I bought a fan for my bedroom earlier this summer.

Strangely, it only blows air out the back of the fan, so you have to turn it around for it to be functional. If you hold your hand up to the front, there's no air movement at all.

I phone the customer service dept. of the manufacturer. I reach Tony.

Tony: "What direction does it turn when you turn it on?"

Me: "Counter-clockwise."

Tony (sharply and immediately): "I don't believe you!"

Me (bursting out laughing at his vehemence): "Dude, trust me -- I'm not making this up!"

Tony relents after I tell him which way the blades are aligned (they were properly installed -- which is good, because there's only one way to install them). He tells me that if the wires get crossed, the electric motor can run backward.

Update

I return the old fan to Canadian Tire. I get back home with a new one, which I assemble. I plug it in. It doesn't work at all.

Sigh. Back to Canadian Tire.

"Two returns in one day. This is going to look funky," the customer service clerk said, sucking air through his teeth.

Sez I: "I didn't want even one return. I just want it to work."

Fortunately, third time lucky! It works! Blows air out the front and everything! Woo hoo! :)