Cheap Transformers: Why You Get What You Pay For

When there’s a smidge of downtime at ACUPWR, we like to peruse Amazon and read the negative reviews posted about our competition because it reminds us that our transformers are infinitely better than the cheap, foreign-made models made by Goldsource, Rockstone, Power Bright, Simran, Pyle, ELC and other “brands,” made in the same factory (and packaged in the same black boxes).

If only these Amazon customers knew about ACUPWR, they wouldn’t have had the misfortune of breathing in toxic smoke and watching their cheap-o voltage transformers go up in flames. Our American-made transformers are the safest, most technologically advanced, and reliable products of this type available anywhere.

Here’s an example of negative reviews for we found for a Power Bright VC2000W step up/step down 110/120v to 220/240v (and vice-versa) voltage transformer. Out of 968 amazon reviews, nearly 20 percent were one- or two-star reviews. That’s a pretty large slice of the pie and a whole lot of negative reviews. Here’s a sample:

• “It worked for a few weeks, then one day I smelled smoke at it quit. On inspection, the fuse holder burned up on the inside with melted wires and plastic. What a mess. The fuse was actually still good, just burned and melted the low-quality plastic holder. Well, I was able to replace the fuse holder and it worked again for a couple of months. But today it burned again. On opening the unit, I discovered that one of the wires to the transformer was poorly attached and melted and burned off with more melted wires and plastic. I thought I might just replace the wire and solder it back correctly, but when I tried, I discovered that the wires are NOT copper.”

• “I looked around and found that fuse cap was missing. Yes it has a fuse holder with a screw type cap. When I looked inside the package I found the cap along with fuse. I tried to put it back in place. That's when I realized there is no thread at all on both sides (cap and the body), no kidding if possible I'll post photos. That shows that this piece of junk was never tested.” 

• “Didn't work straight out of the box. I pre-purchased this unit for an overseas relocation as to not have to replace my favorite small appliances...I received a complete dud! It cost more than the unit was worth to return PLUS by the time that I received my household good and realized that the unit was inoperable the return period had expired. So much for being proactive!”

• “The first one worked for one week and quit. Amazon sent a replacement. The second one worked for three weeks and quit. Unfortunately this was JUST outside the return window so I am stuck with an expensive paperweight...”

• “Sigh. Let me join the people who say... enjoy it for 2 months before it burns itself to a crisp. Just to be clear, neither the fuse or the circuit breaker trip, so it's not an over-current condition. So yeah, Sunday afternoon, suddenly it lets out a horrible cloud of smoke, the power turns off (the later is probably a good thing). Now it's a shaped like a brick and about as useful as a brick.”

• “This unit arrived in time for Christmas but alas was totally defective. The screw-top for the fuse was stripped - but even if I manually held the fuse in place the unit did not power up. Zero quality control- typical of cheap Chinese imports - just wish I could find an American company who made these transformers.”

• “I bought this product less than a year; it only worked about three months (we didn't use it very often, most on weekend). It totally stopped working starting three months later. Lots of hassle to get the warranty coverage through the manufacturer Power Bright (18662966775). I would rank it as the worst product I ever bought from Amazon.”

• “This unit arrived in time for Christmas but alas was totally defective. The screw-top for the fuse was stripped - but even if I manually held the fuse in place the unit did not power up. Zero quality control- typical of cheap Chinese imports - just wish I could find an American company who made these transformers.”

• “I bought this product less than a year; it only worked about three months (we didn't use it very often, most on weekend). It totally stopped working starting three months later. Lots of hassle to get the warranty coverage through the manufacturer Power Bright (18662966775). I would rank it as the worst product I ever bought from Amazon.”

• “Really bad, Chinese quality. It worked for an estimated 2 hrs before failing, so transforming cost me over 50 usd per hour.... The fuse is ok, so there must be something wrong on the inside. It's a total waste of money.” 

• “I use these regularly at work and have to open up and check every one of them. They are clearly produced at more than one location, as the quality and heat shrink varies. But I see problems all the time. I have seen wires loose from the outlets several times and the wiring sometimes varies. The power cord also has its colors reversed, meaning brown is neutral and blue is line inside. I recommend checking that the polarity of the outputs is correct before connecting anything to them.”

• “This item blew up a few minutes after it was connected. The fume made me sick. Had irritating eyes, nose and throat as well as a headache for a day. Please also note that I followed the instructions for use with the help of an electrician friend.”

• “The unit was used to power a 220V/1100W espresso machine purchased in Italy. it worked fine for the first 3 months but then suddenly stopped... contacted Power Bright , which send some replacement fuses, however that didn't work . So they asked me to ship the unit back to them for repair. I shipped it on my own dime, $40 (half the unit price!) and the returned unit had the exact same problem.”

When you’re shopping for an international voltage transformer, consider the risk of buying a cheap, poorly built foreign-made model that comes with a host of problems, or you can buy ACUPWR.  We manufacture the safest, most reliable voltage transformers available, backed by a lifetime warranty and up to $10,000 of damage coverage. Compare us with the competition and you’ll realize why investing in an ACUPWR transformer will save you $$$ over the long haul.