has anyone bought light bulbs from hereon EBAY

ATM · 09/25/2006, 03:01 PM

If so your experience with the quality of lights

AQUATIC FACTORY

Power Compact 2 x 65 watt straight pin PICK COLOR!AF$
Item number: 220031082638

http://aquaticfactory.com/images/oscommerce.gif

sir_dudeguy · 09/25/2006, 03:10 PM

yes i have and they SUCK!! I ordered 4 96w square pin pc's. Only 2 are still working. Out of the other 2, 1 woudnt turn on all the way (like it was way dull) and from the other...it would turn on all the way sometimes, but then they both went out in about 5 days. I know its not the balast or anything cuz i tried other bulbs in there and they all worked fine. The brand is IRIDIUS...never heard of it before. I basically just got them cuz they were 15 bucks a bulb. But i'm never doing that one again. I hear that hellolights is the other cheapest place and they actually have good bulbs. For a 65w bulb, i'd say around 20 bucks, maybe 25, because their 96w ones are 30. Also, someone told me they have a 10 dollar bulb sale every memorial day. So what i'm gonna do is stock up on a years worth on that day (so instead of buying 4, i'll be buying 8) and there's no additional shipping price. Great deal imo. So I'd go to hellolights and get the bulbs you need for now...then on memorial day, stock up for the next year. I would not get those ebay bulbs tho. (oh, and whats worse is their service. I payed for the shipping insurance and everything, and before i purchased, i made very sure that i was able to send them back should they not work. The guy said that yes i could, and there would be no charge whatsoever. So obviously i tried to send the 2 back and he said no because it was the "bulb makers" fault that the bulbs didnt work right, so i'd have to pay full price for new bulbs)

imtheonlylp · 09/25/2006, 03:38 PM

i ordered mine from seller "innovativelights"...the guy REALLY went out of his way...i ordered (2) 10000k 65w's and (2) 65w actinics for around $43 shipped...one of the actinics arrived with a crack in it and he promptly replaced it after a few days with a new one after only a $.01 paypal payment...now that's customer service...and the lights look great! other than that, i would usually order mine from marineandreef.com....they also have the coralife brand lights at reasonable prices...i think all four were around $100

ATM · 09/26/2006, 12:15 AM

any other suggestions on where to buy straight pin compacts

Zoos · 09/26/2006, 12:39 AM

Nothing is cheap in this hobby, you get what you pay for.

timespinner · 09/26/2006, 12:52 AM

I'll second Innovative lights.

kass03 · 09/26/2006, 01:05 AM

Innovative lights is good. Ive ordered from them before. Once had a non working bulb and they shipped me a new one the next day no questions and it worked fine.
Hello lights is good as well.
I recently ordered 96 watt pc square pin bulbs from ebay from altechnik which is same as aqualight technik/aquatic factory.
Kinda same experience as sir dude. 1 of 2 bulbs did'nt work. Actually neither worked at first but one fired up after about 10 minutes. I tried it in 4 different sockets. I email the guy and he says we sell them "as is" (the're new bulbs). Then he tells me if I mail the 1 back they will test it and if they find something wrong will send me a new one. Frankly it is'nt worth the money for me to send it back and "maybe" get a new bulb. It obviously does'nt work as the other does. He also said if I leave him neg. feedback he'll do the same for me. Yeah right I bought them now and paid right away geez never from them again.
Ive ordered bulbs online for many yrs now and this is the only place I ever had a problem with.

Wow sir dude Im glad I didnt send my bulb back from them.
I knew it was shady cuz he told me they would test it and then decide. I said cant you just send me a new working bulb if I send it back? The guy was really rude and also said we sell them as is. Mine lights dim but wont fire same as yours. My other one is working so far though (fingers crossed).
I just left him neg feedback lol I'll take the chance of him letting me neg.

kass

imtheonlylp · 09/26/2006, 06:04 AM

dont mean to hijack this thread or anything, but ive been using 65w bulbs...can i move up to 96w bulbs with the same setup? are they brighter?

sir_dudeguy · 09/26/2006, 07:48 AM

Quote:

I recently ordered 96 watt pc square pin bulbs from ebay from altechnik

yeah, thats the guy...pretty much a jerk if you ask me

Quote:

