They’re probably the most easily recognizable flashlights in the world. Among security and law enforcement professionals, they are ubiquitous. Available in a variety of sizes, from single AAA to 2 D-cell and on up to 6 D-cells, Maglite flashlights are easily the most popular in the world. And with good reason.
The solid aluminum body is tough, and most Mag-Lite models are water resistant. Modern versions incorporate the latest in LED and xenon bulb technology. All of this is backed-up by Maglite’s 100% guarantee that, should their product fail, they will repair or replace it.
A few weeks ago, out in the high deserts of New Mexico in the middle of the night, I reached behind the passenger seat of my pickup truck and grabbed my 4-cell Maglite. When I hit the switch to turn on the flashlight I was disappointed to find that it did not turn on.
“No worries,” I thought “I’ve got some extra batteries. These are probably dead and need to be replaced.” Well, they were dead, but replacing them would prove to be difficult. After removing the tail cap I upended the flashlight, but only 2 of the 4 D-cell batteries came out. No amount of tapping or rapping on the tube would get the other 2 batteries to slide out of the body. The cells had leaked and swelled up, locking themselves in place inside the aluminum cylinder.
Perturbed, I tossed the light back into the truck and grabbed my CR123 powered backup and continued on.
When I got back home, I looked up Maglite’s warranty service. While the flashlight itself hadn’t failed, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Maglite has warranty service agreements with Duracell, Eveready and Ray-O-Vac. In the case that one of these manufacturer’s batteries fail in a Maglite product, you can ship it back to Maglite
and they will replace it free of charge, all you do is pay for the shipping to the company. Even if you don’t have one of those brands of batteries in your light, the company will still replace your flashlight for just $12 (plus tax).I dropped the light into a USPS flat-rate box and mailed it off to:
Mag Instrument, Inc.,
Attn; Warranty Dept.,
1721 E. Locust St.,
Ontario, Ca. 91761-7769
along with a letter with my return address, phone number, and a note indicating that the batteries in question were Duracell brand.
A few weeks later, a package arrived from Maglite. I expected to receive my old light back with the cells removed, but instead got a brand NEW flashlight; one that was an upgrade over my old one. Sweet!
I can’t recommend this company highly enough. In addition to manufacturing a top-notch product, they stand behind everything they sell. I’ve long been an advocate of buying a premium product that will last a lifetime from a quality company that will stand behind it, and I’m happy to say that Maglite is one of those companies.
Nice. Much better results than I got with my last call to Cabela’s.
“We stand behind our Cabela’s brand name…. but there’s only a 1 year warranty on that”