Need Advice - Shipping Laser Back to China

Hi Guys,

Hope you can direct me in the best way to go about this.

A laser I ordered is definitely not working as promised. The company has a good reputation on the forum, so I'm not overly concerned, though I'm definitely disappointed and

I'm going to need to send the laser back to China. Can you please recommend the best way to do this?

What is the best carrier to use? (USPS,UPS,DHL,FEDEX) (I would like to track the package)

Should I have a customs declaration attached? What should I put there?

Any other advice or suggestions you might have.

Thank you advance for the help.

Edit: I chatted with them online, and they agreed to exchange the laser. Gave me shipping address, and recommended registered airmail. What is registered airmail, regular USPS? I never shipped outside of US before.

:bumpit:

I would really appreciate any advice from anyone that's shipped a faulty laser back.

Thanks!

Any of your listed carriers would work. A USPS flat rate box would probably be the cheapest trackable route. Yes you will need customs paperwork. If you go the USPS route, just go to your local post office, tell them where your shipping to, and they should tell you what you need, paperwork wise. It should be the same with any of the other carriers as well.

I have used USPS (with tracking) to send lasers back to China (Focalprice, Rayfoss, Dinodirect). I would select the cheapest method. International shipping is sometimes twice what domestic shipping costs.
It does take a few weeks, but if you get tracking, you can keep an eye on it (and have proof that they received it).
For the customs declaration I would put "electronics for return" or "broken flashlight" with a value of <$10-$20.
Good luck

Make sure You get Tracking no matter what shipper You use!!!!

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the advice. I knew I would need tracking, but I guess I'll figure out the customs declaration on the spot.

I hate the idea of waiting for another two months while the laser gets there and I get a replacement, but at least I have a laser on the way in the meantime. Ordered expedited from o-like on the 1st, got tracking today, although it doesn't show yet.

I've read in some posts that susie measured lasers before sending them out, do any of you know about that service? Is it trustworthy?

Again thanks for advice and replies.

AFAIK It's fairly accurate, and You have to ask in advanced.

Well, she told me they use relative quality control. Since I've actually created a couple of quality control policies myself, the word "relative" makes me nervous.

With mass production, and assuming O-like actually manufactures these, there is always room for error, and even if they check a large random sample size... well you know the rest.

Anyway, she promised to have the replacement, the exact unit being shipped out, double checked.

What kind of irks me about this, is that I did ask in advance. I mean when placing the original order.

Were You given the output of the Laser before it left China? A Laser can be damaged in transit even if the outer package seems Ok. O-Like won't screw You as it's not in their interest, and They have a good track record on here.

Coherent Light said:

Were You given the output of the Laser before it left China? A Laser can be damaged in transit even if the outer package seems Ok. O-Like won't screw You as it's not in their interest, and They have a good track record on here.

Click to expand...

She told me it would be >350mW. Packaging seemed quite good, tons of bubble wrap and taped completely shut, also it was also coming with another laser and goggles. So the lasers where in a box, with bubble wrap, and the lasers individually were again wrapped. Box did looks pretty beaten up though.

I don't have an LPM yet, actually trying to decide if I should go cheap and get the USB only Laserbee, or the laserbee II, which is more than double..

But back on topic, the laser didn't work well straight out of the wrapping. I assumed it was a bad tail cap, however since then it completely died. When it did work, it didn't seem anywhere near as bright as the descriptions of others on the forum, and it was incapable of burning through a cd (barely scratched it). I even took off the waterproof lens to see if that would help... it didn't

So far o-like is 1/3 with the lasers they sent to me being as promised. I have a fourth one coming, but if it wasn't for their reputation, and quick responses I would have cancelled the current order and initiated a dispute by now.

Hopefully I just had a run of bad luck. I do want to give them a chance to correct everything, but my patience is running thin.

I think they've had trouble with these high power greens lately.. They even pulled a batch of them and canceled peoples orders for them once.

The first batch they sold worked great from what I saw, the ones with the focus ring you needed the clip to adjust. It seems like after the design changed for finger focusing, quality went to crap.

To be honest I would have been happy if it was performing as even a 300mW laser, not 400mW. I mean not thrilled, but happy.

My desire to get this model did result from seeing a review of the older model and then reading similar reviews on here for the new model. At >250mw a laser should burn though a cd case, and it should easily light a match, this one did neither of those.

Susie promised me that the replacement they send will be individually checked, so I guess all that's left is to mail out the dud... doing that later today... and be patient.:beer:

P.S.-In the meantime I'm trying to decide which lpm to get, so that I no longer have to guess about what I got.

Hi Guys,

Quick follow up question. I sent the laser out via USPS with tracking. Tracking number: EG640919549US USPS - The United States Postal Service (U.S. Postal Service).

Currently the status is as follows:

Your item was delivered in CHINA PEOPLES REP at 11:00 am on April 25, 2011.

Detailed Results:

Delivered Abroad, April 25, 2011, 11:00 am, CHINA PEOPLES REP
Attempted Delivery Abroad, April 23, 2011, 7:20 pm, CHINA PEOPLES REP
Arrived Abroad, April 22, 2011, 7:53 pm, CHINA PEOPLES REP

Now to me that would indicate that the laser got there... but here's why I'm even asking... chatted with Susie last night and here's what she said:

(11:19:12 PM) laser we have not received it
(11:19:38 PM) MSN EG640919549US
(11:19:43 PM) MSN USPS - The United States Postal Service (U.S. Postal Service)
(11:20:36 PM) MSN i can even send you pictures of receipts, and shipping slip
(11:20:41 PM) laser Delivered Abroad, April 25, 2011, 11:00 am, CHINA PEOPLES REP
(11:20:49 PM) MSN actually i did send pictures
(11:20:53 PM) laser it means it is on the way to our country
(11:21:07 PM) laser it has not reached here
(11:21:24 PM) laser if it showes it is delivered to addresses
(11:21:33 PM) laser it means we receive it and sign for it
(11:21:55 PM) laser so I think it needs several days
(11:21:59 PM) laser when we receive it
(11:22:06 PM) laser we will send you a new one torch

Basically what I'm asking is... am I just being forced to wait? Or is there really a different status update.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

It might be at the post office. My Viasho system sat at the post office for weeks. Just had to tell Frank the tracking number so that he could pick it up.

-Trevor

Susie has tracking number. In email as well as via chat.

Spoke with her and she promised to send the replacement out... So I guess it's ok, but as of right now I still don't have tracking on the replacement.

Thanks for the reply.

Just be patient and don't think too much about it. It actually works. I sent a laser back to China once (to DL), followed its arrival to China via track-chinapost web site and after 3 weeks Frank emailed me that the returned laser had been received and sent me a new one which arrived at my house in 3 more weeks.

So everything will be OK eventually, and you'll have a nice overspec greenie.