Where are Your Breakers Coming From?

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1 Authentic Siemens Breakers Where are Your Breakers Coming From? Make the Safe Choice!

2 Why should you choose an authentic Siemens product? By making the choice to purchase a Siemens circuit breaker from an authorized Siemens channel you are choosing a safe, authentic, and fully warranted product backed by Siemens. At Siemens we have worked hard to establish ourselves as a leader in cutting-edge technology and pride ourselves in supporting all layers of our customers when purchasing a Siemens product. Warranty All Siemens circuit breakers come with a standard warranty which covers 12 months from energization or 18 months from shipment, whichever comes first. This is standard in our industry. Many third-party, non-authorized distributors of our products will make the claim they will issue a longer warranty than our Siemens standard warranty. In many cases these companies are small, locally owned companies that are here today, gone tomorrow: You have no assurance they will be around to support your warranty claim when the time comes. 2 Assuring your product is new There is truly only one way to ensure your product is new. Making the decision to purchase from an authorized Siemens distributor can eliminate your concerns with purchasing a potentially used product. Many non-authorized third-party companies will sell products labeled as "New", "Used", or "Reconditioned/ Refurbished." In the case of a circuit breaker presented as "New", many times these may be new products in an original Siemens box. In other cases, these are used breakers being packaged in a new counterfeit Siemens box. The other concern previously raised included the terms refurbished and reconditioned. This is absolutely cause for concern, because there is no UL-recognized process that allows a UL 489 certified breaker to be refurbished and/or reconditioned.

3 Here are a few examples of what to look for Below are pictures of products sold as new from third party non-authorized Siemens channel. Apparent markings from previously installed wire terminations. Evidence the unit had been previously installed; in the threaded area plating had been removed due to screw engagement. Plating has been rubbed off the surface due to connector engagement. How can you spot a counterfeit? Look for... There are indicators that can tell you if a product is counterfeit. Look for these suspicious characteristics: There are no instructions, warnings or warranties with the product. Multiple revisions of the same product Old date codes Markings and other features on the packaging or the product look different or are missing, including missing certification marks, incorrect colors on labels or packaging, incorrect shape or design of the product, missing components or product features. Words on the product or package are misspelled. The country of origin is different from the genuine source. Foreign materials on the terminals The manufacturing locations or ports of entry are incorrect. Product defects or product performance are different from your typical experience. The price is unusually low. 3

4 Frequently Asked Questions Q: What does it mean to be a "Gray Market" product? A: The "Gray Market", sometimes referred to as a broker is a 3rd party, unauthorized vendor of products who is not officially associated with or sanctioned by the manufacturer. In this case, "breaker brokers" resell circuit breakers, switches, strap kits and other components often to field-modify a post-purchase project application. Q: Does Siemens sell into the "Gray Market"? A: Absolutely not. "Gray Market" product could come from a number of unauthorized sources, including without limitation, unused or overage from other projects, previously installed and energized breakers that have been removed and offloading of inventory from various companies. Siemens does not have any authorized relationships with any of the the third party "Gray Market" vendors and and does not condone these sales channels. Q: Are the breakers sold in the "Gray Market" new product? A: Some products are new; however, in many cases, they are used or may even be counterfeit. Q: What does the term refurbished/reconditioned mean as applied to breakers and why doesn t Siemens do this? A: This is a false claim as there is no UL-recognized process that allows a UL 489 certified breaker to be "refurbished/ reconditioned". Siemens does not recondition, refurbish, or recertify breakers post installation and energization. It is a big risk to take in purchasing and using such breakers, both as a retailer and consumer. Q: How does an unauthorized breaker I could receive come in a new Siemens box? A: In the case of a new circuit breaker, many times these may be new products in an original Siemens box and, in some cases, they may be old breakers in a new or counterfeit box being sold as new. There is no way to tell. The only certain way to know you are getting an original, new Siemens product is to purchase from an Authorized Siemens Distributor. Q: Why do some of these third party "Gray Market" vendors have a warranty period that exceeds Siemens? A: All Siemens breakers come with a standard warranty which covers 12 months from energization or 18 months from shipment, whichever comes first. This is standard in our industry. When someone makes the choice to buy a Siemens breaker, they can buy with confidence that the product is absolutely new from one our factories and has our full warranty backing. The same cannot be said when buying on the "Gray Market". In many cases, these companies are small, locally-owned companies that may guarantee a 2 year warranty, or even longer, but there is no assurance that they will be around in 2-3 years to actually support the warranty claim. Q: Does buying and installing a breaker from a broker void the warranty on my panelboard, switchboard, load center or motor control center? A: Yes, when you make the choice to buy a breaker on the "Gray Market" and put it in a panelboard, switchboard, load center, or motor control center it voids the Siemens warranty on your newly-purchased equipment. The only way to ensure that you maintain your Siemens warranty is to furnish your equipment with a breaker purchased from an Authorized Siemens Distributor. Q: Does Siemens assume the responsibility of any hazardous situations that arise from a breaker purchased from a broker and installed in equipment? A: No, consumers who purchase products on the "Gray Market" own all liability involved with any potential issues or safety hazards that result from the malfunction of this breaker. This includes, but is not limited to, the channel partner, owner, engineer or contractor. Siemens maintains no liability for such products sold in this manner. 4

5 How big of an issue is counterfeiting? Counterfeiting is a significant problem, and it s growing exponentially as counterfeiters become more sophisticated and more brazen. Today it has become absolutely essential to protect intellectual property. According to the FBI and other authorities, counterfeits fake products that look so much like the original that they will fool a buyer cost businesses close to $250 billion annually in the U.S. and more than $500 billion globally. The problem is especially troubling in the residential and commercial construction markets, as electrical components like circuit breakers are among the easiest to counterfeit. A recent survey in Electrical Contractor magazine showed that almost 86% of people couldn t tell the difference between real or fake breakers. What's more, counterfeit circuit breakers pose serious safety and business issues beyond the economic impact. They can create a safety risk. Fake parts can explode, ignite fires, and lead to injury or even death. Applicable UL standards may not be met, product warranties are not in effect when using counterfeit products, and discovery of their use can potentially damage the credibility of those using them in real life applications. And counterfeits can damage the integrity of your business. Buying or distributing fake products, even potentially, hurts your reputation and can leave you vulnerable to legal action. Siemens is fighting back We want to send a clear signal to the residential and industrial markets that Siemens is serious about circuit breaker safety. That is why we have developed a plan of action to combat the counterfeit and gray market breakers that might enter the market. Education: We will educate our target audience about the risks of counterfeit breakers. Identification: We will help authorities identify and remove counterfeits from the market. Rewards: We will offer a reward to channel partners for reporting to Siemens about counterfeit sellers and gray market breakers. Prosecution: We will aggressively seek opportunities to prosecute makers and sellers of counterfeit breakers. 5

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8 Siemens Industry, Inc Triangle Parkway Norcross, GA Subject to change without prior notice Order No. PDBR-COFIT-0216 Printed in USA All rights reserved 2016, Siemens Industry, Inc. Subject to changes and errors. The information given in this document only contains general descriptions and/or performance features which may not always specifically reflect those described, or which may undergo modification in the course of further development of the products. The requested performance features are binding only when they are expressly agreed upon in the concluded contract.