Quality goods and consumer protections vary from country to country however, in most Western countries there is a reasonable high level of protection for the comsumer.
If a consumer purchases a product and later finds it is defective in most cases they can return the item to the store where they purchased it for either an exchange or full refund.
In the Philippines the quality of electronic goods varies greatly. You may purchase an item to find it may only work for the first day (or partial day) then if you return the item you have very limited rights.
While I was in Cebu I purchased a karaoke set for the Limpangog family. It consisted of a DVD Player/Karaoke Player, microphone and a pair of powered (amplified) speakers.
The first pair of speakers overheated then shut off after a few hours of use. I was asleep while they were using them. I awoke later and tested them that night but they would not work.
I had assumed they overheated and wanted to test them in the morning before returning them to the store. They were certain they wouldn't work so we made the trip back to the place (Unitop) where we had bought them. The sales people tested them in our presence and of course they worked.
After some discussion we decided to get some other speakers, larger ones, which I assumed would have a better amplifier built in to them. Having an Electronics degree and background, I assumed that would be the case as it normally is in the U.S.A.
Well.... perhaps I shouldn't have assumed.... again while I was asleep they were using the bigger, more powerful speakers when they began to smoke. They immediately unplugged them and told me about it in the morning.
It wasn't consumer error as I had connected the system myself and as a side job I do professional audio and music work. These were simply poor quality electronics with an inadequate power rating for the speakers they were matched with.
I don't believe the problem was due to any power fluctuations as all of my personal electronics worked fine and were on or charging at the time this occurred. I attribute it to simply poor design, poor quality so that these items can be affordable to many people there because of the lower average incomes in the Philippines.
I opened the speaker containing the amplifier and the circuit board was severely burnt, as you can see in the photos below.
I was told when purchasing electronics in the Philippines to take them home and use them immediately and extensively, if there is a defect it will usually show itself within the first 24 hours. I had also purchased a television, the brand I had never heard of before "HUG".
The DVD Player/Karaoke Player were also manufactured by this company and both seem to be working fine still. I think the first speakers (which only overheated) may have been the same brand but I don't remember now nor do I remember the brand name of the ones which caught fire and burnt.
I have heard that the brands I am accustomed to seeing in the U.S. are also available but at more expensive stores which the average person there doesn't know about as mainly only rich Filipinos and foreigners only go there, e.g.- The Ayala Mall.
My advice is that all lesser known and less expensive brands should be tested/used thoroughly if you purchase them. Also buying from stores/shops that cater to foreigners may offer better warranties and/or better service, should the need arise.
