Warning - Defective GFI receptacles

[goldstar]

Just a follow up to my original post. I did file a complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and they apparently took some action as the $$ from my entire order was credited to my charge account and I'm still sitting here with their lousy GFI's in my office. But I want to continue the warning to everyone as I just received a flier from a company called MCS (Magnatron Contractor Supply). I couldn't help but notice the address - 4157 Seaboard Road, Orlando, FL. I checked through my records and low and behold I find that that's the same address as RT Electric. Haven't gotten a flyer from RT lately (maybe they closed up shop) but MCS has the same junk at the same prices. Let the buyer beware !!!

 

[Jerseydaze]

Being new in the business does anyone find cheaper prices on name brand items online such as halo,cutler hammer,Cooper ect?

 

[Magnatron]

Gold star

Your complaint to the CPSC was a waste of time. But if it made you feel better, Then Good. Once the gfcis were tested you were refunded. For your info, 91% of the time products are returned that are not defective. But merely installed wrong by a master electrician or their $10hr helper. or maybe they just ordered wrong item and sent it back as defective. this happens every day. All products returned to Magnatron If defective,are credited to the customers account. You would proably be very upset if you realized how much of the product you use is supplied by Magnatron to your local Distributors and other Manufacturers under all kinds of different brand names. We even supply some of the major retailers with their products. I apologize if you feel your issues were not handled the way you wanted it. If you have any other issues call me directly

 

[tls]

Presumably you do not supply the "major retailers" with products branded as Levitron, Cooper, etc. I can't think of the last time I actually saw a no-name GFI at the "orange store" or the "blue store".

 

[goldstar]

Your complaint to the CPSC was a waste of time. But if it made you feel better, Then Good.

You are correct. It was a waste of my time. But it was something that had to be done because your company was not responding to any of my inquiries.

Once the gfcis were tested you were refunded.

Yes, I was refunded but you forgot to mention that I had to file a complaint with my credit card company in order to get the refund AND that I had to send back the defective GFI's, as I found each of them or failed an inspection because of them, at my own expense.

For your info, 91% of the time products are returned that are not defective. But merely installed wrong by a master electrician or their $10hr helper.

Let's see, there are three wires; one is an EGC and the other two are a white and a black wire which are terminated to the silver and brass terminals marked LINE. Kind of difficult to see how a master electrician or even a first day, $10/hr employee can miswire this. Quite frankly, it was your $10/hr employee that completely mis-handled this entire situation unless he was expressly directed to act under your orders.

or maybe they just ordered wrong item and sent it back as defective.

These defective units were a part of the second bulk order I placed with your company. Could it be that I mis-ordered twice ?

this happens every day.

If this is happening every day then either there is something is wrong with your products or your company and you need to address it.

I apologize if you feel your issues were not handled the way you wanted it.

I was never looking to get an apology. There are products manufactured every day that are or become defective at the time of installation. What I was looking for is for your company to do the right thing by having the products returned at your company's expense and if the defect was self evident, have the product replaced or my money refunded. Your company obviously has a "let the buyer beware" policy. Your $10/hr employee wanted me to send back each unit at my expense as I found them defective, have them tested by your company and after 3 or 4 weeks refund my money for each defective unit (less my cost for shipping). You can't be serious !!!

If you have any other issues call me directly

I have no other issues with you or your company. I've sent you a PM and if you wish to discuss this further my contact information is in the PM.

By the way, for whatever your reasoning is, you still have me on your mailing list selling under the name "Magnatron" and not "RT Electric Supply". You can't possibly believe that I would ever knowingly buy a product from your company again. Yet, I couldn't help but notice that you no longer sell GFI receptacles. Is it just a coincidence or did my CPSC complaint strike a nerve ?

 

[iwire]

Your complaint to the CPSC was a waste of time. But if it made you feel better, Then Good.

That is not the response I would be looking for if I was a customer. I think you pretty much proved your customer service is lacking.

After reading your whole post it sounds like you expect a pat on the back for finally doing what you should have done quickly.

 

[JohnJ0906]

Gold star

Your complaint to the CPSC was a waste of time. But if it made you feel better, Then Good. Once the gfcis were tested you were refunded. For your info, 91% of the time products are returned that are not defective. But merely installed wrong by a master electrician or their $10hr helper. or maybe they just ordered wrong item and sent it back as defective. this happens every day. All products returned to Magnatron If defective,are credited to the customers account. You would proably be very upset if you realized how much of the product you use is supplied by Magnatron to your local Distributors and other Manufacturers under all kinds of different brand names. We even supply some of the major retailers with their products. I apologize if you feel your issues were not handled the way you wanted it. If you have any other issues call me directly

With this attitude, I would never knowingly purchase from your company.

 

[electricmanscott]

Gold star

Your complaint to the CPSC was a waste of time. But if it made you feel better, Then Good. Once the gfcis were tested you were refunded. For your info, 91% of the time products are returned that are not defective. But merely installed wrong by a master electrician or their $10hr helper. or maybe they just ordered wrong item and sent it back as defective. this happens every day. All products returned to Magnatron If defective,are credited to the customers account. You would proably be very upset if you realized how much of the product you use is supplied by Magnatron to your local Distributors and other Manufacturers under all kinds of different brand names. We even supply some of the major retailers with their products. I apologize if you feel your issues were not handled the way you wanted it. If you have any other issues call me directly

Pretty much verifies the intial post. Unbelievable.

