SaveMyLight would like to advise customers that as from 01/04/19 the retesting charge for UK customers returning products in Safety Cut Out mode (SCO) will be set at £10.00 and for international customers the charge is 12.00 Euros.
The Guidance Notes supplied at the time of delivery can be found here:-
www.savemylight.co.uk/guidance
All items sent by SaveMyLight are tested before despatch. We do not despatch faulty units.
We keep a detailed log of test results for every product that is despatched.
Despite explaining what the Safety Cut Out (SCO) device is in our Guidance Notes as well as updates in our News section customers are still returning products in safety mode claiming they are faulty and this is happening because customers are not understanding the features of the products they are purchasing or reading the supplied Guidance Notes.
When we try to explain the SCO device customers become increasingly angry and frustrated refusing to believe or even remotely understand what the SCO is.
When the returned product is tested the item automatically resets which means there is nothing wrong with the product.
We then contact the customer to advise them and this causes friction as well as comments such as ‘well the product didn’t work here!!’ or ‘it must have been faulty from the manufacturer’ or ‘it must have been damaged in transit’.
The SCO only activates when it detects a problem within the circuit it is installed to.
All components in that circuit can and will affect the product if it detects a problem. This does not mean the product is faulty.
If the product is refitted to the same light fitting without checking it the SCO will again activate.
We call this ‘revolving door’ because the cycle begins again and continues.
The customer belief is to keep buying more and more units.
Our Test Team carry out an extended test of the product which can take between 3 – 4 hours.
The readings from this retest are compared to the results pre-despatch and analysed.
A retesting charge is then applied.
The SCO is not a fault or a manufacturing defect.
Products in SCO mode will not be exchanged under the guarantee nor will a new product be sent.
The SCO is a safety device to protect the unit from basic damage. ie a bulb blowing.
The SCO will not protect against every eventuality.
Signs of the Safety Cut Out engaging.
1) Lights will dim / flicker / pulse
2) Lights will flash (cycle on and off)
3) The unit will work for a very short time period before cutting out. Once the unit has cooled down the unit auto resets and then cuts out again after a short time period. (Cycle continues over and over)
4) The fuse may pop or keep popping (Mains Voltage Single and Twin Dimmers only)
5) The unit will buzz
6) The unit will click
7) A readout of 0.1v – 1.5v or thereabouts
8) The unit will become hot
Where is the button to reset the Safety Cut Out?
There is no reset button. The SCO is built into the product. There is no need to remove the warranty stickers to gain access to the unit.
Can I switch off the Safety Cut Out?
The simple answer to this is No.
Why any customer would want to switch off a safety device in an electronic product that protects and benefits the product eludes us.
Would you switch off the airbags in your vehicle before driving?
I’ll by the identical product again. It’s bound to work.
This is a common misconception. If the product was in SCO mode the next product will also go into SCO mode. Customers think that by purchasing another product everything will be ok. This is wrong.
Every unit despatched would carry out the same actions as the first unit.
Our system is set up to monitor duplicate orders or repeat buying patterns.
Any customer placing orders repeatedly for the same product will be notified and have their order cancelled and refunded.
I’ve put 240v on the primary and my tester pen shows 0v on the output. It must be faulty?
No it’s not, but it will show 0v. Depending on the type of product being tested, this way will always show 0v. The transformers are not designed to be tested in this way. This is the most common email we receive with customers asking us to send further products because their electrician has told them to do so. Upon giving the customer guidance we do not hear from them again. All units are tested before despatch. Units will not immediately fail upon arrival unless incorrectly installed or the unit detects a fault.
My electrician told me that all transformers will show 12v on the output when being tested with a testing device.
Absolute rubbish!
A product does not know what power consumption is required without the light fitting being attached.
It could be that the light fitting may only need 11.2v to run correctly as such 12.0v could damage the fitting.
The product regulates the correct power for the light fitting by what is connected to it.
I have removed all the bulbs from the fitting but the output shows 0.1 – 1.5v so it must be faulty.
Customers wrongly believe that removing the bulbs from the light fitting, switching the light switch on and off and attempting to test the product will prove the unit is defective.
A product will not work correctly or show a voltage by inserting one bulb into the light fitting. A minimum load will apply.
Our products will not give any output without bulbs attached. The reading of 0.1 – 1.5v is actually the residual charge in the circuit and does not mean the product is defective.
I bought two transformers and one / both do not work!
This is technically impossible as units from different batches are despatched, but believe it or not we here this regularly.
When one unit fails it will weaken the second unit in the other light fitting causing it to fail. This is very common with light fittings at each end of a room or hallway lighting.
The light fitting that does not work will be the one that needs to be checked thoroughly. It is most likely in SCO mode.
Under no circumstances should a working unit be swapped into a light fitting that does not work incase the fault is not SCO related.
I do not want to pay the Retesting Charge.
Should a customer not wish to pay the retesting charge for whatever reason the product will be held on our shelf for 28 days.
After this time the unit will be recycled and the sale cancelled.
Any customer who does not wish to pay the retesting charge will not receive their product back.
The customer will also be sent an invoice for the amount outstanding to be paid.
