HID Kits - Buyer Beware

[XenonDepot]

Hi Guys,

With so many types of HID kits on the market today and prices ranging from $40 and up you really need to be careful what you are installing in your vehicles. We have been selling HID lighting products since 2001 and over time have seen numerous companies come in and out business selling HID conversion kits offering all times of assurances and warranties. Ultimately, you get what you pay for. The problem with ebay is that once you leave feedback for a merchant you cannot go and retract it so as a customer you really have no idea what happened down the road and whether the customer was ulimately satisfied. You really have to be careful when it comes to installing high voltage electronics in your vehicle coming from China. While you may be thrilled that you only had to pay $50 for an HID kit initially, that thrill will quickly go away if the ballast ends up damaging your vehicle's harness, smoking your headlights, or worse. Headlamp housing replacements alone are $300+. Let's not talk about how much it would cost to fix the headlight wiring if that was to fry. There are alot of HID components coming out of China these days. The problem is that every supplier is trying to make them cheaper than the next. As a result, quality, durability, and saftey issues are undermined. I am not saying that we have never had an issues with any of our products. The difference is that we will actually be there should you require any sort of after sales service/support. Furthermore, the kits have been profesionally assembled and designed so as not to compromise the safety of your vehicle.

Here is an article that was recently written by one of our customers and describes his experiences with trying to go the cheap route:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/lights/h...ht-conversion/

Steve

[jasonb20]

I also believe " you get what you pay for" especially in aftermarket equipment. I already bought my HID kit from a forum dealer here and have been satisfied, so far. I might consider the cheaper ones only on my fogs because those will only be on intermittenly.

[XenonDepot]

There is nothing wrong with looking for a great deal. I enjoy getting a great price just like the rest of you. All I am saying is that you have to be careful as a customer - especially when purchasing online.

[todd0218]

I guess i agree and disagree with some of your points but i will save them for myself. Anyway where are your hid kits produced? What are the major differences between your kit and ones imported from china? I only seem to notice the ballast is slightly smaller, but then again maybe i dont have that keen eye. The website states "legitimate warranty" is that a lifelong warranty? I guess what i am trying to figure out is what is the major differences to justify paying 150-250 for a set of hids. Everyone has heard "you get what you pay for" but lets face it marketing and adveritisng in most cases sets your product as prestigious or at a value level, regardless if there are any differences in the product or not. I can show anyone 3 of the same products on 3 different sites with different price points. I know not everything is this way i wouldnt compare a handbuilt ferrari with an escort but then again its not the same product.. Maybe its the extensive advertising background i come from but I earn my money just as hard as the next guy and everyone wants to get the best bang for their buck, nobody wants to overpay if they dont have too.

[XenonDepot]

you bring up up some great points and some great questions. To start off, I would like to say that I believe in getting a great deal just like the rest of you as at the end of the day I am a consumer as well. However, there is a difference between getting a great deal on a great product vs a great price on a bad product. As you mentioned, you work hard for your money and I agree with you that price differences should be justified.

I am not saying by any means that we are the only company that sells quality HID lighting products on the market. I am simply saying that there are alot of companies out there that do not. We have suppliers sending us samples on a daily basis. A red light quickly goes off when the samples we receive have problems. Another red light quickly goes off when the manufacturer actually advertises that they sell various lines of HID kits with higher and lower failure rates. The problem is that many vendors opt for the cheaper product line (higher failure rates) so that they in turn can sell the product for a cheaper price. Seeing as that you mention that you have an advertising background, I am assuming that you would agree that it is pretty much impossible to advertise a "lifetime" warranty. A warranty is only good as long as the company that you purchased the product from stays in business. Unfortunately over the years we have seen many vendors go in and out of business along with the so called "lifetime" warranties that they promised their customers. Puchasing online is a completely different ball game then purchasing from a brick and mortar store. You can't exactly drive back to a website to demand a refund or exchange for a product that you have purchased. In fact, you will find many people that will tell you the classic story of how they ordered a product online. Initially, the vendor was great and responsive to emails. However, once they received the product and required any sort of after sales service or support the vendor simply was not there.

The Xtreme kits that we sell use Japanese bulbs and ballasts. The ballasts that we use are epoxy sealed as they are specifically designed for aftermarket HID applications. The kits that we sell also come with wiring harnesses that will power the ballasts directly from the battery (as opposed to from the OEM headlight wiring). The kits that we sell are manufactured in a high tech ISO certified facitlity that is also TUV approved. The ballasts that we use are both E4 and CE certified. Our products come with a one year warranty that is covered by us. We have been selling HID lighting products since 2001 so we will be here should you require any after sales service/support.