Please do NOT buy from this company.

 

[mivey]

I guess to pile on, I was trying to search some back ground info and the background is not very encouraging:

copyright problems:
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-ohsdce/case_no-2:2007cv00039/case_id-112730/

fax spams:
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:xxMfPyvbPT0J:www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2004/DA-04-605A1.html+Ronald+Tridico&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

http://oddculture.com/2007/08/13/orlando-fax-spam-guy-crashes-his-new-lamborghini/

 

[76nemo]

Gold star

Your complaint to the CPSC was a waste of time. But if it made you feel better, Then Good. Once the gfcis were tested you were refunded. For your info, 91% of the time products are returned that are not defective. But merely installed wrong by a master electrician or their $10hr helper. or maybe they just ordered wrong item and sent it back as defective. this happens every day. All products returned to Magnatron If defective,are credited to the customers account. You would proably be very upset if you realized how much of the product you use is supplied by Magnatron to your local Distributors and other Manufacturers under all kinds of different brand names. We even supply some of the major retailers with their products. I apologize if you feel your issues were not handled the way you wanted it. If you have any other issues call me directly

Now THAT is ALOT of nerve. We work with the public just the same as you. Do you know what we would expect if we copped that kind of attitude with them? I would expect to be asked to leave, and would expect them to get on the phone and get the word across to as many people as possible. You just put a whole new meaning to, "Shooting yourself in the foot"! You treat your customers like family, and you get your turn in the end. You don't ever treat someone like an idiot or say your lack of service was because you deal with tons of idiots!

I give goldstar props for getting the word out there, I only hope he posted his warning on more than just this forum. Not to sound spiteful or hateful, but I wish I could get your response to goldstar to your higher-up's, along with the responses to your comments that followed

I still can't believe what I just read!!!!

 

[mdshunk]

Seems like these people have the same address at RT: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/022/RipOff0022512.htm

Same folks, or another tenant in the same building?

 

[mivey]

Orlando members

Orlando members

Hey! Any of you guys near Orlando that can check it out? Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew club membership not required.:smile:

 

[iwire]

Lets leave peoples legal issues out of this and stay on the topic.

 

[growler]

It's hard to tell your customers that you are useing quality products when you are actually useing brand-X.

I would rather charge a customer $25 dollars for a GFCI made by one of the major manufacturers than charge them $20 for brand-X.

You can get a bad one from the major manufacturers but they normally have more at stake and better quality control.

If the company that you purchase your materials from has only been in business for a short time then who's to say how long they will be around. Obviously service to the customer is not one of their strong points.

You get what you pay for and that's a fact. Don't shimp on safety equipment.

 

[mivey]

Lets leave peoples legal issues out of this and stay on the topic.

Sorry.

In light of:

Make sure you know what you're buying and who you're dealing with before you make your purchase.

I thought the owner's background might be of interest since he might be the one standing behind the product. Kind of like Wal-Mart when Sam Walton was in charge.

I guess that may have been getting a little too personal and should have just focused on the business itself but there are times the person is the business, so to speak.

This site does show 640 employees and $51.8M/yr in sales for the single location:
http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_g411rv

I would still be interested to know if that location could handle 640 employees. The satellite photo shows a huge warehouse that looks like it might, but you can't tell if it is a multi-business complex.

BTW, I found another address for Leisure Bay Industries at 3033 Mercy Dr
Orlando, FL 32808. This just happens to be mapped to the same block as Ronald Tridico's business at 4159 Seabrook. Could be an address mix-up.

 

[growler]

I would still be interested to know if that location could handle 640 employees. The satellite photo shows a huge warehouse that looks like it might, but you can't tell if it is a multi-business complex.

It doesn't really matter if everything is done in Forida or not. I checked the UL web site and it appears that they have a UL listing for several of their products. Who knows, the actual products may be made in China just like the Wal Mart products ( they are listed not only as a distributor but as a manufacturer, I think it would take a lot more than 640 people to manufacture all the products listed ).

If he gets drunk enough and crashes enough expensive cars he may end up in the White House or at least the Senate. That's just good publicity for a political career. You don't want to go to Washington and not fit in.

Couldn't help but make this little political joke. :grin: :grin:

 

[roger]

Out of curiosity were the devices made by

SHANGHAI ELE MFG CORP E243387
SEC 2
XINGCHENG INDUSTRIAL ZONE
QINGPU
201703 SHANGHAI, CHINA?

If so, and unless something has changed in the last few months, they carry a bogus UL listing.

Roger

 

[nakulak]

Out of curiosity were the devices made by

SHANGHAI ELE MFG CORP E243387
SEC 2
XINGCHENG INDUSTRIAL ZONE
QINGPU
201703 SHANGHAI, CHINA?

If so, and unless something has changed in the last few months, they carry a bogus UL listing.

Roger

What ?? Shanghai stopped making quality products ? Man, am I gonna give my sales rep (Cho chan hu) an earful Monday morning. Thanks for the info !

 

[mdshunk]

When you look up the D&B for RT Electrical, it comes up as Magnetron, Inc. now.

 

[electricalperson]

we install tons of magnetron and no name brand gfci's at work. they seem to work fine but i never did check the UL listing. if it was me ordering the gfci's id order something with a brand name i trust like leviton.