Of interest to #Canadians. With the Fedi skew to tech-knowledgeable people, this probably isn't news to many.

But if you're looking to buy #electrical stuff - power bars, extension cords, multi-outlet wall taps that convert 1 #socket into 3 or 2 into 6, all this sort of stuff - be careful where you buy it.

The big hardware stores / home centres sell this stuff, but at stupidly-high #prices. There's no reason a 10-foot extension cord should cost $25, or a power bar $40. So many people reasonably look for #cheaper alternatives.

A lot of #stores and sellers operating in the ... less-well-regulated portions of the market bring this stuff in cheap directly from sellers/manufacturers in China or other countries. Independent stores, mall kiosks, people selling out of their home - their products may not be approved for sale in Canada, because they don't have the necessary #safety #certification. And many of *those* products are actually downright dangerous. I've taken a lot of them apart and seen the many, many ways they can kill you or burn your house down.

Instead, get this stuff at #Dollarama. Their stuff is actually safety-certified by one of the required labs - #CSA, #UL, or most likely #ETL. It's approved for sale in #Canada. And it's still cheap. It might be a little more than guy-with-a-sales-counter-in-a-dilapidated-strip-mall, but not by enough to matter.

Other big chains might be okay - but I haven't personally verified those.

#PowerBar #ExtensionCord