100% Original / Genuine Projector Lamps – Guaranteed
If you do not read this you could get ripped-off and deceived by other resellers so please read on.
Why is this message important and what does this mean?
Watch-out for online resellers who are selling “fake-lamps”. Fake lamps or Copy-lamps as they are sometime called is a major industry problem for the audio visual market which undermines consumer confidence. We are very proud NOT to be associated with this practice.
What is a “fake lamp” / “copy lamp”?
A fake lamp is an lamp that appears to be an original lamp manufactured by the projector maker, however the item you receive is NOT the original lamp but an inferior one. The whole time you do however believe you are buying an original!
It is similar to buying a Rolex watch online and then you receive a fake Rolex (and you paid almost as much as an real one). Just like a fake Rolex could break after a few months, so too could a fake lamp. Also a fake Rolex will not give the same performance as an original one – the same applies to fake / copy-lamps.
The worst thing is the whole time you ‘think’ you have an original lamp and you probably paid a premium for it. Be warned, companies are deliberately deceiving customers.
How Big is the Problem?
Our team of Lamp Experts has found over 10 major online projector lamp resellers in the USA and Canada who deliberately miss-lead their customers on what they are buying. Just type into Google “projector lamps” and many of the companies who appear are fake-lamp resellers. If you are unsure if a company is selling a fake lamp please call us on 1-866-426-5773 and we will help explain/prove how you can see if they are selling a fake item. Within our industry these rogue resellers are well-known and we can help you stay away from them.
How can you tell if the reseller maybe trying to sell you a fake lamp?
It is not easy! Often, unless you are an Expert in the field you cannot easily determine if the lamp you are purchasing is an original genuine lamp made by the Projector manufacturer. Below are some hints that might help.
- Sneaky Wording – Rogue resellers will use sneaky wording to mislead you. Watch out for:
- If a reseller says they sell “100% brand new items directly from the manufacturer”, do not assume they are referring to your projector manufacturer. They could be referring to the fake-lamp manufacturer and the lamps are 100% new from the fake lamp supplier!
- If the sentence “a projector lamp for” is used it doesn’t mean you are getting an original unless they expressly state it.
- If the item description says “OEM Equivalent” then it means it is a fake-lamp since it is the “equivalent” to an OEM original (another name for “copy”).
- If the item description says “OEM Compatible” it is another word for “copy lamp”.
- Watch-Out for Bare-Lamps - If a reseller is trying to sell you a bare-lamp (i.e. projector lamp without a plastic housing) they are not selling you a product made by the projector manufacturer. No projector manufacturer sells bare-lamps / bare-bulbs – they always sell lamps that include the housing. Please note if you try to install a bare-bulb into your existing housing it is difficult, will invalidate your projector warranty, and can damage your projector.
- Look at the lamp part-codes - A major copy-lamp manufacturer uses part-codes starting with “PL” then a four digit number (e.g. PL9010). If you see any part codes as PL and it is being marketed as an original then watch-out! Furthermore any four digit part code that begins 89## e.g (8910) or begins 98## (e.g. 9814) be careful as this used by a major copy manufacturer. Other codes to worry about are “GL” codes before a four digit number (e.g. GL1022) which is also used by a copy manufacturer.
- Price too good to be true? – If the price is too good to be true it probably is! Unless you have huge buying power with the original manufacturers, like Projector Lamp Experts, you cannot get low pricing on projector lamps. If the price seems “too good” call us and we can let you know if it is!
- Manufacturer Logos – Just because you see a manufacturer logo on the product page (e.g. Hitachi), do not assume the item you are looking at is actually made by that manufacturer. Some rogues are actually using the manufacturer logos and still ship you a fake lamp!
- Guarantees – Directly ask the reseller if they are selling you an original lamp made by the manufacturer of your projector. If they will not guarantee this then you know they are selling you a fake lamp.
We understand this can be fairly complicated if you are not constantly ‘living’ in the projector lamp industry. We are here to help and want to ensure you get what you are paying for. Don’t be the one to buy a fake Rolex! Please call us on 1-866-426-5773 for expert advice on the subject.
The Projector Lamp Experts Guarantee:
We guarantee that when we say an item is “an original manufacturer's lamp” you will get the original lamp made by the projector manufacturer. We sell 100% original projector lamps and clearly label them on our website. We want to be upfront and honest with our customers so they know exactly what they are buying.
If you could like more information on the fake lamps and the problem in our industry:
How to Protect Yourself When Buying Lamps Online: Our Projector Lamp Experts have written an article with detailed information on how to protect yourself when buying projector lamps online. You can view the entire article here.
ProAV Magazine Interview with Philips’ CEO of Special Lighting Applications, Dec 10th 2008: We work with Philips in many areas as they are a market leader in the development and design of projector lamps. In a recent interview with ProAV magazine Henk Coppens, the CEO of Special Lighting Applications at Philips, explains in detail some of the problems with ‘rogue resellers’ of projector lamps and the systemic problems with counterfeit/copy lamps (especially in North America). View the article here
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