He also said if I leave him neg. feedback he'll do the same for me

same here! Thats just freakin bull crap. Thats why he's only got like 1 negative feedback in the last like...6 months or year or whatever. Cuz i swear that lots more people would be putting neg. feeback if he wasnt a jerk like that. And also like you say (and i might have said this up above...cant remember) he was all friendly at first right before i was gonna order, and then the minute i ordered, it just went downhill...very rude from then on.
And have you noticed how all the neg. feefback he gets, he writes a comment there trying to cover it up? All the neg. feedback had something to do w/half the bulbs they ordered not working.

anyways..enough rant for me

imtheonlylp----no you cannot put 96w bulbs if youre balast is for 65. Do you have a fixture or is it a retro? If its a retro, you can easily look at the balast. It will have a label on the front that will say "2x65" or "4x65", etc....those are the only bulbs to be used on that balast.

If its a fixture, it prolly says somwhere on the frame (like on the back..theres proly a label), the power cable sometimes, or maybe around the bulb cables i've even seen.

Also, i dont think that it would matter anyways, cuz i think that 96w bulbs (no matter if its sq. pin or straight pin) are a bit bigger than the 65's. Well i know they are in length..the shortest 96w bulb is about 33 inches...but i mean in thickness, and the bulb base is bigger i think. At least i got 65w straight pins and some 96w stright pins, and the bases are dif. sizes.

RichConley · 09/26/2006, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sir_dudeguy
yeah, thats the guy...pretty much a jerk if you ask me

same here! Thats just freakin bull crap. Thats why he's only got like 1 negative feedback in the last like...6 months or year or whatever. Cuz i swear that lots more people would be putting neg. feeback if he wasnt a jerk like that. And also like you say (and i might have said this up above...cant remember) he was all friendly at first right before i was gonna order, and then the minute i ordered, it just went downhill...very rude from then on.
And have you noticed how all the neg. feefback he gets, he writes a comment there trying to cover it up? All the neg. feedback had something to do w/half the bulbs they ordered not working.

anyways..enough rant for me

imtheonlylp----no you cannot put 96w bulbs if youre balast is for 65. Do you have a fixture or is it a retro? If its a retro, you can easily look at the balast. It will have a label on the front that will say "2x65" or "4x65", etc....those are the only bulbs to be used on that balast.

If its a fixture, it prolly says somwhere on the frame (like on the back..theres proly a label), the power cable sometimes, or maybe around the bulb cables i've even seen.

Also, i dont think that it would matter anyways, cuz i think that 96w bulbs (no matter if its sq. pin or straight pin) are a bit bigger than the 65's. Well i know they are in length..the shortest 96w bulb is about 33 inches...but i mean in thickness, and the bulb base is bigger i think. At least i got 65w straight pins and some 96w stright pins, and the bases are dif. sizes.

Why didnt you file a grievance/complaint with Ebay/Paypal. They almost ALWAYS side with the buyer. You most likely would have gotten your money back.

imtheonlylp · 09/26/2006, 10:05 AM

(thanks for the info, it is a retro kit)

ATM · 09/26/2006, 11:22 AM

I just bought the lights from A to T Lamps on ebay. I could not find them before I posted this but I've had great experiences with them in the past. The lights are good and at a great price.

( UPS left my lights in the backyard and never told me they came buy. (I rarely ever go back there either) I called up A to T lights and told them I never received my order. They sent out another shipment the next day. I ended up finding the light several days after I received the new shipment. A to T lamps told me not to worry and keep all the lights.

That Cutomer service, if I've ever seen

Ryanqk · 09/26/2006, 12:24 PM

I've bought str8 pin pc lights from them they were great, very fast shipper, best to buy several bulbs at once as backups to make the most of the shipping cost but the prices of bulbs is very good too.
Ryan

kass03 · 09/27/2006, 11:42 PM

Yeah sir dude I'd file if you sent them back and he still did'nt do anything about it.

