# Beware of ThinkPrice on e-bay.



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Just my experience but bought an electric blanket off e-bay from a company that sells a multitude of things there called "ThinkPrice".
It was bought specifically for our extended holiday in Portugal this winter. Only checked it heated when it was delivered last year and stored it until now.
Plugged it in to use properly for the first time last Monday and my wife and I experienced considerable voltage between us. A slight tickle is no problem but this must have been about 100 volts. I have taken the blanket off and examined it but can't find any obvious damage that would cause the leak.

In contacting the company they did reply in poor English suggesting I send it back at my own cost and they might decide to repair or replace. But as we are in Portugal it would be too expensive and uneconomical to post. I decided to put it down to experience and buy another blanket from another source.

In checking I now see this company has in excess of 1,500 adverse or negative feedback on e-bay. Luckily my loss is only £22 but others beware.

Ray.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Ray

Of course the other website 'thinkquality.ru' will be overpriced:surprise:

We compromise and use John Lewis, and except for heavy items will deliver to Poland for about £7.:smile2:Just takes a few days longer than UK delivery.

Geoff

EDIT Maybe 'compromise' is the wrong word, as I have never in 40 years had to take an item back to JL - so I should have said something like buying at 'middle price'. I introduced Basia to JL a few years ago and she could not believe the quality/price ratio[And she is 'cautious' with money] - now on our UK visits we spend considerable time in there - one advantage of shopping with a MH - plenty of space/weight.


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## fdhadi (May 9, 2005)

Agree with Geoff about JL. Some items are more expensive but they will price match no problem and often give an extended guarantee at no extra charge. 
Also, if an item you purchase from them is reduced in price in any of their stores or website within 28 days of buying, contact them and they will refund the difference, no quibble.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Hans found me in John Lewis, I was a bargain.:grin2:
Jan


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I call Liz my Ebay woman.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

fdhadi said:


> Agree with Geoff about JL. Some items are more expensive but they will* price match no problem and often give an extended guarantee at no extra charge. *
> .


I once got £200 off a computer as it was cheaper at PC World and there was an extra year warranty. They did ask me where I had seen it and did check with PC World.

I have since spent many thousands of pounds with them - but not only because of that reduction.

Geoff


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yep, can't argue with the JL quality and value. It was just as we only needed this blanket for 8 weeks in Portugal and picked it up on our visit to family in UK.
I can't remember ever having any kind of problem with the many electric blankets bought over 50 years.

Ray.


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## fdhadi (May 9, 2005)

JanHank said:


> Hans found me in John Lewis, I was a bargain.:grin2:
> Jan


Hope Hans got an extended warranty :laugh:



Kev_n_Liz said:


> I call Liz my Ebay woman.


Kev, I have an EBay friend, he's much better than me searching eBay, some people have the knack :wink2:


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## Revise (May 13, 2012)

I always but electrical items for the high street and never of any online trading store such as eBay. . There are so many fakes and poor quality items for sale on these trading posts. 

When I am using 240v I would rather pay a bit more knowing I have bought from a reputable company and if there are any problems I can take it back to them and talk face to face. 

Buying a fake or poor quality t-shirt is not going to kill you. 240V can kill you.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

fdhadi said:


> Hope Hans got an extended warranty :laugh:
> :wink2:


Not for £40.00.
What he was really niffed about was no guarantee when we were married, he says he was hoodwinked into it,
the registrar, the assistant registrar and one witness were female one male witness so it was 2 against 4 :frown2: I won:grin2:
Jan


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## CurlyBoy (Jan 13, 2008)

