It’s probably no surprise that I spend my life repairing computers, amongst other computer related things. A common problem with laptops is broken DC power jacks. Another common problem is broken AC adapters.
If your AC adapter has broken and you’re looking for a replacement, you may have been tempted by the cheap AC adapters available on eBay. I ordered a couple and they were delivered from Hong Kong. This didn’t raise any alarm bells to me because the seller had very good feedback (99%+) and, of course, I was blinded by the blazingly low price that included delivery.
A few weeks after I ordered and paid for them, they arrived. Not longer than an hour of the adapter being plugged into a Toshiba laptop, it started smoking from the AC socket! This adapter would have found its way to a customer’s house had I not accidentally discovered this problem. Can anyone say LAWSUIT?
I’ve made a PayPal claim, but it’s really hit and miss with PayPal as I’m sure many of you know. (just check out PayPalSucks.com)
If you’re going to purchase an adapter, purchase a name brand adapter from a reputable seller (not to say that people in Hong Kong aren’t reputable, but at that price some bells should be ringing in your head that didn’t in mine!).
On another note, the BlueTooth adapter that arrived with the power adapters was of the utmost quality. 