Faulty Charger
Discussion
I bought this Charger a few years ago in Aldi. On Saturday just after connecting it up it went on fire. A quick disconnection saved the day.
Aldi has a 90 day returns policy with original packaging. I've got the packaging but long ago dumped the receipt, I bought it at least three years ago, maybe more. It's worked fine most of that time but I noticed for the past year it seemed to switch itself off which a gentle shake often cured. As can be seen from my photos the cable melted just where it goes into the charger body.
Am I entitled to a refund, do I have to go to the manufacturer ( 1 year warranty ). IMHO there is a problem here and they should recall them or at least fully examine mine. I'm afraid if I just send mine back by registered post all they'll offer me is a refund, the postage would nearly cost that.
Aldi has a 90 day returns policy with original packaging. I've got the packaging but long ago dumped the receipt, I bought it at least three years ago, maybe more. It's worked fine most of that time but I noticed for the past year it seemed to switch itself off which a gentle shake often cured. As can be seen from my photos the cable melted just where it goes into the charger body.
Am I entitled to a refund, do I have to go to the manufacturer ( 1 year warranty ). IMHO there is a problem here and they should recall them or at least fully examine mine. I'm afraid if I just send mine back by registered post all they'll offer me is a refund, the postage would nearly cost that.
Edited by majordad on Monday 1st February 18:25
I think your angling for the "fit for purpose" product replacement result well lifes too short because whilst you may have a case you will need to stump up for an independent test house to verify the product has an inherent design flaw which will cost more than the charger. BUT it is your right
I know, I know, but surely something like the wires should never wear out, otherwise they would all go on fire at some future date. Are we expected to life the charger so, and who decides. The wires looked perfect when I plugged it in on Saturday, when I picked the unit up in my hands to better position it , it began smoking and this is what caused the damage to the wires, they were so hot they melted their coating.
majordad said:
I know, I know, but surely something like the wires should never wear out, otherwise they would all go on fire at some future date. Are we expected to life the charger so, and who decides. The wires looked perfect when I plugged it in on Saturday, when I picked the unit up in my hands to better position it , it began smoking and this is what caused the damage to the wires, they were so hot they melted their coating.
Yes things wear out especially where movable wires are concerned. A poor Chinese piece of crap will wear out quicker than the Ctek equivalent which wouldn't catch on fire. Three years for a mobile electrical good is probably ok(for a cheap one)I also get really annoyed with ALDI blatantly ripping off genuine manufacturers hence won't shop there. There is no need to make the packaging ape the genuine item. I wish they'd get taken to court and done for it to be honest.
I'm inclined to think the issue you've been having recently were the wires wearing through at the position in your pic & that the waving it about has repositioned them sufficiently for it to work.
IME it's not that unusual with that type of moulded entry point as it focuses bending at a small point & if you bend bits of metal often enough eventually they'll break. I've had it a few times, most recently with a small 12v drill which has seen heavy use for several years.
In your case I think either the wire(s) have broken inside their sheathing & current jumping the gap has created heat melting the sheathing OR the sheathing has split on both wires allowing a short.
Out of warranty & I expect the manufacturer would claim wear & tear. You would need to prove otherwise & that's going to need an expert who agrees with you.
SOGA would apply due to when you bought it.
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/...
IME it's not that unusual with that type of moulded entry point as it focuses bending at a small point & if you bend bits of metal often enough eventually they'll break. I've had it a few times, most recently with a small 12v drill which has seen heavy use for several years.
In your case I think either the wire(s) have broken inside their sheathing & current jumping the gap has created heat melting the sheathing OR the sheathing has split on both wires allowing a short.
Out of warranty & I expect the manufacturer would claim wear & tear. You would need to prove otherwise & that's going to need an expert who agrees with you.
SOGA would apply due to when you bought it.
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/...
Looks like wear and tear through being pulled / twisted this way and that - I wouldn't dream of pursuing it, not even after a couple of months let alone 3 years.
Carefully strip off some of the rubber gland to leave enough exposed wire to work with and re-attach the cable by soldering (use heat-shrink to insulate), or open the unit up, de-solder the busted cable from the board / transformer, feed the non-plug end of the cable back through the gland, prepare the ends and solder it back in place.
Opening the unit would also enable you to spot any loose connections which could be causing the intermittent issue.
Carefully strip off some of the rubber gland to leave enough exposed wire to work with and re-attach the cable by soldering (use heat-shrink to insulate), or open the unit up, de-solder the busted cable from the board / transformer, feed the non-plug end of the cable back through the gland, prepare the ends and solder it back in place.
