Doing things that feel "good"

[Roadtrip]

When we bought our home, I remembered all of the years my mom would take my sis and I out to look at Christmas light displays.

I wanted lights. Lots of lights. We started small. Adding a few lights here and there until we had our house wrapped in about 10k lights, fully animated to Christmas music, and three power circuits installed and dedicated to lights.

Last year we invested in LED lights that were from a reputable person on one of the major Christmas light forums we belong to, but almost immediately we had problems. Lights defective out of the box. We finaly got everything installed and hooked up, but the first time it rained, we realized the sealed lights were NOT sealed and collecting water-- which dosn't mesh well with electricity. For days after rain or snow the lights were iffy and mostly dysfunctional.

We asked the dealer what might be done. We were asked if we wanted to return them and we said when the weather is better, yes. Long story, but it was icy and we couldn't get the lights down until after Christmas, so when when had the lights down we contacted the company to arrange the return.

Again and again we made contact and no response. When they finally did respond, the warranty is expired, so they are not going to assist or accept a return at all now. They told us the warranty started when THEY placed the whole-sale order (2009) for delivery in 2010, which is bs, but still out the $800 for the light order.

They offered new lights at there whole sale cost, but these new lights are MUCH more expensive, not to mention I'm not about to give this dealer another dime.

I comes down to this... I attempted to do something joyful and fun for the Christmas season, and while it was hard work, I secretly felt lots of joy when I saw someone outside watching the light display

Now I feel so dejected and I don't know if I'm even up to trying ot scramble around now to even put lights up. We don't have money to replace the LED lights and going back to standard lights means we loose the animated show.

I guess my rant here is to try and get some input and see what others thought. I'd hate to go completly dark and have NO lights, but I don't even know if my heart is in it.

Shannon

[Bethany1]

I love Christmas lights but I don't have power outlets outside. My decorating skills are crap so my inside lights look strung up funny with wrapping paper tape along the windows. The suction cup thingies don't work. LOL. Plus it doesn't help that most lights suck right out of the box regardless of price or company meaning you buy twice as much. It's a conspiracy.

Use this a chance to start over with something different with your Christmas lights. People will love anything you do from the simple to the most complicated configurations. Once you get started on the design process you'll heart will get back into it and you'll be having fun.

It just really sucks getting burned from a company who sold you faulty lights when you had grand plans set out to use them. Don't let one company ruin your Christmas fun.

Dang. It is that much closer to Christmas once I looked at the calendar. I just realized with two cats, my fake ugly tree probably won't make it this year. LOL. If my house wasn't so small, I'd kill for a real tree with all the trimmings. I'm a sucker for Christmas trees. I love seeing them in the windows of houses.

I was just excited to find a Jim Shore Nativity set last year. I've always wanted a nice set and this was perfect.

[Roadtrip]

Heres a video from two years ago...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO2TPD3MFPM&sns=em
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3PWvdS9cj0&sns=em

[nscrbug]

Just looked at the videos...WOW! That's pretty cool! You guys did a great job.

[ny biker]

There are Christmas light forums??

[GLC1968]

OK, I've never seen one of these displays in real life, so I have a question. Do the songs play out loud all the time? Like on a loop or something? And if so, doesn't that get really tiresome?

I do have to say that your display is really impressive. I don't have any advice, but wow...that is some serious dedication!

[Roadtrip]

Forums... Yes... Not all do animation... Some collect blow molds (plastic injected molds) from the 70s... Inflatables... Nativity sets. Their is even a yearly gathering/mini-convention... PlanetChristmas.Com

Music, about eight or so songs in a loop, with a low power FM transmitter that broadcasts the music to a particular FM channel. Cars tune the radio to the channel that won't reach past the end of the street.

It helps both DH are in IT and petty much eat/breath computers

Shannon

[Roadtrip]

doesn't that get really tiresome?

Programming the sequences down to about .25 of a second... Means by December I've listened to those songs... Oh... More then I'd like to admit!

