Complex LED Light Job

[JohnW2]

Very true. Used to be a significant part of my job dealing with them.

We hear a lot about the problem products from China, but I somehow doubt that they have a monopoly. In your experience, are there any other particular countries which are similarly (and significantly) 'problematic', even if not on the same scale?

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

We hear a lot about the problem products from China, but I somehow doubt that they have a monopoly. In your experience, are there any other particular countries which are similarly (and significantly) 'problematic', even if not on the same scale?

Kind Regards, John

In the 1960s there was a lot of cheap tat (though not so much unsafe) about from Hong Kong and Japan. By the 1970s this reputation moved to Taiwan and South Korea. Taiwan in particular produced, and still does, unsafe electrical goods. However the lions share now comes from mainland China assisted by unscrupulous agents and importers elsewhere in SE Asia and here.
If you go to the US you will find a lot of cheap clothes (not electrics though) comes from S America.

 

[bernardgreen]

In every country with any significant exports ( electronics or food or any other product ) there will be some excellent companies, some low quality companies and a whole range of quality between these extremes. There will also be un-ethical, corrupt and criminal companies and that description also can apply to some of the country's trade organisations.

The ratio of good to bad varies from country to country and is influenced by the ethics ( or lack of ethics ) in trade organisations and export agencies in the country.

Japan did improve it's industries because it wanted to be known as a reputable country with good quality exports with acceptable profit margins. The export trade organisations in some countries do not care about quality and care only about getting the most profit in the form of foreign currency int the country's banks and government coffers.

Buyer beware

 

[stillp]

are there any other particular countries which are similarly (and significantly) 'problematic'

India, Philippines.

 

[stillp]

By the 1970s this reputation moved to Taiwan and South Korea

Taiwan has improved a lot in the last two decades.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

In the 1960s there was a lot of cheap tat (though not so much unsafe) about from Hong Kong and Japan. By the 1970s this reputation moved to Taiwan and South Korea. Taiwan in particular produced, and still does, unsafe electrical goods. However the lions share now comes from mainland China assisted by unscrupulous agents and importers elsewhere in SE Asia and here.

"Made in Japan" came to be a mark of quality.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

In every country with any significant exports ( electronics or food or any other product ) there will be some excellent companies, some low quality companies and a whole range of quality between these extremes. There will also be un-ethical, corrupt and criminal companies and that description also can apply to some of the country's trade organisations.

The ratio of good to bad varies from country to country and is influenced by the ethics ( or lack of ethics ) in trade organisations and export agencies in the country.

Japan did improve it's industries because it wanted to be known as a reputable country with good quality exports with acceptable profit margins. The export trade organisations in some countries do not care about quality and care only about getting the most profit in the form of foreign currency int the country's banks and government coffers.

Buyer beware

All true.

And I know I am doing some Chinese manufacturers/exporters a grave disservice by advising people to eschew stuff sold directly from China.

But I'm afraid that until that country gets its act together and cleaned up, the risks are too high to advise otherwise.

 

[stillp]

I could tell tales of Chinese government institutions supporting counterfeiters... counterfeiters copying each others' copies of western products...

 

[JohnW2]

And I know I am doing some Chinese manufacturers/exporters a grave disservice by advising people to eschew stuff sold directly from China. ... But I'm afraid that until that country gets its act together and cleaned up, the risks are too high to advise otherwise.

Unfortunately, I can sympathise with what you are saying. However, it has horrible parallels with Trump's apparent view about Muslims.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If I object to that OT comment, will you accuse me of arguing for the sake of it?

 

[JohnW2]

If I object to that OT comment, will you accuse me of arguing for the sake of it?

Whilst it may sometimes be unavoidable, I'm not really comfortable when I see an entire nation, an entire religious/ethnic group or whatever being tarred by one brush.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Nor am I, and I've said so before. But until they sort their rogue manufacturers out being tarred with the same brush is not only the only thing that makes any sense, it just might act as a spur to the reputable ones to demand that the rogues are put out of business.

 

[phatboy]

Find a decent UK seller, and buy your LED's as a full kit. Treat it as 4 separate installations. This way you can power only certain strips up, have different colours, and most importantly 1 LED driver failure won't leave you in darkness.

BAS is right, there is so much absolute crap available via the lines of Amazon and eBay. If you go with a known seller, ledhut.co.uk for example, you have a warranty from a known company, customer service, equipment that meets UK standards, and that is delivered from the UK. With the amount of effort you will go to installing this lot, you want to have decent quality!

 

[Agile]

BAS is right, there is so much absolute crap available via the lines of Amazon and eBay. If you go with a known seller, ledhut.co.uk for example, you have a warranty from a known company, customer service, equipment that meets UK standards, and that is delivered from the UK. With the amount of effort you will go to installing this lot, you want to have decent quality!

I have recently bought some 50w LED chips from Chinese and from UK sellers.

They all look the same and whilst none have any type numbers on them they all look the same!

So my conclusion is the UK sellers are selling the same cheap Chinese ones albeit less cheaply!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They may be.

Or they may not be.

If a UK business imports dangerous goods they can be prosecuted. If a UK company sells dangerous goods they can be prosecuted. If a customer of a UK company is harmed or suffers a loss because of a dangerous product the company can be prosecuted and/or sued.

None of these are perfect safeguards, but they are better than nothing and do mean that UK companies should be checking that the items they are selling are not dangerous.


And anyway - LED chips are a little different from complete products. You can use the same chips to build a corn-cob lamp which is safe and one which is lethally dangerous.