this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2024
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[–] [email protected] 44 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Without watching the video it reminds me of when a technician was sent to repair my TV a few years ago

Basically he was told to cut the screen after I was informed that they were sending me a new TV. That way they could ensure the TV was unfixable before telling me to dispose of the old one before delivering the new one.

I did pull all the usable parts out of it before I threw it away though

[–] UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 22 points 7 months ago (3 children)

You're not making that up? That sounds, like... evil

[–] [email protected] 39 points 7 months ago (2 children)

If they don't want you to ship it back, it's pretty common for them to ask for some kind of proof of destruction. Back in the days of non-removable cords, they would have you cut the cord off your device or appliance before sending you a replacement.

[–] UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 15 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 20 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Sort of. It kind of makes sense in that they don't want you to lie about having a TV that doesn't work to get a free second TV. If the issue is small enough that it can easily be ignored, it's not worth replacing. And if it's a big enough issue that it's unusable, it shouldn't bother you to destroy it.

What sucks is that stuff ends up in the landfill most of the time instead of being recycled.

[–] UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 21 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

What sucks is that stuff ends up in the landfill most of the time instead of being recycled.

Yeah that's the sad part. It's such a colossal waste.

it shouldn't bother you to destroy it.

I disagree. I think it should, and probably does, bother everyone involved. Why damage it further, when it could be sold or even just given to a refurb/repair outfit?

I mean I know why, it's because there's no immediate profit motive there. Maybe even the opposite. Which again, is sad.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yes, but shipping it back to be destroyed instead would be more wasteful, with the same end result.

It would be better to repair, but where repairs cost more than replacement, the only way to force them to repair is with regulations, as otherwise they do what costs less.

I much prefer that they require you to break it and give a new one. From a consumer perspective it's a better outcome. From an environmental perspective, it's slightly better than ship back and destroy. The ideal is repair which has less waste and solves the problem for the consumer.

[–] UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 2 points 7 months ago

I wonder if the cost of shipping a defective item were higher if it would happen so frequently. Polluting on that scale is largely free, even though it costs us all dearly.

Like you said, we don't have many tools other than regulation

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

They just had me rip off the sticker with the model and serial number and mail it too them the last time I had something like that replaced.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The best part IMO was the new TV ended up crapping out as well hell but it was under the Best Buy warranty not the manufacturer warranty.

And the TV I had was no longer being made (the exact model number that is) so they asked if I wanted a check or an equivalent model.

I took the check and fixed the TV that time using parts from the first TV.

10/10 would pay $200 for a 75inch 4k OLED TV again (how much the warranty cost because Best Buy cut me a $1500 check)

[–] UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Wow I would not haha that is a lot of trouble and waste, but I'm glad you got a good deal. I'm hoping to put off 4k for as long as I can, but it seems to be rapidly becoming the new standard

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I got a 4k 65" LG for about $400 a few weeks ago. It isn't a fancy display but it looks great compared to the 55" Hisense it replaced.

[–] UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I was talking to a friend just yesterday about how a TV isn't really a big purchase anymore, but the houses/rents are crazy expensive. It's kinda fucked.

Anyway my tv was $0 (from brother), about a meter across, and has a permanent green bar on the right side that only guests notice. I'm oddly proud of my shitty TV, which probably isn't healthy, but by plan is to ride this thing until it's unusable lol

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Hit me up if it ever loses power. There’s a few capacitors worth about .50 cents total that will blow up on the power board. I can send you a link for those and explain how to go about identifying bad ones and replacing them. I think there might be some you tube videos out about that now.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)

.50 cents

Verizon math? Or do you actually mean half a penny?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

a capacitor probably is about half a penny tbh just probably wouldn't be able to buy 1 at that rate

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Some are even less than half a penny. But yeah. I screwed up the math. Thank you!

[–] UNWILLING_PARTICIPANT 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Thanks, McFap, I'll try to remember that.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Company I worked for was the only importer of Corsair chairs into Australia, we were told by Corsair (on a chair by chair basis) to have end users destroy faulty chairs if no replacement parts were available.

Same thing with Lian Li, we had a batch of white cases with a paint defect, they were never sold onto end-users but our warehouse teams destroyed every case, sent images to Lian Li of the destruction and we were sent another shipment.

Cooler-master had some bad mITX PSUs, same deal, sent the boys out with a hammer and safety squints.

At the end of the day it's cheaper for everyone involved to not have a faulty product that is too costly to repair shipped across the ocean or to a local disty. Sucks for the environment, sucks for the end user having to dispose of a faulty product but it makes for some interesting emails sent out to customers :D

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Mouse companies do this too. They ask you to cut the cord and video it usually. Or damage it until it’s completely unusable. Or they completely ignore you until you call them out on a public forum. Lookin at you, Cherry xtrfy 😉

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

lmao replacement cords are so easy to come by especially for nicer mice

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Yeah it’s kinda stupid. But most people don’t know how to solder or do basic repairs.