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Seven Days at the Bin Store

defector.com

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Re: Seven Days at the Bin Store

#111

Post by mindslight »

tra3 wrote: post #10

Am I the only one that feels uncomfortable returning stuff? Took me years to get to get over, and yet I'd still prefer to forego buying something rather than returning it..

I've never been uncomfortable about returning stuff that is broken or defective. However the proportion of that has been steadily increasing. Recently I went through 9 sets of casters just to get 4 working sets. Churned through 15 Dell monitors just to get 3 without dead pixels (half of the ones I returned would have qualified for warranty replacement 3 years out!). Fifteen gas cans all returned because they were shipped bare without boxes, arriving in beat up salvage condition.

And furthermore now that I'm doing so many returns, I've become completely fine with returning new unopened things that I decide I don't want, effectively delaying the actual purchase decision 30-90 days. Parts that I want to have on hand while doing a project, limited time deals from pricing games, extra copies I order preemptively to quicken the above self-QC song and dance, etc. If I already have to go to a store to drop off returns, my marginal cost of returning additional things is very low.

If returns were really affecting bottom lines, companies could do a lot to tamp down on these dynamics. At this point I suspect it's more profitable for them not to. I think the manufacturing costs of stuff has just gotten so low that the physical items themselves just don't end up mattering compared to the overall margins.

Re: Seven Days at the Bin Store

#112

Post by xg15 »

For some reason, what feels particular "late stage capitalism" in this is the presentation. All kinds of stuff just dumped into a bin, not even caring to make the products identifiable to customers, let alone presenting them nicely or in any other way pretending for the things to have any kind of value.

It feels like it says "There, stuff! Buy it you shitheads, I know you want to! Because what else do you wanna do here?"

Maybe that's more honest than other stores.

Re: Seven Days at the Bin Store

#113

Post by [deleted] »

genewitch wrote: post #90
mrweasel wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's still mostly junk. The issue is do you really want to spend time returning a $5 junk purchase? For most people the answer is no. This is just the stuff that was returned or didn't sell, imagine how much of the stuff is thrown away by the buyers. Some things are just made to cheaply, to hit a price point people will pay. When people then buy the item and realise that it's garbage, it gets tossed. Just maybe you c…

If only there was some way for a country to make importing junk not worth it, as a way to help both the planet and its people. Oh well, we can dream.

[deleted]

Re: Seven Days at the Bin Store

#114

Post by bombcar »

imp0cat wrote: post #87
bombcar wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I resigned myself to re-buying things, though of course I love USB-C is a common charging cable. Instead of a drawer full of wall warts, I have a drawer with a little baggie full of the ends of warts, which I connect via twisted wire if I have to to a few of the wall warts I have.

So true! I just recently found an old bag full of ancient phone and other device chargers and charging cables and let me tell you, it felt so weird. I have mostly forgotten that there used to be so many variations - every brand had their own version of what mostly is a simple power connector.

The best was physically identical connecters with vastly different voltage profiles, so if you plugged in the wrong one bam magic smoke is gone, sadness.

Re: Seven Days at the Bin Store

#115

Post by bbbobbb »

tra3 wrote: post #10

Am I the only one that feels uncomfortable returning stuff? Took me years to get to get over, and yet I'd still prefer to forego buying something rather than returning it..

I don't recall ever returning anything. I don't buy that much stuff in general, but I feel like having the ability to just buy and return stuff makes you end up with more junk.
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