7 Day Sanctuary Candle (24 pcs. per case)

2nd Update: 3/7/2020 Not only did the seller refund the cost, they also shipped an additional case at no charge in hopes that the problem was an anomaly.It was!The first candle out of the new case is on track to last the full 7-8 days as was my previous experience. I am so happy with this seller! Even though there was an issue – not even their fault – they responded quickly and well beyond my expectations.As for the case with candles that were burning out in only 4 days: These are made without a wick, a hole is molded or drilled – and a wick is threaded through the hole. I suspect that the manufacturer had an employee who simply added the wrong size wicks to a batch. I am asking them (EmKay) to send the proper wicks and I will switch them out myself. (No response yet from EmKay.)UPDATE 2/25/2020: The seller of the product has quickly responded, refunding the entire amount without expecting a return, and has forwarded the concerns to the manufacturer of the product. Bumped up one star for that quick response, and will update again if the manufacturer solves the problem for future orders.Original Review: This is the second case of these candles I have purchased. The first case of candles lasted easily 7 days and often 8. So far, these last 4.5 days.This new case arrived last week as we were on our last candle from the old case and the first one was lit on Tuesday night. At bedtime Saturday night the candle had burned to the point we were not sure it would last until morning. Another candle was lit to replace it, and sure enough by morning, the first candle was out. Maybe 4.5 days.The first batch had a smallish flame and left unburned wax residue on the side of the container, yet lasted over 7 days as stated. This first candle from the new batch has a stronger flame, there was zero wax residue on the container at the end, but of some additional concern is the plastic at the top of the container is blackened, presumably from the extra heat.Clearly, something has been changed in the formula between the cases of candles, a slightly larger wick perhaps?But at $95 a case, the result is that compared to the previous case, these last 60% fewer hours which means that in practical terms, the real cost in hours is $158 per case! The second candle from this case appears to be burning just as hot and at the same accelerated pace.Lastly, regarding the plastic containers… We had not been trimming the wicks short before lighting the candles (for the first time) on the first case we bought. All went well until one candle’s wick bent over and formed an arch without breaking off. The arch created a very high flame that went unnoticed until we smelled burning plastic. When we figured out it was coming from the candle, we saw that the lip of the container had completely melted inwards and was black. After cooling off, we trimmed the wick, relit the candle, and had no further problems. We keep the candles inside a lantern with an additional low container to “catch” any wax/plastic in case there is an unnoticed complete meltdown and fire. We were safe, but without those precautions there may have been a much bigger problem. We trim the wicks now before the initial lighting.