Buyer Beware!

BuckeyeFS · 06/08/2012, 12:10 PM

Yesterday we came across a situation and wanted to advise the reefing community accordingly.

At the prompting of a customer, we visited the well-known auction website and saw handheld TDS meters priced at less than half the manufacturer's minimum allowable price. These meters are described as "TDS3's" and were selling for about $10. Be careful! These items are being sold out of China, and ARE NOT TDS3's. The TDS3 by HM Digital are patented, and the items on the auction website are counterfeits.

We contacted the seller, who had multiple listings for the counterfeit TDS3's, and he told us he didn't know who the manufacturer was. Good grief.

If you want a genuine TDS3, first look for the HM Digital logo on the meter. Next, make sure that the meter is protected by a 1 year HM Digital warranty.

If the price you see on a new meter is incredibly low - you are probably looking at a counterfeit.

Russ

06/08/2012, 12:10 PM	#1
BuckeyeFS RC Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 4,273	Buyer Beware! Yesterday we came across a situation and wanted to advise the reefing community accordingly. At the prompting of a customer, we visited the well-known auction website and saw handheld TDS meters priced at less than half the manufacturer's minimum allowable price. These meters are described as "TDS3's" and were selling for about $10. Be careful! These items are being sold out of China, and ARE NOT TDS3's. The TDS3 by HM Digital are patented, and the items on the auction website are counterfeits. We contacted the seller, who had multiple listings for the counterfeit TDS3's, and he told us he didn't know who the manufacturer was. Good grief. If you want a genuine TDS3, first look for the HM Digital logo on the meter. Next, make sure that the meter is protected by a 1 year HM Digital warranty. If the price you see on a new meter is incredibly low - you are probably looking at a counterfeit. Russ __________________ Have you visited Buckeye recently? GFO (pellet, granular, and HC), VorTech pumps, refractometers, 2-part additives, ROX 0.8 GAC, and more! Reef Central S P O N S O R RO/DI Systems and Supplies at www.BuckeyeFieldSupply.com [email protected] HM Digital Master Distributor Hanna Instruments Master Distributor Salifert Master Distributor AQUA UV Master Distributor Current Tank Info: 300 g mixed reef system