(CANCELED) Replacement clear or colored headlight Lens (CANCELED)
01-23-09, 03:02 PM
#467
Lexus Test Driver
well count me in if i can still get my low beams made...i'll just wait to see payment after others have received theirs.
BTW thanks top hat! at least you guys are innovative!
BTW thanks top hat! at least you guys are innovative!
01-25-09, 08:38 PM
#468
What a week!
First off, let me apologize for the delay in communication. Up until today I did not have all the information to give you guys and now I do. It's only 2 guys running this whole show and we've been busting *** every waking moment to get everything together. Where some things didn't work out others did and I write this post with excitement not disappointment at the events in the last week.
We officially closed our retail store on tuesday. Every winter in the past was hard but on our 4th winter in the Eden Prairie store was much worse then the others and I couldn't afford it any longer. I actually had to get a side job doing interior repairs at dealerships 3 months ago since Streamline Audio USA, the shop that shared the space with Top Hat, needed a couple of months to prepare for us leaving. We knew this was going to happen around the time the last of the Sherlock Society wheels sold and so when it was time to hand in the keys it wasn't that big of a deal. I wish I could have kept the couches though they were so baller!
NOW, Top Hat can focus on internet sales, and I can focus on the Sherlock Society. I'd rather run a warehouse then a shop anyway. I am so excited about what the Sherlock Society stands for and the products they make i'm going to focus on bringing those products to the owners they were intended for, you guys.
This is what was in the works from the Sherlock Society (without getting too specific)
Clear Replacement Headlight Lenses
LED tail lights
Exhaust
The exhaust is done and is waiting a cash infusion to give the go ahead. The LED tail lights have been done but were waiting for a few critical puzzle pieces to fall into place. The clear replacement headlight lenses took the most work, the most money, and had the most problems. We FINALLY got the headlight situation under control and began taking orders. However, after making 2-3 lenses, the coating we put over the molds to prevent the dimple’s cracked and some of it even peeled off of the mold. We repaired them but now the dimples are still there. We can’t get them out, we spent a TON of money on plastic to have only a few people order them, so it’s a bad situation. To make things even worse there was an air bubble from when we repaired the molds and our right inner headlight buck popped like a damn firecracker. They are on hold indefinitely.
HOWEVER, the machine can be retooled for something else we had planned which was waiting for production. I can’t give an exact date since the next few days are going to be crazy but give it 2 weeks. I guarantee you if you thought the headlights were tight this is %100 better. We were planning on releasing this AFTER the headlights as a 1-2 punch but instead it’s going into production NOW to make up for headlights not working.
Bryan and I are SINCERELY sorry that we could not get the dimples out. You can’t see them when they are installed but we KNOW that they are there. We wanted people to open the box and see them and they be %100 clear. Everyone says we are overreacting and people won’t care but WE care.
I’m putting ALL headlight orders on hold until everything is sorted out and I get feedback from the people who ordered them.
If you ordered a set of ANYTHING there are 3 options you have
1. PM us for a refund. We are working on getting rid of some parts and accessories we have to get some cash in case everyone wants a refund. ALL INNER HEADLIGHTS ORDERS WILL BE REFUNDED. We are working out who paid first and the timing of the refunds. Please be patient while we work things out. If you have ANY issues or want to talk about PM me please.
2. PM us the email address you paid from (or that and the address you want it to go to) and we’ll ship out the fogs. Especially the way they mount you don’t see the dimples from the angle and we consider them still a solid product. If you do not like them, send them back, and we’ll refund you your purchase AND your shipping cost.
3. If you would like to use your payment as a deposit on the tail lights we will DOUBLE the payment toward the tails. So if you paid $50 you’d get $100 off the taillights and first shot at buying them. The taillights don’t rely on lexan so the dimples are a non-issue. If you don’t like them when we release pics and information, we’ll refund your money instantly.
or you can do any combination of those choices. If you’d like a refund on the inners but use the money from fogs to hold the tails that works to. I will do whatever I have to do to keep everyone satisfied. I was hoping to surprize everyone with the tail lights but I guess since I’m not posting pics you’ll be pretty damn surprised when I do.
So if you guys have ANY problems please don’t hesitate to PM me and i’ll do everything I can for you. Also everyone who donated headlights will get the tails for free. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and we will return that generosity to you.
