Buying stuff online is a lot of fun and everyone loves to get those parcels in the mail, loaded with bargains from amazingly cheap overseas manufacturers.
The costs may be low, but the risks could be high if you end up with faulty or non-compliant electrical goods.
If you buy electrical equipment direct from overseas you are deemed to be the importer and you are responsible for ensuring the item is electrically safe and complies with the relevant Australian Standards.
The risks of non-compliant electrical equipment include fire, electric shock, injury and death, fines, imprisonment and invalidation of insurance.
The above photo shows a fault we discovered in a number of brand new light fittings supplied to us by the Australian distributor of a large lighting company.
The front set of metal tags that wrap around the cable are supposed to be clamped onto bare copper, but you can see in the picture they are around the plastic insulation. The only connection between the lug and the wire is from the few strands of copper that are laying on the flat part of the lug.
There is no proper earth connection and this is a potentially dangerous situation in the event of a fault in the light.
Quality control is quite variable for overseas manufacturers and you have no way to tell whether the product you buy will be safe or not. Faulty and potentially dangerous electrical equipment is coming into the country every day.
The C-Tick label or the new Regulatory Compliance Mark shows that an item has been subjected to the testing and approval process, but even this is no guarantee. The faulty floodlights we bought were C-Tick approved.
So, when buying electrical equipment online, ask the seller for proof of Australian compliance, and remember if you buy direct from overseas, you are personally responsible for the electrical safety of the equipment.
