Beware Chinese electrical goods.

I bought two identical electrical items on eBay recently. (Outdoor floodlights) They were wired with 3-core cables which is correct as the items were metal-cased. One item had a broken cable gland so, after contacting the seller they sent a replacement but didn't require me to send the faulty one back.

I then tested both the replacement and the original good one and found out that neither one had the earth wire connected to the case. I checked the original floodlight with the broken cable gland and that one did not have the earth wire connected to the case either.

I contacted the seller who gave me a full refund. However, be warned if buying any electrical items on eBay or any other marketplace, make sure you check the safety of the items before fitting. The items I bought were CE marked which obviously meant nothing. So, they were being sold illegally and potentially dangerous.