A couple of years ago, I bought a real lightsaber. Well, not real real, but you understand. An other-than-actual-laser-blade-that-cuts-through-ships working model of a lightsaber. It makes the light and the sounds, is made of metal, and can actually be dueled with (free replacement blade if you crack it fighting).
Was it something I needed? No. Was it something I’d wanted since I saw “Episode IV: A New Hope” in theaters five times when I was seven years old? You bet your sweet ass it was!
I found the perfect specimen years earlier, but it was ludicrously expensive, so my grown-up brain just wouldn’t let me do it. Then, the sale of sales happened, and they were available for less than half of list price with free shipping, and I finally decided to treat myself. I bought a real* light saber from Kyberlight.
And it was glorious. The adjustable-color saber light, the sounds that actually detected movement of the blade and changed accordingly, the durability… it was amazing. And though I only play with it rarely (mostly to conduct massive light-saber battles on the front lawn with the kids!), I have almost never been so satisfied at the purchase of something so frivolous…
Then, a couple of months ago, I got an email. The company had made the driver board (The tiny brain of the saber, that makes it all work) for the latest version of their sabers available as an upgrade part. It promised better controls, better sound with almost no lag between movement and reaction, much more powerful sound, and brighter blade-light. And with the coupon code they gave me, it was 30% off, and *absolutely* worth the purchase, especially since it meant an opportunity to disassemble and reassemble my saber without voiding the warranty. I made the purchase on the spot. However, something was wrong.
The site told me that shipping for this one ounce part was going to cost $25 to ship to New York from Utah. I wasn’t looking to lose my 30% off to ridiculous shipping charges, so I contacted them. Their response was immediate. They apologized and committed to getting the site fixed as soon as possible, but in the meantime I could just use the free-shipping code they provided. I was happy with this solution, of course, but it turned out that if I used the free shipping code, I couldn’t also use my discount code, so I asked them for an alternate solution. They immediately answered me and committed to refunding all shipping charges as soon as I placed the order. I placed it, and within ten minutes, I got the email confirming a refund in the exact amount paid. I was very happy.
So I got my new part, installed it, and “impressed my friends”. And you know what? It was literally everything they promised! I now owned a working* lightsaber that you could film real-time while it made its own sound effects, and you would never detect a difference from a post-production synchronized sound-effect. The controls were better, the sound was ridiculously louder (I can’t operate it indoors at more than 25% volume now), and the blade was much brighter. I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Except for one detail.
It turns out that the new, super-bright blade was achieved by doubling the power going to the LED that drives it. However, my LED was from the original saber, and therefore only rated for the original power, so I could only run the blade at full power for short periods if I wanted the LED to survive for very long. But I knew how to fix this. I’d just order an LED upgrade from Kyberlight, and replace the current one! Only they don’t offer replacement LEDs on their site, so I contacted them again for details on how I might purchase one.
Their almost immediate response was to the effect of “Oh, we’ll just send you one. What’s your shipping address?” I overcame my shock, replied with my address, and thanked them profusely.
I have no idea if I’ll ever need or want another light saber, but I can assure you that if I do, there is only one company I will even consider doing business with. Kyberlight, your exemplary customer service has earned you a permanent customer!
