dodgy ebay buy

[Steve]

Recently bought two LED floodlights from ebay. One RGB remote control 10w light, and one 20w daylight PIR light.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370824008...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Now, I recieved them and the PIR on one of them was loose on the metal casing. So I opened it up and to my horror, the earth wire is not connected to anything (despite having a screw through a crimped eyelet on the end of the earth).

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• Steve
• 24 Jul 2013
• 1

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• Steve
• 24 Jul 2013
• 1

I have since opened the other light up (the RGB one) and it just has the earth wire clipped off at its end.

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• Steve
• 24 Jul 2013
• 1

Both these lamps have a metal casing so I believe should be earthed. What should I do from here? The lights are unbranded.

 

[Steve]

I've just gone right down that page and there's two CE certificates! Can't believe they are real. How can I find out? They also claim to be RoHS certified too.

 

[riveralt]

Both these lamps have a metal casing so I believe should be earthed. What should I do from here? The lights are unbranded.

You don't need us to tell you to send them back and get a refund do you?

 

[Steve]

I was thinking more along the lines of taking this to the authorities . . .

 

[securespark]

Are they double insulated?

They may not need an earth?

You can send them back within 14 days for refund.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I am a bit confused.

The ebay ad says 'brand new' - it obviously isn't.
Complain to the vendor and ebay.

Apart from that -
It seems to come with about six inches of cable attached - why?

How were you going to connect this to the supply - outdoors?
Surely it should not have this pointless short flex.
Normally you have to connect your own to internal terminals.



Can't be double insulated with wiring connectors inside the metal body.

 

[mfarrow]

I suggest as there are cores inside the enclosure with only single insulation, that it is not double insulated.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've just gone right down that page and there's two CE certificates!

What type of CE mark?

JCC Mistral LED floodlight with PIR £44.26

Some no-name LED floodlight with PIR off eBay £28.99.

"There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey." John Ruskin.

 

[Steve]

I've just gone right down that page and there's two CE certificates!

What type of CE mark?

JCC Mistral LED floodlight with PIR £44.26

Some no-name LED floodlight with PIR off eBay £28.99.

"There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey." John Ruskin.

While I agree with your sentiment ban, I disagree with the idea of selling unearthed single insulated lamps with metal cases to the general public, just to make them cheaper. All they would have to do is to weld on a lug for that crimped eyelet to go onto.

I am a bit confused.

The ebay ad says 'brand new' - it obviously isn't.
Complain to the vendor and ebay.

Apart from that -
It seems to come with about six inches of cable attached - why?

How were you going to connect this to the supply - outdoors?
Surely it should not have this pointless short flex.
Normally you have to connect your own to internal terminals.

I would suggest fitting a small weatherproof JB next to the fitting. Not the best solution, but it works. Perhaps this short length of flex is fitted so that you dont notice the lack of an earth connection inside the box . .

And I have no reason to believe it isn't brand new. It appears new.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

While I agree with your sentiment ban, I disagree with the idea of selling unearthed single insulated lamps with metal cases to the general public, just to make them cheaper.

So do I.

And I also agree with the notion that if you pay peanuts you get stuff made by monkeys.

There's a reason why all this sh*te on eBay is so cheap - it's not because you're getting a bargain, it's because you're getting sh*te.

 

[JohnW2]

Perhaps this short length of flex is fitted so that you dont notice the lack of an earth connection inside the box .

In the case of the PIR one, there's one screw missing from the back of the lamp unit - did you remove it and take it 'out of shot'? If not, are you sure that the screw and eyelet weren't (or weren't meant to be) in that fourth hole? The very short cable does seem extremely odd.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I am a bit confused.

The ebay ad says 'brand new' - it obviously isn't.
Complain to the vendor and ebay.

Apart from that -
It seems to come with about six inches of cable attached - why?

How were you going to connect this to the supply - outdoors?
Surely it should not have this pointless short flex.
Normally you have to connect your own to internal terminals.

I would suggest fitting a small weatherproof JB next to the fitting. Not the best solution, but it works.

Would you not have thought that so far from the best solution that you would decide to fit your own flex to the internals?

Perhaps this short length of flex is fitted so that you don't notice the lack of an earth connection inside the box .

You would have noticed that when you tested it.

And I have no reason to believe it isn't brand new. It appears new.

Even worse then if it came out of the factory like that.

 

[RF Lighting]

Fitting one looks like the screw has just vibrated loose.

Fitting two looks a bit more suspect.

 

[Monkeh]

The 'china export' mark is *******s, it's just a bad drawing.

There's no way those units comply with EN 60598-1 as they claim.

 

[JohnD]

The quality is just as bad as that Rolly-Royse I bought off ebay.