I told him I'd send mine back if he replaced it with a tested working bulb but then he went on saying they have to test it and such and decide so it did'nt seem worth it to me for 1 bulb.
I wasnt going to pay more money for another non working bulb.

kass

Bret61081 · 09/28/2006, 07:03 AM

I ordered bulbs from there before and replaced them with current bulbs. They are great for the 10k...both are pretty much about the same(as far as the eye can see) but as the actinics, I would go with the current Duel actinics. They are MUCH brighter and have much better color...

mthedude · 09/28/2006, 10:28 AM

Sorry to hijack, but does anyone know where you can buy the connectors the bulb pins plug into? I have a Coralife 4x65 straight pin and one of my connectors is crumbling apart......actually all of them are starting to crumble and I need to replace them.

kass03 · 09/28/2006, 01:00 PM

mthedude I found this place but never ordered from them yet.

http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=696

kass

09/25/2006, 03:01 PM	#1
ATM Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: socal Posts: 818	has anyone bought light bulbs from hereon EBAY If so your experience with the quality of lights AQUATIC FACTORY Power Compact 2 x 65 watt straight pin PICK COLOR!AF$ Item number: 220031082638 http://aquaticfactory.com/images/oscommerce.gif

09/25/2006, 03:10 PM	#2
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	yes i have and they SUCK!! I ordered 4 96w square pin pc's. Only 2 are still working. Out of the other 2, 1 woudnt turn on all the way (like it was way dull) and from the other...it would turn on all the way sometimes, but then they both went out in about 5 days. I know its not the balast or anything cuz i tried other bulbs in there and they all worked fine. The brand is IRIDIUS...never heard of it before. I basically just got them cuz they were 15 bucks a bulb. But i'm never doing that one again. I hear that hellolights is the other cheapest place and they actually have good bulbs. For a 65w bulb, i'd say around 20 bucks, maybe 25, because their 96w ones are 30. Also, someone told me they have a 10 dollar bulb sale every memorial day. So what i'm gonna do is stock up on a years worth on that day (so instead of buying 4, i'll be buying 8) and there's no additional shipping price. Great deal imo. So I'd go to hellolights and get the bulbs you need for now...then on memorial day, stock up for the next year. I would not get those ebay bulbs tho. (oh, and whats worse is their service. I payed for the shipping insurance and everything, and before i purchased, i made very sure that i was able to send them back should they not work. The guy said that yes i could, and there would be no charge whatsoever. So obviously i tried to send the 2 back and he said no because it was the "bulb makers" fault that the bulbs didnt work right, so i'd have to pay full price for new bulbs) __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

09/25/2006, 03:38 PM	#3
imtheonlylp Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Columbus, Ga Posts: 465	i ordered mine from seller "innovativelights"...the guy REALLY went out of his way...i ordered (2) 10000k 65w's and (2) 65w actinics for around $43 shipped...one of the actinics arrived with a crack in it and he promptly replaced it after a few days with a new one after only a $.01 paypal payment...now that's customer service...and the lights look great! other than that, i would usually order mine from marineandreef.com....they also have the coralife brand lights at reasonable prices...i think all four were around $100 __________________ "Tomorrow is the only day that appeals to a lazy man" - Jimmy Lyons Current Tank Info: 75g glass, 20g sump/refugium, QueenTS200, CA2300 return pump, (2) AquaClear4000 powerheads

09/26/2006, 12:39 AM	#5
Zoos Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 1,334	Nothing is cheap in this hobby, you get what you pay for. __________________ "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education." Current Tank Info: None.

09/26/2006, 01:05 AM	#7
kass03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaukauna, Wi Posts: 2,937	Innovative lights is good. Ive ordered from them before. Once had a non working bulb and they shipped me a new one the next day no questions and it worked fine. Hello lights is good as well. I recently ordered 96 watt pc square pin bulbs from ebay from altechnik which is same as aqualight technik/aquatic factory. Kinda same experience as sir dude. 1 of 2 bulbs did'nt work. Actually neither worked at first but one fired up after about 10 minutes. I tried it in 4 different sockets. I email the guy and he says we sell them "as is" (the're new bulbs). Then he tells me if I mail the 1 back they will test it and if they find something wrong will send me a new one. Frankly it is'nt worth the money for me to send it back and "maybe" get a new bulb. It obviously does'nt work as the other does. He also said if I leave him neg. feedback he'll do the same for me. Yeah right I bought them now and paid right away geez never from them again. Ive ordered bulbs online for many yrs now and this is the only place I ever had a problem with. Wow sir dude Im glad I didnt send my bulb back from them. I knew it was shady cuz he told me they would test it and then decide. I said cant you just send me a new working bulb if I send it back? The guy was really rude and also said we sell them as is. Mine lights dim but wont fire same as yours. My other one is working so far though (fingers crossed). I just left him neg feedback lol I'll take the chance of him letting me neg. kass Last edited by kass03; 09/26/2006 at 01:33 AM.

