The Bell And Howell Torch Lite
This television advertisement introduces us to the Bell & Howell Torch-Lite and the 2 for the price of one offer for only $10. The Torch-Lite is available from www.BuyTorchLite.com
What this advert says:
Any flashlight can throw a beam but not even this floodlight is bright enough to light up a room! Now there’s the Torch-Lite from Bell and Howell, the high-tech portable light that’s really big on brightness. Look, ordinary flashlights just have a narrow beam but the Torch-Lite has brighter, wider beam that brilliantly lights up the entire room. Even when the power goes out you wont be left in the dark because it’s 28 ultra-bright LED’s give you over 100,000 of bright, reliable light. It’s like having nature’s own sunlight at your fingertips! It’s high powered magnetic base lets you securely attach it to any metal surface to give you a steady bright light that brilliantly lights up your entire work area. It’s like having an extra pair of hands! It’s so powerful it can lift up to 2 and a half pounds and with it’s bright light there’s no easier way to pick up dropped nails and screws. And look, the Torch-Lite is also a flashlight! It’s 5 white LEDs give you a clear, bright light to easily see wherever you go.
The sturdy base keeps the Torch-Lite in place exactly where you want it and the articulating arm has six preset positions that let you tilt the light an incredible 180 degrees to give you total lighting coverage. Use it at your computer, as a table lamp or to light up those dark, unlit areas. Better yet, with a built-in hook you can hang it anywhere and rotate it 360 degrees to give you light wherever you need it while it’s rugged construction makes it impact resistant and weather proof too! And now the Bell + Howell TorchLite is yours for just $10 but wait call now and we’ll double your order! That’s two for the price of one! Just pay separate processing and handling. Order your Torch Lite now! To order your Torch-Lite and receive a second one free have your credit card ready and call toll-free 1-800-700-2600, that’s 1, 800-700-2600. Call now!
The claims made and their real meanings:
- What the commercial said: Even when the power goes out you wont be left in the dark because it’s 28 ultra-bright LED’s give you over 100,000 of bright, reliable light
- What some people might think that means: If the power ever goes out I don’t have to worry about the flashlight [batteries] being dead because this light lasts for over 100,000 hours
- What it really means: The lifetime of LED lights generally does last into the hundreds of thousands of hours, meaning, the LED lights in this light will not burn out or fail for a long time. However, the lifetime of the LED lights is not the same as the battery lifetime. There is no claim made as to how long the batteries will last while the light is on, or how long the light can sit in a drawer before the batteries die.
- What the advert says: it’s rugged construction makes it impact resistant and weather proof too
- What some people might think that means: If I drop it or get it wet, it wont break
- What it really means: The announcer says the light is “impact resistant”, which is not the same as “drop proof” or “indestructible”. Likewise, he says it is “weather resistant”, which is not the same as “waterproof”. The commercial shows the Torch Lite being dropped, and still working, but it is impossible to know at what height it was dropped from. It also shows the light being used in the rain, but we do not know how much water is getting on it or for how long it can be used in the rain. Any jump from the word ‘resistant’ to ‘proof’ is left up to the imagination of the viewer.
- What the announcer in the commercial said: the Bell + Howell TorchLite is yours for just $10 but wait call now and we’ll double your order! That’s two for the price of one! Just pay separate processing and handling
- What some people might think that means: I can get two of these lights for only $10, but I have to pay a processing and handling fee for the second one
- What it really means: As the announcer said, you must pay processing and handling for the second light, but it was not disclosed how much that fee is. The announcer also did not mention, nor is it indicated anywhere on-screen that you must also pay processing and handling fees for the first light as well.
How much will my two $10 Torch Lites cost?
Only after reviewing the www.BuyTorchLite.com website can we find the full cost for the Torch-Lite. As mentioned in the commercial, the first light is $10. The processing and handling fee will be $5.95. Your second ‘free’ TorchLite is $0, but you must pay an additional $5.95 P&H fee. The total cost for your two $10 Torch-Lites will be $21.90. If you live in California, Nevada, New Jersey, or New York you will also have to pay additional state sales tax.
How bright is the LED Torch-Lite?
