The problem with relying on information from YouTube or any other form of social media rather than information from independent testing and certification companies is quite obvious to me. If you have to take any information from independent testing and certification companies with a grain of salt, information on social media requires a truckload of skepticism and common sense - and time. Since I don't have much common sense and very little time, I always prefer to rely on information from independent testing and certification companies, however flawed it may prove to be in some cases.
I certainly agree that the
signal-to-noise noise to signal ratio on YouTube, or even EEVBlog can be quite high. But you make it seem as if there are only two choices--social media or Intertek--and that your decisions somehow need to be made on technical merits. You say you 'prefer to rely', which to me means 'choose to believe'--a silly concept IMO, but we'll go with it. I opt to rely on a the technical merit and integrity of companies that have provided excellent products that have served me and others reliably, sometimes under very tough conditions, for decades. When I see a company that has been producing utter rubbish for those same decades come out with a product that 'competes' at less than 1/10 the price and then hangs a 'certification' on it, I don't need any technical expertise to know to regard those claims as highly suspect. But still you have those who go for it, perhaps because they can't resist the allure of a cheap deal, and then even go so far as to criticize the reliable, reputable A-brand for not hanging higher ratings on their meters.
I would just let that go as consumer idiocy, except that the rating part just bothers me. There are people who rely on those ratings in a very real way, unlike the average hobbyist, consumer or even light-duty electrician. If someone in a management position thinks, like you do, that UL or Intertek ratings are a reliable indicator of quality, they may end up buying that rubbish for an application where it counts.
A Fluke 28-II or 87V-MAX will be rated CAT III/1000V, CAT IV/600V and IP67. They are made by Fluke in the US and cost around $500 or so--and have the limited lifetime warranty. The Southwire 11060S is also CAT III/1000V, CAT IV/600V and IP67, all certified by UL. They are made by Shenzhen Everbest (CEM) and cost around $100. I do not know what branch of the UL did the certification, but I doubt they mailed their samples to Pennsylvania. So likely the same story--certification done by local Chinese branch. I have no idea if that matters.
https://www.electriciantalk.com/attachments/xlhhln0-png.138650/"examination and testing....revealed that the meter's design and manufacture was not consistent with its Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listing."https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-kyed-7_14-cv-00175/pdf/USCOURTS-kyed-7_14-cv-00175-0.pdfSo there you go. And if you read the case, you can see that Southwire was able to walk away by disclaiming any knowledge of the particulars of the products that they sold with their name on them. So if you just like having those ratings printed on the front and don't care how well they are backed up because you don't actually need them, go for the deal. In my view, this should be a criminal matter, but there's just too many people making money to let a burned electrician get in the way of prosperity.