Statistics show consumers seem to buy more electrical appliances during the winter months then they do during the rest of the year. Appliances such as heaters, emergency lights, and electric blankets can be found on sale in many stores, each store trying to entice shoppers special buys or offers.
But buyer beware……..when buying electrical appliances, you should be very careful that you are not purchasing appliances with questionable safety issues. Unfortunately, many of the products being sold are either cheap copies of brand name products, or low quality, “unknown” brands – that are here today and gone tomorrow. These “knock-off” brands use inferior materials and questionable manufacturing to reduce the cost of their products, allowing them to be sold at prices that cannot be matched by any quality brand manufacturer. Such products can be very dangerous to use, causing damage, injury, and even death. Here are some tips on how to avoid cheaply made and unsafe electrical products:
– Make it a point to purchase products from reputable stores, companies, distributors and retailers.
– If the bargain is too good to be true, it probably is. You could be buying a defective and unsafe product.
– See if the manufacturer’s name and contact information can be found on the packaging. If not, consider making the purchase elsewhere or buying a different brand.
– Check to see if the warning label does not conflict with information elsewhere on the product or the packaging. Grammatical errors in the labeling can be a tell-tale sign of a cheaply made product.
– Look for tested and company approval. (UL Rated)