470nm diode

The reason they do that, is partly so that they can offer different prices to different people, based on what they judge you to be willing to pay. They're all about making the sale.

I also suspect that in this case, their tactic of listing a few high end CNI DPSS units, alongside cheap PriceAngels-esque pointers and modules, allows them to occasionally command higher prices for the junk than they'd be able to get otherwise.

It also makes it much more difficult for review sites and forums like ours to comment on or critique their pricing. Sure, there may be little bits and pieces of that pricing info floating around in various threads, posts, and perhaps in a few members' collective knowledge banks based on quotes and queries they've made. But for the most part, it's difficult to create a google-able review of the value proposition presented by a retailer that doesn't publicly list those prices in the first place.

It's a little bit different in the case of CNI, who I presume doesn't list their pricing for the benefit of their many distributors selling products in different markets at a markup.

Plus CNI seems to be determined to piss off all their 'individual hobbyist' customers at the moment as well.

I was speaking to a Chinese international student who's studying Business and Management, and he said the major difference between big corporations in China and, he said England but I assume it to be the same in the US and most other places, is that generally in China the customer proposes the price. It seems weird, but maybe it's just that it's not a concept we've grown up with.

Maybe that was true in the past, Jai, and it may be in high-octane business deals, but I'm pretty sure that China has learned and adapted to Western ways in order to sell to us... I've never had a Chinese seller so much as give an inch when it comes to pricing. Even outside of lasers, (I deal with audio equipment too) - a lot of stuff is coming right out of Shenzen and Changchun there, too. I've had stuff arrive broken and the response is "We suggest you buy another"; I've had prices go up mysteriously after the purchase and I get responses like "We are so sorry, the cost is more than it once was, please accept our apologies."

Every email has a prepended "please-and-thank-you", and sometimes a statement of boilerplate "concern". I've just been burned way too much lately, even by "reputable" Chinese sellers. That's not to say there aren't any good ones out there, but owing to track record from what I've seen, I wouldn't put a whole lot of stake in them remaining good once they figure out that:

A) if they can just make their crap twice as cheap, they'll sell more, since relatively few people actually care about quality vs 'cheapniss',

B) They're in China, and you're not, and you can't do a damn thing about it.

Just recently I ordered a tube audio amplifier from a Chinese amplifier manufacturer that has an absolutely STELLAR reputation. In the past, they always treated me great, went out of their way, and I recommended them to friends. This past order, the amplifier arrived with ZERO packing material, shattered in an a cardboard box that the amp was literally 'rolling around in'. I wrote to them, and the response was along the lines of, "You may ship the product back and we will examine it for in-warranty damage."

Gee. Thanks.

Two years ago, said company would have gone out of their way to keep their reputation. Now? Well I'm sure this allows them to shave $50 off their price, and the few previously loyal customers they lose is made up for by the new rubes thay catch.

Their reputation, for some reason, doesn't seem to be suffering either, but I blame this on the "give me apathy or give me.... what were we talking about again?" mentality of most folks these days.

I hope that Lazerer and JetLasers stay the way they are. I guess O-Like hasn't burned me yet, either, but I hear they have, to others. (I swore off Laserlands after they pulled the 'We are so sorry, the x has changed, please accept our apologies' line after I ordered a 200mW "guaranteed" laser early on when 'Merry' was making some guarantees around here, that turned out to be a hot-dang 60mW.) Right now these are the only two Chinese companies keeping me open to the idea that maybe, just maybe, I've had an AMAZING string of bad luck and contacting company representatives on 'bad days'. I don't think that's the case, though. But as I just mentioned above, there are always exceptions.

Understand that part of this comes out of frustration. It's not just one incident, it's a string of incidents, and they all seem to line up with the same "flavor"...

And speaking of which, I hope to find an excuse to order something from JetLasers and Lazerer soon, because Gray and Max deserve that for being active in the forum here and bucking the above trend.

I know what you mean aryntha. Chinese sellers are a lot like posters on internet message boards: A whole lot of them will try all kinds of things knowing that you'll never show up in person or have any authority to really hold them accountable. Some of them will randomly be friendly, and some will be fickle.

The prospect of no legal recourse affects the market for illegal drugs in a similar way.

That sucks about the lack of packaging, you would think they would know better. Have you considered that customs may have removed all the packing material during inspection? I know customs has opened and messed with all of the packages I have gotten from China except one.

This is why having a company to buy items, import them, and then resell them to you is worth money. The only way you have any type of clout with a Chinese company is if you regularly purchase from them. Then the loss of your regular business is a potential deterrent.

I have never successfully haggled over price with a Chinese manufacturer either, although sometimes I get the impression that the price goes up for each additional question I ask.

I think it's a good sign that Tyson eventually accepted their mistake and gave me a partial refund. To me that indicates that they value their customers. At least so far as they can throw them.

Whats the story with 445nm at the moment , are manufacturers like wicked still harvesting , surely the volume they have done means they can buy direct

I have an interesting toy with me at the moment , apprently 460nm mmm , well its definately not 473nm , and its too light a blue to be 445nm which id class as royal blue , gdang i have neveer seen 450nm though .. but it would make sense it is 460nm as seems to fit in there colour wise ... could take a week to get it on a spectrometer though but will update in due course

Any good images of blue comparisons kicking about

paul

PaulBluesky said:

Whats the story with 445nm at the moment , are manufacturers like wicked still harvesting , surely the volume they have done means they can buy direct

I have an interesting toy with me at the moment , apprently 460nm mmm , well its definately not 473nm , and its too light a blue to be 445nm which id class as royal blue , gdang i have neveer seen 450nm though .. but it would make sense it is 460nm as seems to fit in there colour wise ... could take a week to get it on a spectrometer though but will update in due course

Any good images of blue comparisons kicking about

paul

Click to expand...

are you drunk ?

PaulBluesky said:

Whats the story with 445nm at the moment , are manufacturers like wicked still harvesting , surely the volume they have done means they can buy direct

Click to expand...

Chinese laser companies are buying refurbished A/130/A140/A230's by the boat load.:beer:

PaulBluesky said:

Whats the story with 445nm at the moment , are manufacturers like wicked still harvesting , surely the volume they have done means they can buy direct

I have an interesting toy with me at the moment , apprently 460nm mmm , well its definately not 473nm , and its too light a blue to be 445nm which id class as royal blue , gdang i have neveer seen 450nm though .. but it would make sense it is 460nm as seems to fit in there colour wise ... could take a week to get it on a spectrometer though but will update in due course

Any good images of blue comparisons kicking about

paul

Click to expand...

Yeah.... We've all heard that story a few times now.

Where did you get this "460" ?

Ebay?

RHD...I can't recall but what did my "460" actually dial in at? Also, is it in the mail?
I can't remember what you said it did...was it 452?

Jmillerdoc said:

RHD...I can't recall but what did my "460" actually dial in at? Also, is it in the mail?
I can't remember what you said it did...was it 452?

Click to expand...

I think it was 452 - I can check back in our email history, but that's what I believe it was.

Yep - it's been in the mail for a bit over a week now. I have tracking on it. If you remind me via email tomorrow I'll grab that number and send it in your direction.

Hmmm... an old thread I had subscribed to got bumped... and here I thought I had given up on this forum for good. Ohh well, I'm out. See ya.