09/26/2006, 12:15 AM	#4
ATM Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: socal Posts: 818	any other suggestions on where to buy straight pin compacts

09/26/2006, 12:52 AM	#6
timespinner Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Coast, CA Posts: 123	I'll second Innovative lights.

09/26/2006, 06:04 AM	#8
imtheonlylp Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Columbus, Ga Posts: 465	dont mean to hijack this thread or anything, but ive been using 65w bulbs...can i move up to 96w bulbs with the same setup? are they brighter? __________________ "Tomorrow is the only day that appeals to a lazy man" - Jimmy Lyons Current Tank Info: 75g glass, 20g sump/refugium, QueenTS200, CA2300 return pump, (2) AquaClear4000 powerheads

09/26/2006, 10:05 AM	#11
imtheonlylp Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Columbus, Ga Posts: 465	(thanks for the info, it is a retro kit) __________________ "Tomorrow is the only day that appeals to a lazy man" - Jimmy Lyons Current Tank Info: 75g glass, 20g sump/refugium, QueenTS200, CA2300 return pump, (2) AquaClear4000 powerheads

09/26/2006, 11:22 AM	#12
ATM Moved On Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: socal Posts: 818	I just bought the lights from A to T Lamps on ebay. I could not find them before I posted this but I've had great experiences with them in the past. The lights are good and at a great price. ( UPS left my lights in the backyard and never told me they came buy. (I rarely ever go back there either) I called up A to T lights and told them I never received my order. They sent out another shipment the next day. I ended up finding the light several days after I received the new shipment. A to T lamps told me not to worry and keep all the lights. That Cutomer service, if I've ever seen

09/26/2006, 12:24 PM	#13
Ryanqk Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 1,381	I've bought str8 pin pc lights from them they were great, very fast shipper, best to buy several bulbs at once as backups to make the most of the shipping cost but the prices of bulbs is very good too. Ryan __________________ MOM! I'm God Of The Sea People! Behold my tiny minions gloveling at my likeness! Current Tank Info: 75gl display, 20gl long fuge, CPR overflow, Octopuss NW150 skimmer, 4 x 110w VHO T12's and supplemental actinic, ongoing projects...

09/27/2006, 11:42 PM	#14
kass03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaukauna, Wi Posts: 2,937	Yeah sir dude I'd file if you sent them back and he still did'nt do anything about it. I told him I'd send mine back if he replaced it with a tested working bulb but then he went on saying they have to test it and such and decide so it did'nt seem worth it to me for 1 bulb. I wasnt going to pay more money for another non working bulb. kass

09/28/2006, 07:03 AM	#15
Bret61081 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 2,078	I ordered bulbs from there before and replaced them with current bulbs. They are great for the 10k...both are pretty much about the same(as far as the eye can see) but as the actinics, I would go with the current Duel actinics. They are MUCH brighter and have much better color...

09/28/2006, 10:28 AM	#16
mthedude Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 549	Sorry to hijack, but does anyone know where you can buy the connectors the bulb pins plug into? I have a Coralife 4x65 straight pin and one of my connectors is crumbling apart......actually all of them are starting to crumble and I need to replace them. __________________ You........Cake or Death? I'll have the cake please.... ....well we're outta cake! Current Tank Info: 55g Reef Tank, scooter blenny, tail spot blenny, cleaner shrimp, button polyps, fuzzy mushrooms, hammer coral, multi color zoos, 10 gal fuge, Octopus NW150

09/28/2006, 01:00 PM	#17
kass03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaukauna, Wi Posts: 2,937	mthedude I found this place but never ordered from them yet. http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=696 kass