Hope this helps,

Steve

[todd0218]

great i am glad you justified it, makes sense i guess you caught me i should have said limited lifetime warranty. I dont know what your profit margin entails and frankly its none of my business, I just wish you could get closer to ebay prices, I would rather support a vendor on here any day of the week as opposed to an ebay seller. Because you make the valid point after 30 days basically your period i believe to give feedback or even after feedback there is almost no reason for an ebay seller to help you or replace your products besides the reason of morals. Not to question the quality of your business being in business for 7 years i am sure in canada your ecomoy is doing a lot better than the american economy but there are soo many B&M stores that could sell hids today and could be gone tomorrow basically taking that warranty and shutting it down so really its difficult for me to justify a business based on how long they have been in business. I think customer service tops that anyday of the week how far will the vendor scratch my back in regards to help with the product and warranty work, what kind of loop holes does the warranty contain. "based on our judgement after receiving the bulbs we decide if the bulb was damaged by the consumer or was just a faulty part" we all know this can simply be looked at is how is the person inspecting the product feeling that day generous or like a total *****.

As sad as the market has become the internet market is that much more difficult. The internet buyer is savvy of comparing prices because they are at a click of the mouse and also comparing to the local B&M, which i dont blame a consumer and do this myself its in our nature and honestly you would be stupid not to shop around.

For your standpoint with your HIDS its an all around tough market, (I dont expect you to respond to this because I know). I was actually going to be an online store for hids selling kits produced in guanzhou china. The trial set i received works perfect for me and i have a great contact of the representative of the company always avaioable via msn messenger. But when i sat down to decide if it was worth it i decided against it. Basically the biggest turning point was there is profit to be made yes pricing these higher than some of the ebay sellers is what kills everything. i could easily sell between 100-150 and turn a profit but with paying internationally and the fees involved for not only shipping but money conversion was going to kill me. Besides the recent trend on especially this forumn has led to HIDGATE the ebay seller and quite frankly i couldnt compete with his costs hes not making a fortune on each set he focuses on selling volume which is totally acceptable to make his $$. But we all know hands down you could slaughter the ebay sellers in regards to customer service and i wouldnt doubt that by any means same with the other vendors on this site, it only takes a few people to tarnish a seller.

I know i rambled on and some of this may be meaningless to most but i do understand you xenondepot. In regards to the quality difference it might be there on paper but i wouldnt know until i actually handled your product in comparison to the other. So of course i would love too see a group buy, i would love to see some sort of special on your product for the 3cf members, i dont want to low ball and say for $100 i will buy your product all day long, i dont know what these cost you and its none of my business. I am just pledging that you make or try to make your prices slightly more competitive so people like myself on tighter budgets can try your product and give an honest consumer opinion. I think a customers words are much more powerful than a consumer. YES i know their are members with your sets, but look how many new members there are on the site from a marketing standpoint the last few pages in the lighting forums are getting eaten up by people dealing with ebay kits.

So my proposition to you xenondepot put these in the hands of the newer members or those that cant drop $200 on a hid set to honestly give an opinion. Why not have a group buy or even throw a sale out there. I would love to try your product and yes i could afford your product i am not BSing you with some story. I just think in todays market with HIDs sadly your going to make your profits by selling volume instead of with high profit margins off individual sets.. I think i speak for a lot of people on the forum that really understand things from a business standpoint. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong, and feel free to give input. I love to learn about the things that interests me and you as well as other vendors always have me wondering what are you going to do? How are you different? If the market changes in which it has for HIDs how do you respond....

Thanks again and i appreciate your willingness to respond and not burn me for asking questions and giving opinions i value that in a retailer. In soo many occasions i have ran into companies taking offense to what the consumer says and we all know how that turns out, consumer always wins... That is why i value a company like yourselves regardless if i have shopped with you guys or not your image is positive and thats what the consumer needs!

[YoungMedic23]

Originally Posted by todd0218

great i am glad you justified it, makes sense i guess you caught me i should have said limited lifetime warranty. I dont know what your profit margin entails and frankly its none of my business, I just wish you could get closer to ebay prices, I would rather support a vendor on here any day of the week as opposed to an ebay seller. Because you make the valid point after 30 days basically your period i believe to give feedback or even after feedback there is almost no reason for an ebay seller to help you or replace your products besides the reason of morals. Not to question the quality of your business being in business for 7 years i am sure in canada your ecomoy is doing a lot better than the american economy but there are soo many B&M stores that could sell hids today and could be gone tomorrow basically taking that warranty and shutting it down so really its difficult for me to justify a business based on how long they have been in business. I think customer service tops that anyday of the week how far will the vendor scratch my back in regards to help with the product and warranty work, what kind of loop holes does the warranty contain. "based on our judgement after receiving the bulbs we decide if the bulb was damaged by the consumer or was just a faulty part" we all know this can simply be looked at is how is the person inspecting the product feeling that day generous or like a total *****.

