starts dim and flickery like its rectifying.lots of blinking.runs a bit and starts blinking again like a bad tube.then stays on a while and finishes warming up.fine untill turned off and it cools.no end blackening and no sign of mercury starvation.
yeah its made in china.
the us made ge 850 i put in it gives no problem and starts with one click.
whats up with it other than being china junk as most ott lite products are?

Could be not enough emitter on the electrodes when it was made....

I had a new GE 13W Biax lamp that often blinked for about a minute before starting the first several times it was switched on.  It works fine now, however.  Maybe yours will be OK if you let it run for a while. 

If it was made in China, Ott-Lite may have changed suppliers.  My 13W Ott-Lite (on the bottom right) was made in Thailand and was probably made by Philips.  Does your lamp have a Philips design, where the two tubes do not connect with a bend at the top, but are bridged just before the end of the tubes?

came in a open box ott lite i bought for $5 at the local thrift.
it may not even be original but appears new.has a smooth u turn at the end.noticed it did not have the temporary mercury staining at first start most of these have.i know the thailand made one you mention.its for plants.looks like a 850.
i have several extra ott tubes here as they wont work with 12v dc ballasts.i convert to the 13w 4 pin tube and socket when i mod for 12v