Oxycheq Raider III - Need Advice...

[syonker]

Hi Gang,

I need some advice on what to do here...

I purchased 2 Oxycheq Raider IIIs earlier this year, and have had all of about 2 hours of water time with them because they quickly went back to the manufacturer because both front lenses leaked. They repaired them and sent them back to the dive shop and the dive shop owner (as he should) decided to pressure test them to make sure they were indeed fixed. He took them down to 60 feet and guess what - they leaked again. He took them to 150 feet (they're rated to 250) and the lenses imploded, so again he sent them back to the manufacturer for repair.

Oxycheq has been very professional and is taking accountability, even saying "what does the customer want to do? We can do whaever they need us to.". I think the design premise is good and would very gladly help them get the product to a more "consumer-ready" status - in general I think they brand is good and the company has been very "stand-up" with regard to this situation and my other Oxycheq products (which are all EXCELLENT).

The real "rock and a hard place" for me is that my dive shop is getting kicked hard by the economy and is either going out of business or selling outright, so the relationship with Oxycheq may weaken in that case.

I'd rather have a pair of good, working lights, but for the money on these two I'm beginning to think I could get a pretty good cannister light or something higher-end...if I were to go that route, would anyone have any recommendations?

If anyone from Oxycheq is reading this, I'd *really* like to work this out with you in a way that is "win-win"...please get a hold of me.

Regards,



-S

 

[jtivat]

Get your money back! Oxycheq does not build these and all the versions made so far have had issues. Get a pair of Sarteks and be done with it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Based on my experiences, Oxycheq will only work with you via the dealer you purchased the lights from.

There was a long thread in the Oxycheq forum about it. Patrick basically told me he if I didn't like it to take my business elsewhere.

I notice he's recently deleted that thread ... I guess that business model wasn't working out too well for him ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[mike_s]

Based on my experiences, Oxycheq will only work with you via the dealer you purchased the lights from.

There was a long thread in the Oxycheq thread where Patrick basically told me he if I didn't like it to take my business elsewhere.

yeah... that really surprised me. to see a manufacturer to tell a customer to screw off when the issue was caused by a defective product they sold.

In the past I've seen you recommend their product. You've prob in the past generated a LOT of sales for them. But he shot himself in the foot with that comment.

I notice he's recently deleted that thread ... I guess that business model wasn't working out too well for him ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I went looking for that thread earlier this morning to post here for the original poster to review with the issues about returning the light and couldn't find it. I couldn't remember exactly what forum it was in, but I couldn't find it no matter what I searched on...

I wonder if it was deleted..... now I see it was...

I was thinking hard about buying that light until I read that thread and the problems with the light and the manufacturer.

I saw a new post in the thread the other day and wondered what his response would be..... I guess that was to delete the thread. (Manufacturers have admin/mod privileges in their forums. So I guess the moral of this story is that if you don't want your thread about Oxycheq to be deleted, don't put the issue in their forum.......)

This kinda defeats the purpose of this manufacturing having a forum if they are just going to delete threads that show anything negative about the.

 

[TSandM]

It's really a shame about these lights, because when they DO work, they're awesome (I got lucky and got a good one).

But if you decide to take a refund, the Salvo 10W fixed focus HID is an awfully nice little starter can light . . .

 

[fisheater]

I had the same issues, and more, with my three tries with the Raider III.

I gave up.

Like TSandM said, they're awesome lights, WHEN and IF they work.

 

[jtivat]

You really think you "got a good one"? Or maybe have just been lucky so far? Would you go into a cave with just one of these or even two as backup lights?

It's really a shame about these lights, because when they DO work, they're awesome (I got lucky and got a good one).

But if you decide to take a refund, the Salvo 10W fixed focus HID is an awfully nice little starter can light . . .

 

[syonker]

Wow Gang,

Thanks for the quick information - based on the speed of the response, I guess there's a little "heat" surrounding these lights as far as the topic goes. My dive shop owner knows Patrick so I'll see if he'd be willing to get us all on the horn and either see if we can work together to get a dependable solution (the comment about using these in a cave-dive situation is a little dubious to me so need to be appropriately concerned).

Thanks again for the input.

Regards,



-S

 

[mike_s]

You really think you "got a good one"? Or maybe have just been lucky so far? Would you go into a cave with just one of these or even two as backup lights?

wow... that puts it in perspective!

 

[TSandM]

Well, it does seem as though most of the problems with these lights have occurred immediately, or within one or two dives. Since I've had mine almost a year and it is still working, I've cautiously gained some confidence in it. I would not dive with two of them as cave backup lights, though. I dive with one, because the light is so good that it's almost like still having a primary light (I've switched to it in a cave, and my buddies didn't even NOTICE). But my second backup is the old, reliable 3 cell Scout (with an LED module upgrade).