Shopping Online for Electrical Products?  Follow these Top Ten Tips to keep you safe

Cars, Electronics, Maintenance

Counterfeit and sub-standard electrical products increasingly find their way into our homes.  These products almost always contain incorrect and faulty parts.  Every year more injuries are caused by faulty electrical equipment.  Nearly nine out of ten electrical fires are caused by products overheating or having a short in the circuit.

The best way to protect you from sub-standard products is to buy from reputable retailers or via their websites.

Here was the advice and information we received from http://electricians-portsmouth.co.uk/

Top Ten Tips to keep you safe:

  1. Check that the site is a member of an online retail accrediting body. This means they have signed up to deliver a certain service standard.
  2. Read the product guarantees, return policies as well as the sellers’ Terms and Conditions.
  3. Do price checks. If a bargain looks too good to be true, it probably is.
  4. Beware of sites, “qualifying the authenticity of their products. Most reliable retailers don’t need to their products in this manner.
  5. Don’t just take the seller’s or reviewer’s word for a product as being good. Some sites cross-reference user reviews with their database and will label them, “verified purchasers”.
  6. Avoid buying second-hand products. You do not know what condition it is in, especially if the warranty or guarantee has run out.
  7. Check the voltage of products. It should be correct for domestic use.
  8. Also, check the wire and plug fittings. It should be fitted with the three pin plug or charger.
  9. Check the website photos of the product. Do the product and its packaging looks genuine?
  10. Look for a legitimate safety certification label. All electrical products will have safety certifications on their labels if made by a legitimate manufacturer.  This label should be on both the product and the packaging.

When your product arrives, check that the packaging and delivery notes look genuine.  Check for damage to the package and listen for loose fittings.  Check if everything that should be there is there, including the plug or charger.  Trust your instinct.  If you feel uncertain about your product, then you’re probably right in being wary.  Rather look to more reliable sites with similar products.

9 Indicators that you chose a secure Online Shopping Site

Cars, Maintenance, News

STOP, THINK, CONNECT, in that order, are the 3 actions to take before becoming a safe and secure online shopper.  You need to STOP and make sure that all your web-connected devices, like, PCs, smart phones, tablets, etc. is kept free of malware and infections by using only the latest versions of software and apps.  THINK about fortifying your online accounts by enabling stronger authentication tools, such as, security keys or a unique one-time code on said devices.  CONNECT, after looking at the following indicators:

  1. Use familiar websites. When using a new website for purchases, read reviews of other shoppers.  From that, you can gather if their experience were positive or negative.
  2. Look for the lock. Don’t ever buy anything from a site that doesn’t have SSL, (secure sockets layer).  These secure sights will always start with, “https:// (instead of just HTTP ://).  An icon of a locked padlock will appear next to the URL, in the address bar.
  3. No pop-up ads. Be very careful on clicking on retail ads that pop up on your screen while surfing the Web.  These pop-ups seldom take you to a website.
  4. No unsolicited e-mails. Reputable online retailers do not send solicitations via e-mail unless you signed up to get information from them.
  5. Prices aren’t too low to believe. Beware of sites offering products, like software or music, at prices far lower than other merchant prices.  This could be unlicensed or stolen goods.
  6. The site has a physical address or phone number. This is a good sign that the business is for real.  Call the number for reassurance.
  7. There is a return policy. Reputable sites will state their return policy as well as shipping policies.
  8. Credit cards are accepted. Credit cards give more protection than a debit card does.  Reputable sites will accept a variety of credit cards.
  9. The site has a privacy statement. A disclosure statement made by the site, expressing their protection of your personal information and the security of your credit or debit card data, will be offered.


Protect your web-connected devices by strong passwords.  Improve passwords by adding capital letters, symbols and numbers.

5 Worthwhile Car Care Tips, beneficial to prolong your motor vehicles’ life

Cars, Maintenance, News

Knowing some basics about your motor vehicle would go a long way in saving you time and money.  Regular maintenance work is needed to keep your vehicle running smoothly, without sudden major breakdowns.  For your convenience, we have put together a few commonly asked questions and answers about caring for your car.

  1. What is the correct tyre pressure for my vehicle? Tyre pressure is determined by the size and weight of the vehicle.  A tyre inflation placard Is placed in each vehicle that will give you the proper inflation pressures for your vehicle.  The tyre pressure will differ according to the load you carry, and the kind of travelling you do.  This placard is located on the driver’s side doorpost or the clove box door.
  2. How often should I change my wiper blades? It is recommended that the wiper blades should be changed once a year for vehicles parked inside, or when it start streaking.  On vehicles kept outside, wiper blades should be changed twice or even three times a year.  This is also necessary when wipers need to be used excessively.
  3. How often should my car get a tune-up? The term, “Tune-up”, applies to older cars, which means replacing of spark plugs, ignition contact points, oil and air filters, adjusting timing belts, etc.  This should happen every 10,000 km.  For modern vehicles, the term is, “engine performance maintenance” which will include computer diagnosis, testing and adjustment to maintain peak engine performance.  Frequency should be between 10,000 – 30,000 kilometres, depending more on driving conditions than kilometres.  Your owner’s manual will give you specifics on tune-up frequency.

  1. Why are my brakes making noise? Hearing a grinding of squealing sound when you use the brake pedal, probably means that you’re vehicle is in need of new brake shoes or pads.  It might be something minor, but it is best to assume that noisy brakes are unsafe brakes.  You need to get them inspected right away.
  2. How often should I change the engine oil and filter? Most owner’s manuals and mechanics recommend changing the oil and filter every 3 months or 5,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.

taken from https://visual.ly/tread-carefully-safe-tires-equal-safe-family

Remember that good service records are very helpful when the time comes to sell your vehicle.