Amazon Purchases Warning

Was that sold by MegaRay through amazon? If you're getting a reading that low you may want to return it, especially if it was sold by MegaRay themselves.

Yeah, with sellers other than the original vendor, it's definitely caveat emptor not just on Amazon, but everywhere. Also, sometimes vendors have bad batches or change suppliers for a key component, which changes the quality of the product. I believe this was the case a few years ago with UV bulbs where one of the major companies switched to a Chinese supplier and got sub-par phosphor coatings on the bulb. Quality doesn't seem to be "job #1" anymore, unfortunately, even on products that can cause harm to people/animals when defective.

Reptilelady":7qix01zl said:

It was not sold directly from MegaRay but one of the sellers. When you go to the product it has a list of “sellers” you can choose from. It’s quite sad really because if this bulb gets tossed around and no one has a UV tester this could make the pet suffer worse. I am just so glad I got a UV tester to actually know the bulb strengths if needs replacement or not. Just shocked but thought it was a fair warning to users on here if they regularly purchase items through Amazon. Always triple check the product.

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Clearly been duded and this is a fraudulent sale - old sold as new or defective / seconds sold as prime (without warning the customers clearly in their advertising).
Does Amazon have a system for handling fraudulent sales or supply of defective / broken goods like Ebay does ?

I'd contact your credit card provider and tell them you had a fraudulent transaction and want it reversed.

If you used PayPal to pay for these - go to the PayPal transactions and start a dispute (defective on delivery) and then IMMEDIATELY (as soon as they will let you) escalate the dispute. You are covered for return postage by PayPal too for up to $45 per return. Tell them you want a 100% refund.

I'd name and shame the seller here and everywhere else I can too.

How do you know the UV meter is working correctly? I genuinely want to know as I was considering investing in one for the same reason you got one.

I believe the ones sold by Zoo Med and Exo Terra are rebranded repackaged Solarmeter units.

These are laboratory calibrated and will come with a formal calibration certificate. The UV meter will be accurate.. These are genuine scientific instruments and not toys.

https://www.solarmeter.com/

They are a very good investment and I have Solarmeter models 6.5, 6.2 and 4.2.
The model 6.5 reads UV-Index.
The model 6.2 reads microW UVB /sq.cm
The model 4.2 reads microW UVA /sq.cm

Most commonly meter used by members here is the model 6.5 , I prefer the model 6.2 and also use the model 4.2 for checks. I bought the model 6.5 for other reasons.

Reptilelady":1km6mmer said:

The seller's name is: ElectroPet
This was the bulb that I had ordered: https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00TQG6DRI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am not sure how Amazon handles their fraudulent sales or supplies. I think they just have a warehouse and then gets re-packaged and shipped to another person who wants to buy it. It is really sad "marketplace" for buying pet supplies so just as a fair warning for those who do make regular purchases from Amazon, be aware of this SCAM. I invested in a solarmeter to check the output of UVB bulbs and this has just proven itself that it IS WORTH having and great investment. I am very aware of that MegaRay does carry a 6 month warranty but considering that it is "new" shouldn't have to call them right away.

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I'd be making an immediate claim and demanding a full refund , not an exchange (don't let them try to send you replacement).

Reptilelady":9inli7i4 said:

Update: I have contacted the Customer Service Rep with MegaRay and they have said that the UVI reading should be between 3-5. Can anyone here double check if they have a MegaRay bulb as well and to do a reading of 12" and 14"? I have a Solarmeter 6.5 so it measures just the UVI. I hope that I did not get the wrong meter to check for the output of these UVB bulbs.

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They will be using Solarmeter Model 6.5 UV-Index meters in their testing laboratory. So if you have a Solarmeter Model 6.5 UV-Index meter you are comparing properly.

I'd ask the manufacturer of the globe how far from the globe the standardized UVI measurement (cited) is for.

Sounds to me like they are trying to fog you off.

Is there not a slight burn in period with the megaray? I thought I had read somewhere that users were getting stronger levels after a few days of running.

I might be thinking of something else though.
If you haven't been running it, it wouldn't hurt to test that.

-Brandon

My older 100w MegaRay has been at around 5 UVI for years. My "new" one which is about a year and a half(ish) old now still has a very narrow beam of around 12UVI right in the center which I'm not crazy about and Darwin avoids. It never really came down even after almost daily use.