Have you perhaps already seen advertisements for these absolutely revolutionary radiators on the Internet? But don’t let yourself be fooled, you risk paying a high price for always being cold!
With temperatures dropping drastically and frost setting in, perhaps you are thinking about getting a space heater to quickly add a few degrees to a room when the need arises. That’s good, many advertisements are currently invading the Internet to promote fan heaters, brands such as EcoWarm or EquiWarm, which are very attractive. Because the least we can say is that their promises are a dream!
It’s quite simple, these devices seem to have incredible properties. We can read statements like “heats any room in 10 seconds” And “uses 90% less energy“, everything with “very quiet operation”. Who wouldn’t want such a revolutionary heater? Except that the reality is quite different.
If the devices heat up very quickly, the sellers are careful to specify that this is only very localized, and not for an entire room. And, above all, they are very energy intensive, so watch out for the electricity bill, it is better to only use them occasionally! Obviously, the sites are careful not to indicate their real power – a characteristic that is nevertheless essential… So much reason for the Signal Arnaques site to alert consumers.
If these devices were only sold as modest space heaters, there would be no problem. Except that they are sold for staggering sums! On the Equiwarm site, heating costs the modest sum of 100 euros – just that! –, a price which rises to 400 euros for a pack of four. But don’t panic, the seller is offering incredible promotions – up to 50% off! – limited time – some are only available for 15 minutes!
In reality, you can find these heaters for less than 10 euros on sites like Temu and AliExpress. These sites are nothing more and nothing less than dropshipping: a virtual merchant creates an online store on which he offers products that he never actually owns. He simply transmits the order to a supplier – generally in China – who actually has the desired product, setting himself a generous commission in the process.
This is a completely legal practice, since it is just a form of commerce like any other. But legal does not mean ethical. This practice has obviously led to its share of abuses, such as the sale of counterfeits – sometimes with the complicity of the dropshipper – and products that do not conform to the description or which do not comply with safety standards, significant VAT invoicing, hidden costs, very long delivery times – products generally coming from Asia, you generally have to wait between 12 and 30 days – or even no delivery at all – and there is no need to rely on after-sales service. Just take a look at the reviews on Trustpilot for an illustration… Don’t be fooled!