Anyone else want to help out and complain to the Commerce commission?

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vinnieg

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#95279 29-Dec-2011 11:27

Was just browsing the daily deal sites when I noticed this:
http://www.grabone.co.nz/wellington/power-panda-31

If you haven't heard about it yet. It's called a Panda Power home saver. Apparently saves 20% off your electricity bill. For the low price of only $297.....

Compare that to this:

For sale on AliExpress for a total of $16

All he's done on the Grabone is removed the stickers. Put some fake stickers on the top.
Removed the power plug, so you have to pay an "approved/scam" electrician to wire it up.

He's also added fake CE stickers on the top.

Have reported him. If any of you guys would like to help out and report him too, using the evidence above, that'd be great :)

Get one more scammer off the street. And an extremely dangerous one at that. Everyone knows the chinese sourced NZ adapters are prone to bursting. This has gone one step further. Placing it in your fusebox, so the whole place would go up

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

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#562400 29-Dec-2011 11:31

I also saw this on Grabone this morning and thought WTF is this?

So is it supposed to be some sort of power cleaner/filter and/or a power factor correction device?

Those are some cheap looking stickers.

johnr

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#562402 29-Dec-2011 11:33

You save $1,497 lol

xpd

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#562405 29-Dec-2011 11:38

Think these things have been around for a while and someone was flogging them on TM and getting bombarded with tech questions which they couldnt answer........

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vinnieg

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#562406 29-Dec-2011 11:42

Yeah they have, the original one was the Power Panda

Which was the magical timer/fuse that stopped the hot water tank from heating up or cooling down...

Also available on most chinese deal sites for a tenner

I can't believe people still fall for this stuff. It's really put me off Grabone

- And while I was typing this up. It's gone :)

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

johnr

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#562407 29-Dec-2011 11:43

And it's removed!

vinnieg

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#562410 29-Dec-2011 11:46

Just hope the 3 people manage to get refunds for it....

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

rscole86

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#562411 29-Dec-2011 11:49

For those who feel bad for missing out http://www.yazoom.co.nz/tauranga/powerpanda855696

[disclaimer: I pitty the fool who lost money on such a thing]

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Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

vinnieg

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#562413 29-Dec-2011 11:53

Haha, good spotting :)

Might be time to join the conversation

Judging by previous responses, that Andrew is a really nice guy! With a strong knowledge of electricity
(Insert Tui Comment)

ComCom round Two, FIGHT

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rscole86

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#562415 29-Dec-2011 11:53

Andrew must be transgender? As he signs off as Wendy each time.

Technofreak

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#562423 29-Dec-2011 12:03

It reminds me of those fuel economisers that were being hawked for use in your car a few years ago. Smoke and mirror magic.

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vinnieg

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#562424 29-Dec-2011 12:03

Just put a comment up. Under a fake alias. But then again, I don't ever use Yazoom

Hope it provides some laughs

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

Oblivian

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#562440 29-Dec-2011 13:21

Thats pretty bad.

Someone needs to market and sell a document how to save power that simply says..

"turn off wall outlet with your home theatre 4-way in it when you don't use it" and "install timed breakers"

Cause thats the easiest way without spending lots :) We also do dishwashing at 11pm (offpeak) and heat the cylinder between 11 and 2 with a topup mid day.

vinnieg

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#562443 29-Dec-2011 13:31

Yazoom seem to be pulling most of the comments which call it fake or a scam after a few hours.

What a load of crap. Yazoom seem to be pretty much one of the dodgiest players in the one day deal games

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

gzt

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#562479 29-Dec-2011 14:43

The Power Panda Total Saver has also been marketed on many other daily deal sites in NZ. They send out emails on a regional deal basis.

The guy behind Power Panda makes the claim it (+ the hot water saving device) was invented in New Zealand. Not sure if the current website/marketing makes that claim.

By the way, are you sure the CE approval sticker is actually fake?

CE approval is not all that difficult to get, and it says nothing about the effectiveness of the device. There is nothing to prevent the importer or manufacturer getting CE approval.

Their marketing site is subject to updating, so I suggest you explore and take a managed archive of the current site to support your claims.

I probably have an archive of the older site somewhere.

Also, I maintain a page tracking energy saving boxes in NZ: here. I have not updated the Power Panda item for a little while. Might get to that this evening or early in the new year. I will include the link to AliExpress CHT-001C.

Dratsab

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#562493 29-Dec-2011 15:24

vinnieg: ComCom round Two, FIGHT

Don't forget the consumer affairs website as well. They have an online form for reporting scams.

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