*Fraudulent websites*

hi, just reading this post prompted me to post details of a recent con that I was unfortunate to be caught by. I was looking for a particular landing net online and the price seemed to be about £140, I didn't want to pay that much !! But then came across Lakeland.co.uk who were advertising the same for £74, thought that was a good price so ordered and payed with my HSBC credit card. After a week or so, no net, so contacted Lakeland via their website, no email, that rang alarm bells for a start, but they replied promptly asking for my order details, I thought that was strange, I replied with this info. but that was the last I heard from them despite several requests for an update on my order. Then!! shock, horror, when I got my statement from HSBC I noticed that my money had been paid into a bank in Shanghai and for an amount much greater than my order!!!!! I immediately contacted HSBC who indicated that it was probably a fraudulent website and that they would investigate, which they did within 24 hours and reversed the charge, so I got my money back. I then searched again for the same fishing net and found it advertised on Bootshoes.co.uk, BUT, the website was EXACTLY the same as Lakeland.co.uk, only the name had been changed. Both websites were advertising a whole range of high end goods at what appeared to be half price. So, the moral is , if it appears to good to be true it obviously is, both websites are now not available, but probably trading still, under another name. So, be alert people, the are an awful lot of b*******s out there trying to get their grubby little hands in our pockets!!!
curlyboy


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

That's quite worrying curlyboy. 

I always thought if the address in the address bar said Lakeland.co.uk then you were guaranteed to be at that site. 

I thought the danger was clicking a link that said Lakeland.co.uk, say, but actually went to Bootshoes.co.uk (or similar). 

I'd welcome the expert view on that. 

Thanks.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Usually if paying by Paypal via e-bay all is covered.
My problem was after testing and giving good feedback I stored the blanket for 8 months. So could not complain to either Paypal or E-bay.
I have not problems with electrical goods being an apprentice electrician for 6 years and then in the electrical industry for a further 20 years. 

Ray.


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

No bargains in the electric blanket dept. in John Lewis's at the moment. They relieved me of £90 for one on Tuesday.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Strewth Bill. If you get what you pay for theory, hope you got one thats so smart it knows when to turn on??

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I have no concerns about buying on Ebay really, I bought a couple of low priced items from HK a few weeks ago, notified the seller that I thought that they were not as described but looked similar to the ad, they offered me a 50% refund which I refused, I escalated the refund claim via Ebay, and they refunded me within the hour.

Your main problems in selling on Ebay is not to take a Paypal payment if they are collecting as you have no proof of delivery, and do not send to any address not registered 
with Paypal,and you should be more or less okay.


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

raynipper said:


> Strewth Bill. If you get what you pay for theory, hope you got one thats so smart it knows when to turn on??
> 
> Ray.


Not quite that smart but as it is on the bed all year, is machine washable and will last 10 years then it's not that expensive. "Which" also talk highly of it.

As you spend 1/3 of you life in bed then I think it's somewhere that it's worth spending a bit of money. I can recommend down duvets (not down and feather or synthetic) and the ones that split 10.5 / 3.5 TOG are excellent. £2-300 (if you shop around) is a good investment.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

BillCreer said:


> Not quite that smart but as it is on the bed all year, is machine washable and will last 10 years then it's not that expensive. "Which" also talk highly of it.
> 
> As you spend 1/3 of you life in bed then I think it's somewhere that it's worth spending a bit of money. I can recommend down duvets (not down and feather or synthetic) and the ones that split 10.5 / 3.5 TOG are excellent. £2-300 (if you shop around) is a good investment.


I thought the days of electric blanket and down filled duvets was over, well it is for us, this house is so warm we only need a sheet and light bedspread, even then the arms have to be outside the cover.
Jan


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

BillCreer said:


> Not quite that smart but as it is on the bed all year, is machine washable and will last 10 years then it's not that expensive. "Which" also talk highly of it.
> 
> As you spend 1/3 of you life in bed then I think it's somewhere that it's worth spending a bit of money. I can recommend down duvets (not down and feather or synthetic) and the ones that split 10.5 / 3.5 TOG are excellent. £2-300 (if you shop around) is a good investment.


