Be aware of Non UL listed LED rope light
Recently, we received a call from a person who had issues with rope light that they purchased from a seller on Ebay. They thought they were getting a real deal from the seller on a 150 foot spool of white led rope light for $199. The rope light had actually melted and caused a small fire and luckily the person was at home, saw the small fire break out and quickly put it out.
After an investigation we helped the person determine that the cause was due to manufacturing. After a little more digging on the seller on Ebay we also determined they were purchasing the rope light from a manufacturer in China who was not following proper UL listings and was not making the rope light to UL/CE standards. We promptly reported this to Ebay and I am sure Ebay is investigating this. We also told the person to file reports with their local fire marshal as well so a full investigation can start.
 Recently we have seen a wide variety of non UL listed items pop up on Ebay. So please be on the look out for items like this. The easiest way to spot this is by looking at the pricing and seller. If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is. Purchase lights from a company who regularly sells lighting products and has experience.  If the seller has a lot of feed back, do not assume they know the products they are selling. There are a lot of people on Ebay who just make a few dollars not really knowing what they are selling and the potential dangers.  Most led rope light should retail from $200-$300 for 150 foot spools of the colors red and yellow. Blue, white and green should retail between $300-$700 for 150 foot spools.
 Remeber, a licensed electrician should always install the rope light to make sure that building code is followed and UL listings are adhered to. If you decide to purchase non UL listed rope light, install it yourself and not follow local building codes and fire starts, you may be held responsible and home or business insurance may deny your fire insurance claim.