OxyCheq Raider failed, then failed again

[astrofunk]

I bought a new OxyCheq Raider I from my LDS. It acted squirrely on its first dive (it would wink on and off when jostled -- this also happened to my buddy's Raider I).

I took it to my LDS. They sent it to OxyCheq. I waited a lonnnnng time... about 4 months for the light to be returned.

I threw in new batteries and turned it on and... No dice! The thing fails to light up at all.

I'm somewhat reluctant to try again because (1) they already took a half-working light and sent me a fully-broken one, (2) if I contact them directly, they just bounce me to my dealer (who's located an hour away and keeps hours that are tough for me to hit), and (3) I formerly had a massively unsatisfying customer experience with them over a leaky p-valve.

But just to nurture one last tiny kernel of hope: Oxycheq, are you out there? For the love of sweet baby Jesus, what do I have to do to get a light that works?

 

[TSandM]

I'm sorry you are going through this. You should have done your due diligence on SB -- there are several old threads about the problems with the Raider lights, and the failure of the company to stand behind them. It's too bad -- it was a great light when it worked, but many of them did not work at all out of the box, and the ones that did, didn't work very long.

 

[astrofunk]

It's too bad -- it was a great light when it worked, but many of them did not work at all out of the box, and the ones that did, didn't work very long.

Sadly, once upon a time I had one of the great ones. Alas, I lost it in the great gear theft.

And now here we are.

According to my LDS, several of this batch of Raiders had to go back Oxycheq.

 

[Ben_ca]

Sadly, once upon a time I had one of the great ones. Alas, I lost it in the great gear theft.

And now here we are.

According to my LDS, several of this batch of Raiders had to go back Oxycheq.

Maybe you could tell your insurance and octopus grabbed it... but then again I'm sure they'ld never believe that.

 

[TN Traveler]

And you are totally wasting your efforts if you think Oxycheq will do anything about it.

Worst customer service in the industry!!!!!

 

[astrofunk]

Worst customer service in the industry!!!!!

This is a great opportunity to correct that!

Just tell me where to ship the busted light, then send me one that works. Simple!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

This is a great opportunity to correct that!

Just tell me where to ship the busted light, then send me one that works. Simple!

Unfortunately, I tried that a couple years ago ... with about as much success as you're having. Oxycheq doesn't deal directly with consumers ... you have to work it out with the dealer you purchased the light from.

It's a shame, really ... because Oxycheq makes a lot of great stuff. These lights don't happen to be among them.

See if the shop you purchased the light from would be willing to offer you a different product in exchange ... that's what I ended up doing ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TN Traveler]

This is a great opportunity to correct that!

Just tell me where to ship the busted light, then send me one that works. Simple!

I tried that several months ago - with no luck.

THEY JUST DON"T CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS!!
Once they sell it it is no longer their concern - simple!
I think their philosophy is they want to sell to every scuba diver - ONCE!!

Just get a refund and buy an Intova or MB Sub!

 

[Peter_C]

I too have one of the super crappy Raider IV I believe. It is the rechargeable with way to narrow of a beam. Total POS that flooded before I ever got to actually use it. I have no idea what to do with it I would happily exchange it for something that worked.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

What I don't understand is why these lights are still being sold ... this is a known issue that's been ongoing for about two years now.

Seems to me that when a product's known to be buggy the responsible thing to do is to either resolve the problem or drop that product altogether. Continued sales just continues to harm the company.

Prior to these lights, I think Oxycheq had a stellar reputation for quality. That's an easy thing to lose, and very difficult to get back once lost. I'd love to continue doing business with them ... I'm in the market for a sidemount rig, and theirs is the one that would best suit my needs ... but I'm hesitant to do so given the response I got to the last Oxycheq purchase.

In a way I feel bad for Patrick ... in this economy it's tough enough keeping a company afloat. Oxycheq's not a big company, and eating the cost of all these failed lights has gotta hurt deep ... but the right thing to do would be to honor the commitment to the customer. It's a short-term loss, but in the long-term it's way more profitable ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)