Help Finding A New Tank Light!

[hamish]

Hi,
Spoke to a guy regarding the bayonet lights and he said althougth the lights may not electrocute an adult they would kill all fish in tank as only a very small voltage will kill them
I telephoned Pennine yesterday yet again and they said they had fully tested the new light fittings by dunking them in water! they didn't say if they we plugged in at the time though LoL
Still waiting for a reply from both them and Aldi.
Funnily enough i decided to do a search on t'internet yesterday using Keywords like Aldi, Faulty, Rubbish etc and found loads of complaints on various consumer forums etc regarding mainly electrical goods from Aldi ranging from faulty MP3 players, camera's, kettle's, toasters, PC's, Laptops, TV's and even a garden spade where somebody bought a set from Aldi and 1st time they used the spade it snapped off at the base and the jagged edge stuck in the customers shin! ouch! (aldi settled out of court mmmmmm wonder why?)
I know one thing now, i will stick to foodstuffs only from our Aldi and for any electrical goods stick to Amazon and buy famous brands from proper electrical stores.If you contact Aldi i suggest to tell them that you intend contacting your local/national newspapers regarding poor service, maybe it will convince them they need to get better suppliers in future? also why haven't they issued a product recall in the press/their own website? Lidl/Tesco etc always do so why not Aldi?
Lets see what today brings re phone calls ect.

 

[chestnutree]

I don't think they have been recalled because it wasn't all of them, theres a lot of people who's light is working fine. Plus the original light isn't a H&S issue, it's just one part that Pennine should have promptly replaced instead of Aldi recalling.

Surely if you plonk it in water, turned on, it will blow the fuse or fuse box? Still waiting for mine!!!! not that im looking forward to getting it now.

With finding articles regarding aldi electrical products.... if you search for faults with any big company you are going to find many articles as they sell so many products. I bought many things from there n have problems with very few and if i ever do they are normally sorted promptly. Plus they aren't Aldi's own make... they are buying from a company and selling them for them, ie pennine.

Let me know if you get a reply from either company please!

 

[hillbilly]

theres a lot of people who's light is working fine.

I wonder if this is true!
You have had at least 3 faulty lights, I've had 2. Have we just been unlucky or are there a lot of people who just haven't found this forum.

Over the years I have bought a lot of specials from Aldi with which I have been disappointed. Some I have taken back for a refund but others I have thought "that's the last thing I buy from Aldi" and then bought something else later because it seemed a bargain!

From now on I will only use Aldi for consumables (they at least seem good quality) and would suggest others think carefully about the apparent "bargain" specials.

 

[hamish]

Hi,
Right lots of phone calls to and from Pennine/Aldi and at 5pm recieved a call from Pennine who told me they have got another supplier for the tube lights and if i didn't mind waiting (used to it now)they will send me one when they arrive.
They couldn't say exactly when they will arrive but will send me something in writing (probably written with Wax crayons from them)LoL to confirm this. I agreed to wait as Aldi offered me full refund if i return fish tank which i obviously won't be doing as its stocked with my fish etc,must say it was very fair of Aldi and the person who i spoke to was very appologetic and basically said that's all they can do to sort the problem.
So I suggest anyone still waiting for their replacement hoods/lights to contact Pennine and ask for the NEW tube light when it finally lands.
Chestnutree, I understand what your saying about Aldi selling other brands not their own but there has been a hell of a lot of those items faulty on the consumer forums, maybe they should be more selective whose brands they stock as at the end of the day its them who will end up with a bad name for selling iffy electricals and they are a very good supermarket regarding foodstuffs etc.
Anyway lets hope the new tube lights are ok, and anyone who recieves the bayonet fitting bulb/hood is mad if they attempt to use it! ok it might not kill a human but 12V will easily kill your fish and will trip your fuse box (mine did after 5mins thanks to condensation)
Cheerio and keep us informed if you hear anything else regarding the lights etc
Brian

 

[chestnutree]

theres a lot of people who's light is working fine.

I wonder if this is true!
You have had at least 3 faulty lights, I've had 2. Have we just been unlucky or are there a lot of people who just haven't found this forum.

I know a few people that work in their stores. Many stores haven't had any taken back, those that have had them taken back have had a 2 or 3 in the same store. One of them purchased one of these tanks themselves before xmas and are still using the same light. It would seem the faulty ones were in batches and not all of them.

Hi,
Right lots of phone calls to and from Pennine/Aldi and at 5pm recieved a call from Pennine who told me they have got another supplier for the tube lights and if i didn't mind waiting (used to it now)they will send me one when they arrive.
So I suggest anyone still waiting for their replacement hoods/lights to contact Pennine and ask for the NEW tube light when it finally lands.

Did you ask what they were doing about others? Do you think maybe they are just sending you the new tube light due to the complaints or will they happily send anyone a new tube light who asks for one? Do you know any specs of the 'new, new' light?

 

[hamish]

Hi,
Best thing you can do is contact Pennine and ask them to send you one of the NEW tube lights when they arrive, they didn't say if they would automatically send them to other customers awaiting new hoods/lights so best remind them.
Cheers
Brian

 

[chestnutree]

Ok thanks.

Well i had a missed parcel delivery yesterday. Someone will be in today so will find out if it's the hood/light. don't think anything else is coming.

Is it UKMAIL delivering?

