I Feel A Bit Ripped Off

[Ric.ror]

I bought a solar topiary ball/hanging basket from Homebase yesterday hoping I would just hang it up and at night on it would come.
Well there is a solar panel with a stake and loads of cable - its going to look rubbish

[woofgang]

Did you not check before you bought it? Take it back!

[aelmpvw]

why has a topiary ball/hanging basket got a stake?

[Ric.ror]

Oh I don't like to take things back - especially when they will think I'm mad for buying it in the first place - I really did just expect to hang it up when the hanging basket comes down and forget about it

[aelmpvw]

ah, i'm guessing the stake is for the solar panel ... it doesn't sound good does it?

[Ric.ror]

Yes the stake is for the solar panel

[woofgang]

who cares what "they" think?

[boxtops]

I had one of them for some solar garden fairy lights last year - if you've got loads of cable you can hang the sensor away from the ball, it works OK. It's got to have a sensor panel, even those light-up frogs have solar panels. Warning though - the thing only worked for one season, and if rain gets in it, it's done for.

[Tilly2]

Well, you do need to put the solar panel in a very sunny place and that might not be where the thing is hanging. You need some cable clips.

[AB Editor]

You're not alone. Looking at the webpage for it:
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/solar-topiary-hanging-ball---22cm-245766

They don't mention the crap bits, funnily enough! Take it back, it was not as advertised.

Go give it 1 star and warn others at least :)

[Mamyalynne]

Ed just beat me with that link.

[jno]

we've got some fairy lights, with a solar panel, but we just hang the panel next to the lights. You might be able to trim the cable, and eat the stake medium rare.

[AB Editor]

Can you run the panel up the chain to a sunny spot above?

Sorry Mamya :)

[boxtops]

LOL, I love that advert, who wrote it - "sold singularly" - I think they meant "singly" :-)

You can see the electric cable actually, running up the middle of that pic, but it doesn't show all the other gubbins, nor describe it in the blurb. Take it back, not as described.

[AB Editor]

There's some further comments on the review page itself:

http://reviews.homebase.co.uk/1494-en_gb/245766/reviews.htm

Homebase are trying to make it hard for you to read them however!

[Baldric]

The review with that link does point out the problem,

(Caveat emptor)

[Baldric]

X'ed posts, Ed!

[AB Editor]

I think that's a bit unfair Baldric, you shouldn't have to look at reviews at the bottom of the page to see what you get in the package. It should be in the product description.

Ric.ror, I reckon enough of us are grumpy on your behalf to get a proper march going, which store should we go protest outside of? :)

[Ric.ror]

And to add insult to injury - the homebase advert keeps popping up on this thread
Comment added - 72 hours

[boxtops]

Give it to me, I'll take it back for you :-)

[Ric.ror]

Oh no
Please don't be protesting outside the Greengates store today at between 3 & 3.30pm
My sons would kill me