On my travels an issue keeps cropping up, places have refused boxes or ditched them due to testing. Most recent was a house clearence store who couldnt warrent the £30 charge to have it done but fortunately they have said they will hang onto one for me if they get one in and I can take it away as opposed to it being chucked in a skip.

My mother works for a local charity and their shop acctually paid for one of their volenteers to be trained so he could do the tests to keep costs as low as possible.

I get why its done and Im happy for the fact, it prevents people being hurt and the shops being sued but it basically signs the death warrent for some perfectly good items.
Does it bug anyone else and whats it like in the states?

doesnt bug us - we take this for granted that the testing is already done, or whatever? would have "NOT" been for sale wherever ..

had no idea what "pat" was till went here > Portable Appliance Testing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...le_Appliance_Testing

( more text description ) Portable Appliance Testing (commonly known as PAT or PAT Inspection or PAT Testing) is a process in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia by which electrical appliances are routinely checked for safety. The correct term for the whole process is In-service Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment

( In the USA we have the " Underwriters Laboratories" or UL )
..again below; ( more description ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U...writers_Laboratories

Most places do test things to make sure they work but the pat test can only be done by a qualified person and most places cant afford to pay people to do it, its just sad that servicable items still get consigned to the landfill.

it costs a fortune to be trained as a pat tester and to purchase the testing equpment combined costs £1000+i asked about it as i volunteer at a massive charity shop function testing donated electrical goodsand its a very good place for boxes for me as ive picked up several as they save them for me,dead or alive,pat tested or not