In my previous post in this series I described the PC900 2 hour plugin countdown timer which Bunnings have been selling for some time. The oddity of this product is that it is described on the packaging as having "adjustable switching increments". This is a rather clumsy phrase more worthy of adjustable 24 hour timers and is referring to the fact the timer can be set for any time between 120 minutes and 1 minute each time it is used.
In the same post I referred also to the new THP401 plug in thermostat which Arlec's packaging describes as a "temperature controlled programmable timer". The problem with using the wrong terminology to describe a product is that it sends people up the garden path. The description as above is, once again, carried through into the product packaging. Someone at Arlec needs to improve their knowledge of the English language.
I happened to visit Bunnings again today and one of these was on the shelf at $29.95. The product is, very clearly not a "timer", but a plug in heater thermostat, and obviously a very useful thing to have. The problem is whether people will understand what it does with the wrong labelling.
