Negative Experience - Le Thanh Tung (thanhtung)

[Alaskan]

I must say this to be fair, just try to get the same work done in the USA for the price you pay Phuoc, even at the much higher prices the projects ended up being, far cheaper than having a machine shop in the USA do the same thing. I just had a problem with the business practices, the bad packing that last host I never received due to what I attribute to his reaction to my making PayPal claims for his going months beyond the agreed upon delivery dates, not just once, but three times.

Positives were: He will engineer the whole thing for you without CAD drawings, he will find people to machine the work for you, no matter what you need. He puts a lot of time into the project, huge amounts of time. Considering all of that Phuoc is a good choice IF YOU CONTROL EVERYTHING and do not give him advanced money. A lot of the problems were my continually wanting more and then the costs would get out of control which was my doing, but if he estimates such and such a cost for anodizing etc., and the work is done, do not be surprised when he tells you it is going to cost you several times more for that part of the project than he originally said, after it is done, and after you already made a big partial payment.. Do not give him money ahead, none. The prices don't start getting out of control until after the ability to file a PPal claim has passed.

The real problem might be his eagerness to offer cheap prices and then finds the work costs him far more than he thought, as most of the work he had done for me was not his own, but done by others. I suspect this is why prices were out of control and the timeline kept slipping, he couldn't get the work done at the agreed upon prices by others and then the delays trying to find someone who will do it for less.

Regardless, prices were still very good, I must admit that. I just don't like the BS. This may be how business is done in Vietnam, IDK. Not how I want to do it.

 

[Unown (WILD)]

Honestly I'd rather pay Rich more money and keep it in the US. Unless I were to get a business started then maybe I dunno. I have always wanted to start a host kit store. We used to have so many back in the day but now we only got DTR and Lifetime afaik. When lazeerer left that was a huge loss for drivers and a good member.
He literally had a driver for almost everything. Dozens of them. All shapes and sizes.

 

[Alaskan]

I think you are correct, the USA needs to stop bleeding money to other countries.

 

[Philipnzw]

LPF is an open forum and democracy (freedom of speech) is a thing. Disagree with closing the thread but hey I'm just some guy on the internet so what do I know.

"Absolute power, corrupts absolutely." one of my favourite quotes.
- John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton.

"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." is also applicable here.
-Harvey Dent from the dark knight trilogy.

Dollar store philosophy aside, with all the info spilled in this thread, the main take away is:
"Somethings are just better to take into our own hands" and also let's all do more to keep our hobby safe.

 

[Unown (WILD)]

lol you ever get one of those offers for free items? Quite some time ago when they would use skype to negotiate with you this one seller pmed me and said he wanted to offer me a free flashlight. I was like "Sure that sounds great!" then informed me that I'd have to pay shipping. The shipping cost was more than the flashlight and calculated shipping on the same sellers page. I told him no chance in hell.

 

[Giannis_TDM]

Honestly I'd rather pay Rich more money and keep it in the US. Unless I were to get a business started then maybe I dunno. I have always wanted to start a host kit store. We used to have so many back in the day but now we only got DTR and Lifetime afaik. When lazeerer left that was a huge loss for drivers and a good member.
He literally had a driver for almost everything. Dozens of them. All shapes and sizes.

I am trying to cover the driver gap, Just tested my 1A 7mm x 12.8mm boost with a sharp single-mode 455 running at 120mA. They work really well! detailed analytics of the ripple current ripple and efficiency with the rise and fall curves coming next week.

 

[Unown (WILD)]

That's good. You should focus on one driver and getting that mass produced to give you some spending money for the rest of them. What we should do is choose someone who is a known member with testing equipment and professionally test a driver on your behalf and provide the information.
With accurate and reliable testing that will get a bunch of us to put in some orders.

 

[Giannis_TDM]

That's good. You should focus on one driver and getting that mass produced to give you some spending money for the rest of them. What we should do is choose someone who is a known member with testing equipment and professionally test a driver on your behalf and provide the information.
With accurate and reliable testing that will get a bunch of us to put in some orders.

I have already got that covered. A very generous member got me a DS1054Z. I can do all tests required once it arrives, Furthermore I'd like to go above and beyond and provide personalized test reports for each customer.

 

[hakzaw1]

Just a reminder.
When packages with handheld lasers are shipped across any 'borders' they are subject to inspect/search and sometimes, seize-- happened to me and many other members .
I feel it is something that all need to keep in mind and try to come to an agreement on this before shipping--

so I try to buy from 'local' (CONUS) sellers no borders to cross-real tracking- good insurance etc.
and when I can't.... I work with sellers who agree to re-ship if there is no (signed)delivery.
fyi shipping and 'pointers' WITH batts in the same box can be a BAD idea. (and in some cases the batts are 'illegal' to ship with some carriers- like USPS . (FedX ships them)

hoping you all can work this out in some way. --hak

 

[Alaskan]

Both of these guys in Vietnam can produce nice stuff, especially T. Phuoc, use them if you don't mind risking a shipment being taken, but don't pay ahead and make them honor their delivery dates, don't pay until the item is finished and get hard quotes for the completed work as well as shipping, not esimtates. Then you can do fine.

For the stuff I ordered, the stuff was nothing but machined aluminum, not much risk to ship to me.

 

[CurtisOliver]

Trinh I can vouch for, produces high quality hosts.

 

[3ElevenBrodel]

There has been some discussion about the Vietnamese vendors in this group.

I have received a PM asking I clarify who I dealt with.

From what I can tell, we have Le Thanh Tung (Thanhtung) and Trinh Hong Phuoc (trinh hong phuoc).

This thread is only related to my personal experience with Le Thanh Tung (thanhtung.)

I have never dealt with Trinh Hong Phuoc (trinh hong phuoc).

 

[CurtisOliver]

Thanks for the post 311B, can I suggest who add the last part at the bottom of your OP so it doesn't get lost.

 

[3ElevenBrodel]

Thanks for the post 311B, can I suggest who add the last part at the bottom of your OP so it doesn't get lost.

Done.

 

[CurtisOliver]

Thanks 311B

 

[Alaskan]

trinh hong phuoc: Quality hosts, poor business practices. I would have him make another one, except he never sent me one I paid for and for which he refuses to send or refund the money. Just do not pay ahead, zero and clearly define ALL costs including shipping before hand with hard delivery dates, they always slipped months to where the ability to file a PayPal claim expired..​

Other than that, he does great work. I think he is upset I didn't give him the bonus I promised if all went well for the big project he made for me because half of the pieces were severely damaged in shipment due to his extremely poor packing inside the box. All of the heavy parts were poorly protected from smashing into each other inside the box.

There is a third man in Vietnam who makes hosts too, I had problems with him not delivering anywhere near on time, and then giving me a fake shipment tracking number for a carrier he didn't even use, in the end. All three of these guys do not do business well, things always going wrong. I just don't like the lies. Tell me the truth and I will endure any issue, lie to me or don't make agreed upon deadlines by many months and now you have me posting about it to the point you won't send me what you owe me.