The commercial shows the TorchLite illuminating entire rooms, and brightly lighting work-areas, so it would appear to be extremely bright, but the ad gives us no objective measure of the actual brightness of the light. When visiting the BuyTorchLite.com website, we can see the “72 lumens light output” badge proudly displayed. “Lumens” are the measure of light output used to compare among other things light bulbs. Because LED lights are so different from traditional incandescent light bulbs which are measured in ‘watts’, lumens are used instead to measure light-output or brightness. But without a comparison of “lumens to watts” there is no frame of reference to clearly understand how bright a 72 lumens light is.
This chart from The American Lighting Association shows lumens and their equivalent ‘old fashioned’ light bulb wattage brightness. The chart shows an old fashioned light bulb ‘wattage’ and how much light it puts out measured in lumens:
This Lumens chart only goes down to 250 Lumens
As you can see, on the right-side (Lumens), the chart only goes down to 250 Lumens, which is equivalent to an old fashioned 25-watt light bulb. The standard light bulb that is used in a table-lamp or overhead ceiling light is usually 40-100 watts (or 450-1600 Lumens). The Torch Lite advertised in this commercial boasts 72 Lumens which based on this chart, has the light-output approximately 3X less than a 25 watt light bulb.
Summary:
This commercial uses imagery and wording that may trick people into believing that this light is brighter and more durable than it actually is or that it’s batteries will last longer than they actually will. This commercial also tells us that we can get two for only $10, when the truth is the cost will be over double that much.
I just watched the commercial for this product and almost laughed myself silly. In the commercial when they are comparing the beam profile of a normal flashlight to their product you can clearly tell they are using two of their lights in the demonstration (a second one is turned on after a brief pause and its beam moves independent of the first). In the scene with the couple outside there is additional backlighting that is again turned on after the light that is on camera. What a sham!
I bought it and it works! But it feels and looks cheap, and part if it broke already
Yes,absolute horse-pucky.I’d just assume swallow a 25 watt bulb and grunt with my eyes open to illuminate the room than spend my hard earned cash!
SAME OLD CRAP I’VE SEEN FOR OVER 40 YRS-W.C. FIELDS WAS RIGHT!!!!!
i think you are referring to P. T. Barnum… 😉
72 LUMENS=5.5 LIT MATCHES=$11 PER=>ARE YOU STUPID?!!!!!
TRY HORRIBLE FRIEGHT @ $3.50 ON SALE FOR EQUIVALENT !
OLD LAW-IF YOU MUST ADVERTISE, YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE
MUST NOT BE VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for this bit of info. I almost bit on this as I did for one other product I bought without checking on what it really said. Thanks for your help, you saved one more sucker.
It works nearly as good as it says on the commercial, but its made from cheap materials. Not really a scam, just a “meh”
liars
Haven’t people learned that whenever a commercial says you can get a second item for free just pay separate S&H that you should run away as quickly as you can.
The commercial for the torch lite when they showed how bright it is in the garage there was two lights if you look close at it the light in the guys hand it’s pointed to the left and stays there the second one is in the center bottom of the screen
This light is good. I got mine at CVS ten bucks the torch is bright good light , of course no way to light up a room but good light. The flashlight part is dim. Not a good flashlight beam. I totally like this light . I do recommend this light.
CHEAP PRODUCT, MATERIALS. DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY. Bought the 3-special (same price) on a shopping network. Of course, JUST after the 30 days, the switch on one did not work/broke when rotating the light forward. The second one failed when I needed it the most, at a power outage. Then, when I got it to work, it would not shut off. So I have taken the batteries out. ALSO the host on the shopping network said it used very little battery power. NOT so. I had to change out the batteries very soon after I got this product. I have ONE left @ 19.95 (something like that). THIS IS NO BARGAIN. I will get a brand at OSH; at least I know I can return it. I will NEVER get a BELL & HOWELL product again. This is the second time I bought one of their products, a “twofer”; one did not work.
This whole commercial is a joke, lie,& false advertising since u can clearly see them turn on two different lights in the garage
These* are sold on Amazon for $5.00 – $7.00.
*Basically copies of the actual “Cree” brand. A “Cree” will cost +/- $30.-$50., & will also use the 16850 rechargeable battery (also found on Amazon for $6.-$10. w. charging base included). MOST of these found on Amazon *ARE* shipped from China so expect (usually) just about 1 month for delivery >>UNLESS << you can find a seller that is domestic. (This — presuming your "domestic" = U.S.)
Good luck & as always; "buyer beware" & educate yourself w. good research.