Lost my work laptop charger at a co-working space in Chiang Mai and spent 3 days hunting for a replacement

I was at Punspace in the old city last month, finished my shift, packed up fast because I was meeting a friend. Got back to my Airbnb and realized I left the charger plugged into the wall. Went back the next morning and it was already gone from the lost and found bin. Tried 4 different electronics shops on Nimmanhaemin and nobody had the exact wattage for my Dell. Ended up ordering one off Lazada from a seller with 3.8 stars, took 2 days to arrive. It works but it gets really hot. Has anyone else had luck with generic laptop chargers while traveling or should I just buy a backup from the manufacturer before my next trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery21926d ago

@corablack yeah my cheap one actually sparked once, I just unplugged it fast and moved on lol.

corablack26d agoTop Commenter

Exactly. I waited until my OEM charger died to try the cheap route and now my battery swells if I leave it plugged in overnight. I think a lot of travelers figure one generic charger is fine but they don't realize how different the power delivery can be. You could permanently mess up your battery or worse fry the charging port. Dell is especially picky about that stuff. I saw someone on Reddit with a similar story where their cheap charger actually started smoking while they were at a cafe. Your best bet is buying a legit one from Anker or a known brand that lists the exact voltage and amperage for your model. Those factory ones are overpriced but at least they don't melt in your bag. I keep a spare in my luggage now specifically because of that 3 day nightmare you went through.

betty_wells26d ago

Yeah "Dell is especially picky about that stuff" is no joke. I had a similar situation where my cheap charger worked but after a week my laptop started throwing up a "not charging" warning unless I held the cord at a weird angle. Ended up killing the whole charging port and had to get it replaced. Those generic ones just don't regulate the power right. I think you're spot on about keeping a spare in your luggage, thats honestly the smartest move. I do that now too with a real Dell charger I found on eBay for half the price. Saves you that panicked hunt in a foreign city.