Alternative Sources to Botach?

After reading of the bad experiences of people placing orders with Botach, I was wondering if anyone knows of other places that carry the same products at the same prices. I had seriously thought about ordering some stuff from them during their summer sale, but now I'm glad I didn't. Any help will be appreciated. Remember though, I am looking for the same or better prices.

JK

Off Topic:

I just got a blurb they're having an inventory reduction sale, I checked and it seemed only the pelican lights and the PT pulser where good deals or below common prices, all the other prices seem normal.

shrug.
http://www.BotachTActical.com/

You shouldn't have said that cos I was gonna have some Pelican stuff in my order that never was ( )

I've heard good things about Tanners, ($25 more expensive than Botach for my $522 order) but Tanners offer free delivery? which was about $30 so it may have worked out cheaper...

At Christmas, I'll look into it all again. Hopefully the £ will be worth more against the $ by then!

Alastair

Yeah, we'll all be hoping for that POUND to get stronger than the DOLLAR.


NOT!!!
Besides I thought you guys liked it cold dark and damp. <grin>

Since my problems with Botach I have used Tanners, Brightguy or Glow Bug. Tanners does charge shipping, but they don't tell you how much until after the order is made so they can do exact shipping.

Brock - http://www.uwgb.edu/nevermab/flash.htm

Sorry 'bout my mistake, I'm sure than one of the online companies doesn't change is it Lagger Pro or Ultimate Weapons Systems (UWS)?

Nevermind...

Like it cold and damp?
We like it about as much as we like our current England Soccer team.

As an alternative to Botach, as far as ordering Photons goes, I would recommend www.hosfelt.com. They're an electronics company in a small town in Ohio. I bought my previous Photons from there. I called them once with a question, and the person who answered the phone couldn't have been any nicer or more friendly. In a world of yucky answering machines, and menu systems that won't let you talk to anybody, I very much appreciate someone actually picking up the phone.

I think that talking to liveware rather than software is so much more customer friendly!

But, the person has to know what their talking about, or get someone who does!

Al

Tanners is ok, but they can sometimes be slow and they charge your credit card the day you order, even if they ship a week or more later. Shipping may be free on a $500 order, but it's usually between $6 and $7 in my experience. I've also found that their replies to my emailed requests for order status are sometimes borderline snotty, and occasionally there's no reply at all.

Thanks for the info.

Heard of Sable Co.?

Their prices are that sometimes cheaper than Botach...Too good to be true?

I'll second craigz's tepid review of Tanner's - I received no e-mail confirmation of my order, and the e-mail inquiry I sent on Wednesday inquiring about status (1 week after the order) has gone two business days without a response. There's no phone number on the web site.

This is in sharp contrast to my dealings with BrightGuy and TheLedLight.com, which sent me e-mail confirmations right away and put boxes on my desk within a week. The invoice from BrightGuy even included a real person's business card, in case I needed to follow up.

Tanner's was about $7 cheaper than BrightGuy for my ~$130 order, but they'll have to respond quickly if they want to get any of my future business.

A good thing about Tanner's is that, while their shipping isn't free, they do clearly explain the cost structure so you can predict what it'll be: http://www.tannersstorefront.com/shipping3.htm

I probably won't do any Christmas shopping at web sites that are hard to reach and/or don't have a great track record; it's just not worth the anxiety as the big day approaches.

Botach & Tanners are causing problems, but BrightGuy doesn't stock all the SureFire stuff I want. Maybe I can order some Photon II's and replacement Pelican Lamp Modules from him even though he's more expensive (is the extra worth paying for decent service?), and get my SureFires elsewhere...

Anyone heard or used Sable Co.

I got a quote for SureFires which was as good if not better than Botach...Too good to be true?

Alastair

Thanks for the suggestions, gentlemen. I'm sorry for the late response, sometimes I don't get around on the web as much as I want! Thanks again.

JK

Quick plug for Lagger Pro (www.lagger-pro.com). They have a bunch of Surefire stuff, and free shipping in the U.S., and their prices are competitive.

--dan

I thought I should follow up that my Tanner's order did arrive yesterday, 1.5 weeks after placement. Not an unreasonable lag. Never did get a reply to my e-mail, but the box was shipped 2 days after I sent it.

The UKE 2L is a neat little light!

Jamie

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Size15s:
Botach & Tanners are causing problems, but BrightGuy doesn't stock all the SureFire stuff I want.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

True, BrightGuy doesn't have everything in stock, but they can order any Surefire item you need. They didn't have the Hurricane 12B, the horizontal 6P nylon pouch or the Z41 lockout tailcap in stock when I placed my orders. However, Greg Atwell special ordered them for me, and they arrived 2-3 days (perhaps a week) after I received the in-stock items. In stock items typically take 2-3 days to arrive after placing the order. That's pretty fast.

True that BrightGuy may not have the best prices, but their stuff is usually pretty reasonable. For me, peace of mind and excellent email/phone service is worth the few extra bucks.

/mel

Hey tell me more about the horizontal 6P holster you are talking about please. If you can find a picture to link to or even post, that would be greatly appreciated. Also, do you happen to know if the M2 would fit in that holster?

My 9P holster made by Surefire will not fit my M2 because of the pocket clip. I know the V70 holster will fit the M2, but I really use my holsters more for storage than for carrying, so one that completely contains the light and protects it would be preferable over the V70-type holster.

Thanks, Bucky

I'll email BrightGuy with what I want, and see how much he can get them all for!

Alastair

I don't have an M2 to compare, but I suspect it would fit into the horizontal holster, as long is it isn't too much longer than the 6P.

I got both the vertical bezel up 6P holster and the horizontal holster. The horizontal holster is kind of big (a bit bulky, reminds me of a mini fanny pack ) with an elastic slot for spare DL123As. Kinda cool in that respect. However, I got the holsters with the intent of carrying my 6P at work (corporate environment). The slim vertical holster is a LOT less conspicuous.

See the Nylon CarryAll holster Pouch: http://www.surefire.com/holsters.htm

Alastair, you might see if BrightGuy will give you a discount if you're putting a big order together. Doesn't hurt to try.

/mel

I was thinking of getting over $500 from Botach.
Is $500 a bit order?

The pound is sliding against the dollar! I hope it recovers by Christmas!!

Al