Did my wife buy a chinese "Sunbeam" knockoff at Walmart ?

[techristian]

She bought a "Sunbeam" swm6008-cn humidifier at Walmart here in Canada a few days ago. The first thing I wanted to know was how many watts it consumed, so I went to the sunbeam website. That model number wasn't listed in their database so I emailed customer service asking if they still supported that model.

Here is their reply.

Dear Dan,

Thank you for contacting Sunbeam, a brand of Jarden Consumer Solutions.

I will be happy to assist you. However, the model number you have provided is not appearing in my database as valid. The model number should be located on the back or bottom of your unit.

We appreciate your business and are happy to help if you have any further questions.

But that IS the model number from the back of the unit !!

Dan

[MikeRivers]

Maybe it's a model that they sell in Canada. But whether it's real or a knockoff, would you expect that it was made anywhere else but China?

Here's a real knock-off story. I was carrying this Samsung Galaxy Tablet around with the plastic peel-off on the screen to protect it because the only cases I could find to fit it cost $50 and up. Then one day when I was in the local Micro Center store, I saw two tables full of Targus tablet and phone cases, including a model that fit my tablet, for $15. It wasn't much of a cover, but it protected the screen from careless handling.

I had it with me at a trade show a couple of weeks later where Targus had a booth. By that time, I had figured out all the things that were wrong about it and was talking to the rep there about it. There was a pile of cases at the booth in the same kind of packaging that my case came in, and she asked to see the case. She took one look at it and said "This isn't a Targus product." I showed her the logo on the front, pulled the tablet out of the case and showed her the tag with the UPC bar code on it, and she still said it wasn't theirs. She even took a photo of the case and the bar code tag so she could have it checked out at the office. I would have offered to trade the knockoff for a real one, but all they had at the booth were iPad cases. She said she knows they have a Samsung Galaxy case but they sell very few.

Next time I went into Micro Center, the two tables and all the cases were gone. Maybe they were raided, maybe they just sold the whole batch, but there sure were a lot of 'em, all phony I suppose. I told the story to the manager of the store who offered to take it back and refund my $15, but he wouldn't replace it with a $50 one.

[techristian]

I'm sure that Sunbeam has many things manufactured in China. However, they should be willing to service items with their brand name on them.

Funny, Microcenter has been my favorite place to buy computer equipment. Although recently my wife bought a bad spool of CDs there. 1/2 of them just drive the stepper motors crazy.


Dan

[MikeRivers]

 

Originally Posted by techristian

Funny, Microcenter has been my favorite place to buy computer equipment. Although recently my wife bought a bad spool of CDs there. 1/2 of them just drive the stepper motors crazy.

 

They have a tendency to get a lot of "bargains." Some really are, some aren't. The get a lot of closeouts, but that's fine with me unless it actually needs support. It doesn't take long for there to be no support for a couple of year old piece of computer equipment.

[techristian]

Now on the other hand, I bought this at Canadian Tire today for $32. It is supposed to be a "work light" but it has (2) 500w halogen lamps. I just got it together. It was tricky putting the lamps in but yes it looks like daylight when you plug it in and it will make my videos have more brilliant COLOR !!! Did I forget to say that it was made in China? The tripod is made of metal and the lamps metal as well.



Dan

[UstadKhanAli]

Originally Posted by techristian

She bought a "Sunbeam" swm6008-cn humidifier at Walmart here in Canada a few days ago. The first thing I wanted to know was how many watts it consumed, so I went to the sunbeam website. That model number wasn't listed in their database so I emailed customer service asking if they still supported that model.

Do they know that it's selling at Walmart?

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sunbeam-...-info-features

[blue2blue]

Originally Posted by techristian

I'm sure that Sunbeam has many things manufactured in China. However, they should be willing to service items with their brand name on them.

Funny, Microcenter has been my favorite place to buy computer equipment. Although recently my wife bought a bad spool of CDs there. 1/2 of them just drive the stepper motors crazy.


Dan

Dan. Let's say you made custom drum kits. You've sunk your entire savings in your venture and it's doing well, you've made a name for yourself.

I go to the local mom and pop music store (not owned by a mom and pop anymore but some sleaze from a different area but that's another story) and I buy what is sold as a TechChristian Custom Drum Kit. I know nothing about drums (or this music store) but a drummer pal said TechChristians are the thing -- and I'm one of those yups who has to go out and buy the most expensive of anything I buy (you should see all the $10K racing bikes and exercise machines in my basement). It appears to be a TechChristian kit.

I buy the kit. It's expensive. But it starts falling apart. The store is, like, well, they worked when we sold them to you. You must be doing it wrong.

There's not paperwork with the drums so I get on the web and find you, call you at your custom shop. You find no record of the serial number and the snapshots I send show it's clearly not one of yours...


I think you can see where this is going.


PS... What I REALLY want to know is what Walmart says about all this!

[techristian]

Walmart gave me a few more numbers to work with, but they led me nowhere on the Sunbeam site.

Dan