Never going to buy another light bulb. By JR (Read 939 times)

[JR]

Will tell you this story and you'll laugh your butt off but I saved a ton of money doing this. All the new energy saving light bulbs you buy now with the they last 7 years BS warranty on the package? Never happen but if you call the toll free number on the package and tell them the bulb went out and it's only 6 years, 364 days 11 hours 59 minutes, and 59 seconds old they will send you free replacement coupons! Yep! During the bad ice weather and the electricity going on and off it makes these bulbs go bad.

Screw them out. If you keep one package you'll have barcode, if you don't bulb has code number on it. I buy all GE bulbs now, Sylvania will do the same but they are cheap jerks and send you coupons for one single bulb, but not GE!

So over the last few months when a bulb goes out, I pile them up and make one call to GE (can get 800 number off the net). I got 5 bulbs out including 2 of the high dollar ceiling fan light bulbs. Call them up, nice people in 5 days I get six $8 coupons for a free package of bulbs up to $8 and two $10 coupons for the same.

Now the coupons are good for only one package, it doesn't matter if the package is one bulb or 50, one package. If the package is say $9 you pay the difference plus tax. You pay the tax any way. I use 60W bulbs and a 75W and 100W in a place or two. These bulbs are expensive and old regular bulbs are being phased out. I have a ceiling fan with 2 to 3 light bulbs in every room and they have a different smaller screw in base and the things are around $5 a piece.


So before my granddaughter's softball game yesterday we went early to wally world, they sell GE but not much Sylvania. Got 4 packages of ceiling fan bulbs 2 to a pack, each $6.96 each, and get this for whatever reason WalMart had 10 packs, yes 10 packs of regular 60W light bulbs regularly $18 a pack marked down to $8 a pack! I get 4 of them with the rest of my coupons. I come home with 48 light bulbs that I paid less than $5 tax on! The lady at the counter couldn't help it she finally asked me how I got all these coupons for free packages of bulbs? I picked up one of the packs and let her look at the 7 year warranty and the toll free number and told her that's how. A guy next to me said "they actually honor that warranty and it's not a bunch of BS?" I told him to ask the lady how many coupons I just cashed in and she looked at him and said $68 worth!

I also have 2 sylvainia $5 coupons left and 3 more burnt out sylvaina bulbs on my desk! Going to call those cheap jerks back tomorrow. I know Home Depot sells Sylvania. I'm never going to buy a light bulb again!



BTW on the average these bulbs with normal use will last about 2 years, they'll wake up and see this and the 7 year fun will be gone so ya better hurry if a bulb goes out and get your coupons and start stock piling like I do!



JR

[fflintstone]

Well,ya never know until you get tired of it and try to do something about it--I also thought that it was a number not a warranty--thanks JR--I will have to try this now--everybody pay attention---fflintstone

[tvnacman]

JR , so they are regular bulbs not LED"S ?

John

[JR]

It's the new energy bulbs they are going to TV and here are the kinds I use:

Yes Flinstone that is a warranty also not just a 7 year life. Guys I'm not kidding, when you call these people are very nice. When the bulb goes out "keep" it call the number and tell them you're not exactly sure how old the bulb is but you know you bought it say about 1 to 2 years ago. They will ask for the code number on the bulb, that tells them when the bulb was made. They will ask you where you were using it say like if you were using it in the kitchen, ask if it is used in a ceiling fan?

Ask your name and address and send you a coupon and they will ask you if you can remember how much you paid? Tell them you got it in a 2 pack and it cost ya $7 or so?

Again if you can use GE bulbs, they will really take care of you.

JR

[JR]

Just got off the phone with Slyvania and I got another $20 coupon coming in the mail.

JR

[fflintstone]

Hey ,you are da man JR---thanks for getting this info out to us--

[crazedfox]

You should know that the 7yr warranty is based off of normal use.
Which is something like running the bulb about an average 4 or 5 hours a day.

Number two thing is the design of the bulb is intended to be coils upright.
So the miniscule amount of mercury can return to the bottom of the tubes.

But most folks never use these bulbs coils upright, anyway.
& the bulb's life would rarely be spent in perfect conditions.
(Dirty-power, google it sometime.)

So there is at least something good about warranties.

I myself haven't paid for my last 3 RubberMaid RoughNeck garbage cans.
Doing the same thing here.

I keep my receipt, & the UPC sticker form the can.
(Usually stuck to a sheet or paper.)

& say when one of my garbage cans got split or demolished by a speeding cement truck.
I'd just call in my warrenty & get a coupon for the cost of a new can…

Ever had a pack of hotdogs taste like there was grit in them?
Get a frozen pizza with miniscule amount of cheese?
Can of green beans with stems?

Save the package &
call the customer service/quality help line.
Good chance they'll send you a coupon/check for the help on quality control.
_

[JR]

All good ideas, the problem is this too. They don't put all the "how the bulb is supposed to be used on the package and they don't think you'll take them up on the warranty. They don't know me very well, tell me 7 years I expect 7 years.

IMO when people do wise up they'll stop the 7 year thing and then you'll buy one very time. But until then if it burns out I'll call their hand on the warranty.

JR

[crazedfox]

Somewhere between design & actual in use,
details & needed info is lost.

But in situations like this warranty issue we the consumer come out on top.

& don't forget some power company's will send you free CFL-light bulbs opon request,
or when you fill out a free bulb offer that comes in some city's mail.
My power company sent out the forms about once every year. & I answer yes, send me free CFL-bulbs!

It's only about 2-standard + a 3-way Or just 4 standard a year.
& I don't always have a need one right away, but there free.
Besides if a neighbor needs a bulb, I have one.
_

[scot]

no sales tax hear in Nh however when you compare how long they last to old ones there still worth buying every 2 years ,a 75 watt puts out about the same amount of light as the old 40watt the new 40s don't put out enough, can get 4 for 8.00 ,the price will also go down ,I just don't have the time myself to keep old bulbs an make the calls ,mabey one day i will bye then they will probley have all led light or something new ,I got 3 of the new ones outside an run 12 hours + each day an a few inside they claim that is 8 hours a day use ,an yes you can still get the old bulbs 16 for 4 bucks I was sick of some only lasting a week I am very happy with getting 2 years out of $2.00 bulb as to changing 8 to 10 bulbs per year or more an we got like 10 in the liveing room alone an some light only get used onece in a blue moon ,an 

3 75  uses the same wattage as 1 older 60watters only 18 watts each ,the money saved in running them pays for the bulbs alone over a year

[crazedfox]

Funny thing, LED house bulbs can't broadcast their radial light the same distance as cold-cathode, compact-fluorescent, or the standerd tungsten filiment bulb.

They come close, but to get the radial coverage they end up building large heatsinks to compensate for the high powered LED's heat.

Their lifespan is threatened by simple dirtypower.
They can't take surge's & spikes like the other bulbs can.

Yes the cost's are coming down. But unless they address the other issues I won't be getting an LED house bulb anytime soon.
_

[JR]

Well guys I might have been a little harsh on old Sylvania? Got my coupons today in the mail from them for $25 worth of light bulbs! I'm going to have enough bulbs for a lifetime!

JR

[101one]

Our local power company (many around the country do) mails CFL bulbs out for free if you sign up. We get about 8-10 bulbs a year in 3-4 styles and wattages. Call customer service and ask, all they can say is no.