I am absolutely useless at complaining about stuff and hate doing it, especially on the phone. What did you say to them that finally made them say, yes ok we will send a new one?

I may even take it to my local aquatics centre. The manager in there is amazin. if i get an expert opinion from him then i could use that in my favour when calling them to complain.

 

[hamish]

Hi,
Guess what? I have had another complete Hood with bayonet light delivered today! i now have 3 hoods LoL
When i called Aldi and they offered me full refund which i didn't want due to having fish already they said they would get onto Pennine and within 3 hrs Pennine called with the offer of a new tube light when it arrives. I did tell them i was going to contact newspapers and trading standards etc so that may have helped? I felt sorry for the lady at Aldi getting all the grief as i wasn't her fault but ok i know it was only a light bulb but we live 90miles away from a decent fish store etc so its an expensive light if you have to trail 180ml round trip and then find it doesn't work?
Yep it was UKMAIL delivery van.
Be careful with the bayonet light, remember 12Volts won't kill YOU but will kill your fish and fuses.
Cheerio
Brian

 

[chestnutree]

OMG, it really is bad isn't it!!!!!!

Same lid, 2nd hand and scratched to bits with a small piece of silver sticky tape to try and reflect the light into the tank.

The light isn't half as bright and shines a yellow colour. What a disappointment!

I think I’ll go down the route of calling the lady at Aldi to contact Pennine on my behalf. Or I don't mind buying a new hood/light if they will reimburse me as I don't live far from a couple of aquatic shops.

 

[karenb2]

OMG, it really is bad isn't it!!!!!!

Same lid, 2nd hand and scratched to bits with a small piece of silver sticky tape to try and reflect the light into the tank.

The light isn't half as bright and shines a yellow colour. What a disappointment!

I think I’ll go down the route of calling the lady at Aldi to contact Pennine on my behalf. Or I don't mind buying a new hood/light if they will reimburse me as I don't live far from a couple of aquatic shops.

 

[karenb2]

Hi, I have been waiting for a replacement bulb since January, then last night my 10 year old got all excited because new lid arrived, until I opened it, OMG there is no way on earth I would of expected that fitting to be safe, I phoned pennine this morning and got a rather grumpy women who insisted that these baynot fitting 12v bulbs had been dunked in water and tested, yeh right! so I,ve just been upto an aquatic centre with the lid and they confirmed that they are not safe to use, there is no seal to protect from the condensation.
Then by chance another came in centre with exactly the same issue, whilst there I phoned pennine to get the same response, the owner and expert of the aquatic centre even spoke to them on my phone to confirm they were not advisable to use. so I have requested in writting confirmation of their testing and a new flouresent light. Then when i test it myself by splashing water on it they have no case. And the other problem with the tank is it is a unusual size to be able to buy a new hood with a good safe light fitted.and you get just get the florentent lights in any store to fit the hood.
Doesn't look my son is going to get to see his fish soon!

 

[pix1]

Hi, I have been waiting for a replacement bulb since January, then last night my 10 year old got all excited because new lid arrived, until I opened it, OMG there is no way on earth I would of expected that fitting to be safe, I phoned pennine this morning and got a rather grumpy women who insisted that these baynot fitting 12v bulbs had been dunked in water and tested, yeh right! so I,ve just been upto an aquatic centre with the lid and they confirmed that they are not safe to use, there is no seal to protect from the condensation.
Then by chance another came in centre with exactly the same issue, whilst there I phoned pennine to get the same response, the owner and expert of the aquatic centre even spoke to them on my phone to confirm they were not advisable to use. so I have requested in writting confirmation of their testing and a new flouresent light. Then when i test it myself by splashing water on it they have no case. And the other problem with the tank is it is a unusual size to be able to buy a new hood with a good safe light fitted.and you get just get the florentent lights in any store to fit the hood.
Doesn't look my son is going to get to see his fish soon!

Had the same lady myself today, i was also told how they would be safe too fully submerge in water

 

[walkers101]

any electrical wholesaler sell them

 

[hamish]

Hi,
Well it gets even stranger! today i recieved a cheque for £43.00 from Pennine! with just a compliments slip? The last i knew was they were sending me a new tube light when they arrive but they never said anything about a cheque? I will phone them up Monday and ask them if they sent the cheque instead of the new tube or will they send the tube aswell? very odd way to run a company eh? so now i have 3 hoods and a cheque for £43.00 LoL its a funny old world LoL
Anyone else got a suprise cheque? best thing is never once have either Aldi or Pennine ask me for proof of purchase! for all they know i might not have bought a tank in the 1st place very strange LoL
Keep you informed
Cheerio
Brian
Ps never knew fish keeping could be so much fun! LoL

 

[adnil]

We have had the same problem.After umpteen phone calls to Pennine, couldn't believe it when the new lid and bulb arrived.Taking the proverbial!Amateur operation doesn't come into it!
Aldi have insisted that the only way to get a refund is to take the tank back, easier said than done as it now has fish very happily living in it.The mention of trading standards didn't go down very well.The replacement is not fit for the purpose it has been sold for and therefore a refund is due. But as don't have another tank to put fish in means have to buy a new tank at considerable expense.
I am going to contact local trading standards on Monday.In the meantime someone from Aldi Head Office apparently will contact me on Monday when they have looked into the matter.
She behaved like she had never come across the problem before , yet whilst we were in the shop a couple approached us and said that they had , had exactly the same problem and they too were coming in to complain!