Did You Buy a Counterfeit...Extension Cord?

Here's proof that, in this day and age, people will counterfeit just about anything. From Underwriters Laboratories (the guys who certify electronics as safe for human use by sticking that little "UL" logo on it) comes news that lowly power strips and extension cords may be the latest products to fall victim to counterfeiters.

I figure there's a good chance that many of you bought power cables and power strips to go with your new holiday gadgetry. If you did, be sure to follow these identification instructions to see if your product might be a phony.

UL doesn't indicate whether the counterfeited products might be dangerous, but when electricity is involved, you really can't be too careful. My guess is that the wiring might use copper that's too thin or not of high enough quality (copper prices have skyrocketed lately) or doesn't use copper wire at all (aluminum wiring can be very dangerous).

Check the ID codes on your extension cords and power strips against those on the UL site today!