Almost electrocuted by kettle plug laptop charger

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conel

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Hi, I am hoping I am in the right place to post this query. I bought a reconditioned laptop a few months a go for my daughter. The other evening I went to charge it and the "kettle" part of the plug had come clean away from the wire to the adapter of the charger, there was a massive spark and noise and it too k me a few seconds to realise what was going on. I turned off the main switch and removed the plug from the socket. I brought the charger back to the store and after examining the plug the owner, who has a degree in electronic engineering, told me that someone had tried to cut the far end of the plug and when that hadnt worked had forcibly yanked the "kettle" part. He was basically implying that someone had broken into my home and was trying to harm me. Ive asked an IT friend since and they think the whole thing is very strange, Ive looked online to see if possibly the owner of the store might be reusing plugs and soldering them onto wires, but there is very little room for reattachment. Please help. 

 
I'm with you Murdoch, just buy a new IEC lead and crack on........just thought I'd put the info up though.

 
hahaha...yes I bought a new charger...thats not the issue, the issue is that rather than this owner taking responsibility for selling me damaged goods, he implied that I had been broken into and someone was trying to cause me harm..my query is, is it common practice to solder black plastic plugs to cables? And should I report him? 

 
It looks to me like it's been seriously overstressed, (mechanically), otherwise why would both ends be broken?  No-one is going to go to the trouble of trying to bodge one together; I think they are about £2 new.

 
I know...what would be the point? What do you mean by over stressed mechanically? 

He claims that, in the last pic, someone tried to cut it but wasnt able to so yanked it so hard that the top pic happened

 
The last pic looks like the cable has been scored with a knife as it doesnt look like the sheath has torn, but has separated.

Pic one looks like the cable has been cut ........ bit like when a cable fails PAT'ing & the tester lops the end off of a failed cable. inside the clover leaf moulded plug the cables will be soldered from manufacture. 

 
I know...what would be the point? What do you mean by over stressed mechanically? 
I mean forcibly pulled apart from the two ends.  

Perhaps (just guessing), by someone walking away with the appliance, forgetting its plugged in, until brought to a sharp halt by the cord.

I have seen this happen with with industrial equipment on a trolley.

 
So are you saying this is dodgy workmanship? When you say sheath do you mean the wire casing? And what is PATing please? 

 
dodgy workmanship or cheap Chinese product - there's so much lettuced form China these days. I suspect this may have been a replacemtn lead off e-bay or some similar site.

 
Hi Sharpend...have my query answered and dont want to receive any more notifications..do you know how to deactivate the account? Im not an electrician just had an an electrical query

 
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