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Is CNI Lasers crazy?

Ears and Eggs

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I wish you could request they use a cheaper shipping method..

I would buy from Glenn's GB but I absolutely HATE the safety features. I think paying $75 for shipping is well worth the annoyance of waiting for your laser to turn on for 5 seconds every time you push the button, along with the extra keys and everything.


If I can get a few people together I will do my own CNI mini-GB. I'm located in Canada so I will be willing to order all the non-FDA compliant ones that people want and reship them anywhere. Similar to my old DX group orders.


I'm placing an order with CNI right now, the shipping will via Fedex for $65
that is normal price for 2-3 days shipping and cheap comparing to LaserGlow and Novalasers which they charge >$90 for fedex

I think CNI don't want to use shipping method that may damage your laser or even confiscate it

Are you located in the USA? Do you know if CNI will ship the non-FDA ones to the USA? Or is it Glenn's policy not to?
 





Ears and Eggs

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No, I'm in UAE
It's CNI policy to not ship

Oh UAE, that's awesome. :D


If I can at least 5 other people who want non-FDA lasers, I'll be prepared to order from CNI myself and then re-ship them into the USA or anywhere else. Was going to order something from CNI but this would help offset the large shipping cost for me a some others.
 
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If I could have paid $23 to ship my PGL back to CNI, I would have.

What method did you use to ship? Just postal with tracking? I used FedEx. I know CNI uses DHL.

I paid $25 to have my Ray Foss order shipped to me. I was able to track it all the way. I received the order in about three days as well. It was through UPS. I am not sure about insurance though.
 
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I cannot stand the mindset of idiots who can't stand waiting 5 seconds for a laser (which is too dangerous to have in a portable unit) to turn on. Seriously, 5 seconds is NOTHING compared to the eye damage that could happen from accidentally pushing the button quickly.

What you are suggesting is illegal, dangerous, and stupid. YOU are the kind of person who is making it harder to enjoy lasers.

Oh and just so this isn't totally off topic, shipping actually does cost them $65 or more. They are smart and use reliable shipping services.
 
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I doubt they're making anything on shipping, fullinfusion.

To ship my laser back to CNI for repair, it cost me $160. CNI didn't charge me that, FedEx did. When RA_Pierce shipped his back, it cost him $175. Again, not CNI's charges, but the shipping company's charges.

$75 is probably CNI getting a bulk deal.

Companies like o-Like ship 'best effort, uninsured, slowest way' - so thats why shipping is so cheap with them. CNI doesn't want things going out uninsured or untracked (And neither would I.)

This is just what shipping to China costs, if you 'really want it to arrive'. Really. It does. This isn't CNI's fault. They can't do any better without getting reckless with the untracked , slow "packet" sort of shipping.

You could probably talk to them about using slower / less secure shipping. I know someone here did that and got a $45 quote (on a heavier order, I believe) - Talk to them and ask what the minimum is.

I agree with you, I doubt CNI is making anything off the shipping.
What the original poster needs to realize is that o-like, qualifound/rayfoss and the other very cheap laser resellers that have all their lasers drop shipped(and mean very cheap both in price and build/quality) have much of the shipping cost already included in the price of their laser so that it looks like the shipping is cheap, but it's really the laser that's cheap. They will sell an underpowered, unreliable laser that may cost them $5 to $10 USD to build, then sell them as a 200mw for $150 or more as most of the shipping cost is already included. With places like CNI, they sell you a good product at a fixed markup that doesn't have many hundreds of percent profit that can absorb the shipping cost, then the shipping is separate. Of course they could just increase all their prices by $40 or $50 and offer $25 shipping.
 
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I agree with you, I doubt CNI is making anything off the shipping.
What the original poster needs to realize is that o-like, qualifound/rayfoss and the other very cheap laser resellers that have all their lasers drop shipped(and mean very cheap both in price and build/quality) have much of the shipping cost already included in the price of their laser so that it looks like the shipping is cheap, but it's really the laser that's cheap. They will sell an underpowered, unreliable laser that may cost them $5 to $10 USD to build, then sell them as a 200mw for $150 or more as most of the shipping cost is already included. With places like CNI, they sell you a good product at a fixed markup that doesn't have many hundreds of percent profit that can absorb the shipping cost, then the shipping is separate. Of course they could just increase all their prices by $40 or $50 and offer $25 shipping.

You make a good point. However, several people have tested the output of lasers from ray foss, for example, that have been stable and up to spec. Reliability takes a little longer to discern for sure. I do agree that some sellers will recover costs by any means they can. I have had distributors be completely honest by telling me they do it both ways. They either bump the shipping costs to cover selling a product for less. On the other hand, they also will bump the item cost to cover cheaper shipping, like you mentioned. A very common practice indeed.
 