[jyyanks]

I'm sorry to hear about your awful experience with the dealer. Since he/he is a "respected" member of the Christmas lights forum that you frequent, I would think he would want do everything he can to help you out, especially seeing that his reputation is on the line.

In any event, what's done is done. Do not let this setback ruin your Christmas. Perhaps you can try something a little different this year? Even if you have plain old lights without animation, I think you can still create surprise and delight for those around you. I have fond memories of driving around my neighborhood during the holidays to look at people's decor. I never saw anything as fancy as your display, but I remember how many displays took my breath away because of the spirit they instilled in me when I looked at them. Don't get discouraged, I'm sure your display this year will be beautiful with or without the animation.

[jessmarimba]

I don't do a huge display - just a couple spools of white LED lights from Target, but my house is fairly small. I just do the fence, the columns on my front porch, and outline the roof. And I don't have outdoor power either, but I have a window with a big hole in the screen and I just run the cord through and under the window. Last year, though, we had about half the block decorated by the end of the season - it was very cool to see and fun to have started the trend! Especially since I live in sort of a low-income area - I'd rather see "tacky" (cheesy holiday displays) than sketchy houses that look half-abandoned in winter. And the more people had lights up, the more people decided to decorate.

[jelee1311]

I'm sorry about your troubles,the videos are great. I'm a complete dork for Christmas lights (even before I had my DD)so even though I don't live in your area please don't give up and thanks from all of us that love seeing and enjoying Christmas lights!

[owlice]

"They told us the warranty started when THEY placed the whole-sale order (2009) for delivery in 2010, which is bs, but still out the $800 for the light order."

Did you contact the manufacturer? I'd be raising all kinds of holy stink about this -- if the lights didn't work, they didn't work, and you should be either getting a refund or getting lights which DO work.

I think you need to write to the president of the company which manufactured the lights, or the importer/wholesaler for them, and include in your email not only your address, but your social media contact information (and if you don't have any, get Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else you can think of, and oh, maybe mention your moniker on the Christmas lights forum, too.... you see where I'm going with this, yes?), too. I think you should let the company know how disappointed you are with the lights and with the retailer from whom you bought the lights (and I think you need to cc the retailer on this). I would do this in snail mail, politely, and mention, too, the joy you'd hoped to bring to your neighborhood, where you are known for your Christmas light displays, so much so that your neighbors ask you for Christmas light advice. Mention that you tried to resolve this issue with the retailer who sold you the lights, but that the solutions presented are not satisfactory to you.

I think you should mention that you would like an answer from the person; I'd give it four weeks, tops, from the time you send the letter. If you don't have an answer in that time, send another letter, and cc a local television reporter; many local stations have someone on the consumer beat. That's putting this increasingly close to Christmas. Include a link to the videos from Christmases past.

I should think that at MOST, two letters will take care of this. Social media is a very powerful consumer tool, and savvy companies know this and respond to it. You spent a lot of money on these lights; the product didn't work. You should be made whole!

Bet that'd bring your Christmas lights mojo back, too!

[tzvia]

Sucks on several levels. Christmas spirit only goes so far as the warranty with some it seems.

Beyond that, you contacted the dealer before the warranty expired, but due to the weather could not get them down till later, they they did not respond to you till after the warranty expired- how were you contacting them? Phone? Email? Letters?

If by phone, you have a phone record, ditto with email. I would contact the manufacturer and provide this information and see what they do. Advise that the dealer had been informed and was unresponsive until after the warranty expired. As was said here already, give them several chances to respond. If you get no response or are 'pushed off', post your experience with both the dealer and manufacturer at that Christmas light forum. Don't rant, just provide your story and and let the members know of the poor service and poor quality of lights you received.

Warranties start when the end-user makes a purchase from authorized dealers of most anything. When I bought my new '08 Specialized in '09 the warranty started that day. It was new stock from a licensed dealer. Now if that dealer were not a licensed distributor/dealer, the manufacturer may see him as the end-user and the warranty would start when he bought the lights but it sounds like he is a dealer so that would not be the case.