No, I have seen those plugs on IT equipment imported from the far east before.

Many far eastern countries use UK style 3-pin sockets for earthed appliances
but other 2-pin types for non-earthed, and in some cases some very dodgy
looking sockets that will accept 3-pin UK style, 2-pin euro style, 2-pin US
style and even 3-pin Australian style plugs in the same socket.

Many 3-pin UK style plugs supplied there will fit the socket but have no
plugtop fuse and do not have the normal large gaps between the pins and the
edge of the plug. Many also do not have partially screened N&L pins.

If they do not bear the CE logo they are illegal to supply in Europe.

If they are displaying the CE logo without being approved, then that is even
more dodgy.

Was your ebay supplier UK or overseas based? Because even if the shipment
came from overseas, if the supplier is in the UK they are (afaik) legally
bound to supply safe goods.



On 23/06/11 10:33, David Robinson wrote:
I've just bought a replacement camera battery charger from eBay.

Three things about it make me concerned.

Firstly, it gets hot. As in "almost wouldn't want a small child to
touch it" hot.

Secondly, it never said the battery was fully charged. It kept
charging (with the light red, rather than green), long after the
battery must have been fully charged.

Thirdly, the supplied cable has a standard IEC_60320 C7/C8 at one end,
but a UK mains plug without a fuse at the other end. The mains plug is
very small and almost clover leaf shaped - barely 5mm larger than the
pins in any direction.

Is it legal to have a UK plug without a fuse when it feeds a flex? The
plug is marked 250V 10A.

Interestingly, the IEC_60320 C7 plug is optimistically marked 250V 25A
(I doubt it could handle 3A).

Cheers,
David.