Harbor Freight gets million dollar fine

I have not had any problems with anything I have bought from them. In fact they are the only place I would buy self-sealing stem bolts from.

Lantley wrote:
Its Harbour freights fault for getting into a sales arena and not knowing all the rules and requirements. They crossed a line and unknowingly found themselves under the NHTSA jurisdiction. When they decided to sell trailers they needed to do their homework and know all the requirements to sell them on a nationwide scale.
Ignorance of the law is seldom a viable excuse.

We sell many items in our store that we do not vet the specifications on. The five thousand pound rated hitch ball?, I have no idea if it actually meets that spec. I have no idea if the headlight bulbs we sell meet some obscure federally mandated lumen standard. I seriously doubt Harbor Freight, or any other company for that matter, has a team of experts that test and certify every product they put on their shelves.
I recently replaced a tail light on a utility trailer, just bought the one assembly, is that an illegal product since the package didn't even include a right hand tail light? How is Harbor Freight supposed to know what the purchaser intends to do with their purchase.

mlts22 wrote:
HF does have its place. Without them, you will still be buying the same tools off the boat from China, except for 2-10 times the price.

X2!!
With some American still selling American made tools, most is made in China!!! Needed a digital volt/OHM meter. HD Greenlee $39.95, HF $19.99, both had the same features and both MADE in CHINA!! With HF, you know walking in that it is most likely made in China, with others you need to look and check, and too many are MADE IN CHINA!

I still like to buy American made for everyday tools, but one time use HF.

Many years ago, when I was in A&P school, I needed an air drill, so I ordered one from HF, a 3/8 inch capacity reversible unit.
Over the next ten years, I drilled many thousands of holes in various aircraft. Even though my employer did not have a filter/dryer on his air system (I finally bought an inline one to mount on my tool box. From HF) that drill motor kust kept on doing the job. I eventually traded it to the Snap-On truck for a new Blue-Point, which I still have. The blue Point drill motor is not anywhere close to as nice as the HF unit, it has been a constant source of disappointment. It works, but it is bigger and clunkier. I could have purchased 2 0r 3 of the HF drill motors for what the Blue-Point cost!
I use HF magnetic lights for towing, They work just fine.

HF does have its place. Without them, you will still be buying the same tools off the boat from China, except for 2-10 times the price.

To those that castigate "HF" so quickly. Remember GM, Ford, Chase Bank, on and on. HF provide an essential service and products to those that cannot afford the high priced stuff. Lets not kill off another viable business. Nuff said, think I will go over to HF and see whats new.

Homer wrote:
I honestly have not had a HF tool fail on me yet. I have a dual action sander that I have used extensively for years and it is still doing the job. I have a bunch of Craftsman sockets that have broken the first time I used them.

Same here with thee HF stuff.....I have used a lot of the tools and never had a problem for what I used them for.

Lantley wrote:

mich800 wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Its Harbour freights fault for getting into a sales arena and not knowing all the rules and requirements. They crossed a line and unknowingly found themselves under the NHTSA jurisdiction. When they decided to sell trailers they needed to do their homework and know all the requirements to sell them on a nationwide scale.
Ignorance of the law is seldom a viable excuse.

They were not selling trailers. It was a light kit.

Either way they are selling an item that puts then under NHTSA jurisdiction. Being it was just a light kit it seems it would be easy enough to comply with the regulations and avoid the fine.

I can tell you as a business owner. Keeping up on ever changing government regulations and mandates is neither cheap or easy.

mich800 wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Its Harbour freights fault for getting into a sales arena and not knowing all the rules and requirements. They crossed a line and unknowingly found themselves under the NHTSA jurisdiction. When they decided to sell trailers they needed to do their homework and know all the requirements to sell them on a nationwide scale.
Ignorance of the law is seldom a viable excuse.

They were not selling trailers. It was a light kit.

Either way they are selling an item that puts then under NHTSA jurisdiction. Being it was just a light kit it seems it would be easy enough to comply with the regulations and avoid the fine.

dodge guy wrote:
Well the fine is only for the trailer light kits it seems. Nothing else! But knowing what you need is also important! If you don't know you need side lights on a trailer then you need to do more research. And what happens when you buy the kit and have a longer trailer that requires a middle market lamp? Is that Harbor Freights fault for not knowing what it's going on?

At least someone is paying attention to the substance of the fine. It has nothing whatsoever to do with tools. It has to do with motor vehicle lighting compliance. I'll bet most of us here have no idea what their state lighting laws are.
Even though my primary hand tools are Craftsman and Snap-On, when I need something that I'll use tomorrow and not again for 5 years, I'm heading to HF.