CUNNING WHEEZES

[Tizer]

Are the bulbs getting too hot in the shades?

[plaques]

NO. These went POP or should I say BANG. You needed welding goggles on to handle the flash. The circuit tripped out in every case. Anyone want umpteen bust candle bulbs?

[PanBiker]

I assume these were incandescent lamps, if so I would ask why buy into old expensive technology? Can you not fit some nice LED candles? I have five running in my centre light.

[plaques]

PanBiker, You are probably right. It all started off with a "I wonder what these shades will look like", Centre light 5 off, two wall lights 2 off each. Only one pair had to be reasonably bright for my reading chair. Get some of these cheapo's pretty quick I said to see how the shades and brightness work out. You know the rest. I'll start to look round for some replacements now the dust has settled. If you have any recommendations I would be grateful especially something of about 60 watt equivalent.

[PanBiker]

I have an account with CPC based at Preston. They are part of the Farnell group now. You can order online from them here: CPC.

They have a comprehensive range of LED lamps. Largest in a candle though seems to be 5W which roughly equates to 35W so 175W output for a 5 arm centre light. I have some much higher output ones in my 3 arm light in the back room the shades of which will take a conventional GLS style lamp, I have 3 x 10W LED's in that which are the equivalent of 60W incandescent. Both front and back rooms fitted with warm white LED's give adequate light output. I also have two sets of 2 arm alcove lamps but they still have a mixture of globe and fluorescent lamps in them as we don't use them very often. The candle lamps are clear and the three arm in the back are pearl. I pay about £1.75 to £2.00 for the 10W LED GLS 60W equivalent.

[PanBiker]

I should add that I only looked in the latest offer catalogue that I have, they have a larger range online. Just had a look and Phillips do an 8W dimmable that they claim is 60W equivalent they only have it in SES though and it's £7.50 inc vat.

You can search items with a comprehensive array of filters in the sub categories. One definite tip with LED's is to go for Warm White, the Cool White LED's make you feel that you are at the dentists.

[plaques]

Thanks, I'll start with CPC and work my way through.

[Tizer]

Has anybody started making 100W equivalent LED bulbs?

[chinatyke]

Has anybody started making 100W equivalent LED bulbs?

I use 9 Watt LED bulbs that are roughly equivalent to 90 Watt incandescent or 27W CFL types. There are 10W, 12W etc available on the market but they tend to have big envelopes. I pay 10 rmb for a 9W LED with ES27 screw fitting, about £1.16 each. They are not the traditional round globe type but have a slightly slimmer more cylindrical envelope and thus don't appear as bulky and are a much nicer shape.

[Tizer]

The highest wattage I've seen on sale here is 9W but they are described on the label as equivalent to 60W, not 100W, incandescent.

[Wendyf]

Warnings are being given about a phone scam about to hit the UK where the caller asks "can you hear me OK?" Your reply is recorded and if you answer "yes" then that is used to confirm that you have agreed to a major purchase. It seems a bit far fetched to me but who knows? We don't answer the phone now unless it's a number we recognise, but have had "new boiler" calls from local numbers recently.

[Tizer]

It might be simply put about to worry us but, if anything about it is true, I think it's more likely that the receiver of the call would be told that story to frighten them into paying up some money or doing something else. There are some nasty minds out there.

We don't usually get malicious emails these days but yesterday received seven all claiming I'd had a subpoena served against me! Perhaps Donald Trump has seen what I've written about him on OG!

[Tripps]

Warnings are being given about a phone scam about to hit the UK where the caller asks "can you hear me OK?" Your reply is recorded and if you answer "yes" then that is used to confirm that you have agreed to a major purchase. It seems a bit far fetched to me but who knows? We don't answer the phone now unless it's a number we recognise, but have had "new boiler" calls from local numbers recently.

This is surely simply nonsense. Prime urban myth material .

Just say Yes.

[Wendyf]

I did notice that it was a company who sell call blocking equipment who had originated the story.....

