Sent Wrong Power Supply As A Result Rendered My Equipment Inoperable

[jaymac1212]

I ordered a power supply from Amazon.com in the beginning of Dec. 2011. The power Supply was advertised to work specifically for one piece of equipment, an MSR206. The Amazon order was fulfilled by a third party company, which I was aware of. I didn't attempt to use the power supply until just recently, April 2012. The power supply that was furnished to me was the wrong one and it overheated my unit rendering it nonoperational. I filed a claim through Amazon.com and received a response from the third party company, Arrowhead Corp, that since was claim was made outside of 90 days they would be unable to issue me a refund. My questions are: 1) What are my rights as a Consumer in demanding a replacement/repayment for my equipment damaged due to the wrong product being supplied to me? What steps, if any, should I now take to flex my rights as a Consumer?
A few side notes: I live in California The cost of the power supply was $69.54. The Company, Arrowhead Corp, no longer offers the power supply that I purchased from them through Amazon. My equipment that was damaged, a MSR206, is valued at $495.00. Arrowhead Corp also sells MSR206's for $452.28.

 

[Zigner]

You won't be out $400+ on this. MSR206 Card Readers can be had for under $250 - look around.

 

[antrc170]

A lot will depend on the order contract. Most likely when you purchased the product you agreed to the companies refund/exchange policy which appears to be 90 days (pretty standard).

 

[jaymac1212]

A lot will depend on the order contract. Most likely when you purchased the product you agreed to the companies refund/exchange policy which appears to be 90 days (pretty standard).

Does that mean that I can only hold them liable for the damage if the damage would have occurred within those 90 days?

 

[justalayman]

You have not actually posted any info that would make them liable.

You say it was the wrong power supply but the reader does not need a specific power supply, just one with the proper voltage and capacity.

How do you know it was the "wrong" power supply?

How did the power supply cause your reader to overheat?

 

[jaymac1212]

The power supply that was sent to me lists a maximum output of 24V---2.5A and the MSR206 lists an input maximum of 24V---2.2A. The correct power supply does not have an maximum output level greater then what the unit is capable of handling. In this case the reader cannot be supplied with more then its maximum input of 24 volts and/or 2.2 amp. Think of it this way justalayman:

Your new pet goldfish, Gill, requires that you feed him once a day. The daily feeding should consist of no less then 4 flakes of goldfish food. This is the minimum amount Gill needs to survive, otherwise he is likely to starve and die. Just as important, you shouldn't feed him more then 8 flakes of fish food. This is the maximum amount Gill can eat during one feeding. Any amount more than 8 would be overfeeding and would have Gill floating at the top of his tank in no time.

Just as Gill is very sensitive to the amount of food that you make available to him (output) and the amount of food that he eats (input), my MSR206 is the same way. Just instead of fish food it's amperage.

 

[sandyclaus]

I ordered a power supply from Amazon.com in the beginning of Dec. 2011. The power Supply was advertised to work specifically for one piece of equipment, an MSR206. The Amazon order was fulfilled by a third party company, which I was aware of. I didn't attempt to use the power supply until just recently, April 2012. The power supply that was furnished to me was the wrong one and it overheated my unit rendering it nonoperational. I filed a claim through Amazon.com and received a response from the third party company, Arrowhead Corp, that since was claim was made outside of 90 days they would be unable to issue me a refund. My questions are: 1) What are my rights as a Consumer in demanding a replacement/repayment for my equipment damaged due to the wrong product being supplied to me? What steps, if any, should I now take to flex my rights as a Consumer?
A few side notes: I live in California The cost of the power supply was $69.54. The Company, Arrowhead Corp, no longer offers the power supply that I purchased from them through Amazon. My equipment that was damaged, a MSR206, is valued at $495.00. Arrowhead Corp also sells MSR206's for $452.28.

You knew/should have known that the product return policy was 90 days. Why did it take you so long to install it? That may just keep you from being able to make ANY claim because of the timeframe. You should have known within the first 90 days whether or not it was the RIGHT product (i.e. the one you asked for).

In addition, with most product sales contracts, you need to read VERY CAREFULLY. Most return policies will often exclude any consequential damages (i.e., use the wrong/defective item, and they are liable only for its replacement/refund, but NOT for any damage that is caused by its use).

Either way, you have a problem, and the best you can hope for (if you push the issue and they cave in) is most likely the refund/exchange of the power supply itself, and NOT for the equipment you installed it in.

 

[ecmst12]

So, was the power supply that you received correctly labeled with the volts/amps that it supplies?

 

[Zigner]

The power supply that was sent to me lists a maximum output of 24V---2.5A and the MSR206 lists an input maximum of 24V---2.2A. The correct power supply does not have an maximum output level greater then what the unit is capable of handling. In this case the reader cannot be supplied with more then its maximum input of 24 volts and/or 2.2 amp.

You misunderstand. The power supply will put out UP TO 2.5A - the device is what determines what is actually pulled. Putting a 24V, 2.5A power supply on a 24V, 2.2A device will NOT overheat the device (assuming polarity is correct, of course.) I suspect that your last power supply damaged your unit when it failed. Or, perhaps, the last power supply was fine and it was the reader itself that was bad.

