Counterfeit Chinese ..... FUSES

[grumpydoc]

Society must be blamed for this too as everyone seems to be brainwashed into thinking we must get everything as cheap as possible.

I agree with your point but I don't think people have been brainwashed into thinking that they must obtain goods for the least money possible.

They have been brainwashed into thinking that they must have lots of material goods - for that way is the path to happiness, or something.

Looking for the lowest price is then just a rationalisation, one can get more material goods for a given amount of money if you choose the cheapest.

[c4757p]

Brainwashed? They just don't understand what's different between the cheap and expensive versions, so they decide based on the only factor that they do understand. If you think that A and B are exactly the same except that A is cheaper, why would you buy B?

[denelec]

As Julius Ceasar used to say: "Caveat Emptor"   

[Vito_R]

Brainwashed? They just don't understand what's different between the cheap and expensive versions, so they decide based on the only factor that they do understand. If you think that A and B are exactly the same except that A is cheaper, why would you buy B?

It will take re-educating the public to look at more then just the price as a determining factor.  Maybe when enough jobs are lost to china or more people lose their lives to unsafe chinese products then people will wake up.  I don't know anymore..

[dannyf]

Fine as long as my BMW made with counterfeit cheap chinese parts doesn't catch fire and kill me one day or the airbag blows up in my face while im driving I'll accept that.

China has 70% of the auto spare parts market in the world. So chances are that your BMW runs on Chinese parts, either through OEM or aftermarket.

Whether they are fake or not is anyone's guess.

[grumpydoc]

Brainwashed? They just don't understand what's different between the cheap and expensive versions, so they decide based on the only factor that they do understand. If you think that A and B are exactly the same except that A is cheaper, why would you buy B?

What percentage of people genuinely believe that if item B is lower in price than item A it will not also be lower in quality. I'd argue that many people will opt for the cheaper item even if they know it is of lower quality.

Otherwise why would there be such a ready market in obvious fakes at knock down prices?

[all_repair]

If I shop at $1 or bargain corner, I expect to get the rejected  items.  Some maybe comestic problem, some functional, and mostly they are not refundable.  You have just proven why is the $1 shop a $1 shop.

 Super cheap items are no good as the economic cannot make it happened.  But the reverse logic that expensive items are good is flawed. Look at the bankers around you.

[dannyf]

I would class myself as reasonably experienced in the field of electronics design and engineering...

Your descriptions of what you know and what you don't know would seem to suggest otherwise.

[Vito_R]

Fine as long as my BMW made with counterfeit cheap chinese parts doesn't catch fire and kill me one day or the airbag blows up in my face while im driving I'll accept that.

China has 70% of the auto spare parts market in the world. So chances are that your BMW runs on Chinese parts, either through OEM or aftermarket.

Whether they are fake or not is anyone's guess.

...."Many of the counterfeit air bags come from China... Last winter, Chinese businessman Dai Zhensong pleaded guilty to importing counterfeit air bags.."

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2012/10/government-warns-about-the-dangers-of-counterfeit-car-air-bags/index.htm

[dannyf]

But the reverse logic that expensive items are good is flaw.

Absolutely.

While you don't get a BMW at a Chevy price, paying a BMW price doesn't assure you a BMW.

Many "well educated" fools often get caught up in that.

[wagon]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

[miguelvp]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

I would think that for peanuts you'll get elephants.

[wagon]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

I would think that for peanuts you'll get elephants.

Possible..... what about 'you get what you pay for'?

[Vito_R]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

I would think that for peanuts you'll get elephants.

Possible..... what about 'you get what you pay for'?

Problem is can you actually be sure it is what you think you're getting? 

[CJWarlock]

I bought a pack of cheap automotive fuses at a dollar store the other day. I thought that I would test one out to see if it blew anywhere near the rating.

I understand you bought them just to test them for the "ratings vs. rality". I wouldn't however buy fuses that look like the ones on the photos, even for test. I've noticed instantly that every fuse has identical thickness of the "blowwire" (I mean a part of electrical path that actualy burns down and by that opens the circuit). Of course I stand to be corrected if I've observed it uncorrectly but I think that this feature should alarm any potential buyer. So, the test would only have the value in determining the real rating of these "fuses", because it's already known visually that these are all the same thickness fuses. Nevertheless, interesting and important warning. Thanx for posting.

[Vito_R]

Yah I'm also going to check my inventory of those automotive blade fuses to be sure I didn't accidentally buy them.  I don't want to be responsible for someone's car catching fire one day or my own.  This really pisses me off 

[miguelvp]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

I would think that for peanuts you'll get elephants.

Possible..... what about 'you get what you pay for'?

I do love peanuts but won't work for just that

[Kjelt]

Has nothing to do with price, if the same item was priced at $5.- you had the same disastrous result.
It is just a scam from a scam artist. Its just numbers, if 0.001% of all people are scamartists than there are 160 scamartists in my country and  10000 in China.

[GEuser]

Oh goodie! ANOTHER thing to be paranoid about.

LOL , the post for the end of the year!

Good one ....

[tom66]

I would class myself as reasonably experienced in the field of electronics design and engineering...

Your descriptions of what you know and what you don't know would seem to suggest otherwise.

What is your point?

I don't think *anyone* could look at these fuses (that is not electrically check them - just a visual inspection) and tell if they are counterfeit.

Do you think *you* could? Bear in mind that most of the fuses sold looked just like the real deal - the only giveaway was that the internal wire was the same thickness for all ratings - but that's only obvious if you have a variety to compare. I wouldn't expect to see much difference between 5A and 7.5A fuses either (or 7.5A and 10A, 25A and 30A, etc), making them harder to compare.

And please leave the ad hominem attacks at home.

[n45048]

No, the only solution: stop the counterfeiters. Such counterfeited products are tantamount to reckless endangerment or possibly even manslaughter, if they lead to a death. Yet the people who import these products, and the people who make them, are very rarely punished.  Forging a safety mark (CE/UL/etc) should be serious crime, not one that many get a slap on the wrist and a voluntary recall for.

Absolutely 100% agree with you there!

In the case of these fuses, I think anyone who didn't bother to actually (destructively) test them wouldn't have know any different!

Dannyf: tom66 actually makes several valid points, perhaps you could learn something rather than criticise?

[fubar.gr]

When I read this tread, I realized I had bought a fuse kit where the fuses looked particularly dodgy.

Here's the kit:


Notice how the wire gauge in all fuses is practically the same!

Also here is a name brand 10Amp fuse side by side with the chinese counterfeit:



Notice how thinner the wire is in the name brand one.

[fubar.gr]

Also the kit comes with this tester that looks like a mains test light. Somebody could easily be confused and stick it in a wall socket.

[bookaboo]

Fubar have you tested these? It could be that these fuses are rife throughout the world.
The old "sort by price" attitude of importers strikes again.

[Towger]

Fubar have you tested these? It could be that these fuses are rife throughout the world.
The old "sort by price" attitude of importers strikes again.

You can buy them here in the 'euro' shops, they have "REVS Car Accessories CAR FUSE SET" on the blister pack. 30 fuses will set you back a €1.50.  I have a pack in front of me, bought a couple of weeks ago. I never even opened it as they look doggie through the front plastic. The smallest fuse in the pack is 7.5A, the 'fuse wire' looks the same as the 30A fuse.

Edit
Link to wholesalers: http://www.discount-wholesale.co.uk/buy/car-fuse-set-30-pieces_666.htm