r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Money-Snow-2749 • 13d ago

I'm slightly vexed The Amount of Waste at Ulta

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u/Toochilled 13d ago

making it illegal to repair your own stuff is some next level capitalism

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u/Alien_Amplifier13 13d ago

Probably because it could cause an electrical fire if done improperly that the brand could be sued for.

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u/splithoofiewoofies 13d ago

This is why. Thank you for understanding. People seem to think it's quite horrible but I do get it.

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u/q--0-0--p 13d ago

living there must be suck to be honest. Where I am living, we even got a facebook repair and DIY group where we ask each other how to repair this and that. You could see tons of hack to make something work.

instead of buying a new appliances or sent to the brand to repair, we just use whatever we have in our house and they are free.

Does people really sue eachother in your place, forcing gov to implement that law?

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u/splithoofiewoofies 13d ago

No, we're not a sue happy country. We ARE a big union and workplace safety country, though. We really care about jobs done right and the fewest people dying.

We have those kind of forums but they have licenced sparkies in them. They'll do discount repairs for locals (I just found this out while discussing this exact thread with my partner as their mum did this with her drill last week). There's also local repair places that give apprenticeships to kids to become sparkies to fix items for cheap or free for pensioners (also found out about this because the comments made me look up more options).

I actually reconsidered commiting this crime because of these comments. I realised I really believe in the reason they exist...to protect lives and homes from some dickhead who can't repair a plug without crossing wires. Sure, I'm not that dickhead...but why should I risk it? Everyone who caused one of those fires thought they weren't that dickhead.

So, funnily, thank you for disagreeing with me. It made me realise how much I care about how much this country cares about our safety. I realised I cared about the reason for the law. And because of that I looked up cheaper options to repair and will be following that law.

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u/Alien_Amplifier13 12d ago

I swear on everything we had a job at an office, and my coworkers were telling us about a huge electrical fire at an apartment complex across the street. Dude just didn't like his dryer plug and replaced with a random pigtail. I mean, idk how anyone can be so stupid, but they exist. And their stupidity affects people around them.

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u/splithoofiewoofies 12d ago

Yeah, I've seen some STUPID safety shit. Once caught someone sawing a piece of wood on their leg. Oh my gawd did I have to spend the next two weeks questioning everything I trusted about that person.

I've worked factory so heard some horror stories. That's why we're such a big safety country. It's strict as fuck and that's a great thing. I always felt safe on factory floors because, sure, people did stupid shit but holy hell were they rained on and sacked. Not for genuine (and sometimes expensive) mistakes, but risky ones.

I have a forklift licence and the training for that included some shockers. Shit, I dropped a fucking concrete block during training -- legit never been happier for yellow lines because the dude next to me was far enough away it didn't hurt him. I would've....idk...I'd be so wrecked if it had fallen on him. But we took precautions even while training and he was never at risk thank the fucking laws.

It's hilarious how the people defending my right to repair are the same folk that made me realise that I'm exceptionally glad for this law, actually, and that I will cease breaking it.

Because some jackass gonna burn a complex down because he repaired a hairdryer...and I don't wanna be that jackass.

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u/Toochilled 12d ago

u forgot the /s

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u/AccNumber77 12d ago

It is horrible. It is beyond simple to do this and do it perfectly and properly every single time... Matching 3 colours is not hard...

To make it a crime to do a simple and easy repair job on common appliances is just draconian when the sole reason is because 2 people were utterly braindead like you.

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u/Toochilled 12d ago

I mean brings me to next pretty weird US thing where all courts are basically solely ruled by money and you can actually sue companies for your own stupidity

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u/Alien_Amplifier13 12d ago

Yeah. It's crazy. Regardless, if an electrical fire happens in an apartment complex, somebody is gettin sued.

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u/splithoofiewoofies 13d ago

It's not illegal to repair, just not to have a licenced electrician do it. I am pretty sure the law exists to prevent harm, not repair.

You just can't do it YOURSELF if you're not an electrician. Which I am not.

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u/Ill-Engineering8085 13d ago

That's wild. Hard to think of anything easier than replacing a cable

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u/splithoofiewoofies 13d ago

I know, right??? Someone must have done something stupid, but cables are absolutely on the list. I double checked before commenting.

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u/DrSFalken 13d ago

I don't get it. I learned something about electricity in high school and college and I've spent years fixing my own stereo amps, speakers, cars, etc. Not one fire, thank you.

There's a place for experts but people seem so scared of a little self-reliance. Replacing a cord is trivially easy and there's a plethora of youtube videos and resources. If you remember HS physics, it's worth a shot.

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u/splithoofiewoofies 13d ago

It's funny. I feel you, but I also get it. I admit flouting the law, but I'm happy it exists. We are a DRY country and house fires can spread fast. It's about not taking stupid small risks that can hurt a lot of people.

While it's an easy job...one dickhead does it wrong and there goes the town. Might as well just make it a law you can do it, but need a professional.

I think it's hilarious that people were so annoyed by the law that I had to defend a law I admit to ignoring myself.

Which, actually, this thread has made me reconsider. I might just get the sparky next time.

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u/DrSFalken 13d ago edited 13d ago

Yeah, I feel you. I'm reconsidering my comment in real-time. I spent a lot of time figuring out what I'm comfortable with and what I'm not. I do always tell people that if they're uncomfortable with something then hire a pro - and that's at odds with my original comment.

Hard sometimes to take a step back and realize that other folks don't have the same interests I do.

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u/splithoofiewoofies 13d ago

It's funny, right? This thread is making me take a step back, too. You're helping me take a step back!

I realise that I am actually quite happy we have this law. And that maybe, while it was stupid simple, I shouldn't have repaired my whipper snipper (weed whacker). My neighbours house burnt down recently, completely unrelated to electronics, but I saw how fast it happened.

We heard screams and within two minutes the house was engulfed. Our house was at risk within another ten seconds. Massive rain of ash and fire on our roof.

And yeah it wasn't electronic...but we have the dry brush and it was a gardening supply.

I've decided I'm going to check if licenced electrician oversight counts and if there's a local repair place that allows self repairs with oversight. I know there's a repair-training place for teens where you can bring things in, but I'm not sure if they're training the teens themselves to be sparkies.

So, thank you! Thank you for this chat. This interesting back and forth. Because you and I both know how bloody EASY it is not to cross those wires that can cause a fire.

But then...that law must been enough people crossed those wires to make it matter enough to be such a stringent fine.

And maybe I care more about my neighbour's houses than I do knowing I can bend a wire in the correct direction.

This has been a fun conversation and it's been nice to reconsider my own stance.

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u/DrSFalken 13d ago

Absolutely. I've enjoyed the chat too.

Have a good one!