Sales work is not just about selling your own company's products. Another important part of the job is researching and gathering information on products developed and manufactured by other companies. When gathering information, you may not only search online, but also order products to research them.
The other day, as part of my research, I imported a heater from an overseas manufacturer. When I opened it, I was surprised by something unexpected. I have put together a video of what happened, so please take a look.
Although the video does not go into detail, there were many points of concern, particularly regarding product safety. Therefore, we will highlight some safety precautions you should be aware of when importing heaters made overseas.
*The following information does not necessarily apply to all overseas products. It is merely an opinion of the product we ordered this time.
It gets crammed into a small package, which can lead to poor contact.
The first thing that surprised me was how small the package was. It was probably to keep shipping costs down. The package was so small that I worried about the heater inside. I opened it immediately and was shocked to see that it was even worse than I had feared. The heater had been wrapped four times and crammed inside. In our case, we use larger cardboard boxes for packaging and only wrap the heater twice. If it was wrapped any more than this, there was a risk that the heater's nichrome wire would break and cause poor contact.
Furthermore, there was no cushioning material such as air cushions or styrofoam. Not only that, the heater itself was just wrapped in air packing and not in a plastic bag.
Heaters are electrical appliances. If they are poorly packed, there is a high risk of initial defects occurring during transportation. Japanese manufacturers are well aware of this, and when putting products in them, they use ample packaging and take measures against shocks such as cushioning materials.
Insufficient inspection, poor construction and metal pieces attached
There were also some concerns about the construction of the heater itself. Looking at the back of the heater (the side opposite the side with the double-sided tape), there are bubbles that look like air has accumulated and expanded. This is probably due to insufficient pressing. Since this bubble is on the back, it probably does not have a significant effect on the performance of the heater itself. However, it does detract from the quality of the product.
What is unacceptable is that there was a piece of metal on the back. It appears to be a piece of wire that was stripped of its insulation to connect to the temperature controller. Metal pieces can cause electric shock, so it is dangerous if they are not wiped off.
Another problem is that there is no standard marking printed on the heater itself. Without the standard marking, important information for use, such as the withstand voltage, cannot be immediately known. If you leave the heater unused for a while and then try to use it again for some purpose, there is a risk of it breaking down if you use it without knowing the heater's specifications. Not only that, but depending on how it is used, there is also a risk of it causing a fire. There is no manufacturer or contact information printed on it, so care must be taken when reusing it.
The worst part is that there was no instruction manual included. I searched the package carefully many times, but the only document included was the delivery note. Naturally, the delivery note did not contain any specifications or handling precautions. I was unable to find the instruction manual for the heater, which is the most important thing.
Safety standards in Japan may not be sufficient for imported products
After checking the product packaging, manufacturing, inspection, and accompanying documents, I realized that there is a difference between Japanese manufacturers and overseas manufacturers in terms of awareness and consideration for product safety.
Japanese manufacturers would not think that packaging is simply putting the product inside. After wrapping the main body in a plastic bag, it is natural to put in cushioning materials such as styrofoam and air packing to reduce shock during transportation. In the case of a heater, measures must be taken to reduce the number of turns to prevent poor contact. To do this, they use large packaging materials to send the product to the purchaser, even if it costs a little more.
The thoroughness of inspection also seems to differ from Japanese manufacturers. Inspection is carried out thoroughly, including visual inspection. Products with air bubbles due to insufficient pressing, like the heater we ordered this time, are absolutely excluded from sale. We also make sure to remove any metal pieces adhering to the surface. In the unlikely event that a malfunction or electric shock occurs, the manufacturer will lose credibility. If a malfunction occurs during use and the manufacturer is requested to inspect or repair, an inspection certificate will be issued after investigation and confirmation.
It is absolutely essential to include an instruction manual with specifications. If you plan to use the heater for multiple purposes, you must check the specifications. Sometimes you may need to reread the handling instructions. However, instruction manuals are easy to lose. Japanese products always have the specifications printed on the product itself. It is unsettling to think about what would happen if you used the product without knowing the handling instructions.
It is surprising to see how little attention is being paid to safety, something that Japanese manufacturers consider particularly important to their customers.
When importing a heater from overseas with low prices in mind, don't forget to check the safety
When purchasing a heater, depending on the application, there are times when you want to make do with a cheaper product rather than a more expensive one. In such cases, inexpensive heaters made overseas are likely to be considered. Compared to our heaters, they can be purchased for less than one-tenth the price even without a temperature controller, making them extremely cheap. However, in exchange for the low price, there is a risk of insufficient product quality and inspection, and the absence of an instruction manual, so care must be taken when using them.
In addition, Japanese products are treated with strict safety standards. In order to manufacture, import, and sell electrical appliances in Japan, they must comply with the Electrical Appliance and Materials Safety Act (PSE: Product Safety Electrical Appliance and Materials ) and receive certification to prove this. Certified products are required to bear the PSE mark. The cost of obtaining the PSE mark is passed on to the price, but in return, the product offers safety and peace of mind. Don't forget that these basic Japanese product features are not necessarily the same for products made overseas. Incidentally, the heater made overseas that I purchased this time did not have the PSE mark.
This time, we only obtained one type of heater from an overseas manufacturer for research purposes. In the future, we would like to order several other overseas products and conduct further research. We will introduce them again if we find anything.