 

[sandyclaus]

You misunderstand. The power supply will put out UP TO 2.5A - the device is what determines what is actually pulled. Putting a 24V, 2.5A power supply on a 24V, 2.2A device will NOT overheat the device (assuming polarity is correct, of course.) I suspect that your last power supply damaged your unit when it failed. Or, perhaps, the last power supply was fine and it was the reader itself that was bad.

Agreed. Or for all we know, the new power supply was installed improperly and that is why the reader got damaged.

If by chance OP DOES get Amazon to refund any money (which is doubtful, depending on how well-enforced their return policy is), all one could hope for MIGHT be the refund of the power supply itself and NOT a replacement of the equipment it was installed in.

 

[justalayman]

The power supply that was sent to me lists a maximum output of 24V---2.5A and the MSR206 lists an input maximum of 24V---2.2A. The correct power supply does not have an maximum output level greater then what the unit is capable of handling. In this case the reader cannot be supplied with more then its maximum input of 24 volts and/or 2.2 amp. Think of it this way justalayman:
.

sorry but you are misunderstanding electricity. The power supply is rated at 2.5 amps because that is what it can provide IF the device hooked to it requires it. If the device only uses, as arbitrary number, .1 amp, then the same power supply can be used because it can supply .1 amp. Now, if you have a device that draws 5 amps, the 2.5 amp rated power supply will not work but rather than damaging the equipment, it will burn out the power supply.

a piece of equipment will only draw what it needs. You must have a power supply that can supply at least what the equipment requires. Other than that, the amp rating means nothing.

and yes, I really really know of what I speak here. I spent a few years in school learning about electricity.

so, if you are claiming that is the reason your reader was damaged, you are 100% incorrect.

think if it this way (and I'll use the goldfish comparison):

goldie needs 4 flakes per day. You have a container that has 200 flakes. That means you have enough to be able to feed goldie. Now, if goldie wants 6 flakes per day, that is fine because you have enough flakes to feed goldie. Now, where you are mistaken is: goldie will eat what goldie wants to eat. You can have more available to feed him but you cannot make him eat more than he wants to eat.
Just the same with power capacity. You can have more available but it doesn't mean anything as to how much current the device will draw. It will draw what it draws. You cannot make it draw more current by having more available.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Here's my take on this:

The power supply is a good, and is therefore covered by the Uniform Commercial Code. ("UCC")

Under the UCC, there are express warranties and implied warranties. An express warranty does not need to contain the term warranty to be valid. Here, a statement that the power supply was able to properly power the MSR206 is an express warranty. If the power supply was not able to properly power the MSR206, this would be a breach of the express warranty.

There is also an implied warranty of merchantability. Under this warranty, a good must be fit for its ordinary use. Here, if the ordinary use of the device is to power the MSR206, and the power supply is not able to power the MSR206, this would be a violation of the implied warranty of merchantability.

Generally, a buyer may recover incidental and consequential damages due to a breach by the seller.

LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS:

All of the above warranties may be limited or excluded by express, conspicuous language. The seller can disclaim the warranty of merchantability, or disclaim incidental and consequential damages. Damage caused to an MSR206 by a defective power supply would be considered consequential damage.

As can be seen by the above discussion regarding Goldie and the fish food, it is not obvious to the general population that a power supply capable of supplying more current than the device requires will or will not cause damage to the device. In this case, an expert witness will be required to interpret the facts and give an opinion as to the cause of the damage to the device. I agree that excess available current will not damage a device, but I am not qualified as an expert to testify to that.

The buyer will also need to prove that the power supply did, in fact, cause the damage to the device. An expert who can testify to this is probably qualified to testify to the current question as well.

So this really depends on whether the seller disclaimed warranties, and whether the power supply actually caused the damage to the device.

I believe that the device was defective, and damaged the old power supply (hence the need for a new power supply). The new power supply did not die as quickly, so the device melted itself because the power supply kept supplying power.

 

[justalayman]

Stevef;3043426]

As can be seen by the above discussion regarding Goldie and the fish food, it is not obvious to the general population that a power supply capable of supplying more current than the device requires will or will not cause damage to the device. In this case, an expert witness will be required to interpret the facts and give an opinion as to the cause of the damage to the device. I agree that excess available current will not damage a device, but I am not qualified as an expert to testify to that.

I am somewhat qualified to answer and it will not damage anything if the power supply is able to provide more current than any device attached to it requires. I do not have an engineering degree but I do know a wee bit about electricity and can adequately explain why it is what it is. As long as the voltage and type of current (AC or DC) is correct and the supply can supply at least what the equipment requires, it will not damage the equipment.

taking the OP's argument a bit further:

every branch circuit (the circuit leaving the electrical breaker or fuse panel) feeding general purpose receptacles in your house is either a 15 or 20 amp circuit. You plug myriad items into any one of them and every one of the devices/appliances requires less than the 15 or 20 amps (or you would trip a breaker/ blow a fuse) and the devices plugged are not damaged by that excess power being available.

The buyer will also need to prove that the power supply did, in fact, cause the damage to the device. An expert who can testify to this is probably qualified to testify to the current question as well.

but the cost will be prohibitive, at least in comparison to the actual losses involved in this situation AND the OP would have to win to even consider seeking those expenses (and still not likely to get them).

I believe that the device was defective, and damaged the old power supply (hence the need for a new power supply). The new power supply did not die as quickly, so the device melted itself because the power supply kept supplying power.

that would be a reasonable assumption, especially if the new power supply was rated to deliver more power than the old power supply.