A Word Of Caution Regarding Luke's Ultralite

Just a warning that most of this post isn’t about LUL, but rather massdrop.

I don’t know about in the ultralight community, but in the mechanical keyboard, fountain pen, and audiophile communities massdrop has had some notable screwups.  Of the ones that I know of the mistakes/issues/controversies in the mechanical keyboard world have been by far the worse, with products shipping months later than promised, mistakes in shipping and qc (i.e. people get two of what the ordered, so someone else gets shorted, shipping the wrong or different than advertised product, shipping two lefthand versions of something instead of a right and a left, shipping products that they obviously did not do qc on and are subpar), issues between massdrop and designers not agreeing on what each other can do based off misunderstanding of the contract between them, people not getting their order because massdrop didn’t order enough to cover their shipping mistakes or usps/ups/fedex losing it, having bad and/or slow customer service, products being cheaper or only slightly more expensive but ship a lot quicker from other sites, and forgetting to get the necessary government certification and having that drop delay because of that, even though there were people who commented and emailed them about that potential issue back when the drop started.  Back when I still kept up with the mechanical keyboard community it had gotten bad enough that people were boycotting massdrop.

Because of all of this I would not be suprised if they are selling “LUL” shorts and are either unaware of the situation or are sourcing them from somewhere else.

I have purchased quite a few things from massdrop, but since my last order about 9 months ago I have not, nor do I plan on in the future unless they have something that is only available through them and I really want, or they improve on these issues and start functioning like how a normal business should.  None of my orders have had issues, but personally I don’t really like some of the things they have done and how they have treated their customers.

Hopefully someone found this useful, I hate to write such a negative post but I feel like people should be aware of what’s going on with massdrop in other communities.

Continuing on with the MassDrop thread drift: All my orders (eventually) showed up as ordered.  But some have been weeks later than expected.  So if you’ve GOT to have it (before your thru-hike, your international trip, etc) I’d order months in advance or from somewhere else.  That said, they’ve been better in the last 1-2 years than they were 3-4 years ago.

Also, whenever something seems like a great deal – check on Amazon.  Sometimes a $100 item is shipping weeks from now on MassDrop for $75 plus shipping(!!) instead being $80 with free shipping immediately from Amazon.  Sometimes, MassDrop beats the “street price” by a lot, but other times, they are only matching it.

Their comment section is above average.  Far above what Amazon comments usually are.  The guys who join the “Fidget Spinner Community” are REALLY into fidget spinners (like we’re really into UL gear), because there’s often good info, warnings, feedback on sizing, and suggestions about better sources in the comments.  I like how the comments thread for, say, LUL’s laundry shorts, includes all previous drops, so you see feedback from people who already have theirs, how long it took to actually ship, etc.

Brief thread drift to Massdrop. I have ordered 13 items through Massdrop. 2 of those were cancelled by them. Disappointing, but not the end of the world. 2 other items I had issues with and Massdrop responded promptly and issued a refund after providing pictures. So I am satisfied with their customer service. One was a t-shirt with a low quality print job on it and the other was a screw-top flashlight that came with a push button instead.

As to price, like anywhere else, do your homework. No they do not always provide the lowest price.

I had kind of forgotten about Luke’s until I saw the Massdrop last week.

It’s a sad, unfortunate affair. I had to deal with two close friends that became oxy addicts. One recovered after 3 years of treatment (and continued support groups), the other chose to end it. Addicts become awesome actors, often believing what they are saying at the time. Their actions create great stress for family members and it is not unusual for a family member to lose some mental stability from dealing with an addict. Not to make any excuses – I think the judicial system should determine such things (as imperfect as it can sometimes be).

If I had ordered something from LUL, I would be as mad as any of you. And it makes me wonder, in what kind of standing is LUL with material suppliers? Is that why Mark keeps taking money – grasping at straws? Their website needs to be shut down until all issues are settled, legal system or not.

Jason….Have you thought of posting the above information on:

Do not order from Luke’s Ultralight from Ultralight

Might be worth filing complaints with the BBB also. It won’t help you (unless Luke actually decides to clean up his act and decides to make good to have negative BBB reviews removed) but might help someone else not get taken since some people do check the BBB when deciding whether or not to do business with a company.

LUL is also on Outdoortrailgear.com, along with Dutchware and Kat’s hats, Goosefeet Gear and Zpacks.  I put a comment on the site referencing this thread and detailing that he is not a good business, so that hopefully no one will order with him through that portal either.

Might one guess that they are both/all imported from China?

Cheers

I don’t think they are affiliated, as much as they use the same portal. Small retailers trying to get better web presence.

I’ve never ordered anything from Luke, via his own site, Massdrop, or anywhere else, so perhaps I shouldn’t stick my nose into this, but I’m gonna do it anyway.

If Luke is trying to get back on his feet, and is successfully delivering products through Massdrop and customers are happy, shouldn’t we be glad for him and his customers? Doesn’t he, like anybody else, deserve a shot at redemption?

The best chance of customers with outstanding orders to get their orders fulfilled or refunded comes if Luke is able to run a thriving business. If his business gets shamed out of existence, nobody is going to win.

I don’t know Luke, his business, or his products, but I wish him the best.

Jim,

I would definitely agree with that, which is why I reached out to Luke and his father (see my emails and responses in this string).

However, when they completely ignore hundreds of orders made over these past years now, with no refund, communication or explanation to those who placed those orders in good faith, and then start marketing product to new customers, I don’t see how that can pass without criticism.

Let Luke, his dad and family be happy and successful. But  he at least needs to explain to the myriads whom he let down why he did so, before pursuing new business avenues. The next round of victims may include you, and you may feel differently then.

karukun

The LUL Laundry Shorts that MassDrop delivered last week have no “Made in . . .” tag on them.  There’s a logo tag with mountains and “LUKESULTRALITE.COM” on the outside, and a plastic clip (like to hold keys) on the inside, but nothing else (including no pockets).

There was a LUL business card inside the envelope with URL, email, and phone number on it saying, “Need Gear you can’t find?  We can make it!”