Opening the unit would also enable you to spot any loose connections which could be causing the intermittent issue.
This is like a conversation I have with my elderly mother on a regular basis, when she can't understand why her old, abused washing machine/TV/kettle/toaster etc. has gone on the blink and "they" won't repair it for nothing for her, "because she paid a lot of money for it and it's been working perfectly for all this time, so it shouldn't go wrong."
Welcome to the 21st Century.
Welcome to the 21st Century.
majordad said:
I bought this Charger a few years ago in Aldi.
...
Aldi has a 90 day returns policy with original packaging.
...
I bought it at least three years ago, maybe more.
...
It's worked fine most of that time but I noticed for the past year it seemed to switch itself off which a gentle shake often cured.
...
As can be seen from my photos the cable melted just where it goes into the charger body.
...
Am I entitled to a refund, do I have to go to the manufacturer ( 1 year warranty )
[/footnote]
Are you really serious with this one? Let's think it through again....
Aldi has a 90 day returns policy with original packaging.
...
I bought it at least three years ago, maybe more.
...
It's worked fine most of that time but I noticed for the past year it seemed to switch itself off which a gentle shake often cured.
...
As can be seen from my photos the cable melted just where it goes into the charger body.
...
Am I entitled to a refund, do I have to go to the manufacturer ( 1 year warranty )
[/footnote]
You buy something with a 90-day return policy and a 1-year warranty.
2 years later - so approximately 640 days after the 90 day return period and a year after the warranty ended - it develops a fault, and your way of solving it is by shaking it which is likely to inflict further damage to a sensitive electronic device, particularly to the cord where it enters the unit as it changes from a flexible to a fixed structure.
After a further year of this abuse, by which time your device is over 1000 days out of the 90 day return policy and 2 years out of the warranty period, the device finally gives up the ghost.
As the above is completely the result of negligence and/or incompetence by the manufacturer and/or the seller, you would like them to give you a refund or replace the device which you think you're reasonably entitled to.
The mind f
king boggles with this one. 
It's typical of the kind of "entitled" attitude that's pervading the country in every aspect of life, and it just drives me insane 
majordad said:
...IMHO there is a problem here and they should recall them or at least fully examine mine. I'm afraid if I just send mine back by registered post all they'll offer me is a refund...
[/footnote]
No, they wouldn't offer you a refund. What they definitely would do though, is to bin the charger then print your description of events, frame it and hang it on the wall as "the most retarded complaint ever received" for everyone to laugh at. [/footnote]
In fact, I'm considering putting a link to this thread on another forum for the comedy value!majordad said:
The wires looked perfect when I plugged it in on Saturday, when I picked the unit up in my hands to better position it , it began smoking and this is what caused the damage to the wires, they were so hot they melted their coating.
It's very hard not to be offensive here.They melted because they were shorting, they were shorting for a long time.majordad said:
It's worked fine most of that time but I noticed for the past year it seemed to switch itself off which a gentle shake often cured. As can be seen from my photos the cable melted just where it goes into the charger body.
No you don't have a case. But a new one, or fix it.majordad said:
I bought this Charger a few years ago in Aldi. On Saturday just after connecting it up it went on fire. A quick disconnection saved the day.
Aldi has a 90 day returns policy with original packaging. I've got the packaging but long ago dumped the receipt, I bought it at least three years ago, maybe more. It's worked fine most of that time but I noticed for the past year it seemed to switch itself off which a gentle shake often cured. As can be seen from my photos the cable melted just where it goes into the charger body.
Am I entitled to a refund, do I have to go to the manufacturer ( 1 year warranty ). IMHO there is a problem here and they should recall them or at least fully examine mine. I'm afraid if I just send mine back by registered post all they'll offer me is a refund, the postage would nearly cost that.
The comedy value of this has to be preserved Aldi has a 90 day returns policy with original packaging. I've got the packaging but long ago dumped the receipt, I bought it at least three years ago, maybe more. It's worked fine most of that time but I noticed for the past year it seemed to switch itself off which a gentle shake often cured. As can be seen from my photos the cable melted just where it goes into the charger body.
Am I entitled to a refund, do I have to go to the manufacturer ( 1 year warranty ). IMHO there is a problem here and they should recall them or at least fully examine mine. I'm afraid if I just send mine back by registered post all they'll offer me is a refund, the postage would nearly cost that.
Edited by majordad on Monday 1st February 18:25
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