An important step when replacing and providing the facility with LED luminaires is making the decision – lamps from the wholesalers or from the manufacturer? Every investor, designer or contractor often faces this decision. Therefore, to support them in making the decision, this article presents the pros and cons of buying lamps from the manufacturer and intermediary, which is a wholesaler.
We will show information on:
- the type and availability of the products with the manufacturer and the wholesalers.
- the differences in delivery terms and payments,
- selecting the best solutions for the nature of a project,
- functionalities, which is the lighting control system,
- the difference between the warranty from the manufacturer of LED luminaires and from an intermediary,
- servicing the project.
A broad range of lamps at the wholesalers or the manufacturer?
External lighting, hanging lamps, floor lamps, ceiling lamps and other
The wholesalers and manufacturers of lighting have many products to offer to potential buyers. Both have a broad range of products to offer. For wholesalers, the choice of lamps is usually broader and the product range is the same throughout the country. It should be, however, remembered there are some limitations related to buying lamps there.
Intermediaries offer lamps from many manufacturers. These are products from Polish manufacturers, but also luminaries from foreign markets, such as China, therefore pricing can be very varied. Unfortunately, this can also mean insufficient product quality, which is very important in the case of lighting for industrial, office and retail facilities, as well as for street lighting. The cost of purchasing the same luminaires directly from the manufacturer will be lower as compared to wholesalers.
Delivery and payment
The differences between buying LED luminaires from the manufacturer and the wholesalers also include delivery time and the payment term. Delivery time is related to product availability, therefore wholesalers have an advantage in this case. They usually offer luminaires they have in stock, making the delivery time short. LED luminaire manufacturers usually start production after the order is confirmed, making the delivery time longer. The above process also drives the payment terms. When buying from the manufacturer, these are shorter than for wholesalers.
Adjusting LED lamps to the needs of a project with wholesalers and manufacturers
New lamps with non-standard parameters, such as power, colour temperature or luminous flux are often unavailable at wholesalers. Purchasing lighting directly from a Polish manufacturer allows you to customise the products and match them to practically any interior. Also, manufacturers have the best specialists in their team, and subject-matter support when selecting new sources of light for the conditions is invaluable.
LED luminaries and the lighting system – control
Those benefits are influenced by additional elements, such as light sensors, motion and presence detectors, or lighting with a wireless control system. When buying from the wholesalers, the proposed solutions may be less functional, as there is no flexible approach and the options of modifying the luminaires are limited. Direct contact with the manufacturer, on the other hand, allows you to program how LED light sources will operate, in line with the character of a given facility. This is possible due to the outstanding knowledge of the offered product and these companies having a team of experts in lighting control.
Those benefits are influenced by additional elements, such as light sensors, motion and presence detectors, or lighting with a wireless control system. When buying from the wholesalers, the proposed solutions may be less functional, as there is no flexible approach and the options of modifying the luminaires are limited. Direct contact with the manufacturer, on the other hand, allows you to program how LED light sources will operate, in line with the character of a given facility. This is possible due to the outstanding knowledge of the offered product and these companies having a team of experts in lighting control.
Buying lamps from the manufacturer or the wholesalers and the warranty
LED lamps are much less prone to defects than traditional sources of light. However, it is still possible they have defects, which impacts the safety of the users. The differences between buying lamps from the manufacturer and wholesalers may include how product complaints are made. The advantage is the direct contact with the manufacturer of luminaires, who usually respond quickly and analyse the reasons for the complaint. This makes it possible to detect a potentially bigger issue with the lighting system. At wholesalers, product complaints are easier, as they have a number of replacements and have the terms of service agreed with the manufacturers and third parties. In this case, however, the cause of the defect, e.g. resulting from defective installation, may not be detected, which will generate further problems.
The time of response for a reported defect is equally important, therefore it should be remembered and the terms of the warranty should be verified for a given product, both for those purchased from the manufacturer and from the wholesalers. Lighting manufacturers have an advantage here, as due to the fact that the warranty path is much shorter, the response for reports, repair or replacement is faster. Also, LED luminaires bought from the wholesalers usually have 2-3 years product warranty. This is different in the case of direct contact with the manufacturer, as such a warranty may be longer, even up to 10 years.
Project servicing – the manufacturer versus the wholesalers
There are many elements to upgrading and furnishing a facility with a lighting system. The advantage of a manufacturer over wholesalers in this case is the option of conducting the overall process in a comprehensive way. This means the cooperation between the investor and the manufacturer of LED lamps may start with presenting a quote and performing an audit. The next step is preparing the design, which is selecting the best solutions for the needs. Such cooperation may also be related to assistance in financing the project. The manufacturer also ensures the warranty and post-warranty service. This makes all stages of the process being completed by the manufacturer of the luminaires, and servicing the investment related to the lighting brings savings in time and costs.
If you are still in doubt about whether to buy lamps from the wholesalers or the manufacturer – we are here to help. We will help clarify those doubts, answer all the questions you may have and select the best solution!
Do you have additional questions?
Ask our expert
See other articles
What is discomfort glare?
Every one of us has, on more than one occasion, experienced dazzling light, which, in practice, is known as discomfort glare. Commonly referred to as glare, this effect adversely affects the eyes, reducing vision and recognition.
Lumens to watts – how to convert the luminous flux?
The luminous flux of LED lighting is given in lumens. With traditional light sources, on the other hand, the luminous intensity was usually determined as the power they consumed in watts. To be able to at least compare the two sources to some extent, it is necessary to convert lumens to watts. Therefore, in this article we address this issue.
Masz dodatkowe pytania?
Zapytaj naszego eksperta
