If you still have your recipt why don't you still take them back, you shouldn't need a box .

Um. I'm sorry you're having this bad experience, but you joined the forum today, simply to complain to perfect strangers about some faulty products?

I sympathise with the frustration, but as a forum user, I'm slightly offended: we'd like people to join us because they want to BE here: how about you introduce yourself, tell us what you like in your garden, your favourite chocolate, beverage, colour, whatever (really, we don't bite).

But if you simply want to complain about customer service, I think a consumer forum is a better place to vent.

However, if you'd like to really be a forum member: join in some of the conversations!

posieh
I think maybe I'll do that. It can't hurt to try.

sara_the_brit_z6_ct
I've been on quite a few GW forums over the years but this is the first time I've had occassion to come to this particular forum. Sorry if I offended you or anyone else. Have you been on every forum on GW? Until now I had thought all the GW forums was like one big family.

I like most flowers unless they're invasive but I'm getting into sempervivums lately. In years past I did a lot of trading before GW had a rate and review exchange forum. In the last five years or so I've only done maybe 3 trades.
My favorite color is lilac, I like Swiss Miss hot chocolate, I'm addicted to the internet, obcessed with my little rat terrier, hate going shopping, adore my husband, don't particularly like to cook anymore, I love pulling weeds, I'm excited about making hypertufa as soon as I have the time. Speaking of time, I spend hours on GW but haven't been on half the forums yet. There just isn't enough time. There!

You say that you bought the solar lights in mid April. What kind of weather have you had there in OH since then? Have you had enough solar exposure for the lights to work? Do the lights have storage facilities or are they strictly solar powered? Are all the lights put where they get the same solar exposure?
Today, 6/3/2010 OH:

Sunrise: 6:11am
Sunset: 8:54pm

How much solar power did you get today?

Having said all that about solar exposure. It could be that
Westinghouse does not make a good solar cell and since you said you bought the lights at WalMart, give WalMart a heads up.

I called WalMart and they will take them back so they're bagged and ready to go. We've had plenty of solar exposure. I've even tried putting new batteries in some of them. Some will work as long as I hold my finger over the eye, some will work if they're held upside down and some just don't work at all. The 3 that's still working are part of the original set. None of the replacements are working.

Please tell me what "hypertufa" is!

BTW, welcome to the GP.

Rosies, I apologise - I was under the impression you had only joined the GW today for this purpose - I've clearly been spending too much time at the Kitchens forum, where this tends to happen so that people get cautious. I hope you accept my apology. Thank you for saying hello and telling us about yourself.

Hope you stick around (and are a forgiving nature!)

Rosie, I think solar lights are a hit and miss thing...not manufactured well for the most part unless you pay a lot of money for them. I bought two recently from my hardware store...one works like a dream the other works like yours - upside down. It's a connection issue, cause bt cheap parts and manufacture. The people who assembled these probably are paid less than a dollar an hour.

mwheel
I spelled that wrong. It's hypertoufa. Most people make planters with this mixture but I see endless possibilities for it. It's kind of like a lightweight cement that's breathable. Check out the hypertoufa forum on GW. Thanks for the welcome but I've been around GW for at least 11 years.

sara the brit z6 ct
Apology accepted. I am a very forgiving person. I've been a GWer for a long time and hopefully will continue even longer.

shelia
I'm sure you're right about the cheap labor and parts. I think they were made in China like so much stuff we buy today but I can hardly believe I only have 3 working lights out of 15 in less than 6 weeks! I'm just thankful WalMart is taking them back. I hate to pay mega bucks for some good lights but I guess to have them I'll have to. I bought a set of 4 at a bargain store 3 years ago and 2 of them are still working.

Rosies, thanks for humoring me; even spelled wrong -- I didn't know what "hypertoufa" was!! :>) There is actually a forum about it?

mwheel
Darn, I had it spelled right to start with. You should check it out. It's very interesting. Check out the FAQ section too.
Don't feel bad about not knowing what it is. When I mentioned it to my 30 year old daughter she ask if it was a flower!

rosies, glad you got back to walmart.
Re the Hypertufa, several years ago, the local men's garden club made those planter for a fund raiser event and I bought one. (See a photo in the gallery). It is very light weight, that's a good thing, but it is also very porous so it dries out very quickly. I've found that succulents can do well in the planter.

west gardner
One of the first hypertofa projects I plan to make is a planter for some sempervivums. Was going to do it tomorrow but it's going to be so hot I decided to wait a day or 2 when it's cooler.

Yes, I did hens and chicks (sempervivums) and they worked well.

That shows you how long I've been hanging around the GP. I remember when hypertuffa was a big discussion on this forum. Bigfoot was adventuring there, along with making copper spinning sprinklers and aeolian harps.

I hate to return merchandise. It's right up there with getting a root canal. But I get so peeved with the inability to by a quality product anymore I do out of conviction. Had a wireless desktop crap out on me a few weeks ago. It was not cheap, and it had a five year warranty. It lasted nine months. Transmitter gave out. Store wont take it back, you have to deal with the distributor. They KNOW you can't do without a keyboard and mouse for however long that takes, so they figure most people just trash it and buy a new one. It's our fault we let vendors get away with that crap.

Hello Rosies, welcome to the Garden Party. I had a set of lights for about 8 years, they got damaged last year during the icestorm. Bought new ones, but they don't hold the charge as long as the old ones did and I had to replace batteries already a couple of times this year. None were Walmart, but the second set was cheaper and it shows.
Hypertufa reminds me of cub-scout days, my bunch made garden ornaments, flat rounds with leaves imprinted for Mothers Day one year. Don't ask how long ago that was!