Jakes: Cree is (probably) the manufacturer of the LED module. It's a generic light that happens to be using a Cree LED. They are all over eBay. I have bought a handful of UltraFire brand ones. They are clearly made under the same dictate of some random company as they are all styled the same, but often have different threads and odd differences.
Regardless, for the $12 with shipping I pay for them, I am very very very happy.
However, in your case you likely broke a solder join somewhere or most likely you killed the module in the tailcap that controls the emitter. Breaking the LED emitter itself would be an impressive feat!
Your options are as follows:
1) Try to convince the dealer to take it back. I'd bet your odds of this are good as he only paid about $1 for the unit.
2) Take it apart and find the red/black wires that power the LED. The will be TINY and likely on the back end of the "emitter unit". On the back of the heat sink (the big aluminum block). Hook up between 3 and 12 volts (possibly up to 18 if it's a true CREE). If the emitter lights, you have a partial diagnosis.
2a) If the emitter does not light, investigate the solder joins, possibly you can resolder it.
3) If the emitter does light, check the spring in the cap and the positive tab at the emitter base.
4) If still no luck, you have likely broken the circuit board that lives in the tail cap. This is the most likely problem. The Chineese units use a TRASH cardstock circuit board that is the single greatest point of failure!
If you think this is the case, not all is lost. You can throw all crap away and jerry rig up a switch with Radio Shack parts easily enough. You'll be limited to full power, but, so what.
If you are hell bent on getting this thing fixed "properly", you're throwing money away. Go to eBay and guy a $7 one so you can reuse the expensive batteries you now own that won't work in anything else. I have bought a bunch from JK Boonton Supply
[email protected]. He is in New Jersey so you at least have a dude to talk to/speaks English/etc if things go bad. But everything he has comes direct from some China junk manufacturer, but at least they check it first.
Feel free to drop me a line if you have any more questions.
- - - Updated - - -
I notice you're in "central mass". I'm in Templeton, I'll be happy to help if you want.