Counterfeit products and the effect on the American consumer

[DainBramaged]

I love to go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission website (www.cpsc.gov) because they paint a depressing picture of what has happened since America decided cheap meant quality.

One of the latest boners by a wonderful company named Specialty Lamp International Inc., of Deerfield Beach, Fla. They sold THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE THOUSAND Counterfeit "Square D" brand Circuit Breakers to the public back from May 2005 through June 2006 for between $3 and $23. Most sold for around $3 bucks. The typical 15 and 20 amp breakers you would use around the house. Trouble is, they don't trip when overloaded. SO, let's review, nearly 400,000 circuit breakers have been sold to the public starting over three years ago and they are JUST now realizing they were counterfeit?

And where were they made? Here is the exact quote from the CPSC website: Manufactured in: China or Unknown

Remedy: Consumers should contact Specialty to determine if the breaker they have is counterfeit and to arrange for a free inspection and replacement or refund if necessary

We deserve to reap what we sow.


http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08286.html

[spag68]

1. As a retired electrician

this really freaks me out. The worst part of it is that real square-d single pole 15 and 20 amp breakers only cost about 3$.