Two pin plug

Millie_2 · 26 December 2005 at 9:46AM

My OH has bought me a scanner for Christmas, with a usb port for my laptop.
He bought it from Currys....but the adapter is a two pin plug

Is it illegal to sell something to use in the UK with a two pin plug?
I thought it was.
Obviously we are going to take it back, but i just wanted to know my rights before we gave them a visit.
Does anyone know?
Thanks in advance.

innovate · 26 December 2005 at 10:01AM

It's not illegal to sell goods with two-pin plugs in the UK - many people want to buy this, for use abroad.

It's also not unsafe to use a two-pin plug through a suitable adapter. It's just a bit inconvenient if you have to do it all the time.

You can replace the plug with a UK plug.

Millie_2 · 26 December 2005 at 10:07AM

Hmmmm, but you would assume that all electrical goods sold to you would be supplied with a three pin adaptor not a two pin wouldnt you?

Ahhh well theres a first time for everything i suppose, i just thought that maybe this batch of scanners had been intended for use abroad and had got mixed up with scanners intended for the UK.

Bossyboots · 26 December 2005 at 10:47AM

I wouldn't expect a scanner sold in the UK to be fitted with a two pin plug and it should be taken back. If you know what you are doing, you could cut the plug off and wire up a three pin but personally I would take it back so there are no issues with warranty later on if something goes wrong.

Millie_2 · 26 December 2005 at 11:31AM

Thanks, i agree

Millie_2 · 26 December 2005 at 2:52PM

Well ive since been doing some research and it seems that most electrical items sold in the UK have to have a three pin plug or a converter if sold with a two pin, so it looks like Currys have been very naughty :rolleyes:

windym_2 · 26 December 2005 at 3:26PM

Anything sold to you must 'be fit the purpose'. The fact that you can't plug it in means you are well within your rights to exchange/refund.

Millie_2 · 27 December 2005 at 7:46PM

Well we went back to Currys today to have a word and apparently they have had a delivery of 10,000 of these very same scanners, all with two pin plugs and all totally unusable as the scanners themselves are also built to European standards and not suitable to be used in the UK.

So be warned if you have one also.

Now i have no choice other than to wait for a replacement when a new delivery arrives with no gurantee of when that will be :rolleyes:

bugbod · 27 December 2005 at 8:41PM

Is it a Xerox? I got one, and went back today to see if I could get an adaptor. They told me to take it back as it shoould never have been sold to me with a continental plug. Thet don't have one of the same to replace it with. Can I insist on something to the same spec. if not better? There was no mention of waiting for new stock.
The manager's last words were 'take everything back and we'll see what we can do'. It was a gift and I don't have the receipt, but I gave the name of the person that bought it and they found the record of the sale on the till.

Minky2Slice · 27 December 2005 at 8:55PM

Why would anyone be selling goods that are not compatable to begin with?

To save you all the trouble though and a possible migraine, you could always just get an adaptor for about 3 quid and move on...

But of course none of us would take something like that - make sure at least there is a full complaint to the store where this equipment was bought from ...

bugbod · 27 December 2005 at 9:13PM

I did go for an adaptor! It was the guy in Currys that said they would have to change the whole thing!

Two pin plug

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