Exploding lights?

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Duncan.F

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Had a post on FB from the 'anything photographic' group about a certain manufacturers lights exploding and catching soft box on fire! Not sure I can mention the name but bit of a worry!
 
I'm happy to post the name, it's Lencarta.
This gentleman does have a legitimate complaint, which our boss has tried to sort out, but without success. It wouldn't be right to go into details, but we have tried and tried to resolve this.
He does have a genuine problem because we believe that the modelling lamp did blow - it shouldn't but these things happen.
When something bad happens it's all down to what the supplier does about it, and the efforts that they make to put things right. He is entitled to his opinion but I think it's grossly unfair for him to say that our customer service is very poor.
So the customer posted it on his FB page and shared it with every photographic group that he is involved with.
Facebook can of course become a pack of baying wolves, but personally I take no notice of postings from people who have their own axe to grind - for example the gentleman who is sponsored by another manufacturer:)

We will continue to try to resolve the problem, unless of course we decide to follow our legal advice and take action for malicious falsehood, which has to be considered.
 
Didn't like to name because it's not necessarily factual or accurate! ....People use FB for all sorts of purposes but Garry has been up front about it now, credit to him.
 
Duncan.F said:
Had a post on FB from the 'anything photographic' group about a certain manufacturers lights exploding and catching soft box on fire! Not sure I can mention the name but bit of a worry!
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Kinda depends, bulbs are fragile and wear out all the time although I can't recall having any explode, if they've heated up and come in contact with a fabric they're going to melt/burn it and the same thing would happen with any brand in that situation (even if you spent ten times as much to get Broncolor, although the glass dome might save you). That's assuming of course it's just a bad batch of modelling bulbs rather than something else.
 
I'd started to post last night 'I'll bet it's not the flash but the modelling bulb..'

But I can see we now know the details. If you google flash bulb exploded, you'll find it's not a common problem, but it does happen unfortunately. And it's not likely to be a bad batch, but one bulb.
 
What I don't understand in situations like this is why businesses use their own social media or websites to raise issues with other companies. It just says unprofessional to me, I wouldn't want to deal with a business that behaves like this.
 
MFlip said:
What I don't understand in situations like this is why businesses use their own social media or websites to raise issues with other companies. It just says unprofessional to me, I wouldn't want to deal with a business that behaves like this.
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It's a question of the amount of attention it draws, I'm actually supportive of it when you're dealing with a giant company that does its best to ignore an individual as they can't in that situation but it doesn't really apply to Lencarta as they (as far as I'm aware) have always had a good reputation with after sales care.
 
mike weeks said:
Having seen the images I find it so suspicious that the front is burnt but not the internal diffuser
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Wouldn't it make sense? Modelling bulb gets hot, explodes and ends up at the bottom right corner where it melts the front diffuser leaving the rest mostly intact.
 
simonbarker said:
Wouldn't it make sense? Modelling bulb gets hot, explodes and ends up at the bottom right corner where it melts the front diffuser leaving the rest mostly intact.
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Surprised that there was no image of the bulb to be seen, as in inner diffuser removed.

I also question @Duncan.F s method of posting here, and then his reply after @Garry Edwards posted - lets be honest, I have seen hundreds of people in this section that have purchased Lencarta, I know working event photographers using them and that is a real acid test and never heard of this before. A competent photographer would run an inspection register and you don't just look at the leads, so when was that head last checked? Who knows what damage had been caused by the photographer which resulted in this incident? Nobody knows but as per usual somebody has taken to screaming and shouting on Social Media, look how little support they have gotten about Lencarta being poor, maybe that is because they re not from my experience.

Mike
 
No one's actually confirmed it was just the modelling bulb but that's still my assumption, if that's the case then it really isn't a failing on Lencarta's part surely?

I agree that I don't think Duncan's handling of this was great but that doesn't really change anything does it?
 
treeman said:
Whats wrong with Duncans handling of it, have I missed something?
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Generally if I have a problem with a product I'll contact the company and won't dump it on social media unless the company isn't giving me any alternative.

Putting it on to Social media is to shame a company into action or give them bad press doesn't make much sense as a first step.
 
simonbarker said:
Generally if I have a problem with a product I'll contact the company and won't dump it on social media unless the company isn't giving me any alternative.

Putting it on to Social media is to shame a company into action or give them bad press doesn't make much sense as a first step.
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I haven't seen the original FB post, but yes, I agree, you should first contact the company to sort it out, but I gather he was not happy with the companies response, hence going to social media.

