so i had a hotshot in use for 1-2 months of commuting when the power/mode switch started acting up (the first sign of this was getting home, in the dark, and finding the hotshot had turned itself off - good thing it wasn't my only rear light).
here's video of the light showing the switch "self activating" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow41s-FeOUM
after that, the switch went pretty much dead.
contacted cygolite, got an RMA number, and spent $10 shipping back a $30 light that died within 1-2 months of unpacking it.
now it's after 5 o'clock friday calif time, and i just got an email from cygolite (after asking if they'd received the RMA, because i hadn't heard any updates since i sent it, three weeks ago). the good news: they received it, and they'll replace it. the bad news: they want me to pay $12 for return shipping.
here's what i just sent them...
"If the unit is under warranty, CygoLite will repair or replace defective components at no charge" -
http://www.cygolite.com/support/warranty.html
What part of return shipping isn't covered by "no charge"?
Right now I'm not happy.
The light is only a few months old (and spent most of that time in a box, in NJ). I already paid $10+ to ship it there (1/3 what I paid for the light), now you want $12 to ship a replacement back to me?
I really don't think it's reasonable that I pay 2/3 the cost of the light for shipping a lemon back and forth (after dealing with shipping and not having the light for the last month). The light was only in use for 1-2 months before the switch died. Some companies (with good customer service) would throw in a small gift for the inconvenience, rather than ask me to pay for return shipping.
If you don't want to cover the cost of shipping a replacement, just send the old one back, I'll avoid Cygolite products in the future (thus saving us both any inconvenience), and I'll buy a Moon Shield to replace the dead Hotshot.
Thanks.
feel free to tell me that's too harsh, but i'm not happy right now. especially after reading about the customer support from some other lighting companies, and having recently dealt with planet bike about a warranty issue (PB were beyond excellent in sorting things out!).
good or bad, i'll post any follow ups. i'm just shocked that the light failed within 1-2 months of use, then after i paid 1/3 the purchase price of the light to ship it to them, they're asking that i pay another 1/3 the purchase price to have a replacement shipped back.