Louis Rossmann
2 HN recommenders · recommended in 10 months, 2024–2026
31:04 · 403K views · Dec 30, 2023
Louis Rossmann examines fuses sold on Amazon that fail to trip at their rated current, including a 2A fuse surviving 8 amps. He uses it to criticize Amazon's lax control over safety-relevant products.
HN cites it as the key example of Amazon selling dangerous counterfeit goods and warns people to test their fuses.
13 comments from Hacker News
This video gives a good overview of how Amazon's NGAF attitude about safety needs to be reigned in. this video If you are in the USA report unsafe products here: [LINK]
> Turns out, I need a 3A fuse, so I ordered one from Amazon OP might want to watch Louis Rossmann's video about buying things from Amazon. this video
Out of pocket? Perhaps not, especially if it "works" as intended. Putting your life in danger and house burnt down though? More likely than you realize. Could I interest you in some very durable car fuses that don't actually trip? this video Or perhaps radioactive protection pendants are your thing? [LINK] Could I interest you in some Amazon choice firecrackers? [LINK] Let's not even mention the health and nutrient products that make the FDA shudder. Sure, you can ask for your money back, and flag the seller. But new sellers pop up selling the same crap all over again with a new name and company ID. This is all while real sellers of real (and safety certified products) get pressured by Amazon and dissuaded from taking their business off platform. Avoid Amazon if at all possible. It's not good for consumers nor sellers, and it's keeping a leach on online retail. Most countries have laws around liability of sold products. This is often set up to fall on the importer of said product. Amazon Europe (and perhaps USA) is doing something very funny with these laws; You, the consumer, is the importer. If your house burns out, then it's between you and a random chineese ghost companny that just disappeared into smoke. Amazon is "handling the import paperwork for you", and not taking liability for anything.
> Like yes, if its Friday afternoon, and you need parts urgently for your weekend project, then you can go there. But otherwise you get better choice for less money online. Yep, agreed. But online has its own problems... Amazon is full of shit with zero supply chain control, including safety-relevant stuff like fuses [1], or stuff secretly dropshipped from China or grey-imported from the UK or shipped from Poland with way more than a day of lead time. eBay is even worse. Bürklin is good but they do take their while to ship because they don't have an insane volume deal with DHL. And all of online is useless if you have stuff like weird connectors you need to find a matching mate or want to make sure <component> physically fits, or want to find a component that fits. No problem at Conrad, a huge and annoying hassle with online. [1] this video
Most likely Japan just have better customer protections. Amazon only able to sell open-nox and co-mingled knock-off crap because US regulators are toothless. Louis Rossmann have a video about fake electrical fuses sold on Amazon US with almost half a million views. Literally the product that can burn your house to the ground: this video Did Amazon US at least pulled these off store? Nope.