On one hand, Kai, you are absolutely right - an uncallibrated "spark" test wont tell you anything about EC compliance or whatever (please note that I elaborated slightly on possibility to callibrate it of some sort).

However, if you subject your product to conditions which might be reasonably expected during normal working of the product (and a sparky motor nearby is not an uncommon thing - although I believe in Germany it's less common than in our ends :-) ), and it fails consistently, you have work to do, regardless of whether the device passes EC or whatever.

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The guys at the testing authority are not paid for assisting you to pass the test. They take the money and go through the list, that's all. If they provide assistance of any kind, that's either their goodwill, or sort of a marketing stuff to attract the clients to their lab rather than the competitions' (if any exists in the area). The former is rare and the latter is nonsense, if the testing lab is a state-owned institution (not so uncommon around here).

As I said above, even the pre-testing guys are not always as helpful as one would expect... (sad personal experience).

JW