And that's the way it should be, retailers and manufactures have had it their way for far too long and social media is certainly one way to redress the balance. Though of course, and possibly this is the case here, you'll get someone with a bee in their bonnet who's going to kick up a stink no matter what.

mike weeks said:
Surely if you have something to say then say it and then to say Garry was upfront when in fact it was Duncan's post that really left him no option, why the big mystery?

mike
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I still think I'm missing something, all Duncan has done is highlight an issue he's seen on FB, whats wrong with that? Who was left with no option?
 
Mmm Just to clarify it wasn't my light, it was a post I received on FB on a photographic group. And I wasn't the 'gentleman' Gary referred to as having an interest in another company. t think things allegedly catching fire/exploding/poor service are of interest. I didn't publish the manufacturers name Gary chose to do that. Not sure why I should catch any flak for noting this but hey ho just thought it was of interest!
 
Duncan.F said:
Mmm Just to clarify it wasn't my light, it was a post I received on FB on a photographic group. And I wasn't the 'gentleman' Gary referred to as having an interest in another company. t think things allegedly catching fire/exploding/poor service are of interest. I didn't publish the manufacturers name Gary chose to do that. Not sure why I should catch any flak for noting this but hey ho just thought it was of interest!
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I'd assumed you were the person having the problem with the lights, doesn't make much sense to bring up such a subject and omit half the information.
 
simonbarker said:
I'd assumed you were the person having the problem with the lights, doesn't make much sense to bring up such a subject and omit half the information.
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Didn't you read the first post.
Duncan.F said:
Had a post on FB from the 'anything photographic' group about a certain manufacturers lights exploding and catching soft box on fire! Not sure I can mention the name but bit of a worry!
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In 30+ yrs I've had one bulb explode. I suspect it was due to mishandling (stress or contaminants). I can't see it catching anything on fire, but melting nylon sure, it's plenty hot enough for that.
 
treeman said:
I still think I'm missing something, all Duncan has done is highlight an issue he's seen on FB, whats wrong with that? Who was left with no option?
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Its called going on a fishing trip, often done by people without the balls to say it themselves so they feed the source etc, so that the story will be repeated. He could have just said what he had read. Personally I find it extremely bad form, just say what you mean.

Mike
 
Duncan.F said:
Read the first post Simon....
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Duncan I did read the bloody first post but I took the way you worded it to mean you posted as anything photographic. That's my mistake but your posting the issue here but not giving the company name led me to believe you were involved otherwise why would you post only half the information?

If you're concerned about the products or warning people then keeping back half the information seems a bit odd.
 
Update:
I have now spoken with the customer and the situation has been resolved.

Personally, I doubt whether the publicity on social media has done us any harm at all, despite the original post being shared on a number of very popular Facebook groups, because the only person who made a real world comment about Lencarta lights and who said that he had had to return something for repair said that he was happy with our service, there was an account of another flash that had apparently exploded, but although the poster didn't say so, that wasn't one of ours. And there was another gentleman who said that nobdody should buy "cheap" lights, presumably because he wants people to buy the make that sponsors him.

The reality of course is that any product of any kind can fail, and it's a numbers game because the more popular a product is, the more likely it is that something will go wrong. A very large percentage of our sales are to Government departments (including military, police, schools and colleges) and to pro photographers who work them hard, so we do expect the odd problem here and there.
 
Garry Edwards said:
The reality of course is that any product of any kind can fail, and it's a numbers game because the more popular a product is, the more likely it is that something will go wrong. A very large percentage of our sales are to Government departments (including military, police, schools and colleges) and to pro photographers who work them hard, so we do expect the odd problem here and there.
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There's a lot of truth in that statement, the last piece of equipment I had that failed was made by Broncolor, does that mean they put out dodgy equipment? Of course not.

I'd go one step further than saying any product can fail, virtually all complicated equipment will eventually fail (especially if you push modern equipment to its full specification) but that doesn't represent a failing of the manufacturer unless it occurs across a batch or systematically well before the expected MTBF.

This is one of the reasons I like this field, every brand I've dealt with has bent over backwards to support their equipment and customers. I'm sure there's some horror stories out there but compared to some other industries...
 
simonbarker said:
every brand I've dealt with has bent over backwards to support their equipment and customers. I'm sure there's some horror stories out there but compared to some other industries...
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I agree. Most photo equipment companies have a realistic understanding of the importance of customer service. Although changes in staff or management can allow error to creep in, the internet has made companies that don't respond promptly to valid criticsm very vulnerable. On the whole, it's been a big win for the customer.
 
I bought a couple of Paul Buff 'Einsteins' for high speed work a few years ago. I was always worried if I needed spares and I think the only UK supplier is no longer. Thankfully nothing has gone wrong with them!
 
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