41 replies to this topic

[Mortartube]

I feel it's about time that we named the importers and manufacturers who sell fireworks that are mostly thin air. Tiny fountains in big tubes and cakes that are mostly a void in the middle. All I ask is that you have used them yourselves and seen the evidence. I sold the following selections for a while when I was in the trade and stopped when I realised what a con it was.

I will start with Essex Pyrotechnics boxed selections. Many of the items in their selections contain tiny fountains glued into much larger tubes with PVA glue. It is a con. The fountains are worth less than 5p each from China. Most of the items where this happens are easy to spot as they are often squat fat tubes with a twist of tissue paper around the top and the fuse poking from the centre of the tissue paper.

Any more?

[David]

Most selection boxes do it , to some extent. The smaller ones its not an issue, as they are good value for money. The larger ones are made to look MUCH larger with cardboard, when in fact its often EXACTLY the same fountain, just in a large empty tube.

The worst brand for doing this (that I've seen), by a country mile, is TNT. All their larger fireworks have been made a lot bigger than they need to be, with small bore tubes well spaced out. As such their £40 range (for example) looks really good behind glass in the shop . But they are actually only 36 shotters! Now, compare this with the physically smaller HUNDRED shotters (eg Crazy Horses) at the same price range (with tubes next to each other- not window dressed) and the TNT firework is really really poor in comparison.

So- do you go for TNT with their 36 shot 20mm bore tubes and lots of cardboard and fresh air, or for another less "flashy" brand with their 100 shot 20mm bore tubes packed tightly?

TNTs policy seems to be to leave space between each tube, thus making the firework look much bigger.

The biggest laugh from TNT is Minesweeper. 19 shots, yes nnnnnineteen, for £65! From other brands 19 shot fireworks are between £10 and £20- and at £20 you can expect 30mm tubes- the maximum allowed by law. So TNTs £65 firework isn't going to be bigger than this.


What worries me is that TNT (an American company) might be setting a bad trend here. Plus they bought out Millenium, which used to be a really innovative British based company. There are some Millenium items left in TNTs range, but they are being phased out.



Just a note- remember that fanned effects need some fresh air spacing- thats not window dressing, its an acceptable part of the construction.

Edited by David, 08 October 2007 - 02:18 PM.

[RangerOfFire]

Offender: Devco
Product(s): Thunder Selection Box (although I suspect all of their stuff will be)

This fountain measures 10cm high x 5cm wide


All it contains is this meagre around 12mm ID tube:


There are a few items in the box like that, but thankfully the roman candles and air b**bs are heavy and not padded. But at £15/box I can't really complain.

[Arthur Brown]

Well I saw a posted picture of a huge cake however it had a huge block of foam polystyrene in the centre and only one peripheral row of loaded tubes, and another pic of an octagonal cake which had only a tube at each corner!


However getting an assortment box from China for £10 or less, isn't going to give you a Kimbolton designed £50 cake effect. simply they can't do it for the money.

[David]

However getting an assortment box from China for £10 or less, isn't going to give you a Kimbolton designed £50 cake effect. simply they can't do it for the money.

This is true. However, the objection is when firms use window dressing to justify a higher price. IE rather than compete by matching quality effects, they compete by making their products physically much bigger (and as such appear much better) than they are. If window dressed stuff was much cheaper, then fair enough. But the problem is, its not cheaper.

[David]

To add to the name and shaming- Watch out for seasonal shops that offer " Discount Fireworks " on the shop banners, and even in their advertising. These shops tend to sell at full RRP, and are not discounted at all.

More generally, be cautious of cash-in-hand seasonal shops, that might well be selling illegally (ie storage), employing people illegally (IE cash in hand wages) . This of could DOES NOT apply to them all. But some are dodgy fly-by-nights aiming to make a quick bit of money.

There was one last year who was selling stuff that had clearly been lying in a garage or somewhere for years, old Bright Star stuff etc.

Edited by David, 15 October 2007 - 07:42 AM.

[David]

Faulty link

Edited by David, 12 September 2008 - 09:37 PM.

[pmhcfc]

For the same RRP (£5) you could get a Kimbolton Glittering Gemstones- NINE fountains in that- and Spyrotechnics gave me a really good deal- so for me Glittering Gemstones is literally four times better!
Also, I’m not fickle, but the packaging looks awful- like they haven’t put any effort in.

That's such a con, and to see Standard doing it makes it worse. Imagine those people who will use this firework as one of their centrepieces, purely based on its size- as David says; you have to feel sorry for them. David, was this part of a selection pack or was it a single purchase?

I'm very careful (thanks to people on here) when I buy fireworks. I always check the weight to size ratio now. I've been conned in the past but no more (I hope).

[RangerOfFire]

Its a single purchase item.

Perhaps someone would like to check Sainsbury's £5 Standard fountain "Eureka Fountain".

[David]

This was a single purchase, I think the only single fountain they sell. I bought it just to see how good/bad it was.

[Gigantic Crab!!!]

Gigantic Crab!!! laughs heartily at the suggestion that Kimbolton are much better value, when they too are guilty of gratuitous packaging in their selection boxes.

Gigantic Crab!!! is however angered by Shellscapes "4 inch" mines, which are actually 2 inch.

Gigantic Crab!!! is also obliged to point out that certain cakes such as some of those in the Brothers range have space between the tubes, though this is due to superior construction; they even have a wooden base.

[David]

Gigantic Crab!!! laughs heartily at the suggestion that Kimbolton are much better value, when they too are guilty of gratuitous packaging in their selection boxes.

In this case it was simply a comparison of 2 individual fireworks at the same price, rather than a comparison of brands.

[Gigantic Crab!!!]

Gigantic Crab!!! would nod in agreement, if only he possessed a neck.

Gigantic Crab!!! is a fan of Kimbolton products as they are generally of good quality, and hopes they have stopped pedalling those rubbish candlepots.
Gigantic Crab!!! does wish they would stop ruining their best fireworks such as Lake of Sapphires (they have; they changed it back) and their once excellent Mammoth cones (they sacrificed two thirds of the height just to add a speck of colour).

Gigantic Crab!!! has been caught out by wildly varying durations on certain Kimbolton items though, but then is to be found amongst almost all brands.

Gigantic Crab!!! has also just remembered about an Absolute Fireworks cake (formally Royal Party) that does appear to have some dummy tubes in it's construction, but would like to point out that in other countries they are filled with small shells which are omitted for the UK. Packaging remains the same with some empty tubes as it is cheaper to do this than redesign the cake.

[icarus]

if i hadnt thrown my empty toilet roll tubes away i could have made big fireworks like the professionals do!!!!

[Andrew]

Maybe it's a DIY firework,
step 1, bung the four round tubes with bentonite.
step 2, load with your favourite fountain comp.
step 3, bung teh top with bentonite.
step 4, slowly drill a hole.
step 5, insert fuse.

lmfao


On a note to combat this practice. Everybody should buy a selection box, take photographic evidence of the con, then phone up trading standards (if you find your local office number you will not have to pay the national rate) and report it. Cite on the phone that they are using far too much "Packaging", and well as deceiving consumers!

The manufacturers/supermarkets do this deliberately and may use the following as an excuse: "It make it safer for consumers by having this excess packaging", someone should do some research to see if a large box free standing is less stable than a tube heavily planted in damp sand/mud!