As sad as the market has become the internet market is that much more difficult. The internet buyer is savvy of comparing prices because they are at a click of the mouse and also comparing to the local B&M, which i dont blame a consumer and do this myself its in our nature and honestly you would be stupid not to shop around.

For your standpoint with your HIDS its an all around tough market, (I dont expect you to respond to this because I know). I was actually going to be an online store for hids selling kits produced in guanzhou china. The trial set i received works perfect for me and i have a great contact of the representative of the company always avaioable via msn messenger. But when i sat down to decide if it was worth it i decided against it. Basically the biggest turning point was there is profit to be made yes pricing these higher than some of the ebay sellers is what kills everything. i could easily sell between 100-150 and turn a profit but with paying internationally and the fees involved for not only shipping but money conversion was going to kill me. Besides the recent trend on especially this forumn has led to HIDGATE the ebay seller and quite frankly i couldnt compete with his costs hes not making a fortune on each set he focuses on selling volume which is totally acceptable to make his $$. But we all know hands down you could slaughter the ebay sellers in regards to customer service and i wouldnt doubt that by any means same with the other vendors on this site, it only takes a few people to tarnish a seller.

I know i rambled on and some of this may be meaningless to most but i do understand you xenondepot. In regards to the quality difference it might be there on paper but i wouldnt know until i actually handled your product in comparison to the other. So of course i would love too see a group buy, i would love to see some sort of special on your product for the 3cf members, i dont want to low ball and say for $100 i will buy your product all day long, i dont know what these cost you and its none of my business. I am just pledging that you make or try to make your prices slightly more competitive so people like myself on tighter budgets can try your product and give an honest consumer opinion. I think a customers words are much more powerful than a consumer. YES i know their are members with your sets, but look how many new members there are on the site from a marketing standpoint the last few pages in the lighting forums are getting eaten up by people dealing with ebay kits.

So my proposition to you xenondepot put these in the hands of the newer members or those that cant drop $200 on a hid set to honestly give an opinion. Why not have a group buy or even throw a sale out there. I would love to try your product and yes i could afford your product i am not BSing you with some story. I just think in todays market with HIDs sadly your going to make your profits by selling volume instead of with high profit margins off individual sets.. I think i speak for a lot of people on the forum that really understand things from a business standpoint. Feel free to correct me if i am wrong, and feel free to give input. I love to learn about the things that interests me and you as well as other vendors always have me wondering what are you going to do? How are you different? If the market changes in which it has for HIDs how do you respond....

Thanks again and i appreciate your willingness to respond and not burn me for asking questions and giving opinions i value that in a retailer. In soo many occasions i have ran into companies taking offense to what the consumer says and we all know how that turns out, consumer always wins... That is why i value a company like yourselves regardless if i have shopped with you guys or not your image is positive and thats what the consumer needs!

x2.........did you read my mind?

WOW!

First off you must type really fast!

Secondly you get your point accross flawlessly 100%

Third, can i be like you?

[wanna300]

XD- whats the difference with running the HIDs off your battery vs running them off the OEM harness?

as far as pricing, i think people's mentality lately has been "its $70 shipped.. if it goes bad, i can order another one..and still spend less than buying 1 from vendor XYZ".. but as you said, there is more to it than the price. i know the ballasts are really high wattage, so if something goes wrong, it can get ugly.

[jaded300c]

have an ebay kit in my truck for over a year without a hiccup, have also seen and installed all kinds of kits and they are pretty much all the same.........and for $250 I can buy 3 sets from ebay and have lots of spare parts!

[todd0218]

Originally Posted by wanna300

XD- whats the difference with running the HIDs off your battery vs running them off the OEM harness?

as far as pricing, i think people's mentality lately has been "its $70 shipped.. if it goes bad, i can order another one..and still spend less than buying 1 from vendor XYZ".. but as you said, there is more to it than the price. i know the ballasts are really high wattage, so if something goes wrong, it can get ugly.

well if things go wrong and your ballast goes to melt the wires it would be in your advantage for the ballast to melt the harness rather than the cars wiring which is more in depth and expensive. Most harnesses usually have relays as well as a inline fuse too for protection and to help the lights to function properly, gives the car a few more seconds to startup build voltage before the ignitors fire the bulbs.