It’s ****ty the headlights didn’t work out but trust me there is MUCH MUCH more for you guys. Clear headlights was only the beginning of some very cool stuff so hold your judgment till you see the tails. If you are disappointed by them then we suck.
Sincerely,
Sam and Brian
First off, let me apologize for the delay in communication. Up until today I did not have all the information to give you guys and now I do. It's only 2 guys running this whole show and we've been busting *** every waking moment to get everything together. Where some things didn't work out others did and I write this post with excitement not disappointment at the events in the last week.
We officially closed our retail store on tuesday. Every winter in the past was hard but on our 4th winter in the Eden Prairie store was much worse then the others and I couldn't afford it any longer. I actually had to get a side job doing interior repairs at dealerships 3 months ago since Streamline Audio USA, the shop that shared the space with Top Hat, needed a couple of months to prepare for us leaving. We knew this was going to happen around the time the last of the Sherlock Society wheels sold and so when it was time to hand in the keys it wasn't that big of a deal. I wish I could have kept the couches though they were so baller!
NOW, Top Hat can focus on internet sales, and I can focus on the Sherlock Society. I'd rather run a warehouse then a shop anyway. I am so excited about what the Sherlock Society stands for and the products they make i'm going to focus on bringing those products to the owners they were intended for, you guys.
This is what was in the works from the Sherlock Society (without getting too specific)
Clear Replacement Headlight Lenses
LED tail lights
Exhaust
The exhaust is done and is waiting a cash infusion to give the go ahead. The LED tail lights have been done but were waiting for a few critical puzzle pieces to fall into place. The clear replacement headlight lenses took the most work, the most money, and had the most problems. We FINALLY got the headlight situation under control and began taking orders. However, after making 2-3 lenses, the coating we put over the molds to prevent the dimple’s cracked and some of it even peeled off of the mold. We repaired them but now the dimples are still there. We can’t get them out, we spent a TON of money on plastic to have only a few people order them, so it’s a bad situation. To make things even worse there was an air bubble from when we repaired the molds and our right inner headlight buck popped like a damn firecracker. They are on hold indefinitely.
HOWEVER, the machine can be retooled for something else we had planned which was waiting for production. I can’t give an exact date since the next few days are going to be crazy but give it 2 weeks. I guarantee you if you thought the headlights were tight this is %100 better. We were planning on releasing this AFTER the headlights as a 1-2 punch but instead it’s going into production NOW to make up for headlights not working.
Bryan and I are SINCERELY sorry that we could not get the dimples out. You can’t see them when they are installed but we KNOW that they are there. We wanted people to open the box and see them and they be %100 clear. Everyone says we are overreacting and people won’t care but WE care.
I’m putting ALL headlight orders on hold until everything is sorted out and I get feedback from the people who ordered them.
If you ordered a set of ANYTHING there are 3 options you have
1. PM us for a refund. We are working on getting rid of some parts and accessories we have to get some cash in case everyone wants a refund. ALL INNER HEADLIGHTS ORDERS WILL BE REFUNDED. We are working out who paid first and the timing of the refunds. Please be patient while we work things out. If you have ANY issues or want to talk about PM me please.
2. PM us the email address you paid from (or that and the address you want it to go to) and we’ll ship out the fogs. Especially the way they mount you don’t see the dimples from the angle and we consider them still a solid product. If you do not like them, send them back, and we’ll refund you your purchase AND your shipping cost.
3. If you would like to use your payment as a deposit on the tail lights we will DOUBLE the payment toward the tails. So if you paid $50 you’d get $100 off the taillights and first shot at buying them. The taillights don’t rely on lexan so the dimples are a non-issue. If you don’t like them when we release pics and information, we’ll refund your money instantly.
or you can do any combination of those choices. If you’d like a refund on the inners but use the money from fogs to hold the tails that works to. I will do whatever I have to do to keep everyone satisfied. I was hoping to surprize everyone with the tail lights but I guess since I’m not posting pics you’ll be pretty damn surprised when I do.
So if you guys have ANY problems please don’t hesitate to PM me and i’ll do everything I can for you. Also everyone who donated headlights will get the tails for free. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and we will return that generosity to you.
It’s ****ty the headlights didn’t work out but trust me there is MUCH MUCH more for you guys. Clear headlights was only the beginning of some very cool stuff so hold your judgment till you see the tails. If you are disappointed by them then we suck.
