DragonLasers 589nm "50mW" - Very displeased so far (LPM: 7mw to 24mW)

[v33]

Sorry to hear, you must be disappointed. Nothing to add other than I hope you get a speedy resolution.

 

[snoutke]

Nothing to be done. You'll have to return it for a replacement. I can give you few tips in that regard, considering my experience with sending two lasers back to China, one to DL and the other one to O-like:

1. Send it in a box, well wrapped with a bubble wrap.

2. Send it via registered airmail (with a tracking number).

3. Print the return address you get from them in the email, cut & paste it on the box. Don't copy it with a pen or a pencil. It's a long complicated Chinese address and there is a chance of mistyping it. So don't take that chance.

4. In order for your package to pass Chinese customs, you have to fill in a customs decleration form. Declare the item as a flashlight for gift on a value that is not more than 25$.

5. After shipping, keep tracking your package on its journey back to China. First track it on your local post until it leaves your country. Then you'll have to wait a week or two while it's 'in the air' until it reaches China. It will appear on the China post tracking.

6. Don't panic if tracking status says: 'Unsuccessful Delivery'. Most likely is that the postman came and nobody was at the office to sign. The postman will return 2-3 days later for another delivery attempt.

7. When tracking status says: 'Final Delivery' that means that your returned laser has been received. Wait few days (not more than a week) for them to contact you and tell you they receiveid your returned laser. If no email comes from them, contact them and tell that according to tracking status the returned laser has been received and ask them to check it out.

8. When sending you the replacement, insist upon a registered mail shipping with a tracking number so you can track your new laser on it's way to you.

Good Luck!

 

[ixfd64]

For the record, Dragon Lasers does have a history of shipping out underpowered lasers. A few years ago, a respected member of this forum ordered two green lasers from them, and both turned out to be under-spec.

The company's reputation seems to have improved over the years, but they're not perfect by any means.

 

[rhd]

July 4 - DragonLasers offers an RMA, and instructs me to shop it back to China with tracking and insurance. This will cost me $75 from Canada, so I have replied to confirm that they will cover this cost. DealExtreme and DinoDirect cover return shipping, so I sure would expect DL to, for a flaw that clearly should have been avoided on their end.

 

[snoutke]

How come that shipping from Canada is so expensive?

Can't you just send it back with regular airmail (+tracking number)?

No need for insurance IMO.

 

[rhd]

How come that shipping from Canada is so expensive?

Can't you just send it back with regular airmail (+tracking number)?

No need for insurance IMO.

Airmail with tracking to china starts at about $60. Insurance only adds $6. And then I guess the rest up to the $75 quote was just the tax.

 

[rhd]

I packaged the laser and got a precise quote from the post office. The options that are trackable from Canada to China are:

Priority Envelope - $87.63 - 5 business days
Xpresspost International - $68.86 - 8 business days
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months

Waiting to see what DL offers to cover.

 

[mfo]

I packaged the laser and got a precise quote from the post office. The options that are trackable from Canada to China are:

Priority Envelope - $87.63 - 5 business days
Xpresspost International - $68.86 - 8 business days
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months

Waiting to see what DL offers to cover.

Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months
Surface Parcel - $42.34 - 2 months

 

[rhd]

July 6 - Just heard from DragonLasers - Here's what they've said.

(...)
Please use normal air mail shipping method. Which is cheap and shipping
fast. It usually takes about $25 to ship it to us in china from the USA.

I am sorry we do not cover any customers return shipping cost.

Sincerely Yours.

* name removed out of courtesy *
Dragon Lasers Company

Well, I'm not in the USA, I'm in Canada... strike one.

And both DinoDirect and DealExtreme have covered the return shipping for lasers and flashlights they've sold.... so really, DragonLasers won't cover the return shipping on a $600 laser that came 50% under-spec? Strike two.

Not impressed.

 

[mfo]

July 6 - Just heard from DragonLasers - Here's what they've said.



Well, I'm not in the USA, I'm in Canada... strike one.

And both DinoDirect and DealExtreme have covered the return shipping for lasers and flashlights they've sold.... so really, DragonLasers won't cover the return shipping on a $600 laser that came 50% under-spec?

Not impressed.

Wow, I used to swear by dragon lasers. Now I'm all like wtf.

Were you speaking to Frank? He's usually the only person that handles emails.

 

[rhd]

Wow, I used to swear by dragon lasers. Now I'm all like wtf.

Were you speaking to Frank? He's usually the only person that handles emails.

I dealt with Frank to purchase the laser, and I have been CCing him on my email replies. However, it is not Frank handling this RMA / defect issue.

 

[mfo]

I dealt with Frank to purchase the laser, and I have been CCing him on my email replies. However, it is not Frank handling this RMA / defect issue.

Damn I'm sorry to hear this. Up until I found this thread last week, I would have sworn by them. I purchased a 125mW viper back in 2009 which still runs at advertised output. I would ultimately blame CNI for this (Since DL = CNI reseller), but I don't even see this particular model on CNI's website. Either way all of this could have been avoided with a simple 60 second test on their end before shipping.

 

[rhd]

Damn I'm sorry to hear this. Up until I found this thread last week, I would have sworn by them. I purchased a 125mW viper back in 2009 which still runs at advertised output. I would ultimately blame CNI for this (Since DL = CNI reseller), but I don't even see this particular model on CNI's website. Either way all of this could have been avoided with a simple 60 second test on their end before shipping.

Thanks. It's ok though, if they don't remedy the situation by providing coverage for return shipping, I may investigate a dispute through Paypal. I'm not 100% on that yet, and I'll give them (or Frank) and opportunity to respond to my latest email insisting that they cover return shipping costs.

That said, I don't blame CNI at all. The rumours are that what DL does is purchase CNI lasers, and then sell them at the *actual* output they measure (since CNI is often over-spec). So ultimately, it's not CNI that is to blame here, and I wouldn't want this to reflect poorly on them.

 

[Xtrm2Rick]

Oh man really sorry to hear this..

I certainly would expect way better service for such an expensive purchase

And this is 100% dl fault even if its a cni laser dl should test every single one of them before they sell it as they advertise

Hope they wil cover the shipping costs eventually, sometimes it really does help to dement things like these instead of asking

They better give you a 80+mw after this crap

 

[lasersbee]

Yeah.... the shipping costs from Canada are a biach.... ...:cryyy:

I may investigate a dispute through Paypal. I'm not 100% on that yet, and I'll give them (or Frank) and opportunity to respond to my latest email insisting that they cover return shipping costs.

Even if you open a PP claim and win... you will STILL need to
pay the Insured...Tracked and Signature required return shipping.


Jerry

 

[rhd]

Yeah.... the shipping costs from Canada are a biach.... ...:cryyy:

Even if you open a PP claim and win... you will STILL need to
pay the Insured...Tracked and Signature required return shipping.

Jerry

I know... but if they're really intent on providing low quality support, I'd feel better knowing I had a paypal dispute guaranteeing a refund.