasonable estimate. I'm not asking for a custom item in an unreasonable time frame, just that commitments made are commitments met.

My responsibility is to the guys who have sent me their money never having seen my face. I am their advocate in this process. I guess the other way I could've worked this is to just stay silent until I actually got the bulbs in hand but I don't work that way and I think people appreciate being kept up to date. If the updates I post are proven false, I take it as a reflection on me...but perhaps I shouldn't.

Deep breath...it's just a bunch of lightbulbs.

Wilkey
 

Ginseng

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Feb 27, 2003
Messages
3,734
Only one state away now. Scheduled for delivery tomorrow. Look for the update thread tomorrow.

Wilkey

[ QUOTE ]

Jun 19, 2003
5:42 A.M.
WINDSOR LOCKS, CT, US
ARRIVAL SCAN
4:03 A.M.
LOUISVILLE, KY, US
DEPARTURE SCAN

Jun 18, 2003
12:32 P.M.
LOUISVILLE, KY, US
ARRIVAL SCAN
5:39 A.M.
ONTARIO, CA, US
DEPARTURE SCAN

Jun 17, 2003
9:34 P.M.
ONTARIO, CA, US
ARRIVAL SCAN
8:30 P.M.
GARDENA, CA, US
DEPARTURE SCAN
6:34 P.M.
GARDENA, CA, US
ORIGIN SCAN

5:25 P.M.
US
BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED


[/ QUOTE ]
 

Darkcobra

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 12, 2003
Messages
389
Location
Pittsburg, California
I ordered some Carley bulbs on a Tuesday.
The package actually didn't ship ti'll Friday?
Got our bulbs Wednesday. The bulbs look great, looks like not other PR bulb out there!
They have great prices and great customer service to make up for the slow shipping. . . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif
 
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