UPDATE: Client refuses to return $4,000 holiday lights to vendor: 'I paid nearly $4,000, what do you mean they are leased?'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 31, 2026 3:00 PM EST

This customer was stunned to discover that the holiday lights he paid $4,000 for were about to disappear from his property! 

How much should you be paying to have your lights installed each holiday? The answer depends on so many factors. Are you in a home, or a business? How many square feet are we talking about covering? How dazzling do you want your lights to be — is it just a basic setup, or do you want to really "wow" people? 

This person on Twitter attracted more than 1.7 million eyes after sharing a conversation that went down between them and a client. As you can read in the text conversation below, this dude felt comfortable charging the client a staggering $4k for a 90-day holiday light rental. That's the key word here — the lights were never supposed to be permanent. 

But $4,000? For lights for 3 months? I don't know… that just seems really exorbitant. That is exactly what other Twitter users told this dude too, leading to some rather snippy and defensive comebacks. Holiday lights have never been cheaper — you can get a 34-foot pack for under $10. They're also quite durable these days — now, if a singular light bulb breaks, it doesn't brick the entire strand. That's a beautiful technological invention that has surely saved businesses like this so much stress. 

Maybe this person could claim that the cost involves fancier decorations, plus the costs of transportation and labor and all that backend stuff. But still, his complaint about the text ended up with Twitter siding with the customer instead! To be fair, this guy did ask Twitter to weigh in. I think people got their feathers ruffled at the huge cost, as well as the fact that a $400 figure was thrown around. This business bro might lose $400 off of a $4k job, yet still expects the casual everyman to side with him? 

As with many a viral Twitter post, people sided against the poster. However, this story does have an interesting update, which is also included below. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Hundreds of Christmas lights strung across trees and house, with light up gift boxes and a light up star
    via Roberta Sant'Anna For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    Andrew Rampulla ❤ @rampulla_andrew Every year we have a client who doesn't understand the lights are leased, even though it's clearly stated multiple times. Going to bite my tongue on this one and let him keep the lights. Rather lose $400 in product then start a war. How would you respond?
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 03
    DS Desiree St Hi! We hope you had an amazing holiday season and a great start to the New Year + Just a heads up that our team will be completing all Christmas light takedowns by Jan 31. We carefully plan routes to be as efficient as possible, but if you do need your lights taken down by a specific date, feel free to reply and let us know! We'll do our best to accommodate where we can. Thanks again for trusting us with your holiday lighting this season. We really appreciate you! 2:08 PM
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 04
    PG We do not want to take our lights down 2:23 PM
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 05
    Mon, Jan 26 Hi Pete, the lights in the tall tree are permanent, but the lights on the palms/fence are temporary and leased. They are only rated for 90 days and need to be taken down. 10:27 AM AR
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 06

    Why is the customer unaware of the temporary nature of the lights? Something seems off here

    PG I paid near 4000 dollars what do you mean they are leased 10:30 AM This is not going to happen buddy 10:30 AM
    via @rampulla_andrew

    If the customer doesn't clearly understand what they're paying for, that seems like an issue with the business itself.

  • 07

    A quick succession of texts... Pete was annoyed!

    PG I am not going to pay 4000 dollars every year so you can come take it down and I pay again 10:31 AM If you like to talk you can call me 10:31 AM
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 08
    + PG I repeat myself do not touch the lights at my house Type a message 10:32 AM L
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 09

    No doubt to the poster's surprise, people's flabbers were ghasted

    Babak Mortazavi $4k for lights???
    via @babaksilvio
  • 10

    ???

    Andrew Ramp... @rampulla_an... Yeah. Some people pay $10-15k+
    via @rampulla_andrew

    Who is paying $15k for lights? We're all extremely curious and would love to know. 

  • 11
    dale lenz❤ @dalenz2 I agree with the customer you hosed him on the price
    via @dalenz2
  • 12

    The replies aren't very professional

    Andrew R... @rampull... What I find funny about your comment Mr dale is you have absolutely O idea what we did for him yet have the audacity to say we hosed him on the price
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 13
    Daniel DiCi... @zer0sumG... Yo anyone who pays $4k for lights keeps the lights.
    via @zer0sumGames
  • 14
    Andrew R... @rampull... Nah lol. We had a client pay $9k and already sign up for next year
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 15
    Travel Nic... @TravelNi... i mean this with respect, but this sounds like a you problem. there should be no scenario that exists in which your customer isn't aware that the lights are leased. this should be clearly disclosed & explained during the sales process (website, phone, email..everywhere) AND the customer should have to read and execute (physically, digitally) an installation & lease agreement. side note: good on you that you actually get people to pay you to hang leased lights, but i pe
    via @TravelNicheBro
  • 16
    Misha Fitton, Tur... @... 1) It's fine (and a good business) to offer this 2) If this is happening repeatedly, you need to either explain it better or make them confirm it in some way. Because even if it seems simple / common sense to you... if you are getting this again and again, it's probably not someone trying to scam you. They genuinely think that they own the lights. Why is that occurring at all and can you get rid of that is what I would focus on.
    via @MishaTurtleX
  • 17
    Rice Rice @MessiahRice Honestly. The numbers don't add up here. $4k to install $400 worth of lights. Obviously the labor is less than $400 or it wouldn't be worth retrieving the lights. So $4k for leased lights and less than $400 worth of labor. That's one hell of a scam on the retirement community
    via @MessiahRice
  • 18

    This person has a good point --- this professional relationship seems beyond saving

    Ike Hobbs @ikehobbs Send an invoice for the lights and a waiver for them to sign for release of liability if the temp lights short and cause issues. Then move on. He's obviously not gonna use you again.
    via @ikehobbs

    The client is big mad about it. And the thing is, there's no way he really wants to keep his Christmas lights up year round. He just doesn't want to be out of $4k on a rental. I hope that he's paying like, his nephew or a random buddy $100 and a pizza to remove the lights instead. 

  • 19

    Here's the update!

    Andrew Rampulla @rampulla_andrew This is what I responded with: To answer some FAQs since this post blew up... - yes, people pay $4k for Christmas lights. Many people pay much much more than that. It's normal.
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 20
    - the total product cost was not $400. It was probably closer to $700-$1k. I was referring to the product cost of the temporary lights he had installed. - our process is very clear at all points of the sales cycle. Yes it is in writing. And yes people still sometimes get confused. It happens to every install business.
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 21
    - if you think $4k for Christmas lights is a scam, cool, don't buy them. The free market is a beautiful thing. - our model revolves around recurring revenue and ownership of the lights. I count on customers coming back for an average of 3 years. No I will not sell the lights. They would have a very difficult time figuring them out, and I make less money.
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 22
    - - as a business owner you gotta pick your battles. This one just wasn't worth it. - labor would've cost <$100 to take them down.
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 23
    - we run 30-35% net margins and that's without paying myself a salary. I'm still very involved in the business. I don't run a charity. If I charged less than what I do, I wouldn't be around very long.
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 24

    And here's the final exchange, in which the business owner gives up

    + PG Pete, I understand the confusion. The permanent tree made up about $2,300 of the total. To keep things simple, you can keep the palm and fence lights as-is. We won't be servicing or maintaining those lights going forward, so any future issues with them would be outside of our scope. Ok no problem 10:54 AM Type a message 00 10:53 AM AR
    via @rampulla_andrew
  • 25
    Man in white shirt unravels Christmas light strand in front of tan couch
    via SJ Objio For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

customers christmas lights texting money
Scroll Down For The Next Article