Sincerely,
Sam and Brian
I pm'ed you a week ago for a refund, and you didn't even reply
01-26-09, 06:07 AM
#470
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32 pages in one post
All PM's have been replied.
Update time: We FINALLY have a clear plan of attack now. To paraphrase so people don't have to read through 32 pages here's how it goes/went
*Me (Sam from Top Hat) and Bryan (from Sherlock Society) get together to make clear headlight lenses for Lexus's.
*We start a interest thread which gets 160+ people in it.
*We encounter a TON of unexpected expenses, our 4 years of web hosting runs out, AND business at the retail store grinds to a halt because of the winter (it's negative 5 as I write this) I drain business account and personal savings to finish headlights, and fund exhaust prototypes.
*Aaron leaves the Sherlock Society and withdraws his investment from the wheel group buy. Not enough money left to continue having a retail location. I pay a last month of rent on the shop, after 4 years, Top Hat customs closes its retail location. No worries though cause the headlight group buy will be huge right?
*We sell a handful of sets. Yikes...
*One mold pops from an air bubble under the resin (thank you Bryan for the CSI analysis
) and to make matters worse we just cannot get the god damn tiny bubbles out of the molds.
*Fear, Panic, Frustration.
*Andy and his degree in electrical engineering saves the day by explaining how we can use the vacuum forming machine we bought to make LED tail lights.
*Since the fog lights are low on the car you can't tell the bubbles are there, for headlights it would not be acceptable however. All orders are put on hold, fogs are shipped to people who bought them (when Bryan gets off of work today he has tracking numbers for the lenses i'll PM to the respective buyers) everyone who ordered inners will receive a refund. In addition to a free set of tail lights for having to wait for it.
NOW
Now since Bryan and I are broke, and aren't going to making headlight lenses all day; we started cleaning old nasty headlights at local dealerships (isn't ironic, don't ya think?) for a interior restoration company to repay the inner headlight orders, and pay for the tail lights to get back on our feet again. We've been building up a big paycheck to give refunds with (since the lexan place won’t give us a refund, but will give store credit so that’ll be helpful) so bare with us a little longer, we are a little down on our luck right now but we are working hard to turn things around.
If after all is said and done, if the general club lexus population is still disappointed, even after they see the exhaust and tail lights, then I will eat a small jar of catfood and put the video on youtube. I am a man of my word, so you can hold me to it.
- Sam
Update time: We FINALLY have a clear plan of attack now. To paraphrase so people don't have to read through 32 pages here's how it goes/went
*Me (Sam from Top Hat) and Bryan (from Sherlock Society) get together to make clear headlight lenses for Lexus's.
*We start a interest thread which gets 160+ people in it.
*We encounter a TON of unexpected expenses, our 4 years of web hosting runs out, AND business at the retail store grinds to a halt because of the winter (it's negative 5 as I write this) I drain business account and personal savings to finish headlights, and fund exhaust prototypes.
*Aaron leaves the Sherlock Society and withdraws his investment from the wheel group buy. Not enough money left to continue having a retail location. I pay a last month of rent on the shop, after 4 years, Top Hat customs closes its retail location. No worries though cause the headlight group buy will be huge right?
*We sell a handful of sets. Yikes...
*One mold pops from an air bubble under the resin (thank you Bryan for the CSI analysis
) and to make matters worse we just cannot get the god damn tiny bubbles out of the molds.*Fear, Panic, Frustration.
*Andy and his degree in electrical engineering saves the day by explaining how we can use the vacuum forming machine we bought to make LED tail lights.
*Since the fog lights are low on the car you can't tell the bubbles are there, for headlights it would not be acceptable however. All orders are put on hold, fogs are shipped to people who bought them (when Bryan gets off of work today he has tracking numbers for the lenses i'll PM to the respective buyers) everyone who ordered inners will receive a refund. In addition to a free set of tail lights for having to wait for it.
NOW
Now since Bryan and I are broke, and aren't going to making headlight lenses all day; we started cleaning old nasty headlights at local dealerships (isn't ironic, don't ya think?) for a interior restoration company to repay the inner headlight orders, and pay for the tail lights to get back on our feet again. We've been building up a big paycheck to give refunds with (since the lexan place won’t give us a refund, but will give store credit so that’ll be helpful) so bare with us a little longer, we are a little down on our luck right now but we are working hard to turn things around.
