It makes you really wonder about people who won't pay a few extra pounds for life critical components. Cheap pads. Should be a law against them. Decent pads are not expensive anyway, Island 4x4 have just supplied a set of Mintex pads for my P38 for £18.49 inc VAT. These were only a couple of quid more than an unbranded set of pads.
As to brake fade, I have only once experienced it, in my Freelander TD4. It had fairly fresh brake fluid and was fitted with known brand pads. I was driving very spiritedly along some country lanes, using the tiptronic box and late, hard braking. After 4 miles, approaching a roundabout I had sudden and almost total brake failure, the pedal travel increased a bit, but that could have just been me pushing ever harder. Bit of an eek moment, but no traffic and the roundabout was taken far too fast, but unscathed. Slow driving and no brake application for next half mile and all was back to normal, and no problems since. I can only surmise the pads went over their operational temperature. I now drive it less spiritedly.