[Tripps]

I missed that - must be slowing down. We can file it under 'Fake News' then?

[Wendyf]

Well yes, but....
We have been pestered by automated calls giving us the important news about boilers to the extent that we have stopped answering the phone and have turned off the answer machine. Col was caught out by a call from a local number yesterday and found a human on the line, so he let rip with a mouthful of expletives as usual. When I mentioned the scam to him this morning he remembered that the person on the other end had started the call by commenting on the crackling line....

[Tizer]

We've been bombed by `important boiler news' for some months now but it's eased off a bit. It peaked at about five a day. I logged a series of the phone numbers and everyone was different, so there's no simple way of blocking them. The series of numbers ran: 012...., 013...., 014....etc and when they got to 019 it started another cycle. The scallywags are probably generating random numbers and `fixing' it so that these are the `sent from' numbers you get from 1471 or your phone screen. The calls probably all come from one location.

[Stanley]

My top tip for cold calls. Always say 'Who are you?" when you answer if you thing it might be a kosher call. No way of scamming from that. The one that triggers instant cut-off is the prim voice that starts "This is an important message.....". Really?

[Stanley]

The thing that strikes me at the moment is the proliferation of adverts on the TV for loans and gambling. The whole commercial world seems to be hall bent on getting money out of us one way or another. The latest cunning wheeze I have noted is a new site that promises to find you 'an affordable loan', so they don't have to mention 1200% interest rates. 'affordable'? I don't think so. I am so sorry for people who are driven to these sharks and ashamed of a country that has let these usurious rates become a fact of life.

[Stanley]

Not sure whether this is a cunning wheeze or a cock-up. Amber Rudd has announced changes to compensation rules that mean that all will have to be calculated by new rules taking account of low interest rates which will enormously increase the pay-outs. The insurance companies say this means the average comprehensive car insurance will rise by £75 and the increases will also hit organisations like the NHS.

[Tizer]

Compensation...you probably read about the woman recently who brought a court case for compensation against a night club. She fell down the stairs and claimed that it was because the lighting was poor. The judge visited the club and then threw out the claim, saying the lighting was what you'd expect in a night club, the woman was very drunk, she was obese and weighed 18 stone yet was wearing very high heels, and she tried to walk down the centre of the staircase instead of holding onto a rail.

[Stanley]

I have never been a fan of the 'compensation culture' and allowing 'ambulance chaser' solicitors to advertise was in my view regrettable.

[Stanley]

Hammond has flagged up pressure being placed on companies to limit the small print in contracts particularly the clauses that lead people to finding they are liable for monthly payments when they thought they were having a free trial. All I can say is don't hold your breath. I think back to many aspirations like this that never came to anything particularly moves to make prompt payment of accounts by large companies when they demanded payment monthly. I can remember this being a big problem with Courtaulds for Bancroft Shed. They demanded prompt payment but had a policy to pay after 3 months themselves. Cunning wheezes like this are as old as business itself and it will amaze me if Hammond makes any difference.

[Tizer]

The difference is that in this case the Amazon Prime wheeze got lots of attention, especially when celebrities and politicians found they'd `been done over'. Giles Coren led the charge and you know what an effective attack dog he is!

I wonder how many people noticed the sudden government U-turn on the proposal to change the compensation law. They only made the proposal public about a week ago but the newspapers were full of it, describing how it would put an average £75 on car insurance premiums and could add £1000 to premiums for new drivers. The Assoc of British Insurers said it was `crazy'. The backlash led to a quite U-turn this last week. With all the Brexit and other big issues at the moment they can get away with slipping out U-turns. But why didn't they consult the experts in the first place instead of making fools of themselves?

[Pluggy]

Amazon Prime a cunning wheeze ? As a paying member I always thought it was made clear that the months trial continued into paid membership. at the end of the month. In any case it isn't difficult to switch it to stop at the end of the trial, immediately after signing up if you wish. In comparison to some of the Book clubs that used to advertise in papers small ads decades ago they are a model of openness.