OK Bill, we all speak as we find which is what I brought up initially.
As Jan says our house is always warm but we do like a cold or 'fresh' bedroom. Our duvet is 4.5 Tog and again is on all year round. Yes it gets washed.!!!!
And for 52 years of our marriage we have had the best sleeps on the cheapest beds. One very expensive mattress we paid a very reputable supplier £800 for 30 years ago was crap and ended up underneath a cheap mattress as we just couldn't bring ourselves to throw it away. You need to take a flying leap to get on it now.
Again as an electrician I have always bought cheap, made do and mended. Our early days of marriage we had all the mod cons others in the family could only aspire to. I would grab bargains or even repair throw outs and this has been the pattern of our life.
Handy now we exist on reduced pensions. But we again have everything our affluent friends have and more. Yes OK I am materialistic and proud of having a comfortable life.

Ray, sitting for 8 weeks in Portugal with a fixed blanket.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

raynipper said:


> OK Bill, we all speak as we find which is what I brought up initially.
> As Jan says our house is always warm but we do like a cold or 'fresh' bedroom. Our duvet is 4.5 Tog and again is on all year round. Yes it gets washed.!!!!
> And for 52 years of our marriage we have had the best sleeps on the cheapest beds. One very expensive mattress we paid a very reputable supplier £800 for 30 years ago was crap and ended up underneath a cheap mattress as we just couldn't bring ourselves to throw it away. You need to take a flying leap to get on it now.
> Again as an electrician I have always bought cheap, made do and mended. Our early days of marriage we had all the mod cons others in the family could only aspire to. I would grab bargains or even repair throw outs and this has been the pattern of our life.
> ...


Our bedroom has no heat on, the underfloor heating is only on in the 2 lounge, we are open plan and thats enough heat for the whole house.
The house is very well insulated, tem. outside was -10°c a few nights ago, didn´t make any difference to the inside temperature.

You sound just like Hans Ray, he never throws anything away that he thinks might come in handy in later years. He finds all sorts of treasures in his boxes in the workshop or loft. When we moved here 11 years ago he brought all sorts of what some would have called rubbish, unfortunately he is running out of this rubbish now and has to find out where to actually buy, wood, metal, nuts and screws etc etc.

You have given me an idea, we bought an expensive mattress 3 years ago, had it shipped from the UK, weighs a ton and I am beginning to regret the buy because tucking things under is getting difficult. We could do as you have done and put a lighter one on top. Oh dear, then Shade wont be able to get up there :frown2: to have his teeth cleaned each day, mmm have to think again me thinks.
Jan


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yes Jan, I tend to hoard things I know will "Come in handy" usually for others.
I have lost count of the phone chargers people have lost and I have in a box of dozens. It's odd people will borrow a 12v. battery charger again and again when they could have one for €5. My trailer has been used far more by others than myself.

The £800 mattress was bought at a time my wife was suffering with back trouble. So we wrongly 'invested' in a top of the range, pocket sprung, orthopaedic mattress that sogged after just a few months. We complained and a rep turned up. He agreed it had sogged and asked if we turned it regularly.? I said yes, almost every month. Ah he said Ah you need to turn it every week!!!!
The bluddy thing weighed 2cwt and needed four people to lift it. I pointed out it was bought to aid a back problem and not to create more by trying turning it all the time.
I swore never to buy an expensive bed again, same with many things.

Ray.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

After seeing things bursting into flame on Fake Britain, I buy electrical goods very carefully indeed. Chinese to be avoided at all costs if possible.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

HermanHymer said:


> After seeing things bursting into flame on Fake Britain, I buy electrical goods very carefully indeed. Chinese to be avoided at all costs if possible.


Impossible Viv. Even Apple products are made in China.

Ray.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

You're right - I should have said - no name brand. Even with well-known branded products one has to be careful of knock-offs. One (fire) demo I saw was (home) switching stuff, branded, complete with CE markings and everything.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We've had a some real bargains from China, but you do need to be careful, check feedback is for similar items etc, and for selling not buying.


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