# Forum Home Renovation Lighting  LED Downlights.

## BOB - Yes That BOB

Hi all, 
I've just been to an elderly pensioner friends place to look at her new LED down lights she had changed from halogen ones. 
She thinks the sparkie changed transformers or something in the ceiling as well. 
When I looked at them today the globes are identical to the spare globes she had in the cupboard.   
 She said two of them have stopped working already. 
Do the transformers have to be changed? 
There are about 10 lights involved and he charged her a thousand dollars for it. 
It seems she's merely paid the money and ended up with the same as she started with. 
I asked if she got a compliance certificate and none was provided. 
What is the best way to handle it for her?

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## Brian7886

So you are saying that she paid $1000 to get halogens changed to LED? But has still got halogen?  
$1000 bucks could be right for a complete change over of 10 LED downlights. You can pay up to 60-70 bucks for some quality lights each, plus labour of rewiring the whole fitting.  
The style of globe and transformer depends on what you wanna do, you can re-use the existing tranny and probably get an LED that plugs into the normal halogen fittings etc, be the cheapest route, non dimmable though.  
To go dimmable (if she ever asked) would require a complete upgrade, where you would just install the entire kit, and a purpose made dimmer switch. Just using a clipsal or similar electronic dimmer wont dim some LED's right down

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## BOB - Yes That BOB

> So you are saying that she paid $1000 to get halogens changed to LED? But has still got halogen?

  Yes it appears so as they are identical to the spares she had.

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## Uncle Bob

I'd check to see if the transformers were changed. Those ain't LED downlights either so I suspect the the sparky may have duped the customer.

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## cyclic

If you are going into bat for her then first get pics of the transformers and globes and off to the Electrical Supplier for confirmation, but no need if you are absolutely certain, then naturally a call back to make good those not working, and of course be there when he arrives.  
I am hoping a tax invoice/receipt was issued but if he has ripped her off then not much chance, but still, you can ask him politely to install what he has been paid for. 
If the receipt shows LED you have the Law on your side, if not, and you get no satisfaction, then maybe a call to the Electrical Authority and ATO would not go astray. 
 I'm a mean b when old Ladies get ripped. 
Good Luck 
edit....I bought some LED globes for downlights at $15 each and they would not work with my transformers but they did work at my sons home.

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## BOB - Yes That BOB

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. 
At this stage it appears his phone is disconnected. 
We've searched the papers and phone book etc but are unable to locate him or even where the lady contacted him from originally.

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## METRIX

$1000 for 10 replacement light is highway robbery, even if the entire fitting cost $60 it would not cost $40 per fitting to upgrade the connection if there was an existing downlight in place, and this is if the existing fitting was actually replaced with a new LED one which it sounds like it wasn't. 
If the lights have not been replaced then your friend has been ripped off by one of the typical scum bags out there ripping off pensioners every day with various tricks. 
Report this to the Fair Trading in your state ASAP, they handle these types of scams on a daily basis, chances are your friend may not get any money back, but at least the Fair Trading will be aware of another scammer out there, and just may catch them. 
If you have a phone number of this scammer give it to the FT, they can start their investigations by tracking who opened the account for the phone. 
Below is a link to NSW FT scammers reporting site, if you are not in NSW go to your respective states DOFT site.  Report a scam - NSW Fair Trading

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