Warning: That $12 "universal" travel adapter nearly fried my laptop in Paris

Picked up a cheap universal adapter from a random shop near my hostel for 12 euros. Figured it would save me from carrying multiple plugs. First night in Paris I plugged in my laptop to charge and smelled that awful burnt plastic smell. The adapter had melted part of the prong and almost shorted out the whole outlet. Turns out those no-name ones don't handle the voltage conversion well even if the plug shape fits. Had to hunt down a proper adapter the next morning and it cost me 30 euros from an electronics store. Now I always spend the extra cash on a name brand one before I leave home. Anyone else got burned by a bargain bin adapter on a trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_aaron1mo ago

Isn't that just how it goes - cheap corners always bite you when you least expect it?

the_amy1mo ago

Oh you can bet that cheap fix is gonna come back with friends.

michael_jenkins391mo ago

Sometimes a cheap fix outlasts the expensive one go figure.