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my email from them about red lasers

Hi,
Thanks for your letter, please find the quotation of the laser as below:
PGL-III-635nm-1-100mW/Unit USD280.00
PGL-III-635nm-200mW/Unit USD400.00
PGL-III-635nm-300mW/Unit USD550.00

PGL-III-655nnm-1-100mW/Unit USD175.00
PGL-III-655nnm-200mW/Unit USD210.00
PGL-III-655nnm-300mW/Unit USD300.00
PGL-III-655nnm-500mW/Unit USD425.00

the 655' s are a little over priced IMO but I dont know about the 635's and the normal price for them
 
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You make a good point. However, several people have tested the output of lasers from ray foss, for example, that have been stable and up to spec. Reliability takes a little longer to discern for sure. I do agree that some sellers will recover costs by any means they can. I have had distributors be completely honest by telling me they do it both ways. They either bump the shipping costs to cover selling a product for less. On the other hand, they also will bump the item cost to cover cheaper shipping, like you mentioned. A very common practice indeed.
As for the quality of the Ray Foss lasers, My 50mW stable @66mW is about as good as quality as it comes even compared to a CNI laser (but till I have cni in my hands thats all I can say)... The FLX is solid, the beam is straight as straight can be... The focus ring is nice and snug and easy to turn and even the cheap key switch is solid.

I haven't been in the hobbie for long but I'm not a dummy and can determine cheap to good quality... Ray Foss has some good product's.

Soooo, until I dump a wack of cash on a CNI laser I cant really say I know the difference, but next month I hope to have a similar laser to compair to the RF...
 

Asa

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I cannot stand the mindset of idiots who can't stand waiting 5 seconds for a laser (which is too dangerous to have in a portable unit) to turn on. Seriously, 5 seconds is NOTHING compared to the eye damage that could happen from accidentally pushing the button quickly.

What you are suggesting is illegal, dangerous, and stupid. YOU are the kind of person who is making it harder to enjoy lasers.

Oh and just so this isn't totally off topic, shipping actually does cost them $65 or more. They are smart and use reliable shipping services.

Much like the way people can't stand scammers and con artists.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f63/laser_ben-returns-54391.html

:D

As for CNIs crazy shipping costs, I'd rather be sure my expensive laser investment gets to me safe than sorry when I find out it doesn't. If it's <$300 though, I would opt for a cheaper shipping method.
 
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Much like the way people can't stand scammers and con artists.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f63/laser_ben-returns-54391.html

:D

As for CNIs crazy shipping costs, I'd rather be sure my expensive laser investment gets to me safe than sorry when I find out it doesn't. If it's <$300 though, I would opt for a cheaper shipping method.
I had to go back and read all the posts because of what laser ben posted...

Wth is he going on about?

Is he a Troll?

Im asking because im new here and dont know who's the good and the bad ;)
 
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I had to go back and read all the posts because of what laser ben posted...

Wth is he going on about?

Is he a Troll?

Im asking because im new here and dont know who's the good and the bad ;)

A veteran troll, if you will... :shhh:

As for the shipping, it makes sense that the drop shipping companies are doing, I never thought of it that way.

Also, you will see the difference in quality, the materials used, the precision threading, CNI's units (namely dpss) are about as close to perfect as it gets for lasers. :D From what I've read, only opto tops them.
 
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A veteran troll, if you will... :shhh:

As for the shipping, it makes sense that the drop shipping companies are doing, I never thought of it that way.

Also, you will see the difference in quality, the materials used, the precision threading, CNI's units (namely dpss) are about as close to perfect as it gets for lasers. :D From what I've read, only opto tops them.
Thanks for that lol, also I here ya on the quality. I'll be ordering a CNI laser next month and it's going to be interesting on the little extras they incorporate into there builds.
Rep added, thank you :bowdown:
 

Asa

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Thanks for that lol, also I here ya on the quality. I'll be ordering a CNI laser next month and it's going to be interesting on the little extras they incorporate into there builds.
Rep added, thank you :bowdown:

It's not exactly extras they incorporate, it's just that their quality is always better. They buy the best parts and put their lasers together the most precisely and cautiously. Their output is always at or above spec (they test them), and their divergence is always great.
 

mfo

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Much like the way people can't stand scammers and con artists.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f63/laser_ben-returns-54391.html

:D

As for CNIs crazy shipping costs, I'd rather be sure my expensive laser investment gets to me safe than sorry when I find out it doesn't. If it's <$300 though, I would opt for a cheaper shipping method.

Oh man, that's a serious

iceburn894.gif


+1 for that.
 
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