If after all is said and done, if the general club lexus population is still disappointed, even after they see the exhaust and tail lights, then I will eat a small jar of catfood and put the video on youtube. I am a man of my word, so you can hold me to it.
- Sam
01-26-09, 11:27 AM
#473
imho, and not trying to be rude in any way...instead of trying to tackle new projects (ie- exhausts, tailights, fogs, etc..) i think the best thing to do would be to stick with what originally caught everyone's attention..clear hi and low lenses..
THEN, and only then once all orders have been fulfilled, start new product development..that way your not so far in debt that you are having to clean old nasty lenses for money.
Thats just my .02..I would still like to see the set of high/low lenses as promised from the start..
THEN, and only then once all orders have been fulfilled, start new product development..that way your not so far in debt that you are having to clean old nasty lenses for money.
Thats just my .02..I would still like to see the set of high/low lenses as promised from the start..
01-26-09, 12:02 PM
#474
Lexus Test Driver
*everyone who ordered inners will receive a refund. In addition to a free set of tail lights for having to wait for it.
If after all is said and done, if the general club lexus population is still disappointed, even after they see the exhaust and tail lights, then I will eat a small jar of catfood and put the video on youtube. I am a man of my word, so you can hold me to it.
- Sam
If after all is said and done, if the general club lexus population is still disappointed, even after they see the exhaust and tail lights, then I will eat a small jar of catfood and put the video on youtube. I am a man of my word, so you can hold me to it.
- Sam
BTW - Catfood can be very nutritional.
01-26-09, 02:18 PM
#476
Lexus Champion
imho, and not trying to be rude in any way...instead of trying to tackle new projects (ie- exhausts, tailights, fogs, etc..) i think the best thing to do would be to stick with what originally caught everyone's attention..clear hi and low lenses..
THEN, and only then once all orders have been fulfilled, start new product development..that way your not so far in debt that you are having to clean old nasty lenses for money.
Thats just my .02..I would still like to see the set of high/low lenses as promised from the start..
THEN, and only then once all orders have been fulfilled, start new product development..that way your not so far in debt that you are having to clean old nasty lenses for money.
Thats just my .02..I would still like to see the set of high/low lenses as promised from the start..
I understand tophat is disappointed at the SC community for only buying a handful of fogs and high beam lens, but to be honest, i was expecting headlight lens, which i would have paid happily for, but after looking at my headlights, i decided to have that replaced first. I'm sure a lot of people are the same, but i could honestly say that if the headlight lens are completed, people WILL buy.
01-26-09, 04:00 PM
#478
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imho, and not trying to be rude in any way...instead of trying to tackle new projects (ie- exhausts, tailights, fogs, etc..) i think the best thing to do would be to stick with what originally caught everyone's attention..clear hi and low lenses..
THEN, and only then once all orders have been fulfilled, start new product development..that way your not so far in debt that you are having to clean old nasty lenses for money.
Thats just my .02..I would still like to see the set of high/low lenses as promised from the start..
THEN, and only then once all orders have been fulfilled, start new product development..that way your not so far in debt that you are having to clean old nasty lenses for money.
Thats just my .02..I would still like to see the set of high/low lenses as promised from the start..
So by doing it this way we can A) get some fresh product out there, and B) be able to finish funding the lenses since they require (literally) 10 times more money then the tail lights.
The next couple days are going to be very crazy, with 2 jobs AND we'll still moving **** I've got a lot on my plate. As the fog lights show up and get installed and pictures are posted (or just email them to me) then we'll feel out what people think about them and (hopefully) start taking orders on the fog lights again. That would certainly speed up this whole process. - Sam
01-26-09, 04:24 PM
#479
Lexus Test Driver
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Can I still get in on this buy a set of Fogs wait and get a set of free tails deal? 
Just Kidding of course, Man I wish I would have sent my money!
Just Kidding of course, Man I wish I would have sent my money!
01-26-09, 09:45 PM
#480
Sam: Not only was I excited to see that you guys are doing tails, but now since i sent money for the high beams and am not getting them I get double back basically!?!? Dang man, you guys know how to do business. Im super psyched now to see these tails. I must admit I was sketchy at first, but then when I did some research about top hat and sherlock, i found you guys are legit. Kudos fellas. Thanks for the hard work and effort to stay good to your business.
... now just hurry up on those tails, im getting antsy...
... now just hurry up on those tails, im getting antsy...