Pushing My Buttons

Two months ago I bought two Midea electric fans at Carrefour and have used them off and on this summer. I thought I was pretty careful with them, I didn't toss them about, leave them in the rain or use them as battering rams. I was even careful to warn them when I was about to turn them on. Still, they both have stopped working well before their expected retirement age. One just hums without turning its blades and the other's "on" switch stopped switching on. On top of this, the Advantez' table lamp I bought at Carrefour just a month ago has also decided it doesn't want its switch to function either. To get the bulb to light I have to toggle the loose "on" button back and forth until it finds just the right position - and then it will stay on for a minute or two before switching off.

China makes an awful lot of electronic appliances - it's about all you can find at the stores in the US anymore. What I'm finding is that all the good stuff is exported and the rejects get left behind in China to torment consumers here.