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For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

blog.tomayac.com

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Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#61

Post by nativeit »

observationist wrote: post #26

The point isn't to make it easy to register warranty for a product. The point isn't to make it easy to talk with customer service. The point isn't to make it easy to communicate with the company. The point isn't to make it easy to obtain service or replacement parts. The point is to "technically", and therefore legally, offer those things and minimize the cost of offering those things. All of these things are working…

100%

Customer support representatives, with very few exceptions, are just going to tell you whatever they think will get you off the phone.

In I.T., this is generally accomplished by blaming whatever adjacent equipment/services they can plausibly pin the issue on.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#62

Post by rokkamokka »

happens wrote: post #12
Liftyee wrote: post #6

Not criticising the article or the decision to buy a new washing machine (20 years is a long time), but just noting that the old machine was likely fixable. If spare parts are even still available, that is. Whether it's deemed worth fixing is another matter. This must be the case for so many discarded appliances these days, especially underengineered ones with common issues. Also, not using the QR code protocols prop…

Do you know where I can read more about QR code protocols? I was under the impression that a simple URL (with http/s) is common, and I've never had it not on any device.

Same, am I making qr codes wrong? Like you, I've never seen a simple https link in a qr code fail

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#64

Post by etothepii »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #42

How about a minimum warranty period on white goods of 10 years mandated by government? Convince me it's a bad idea?

Define white goods. Define warranty.

Would this guys experience meet your criteria? What are the consequences for failing?

Is it 10 years of normal use or still 10 years if you basically run a laundrette. What if you never used it at all. What if (and where I live this is a serious use for a washing machine) you only used the washing machine for making a special rum based cocktail?

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#66

Post by nativeit »

Printerisreal wrote: post #45
observationist wrote: post #26

The point isn't to make it easy to register warranty for a product. The point isn't to make it easy to talk with customer service. The point isn't to make it easy to communicate with the company. The point isn't to make it easy to obtain service or replacement parts. The point is to "technically", and therefore legally, offer those things and minimize the cost of offering those things. All of these things are working…

YES and I feel like "Planned obsolescence" needs to be taught to every engineer and web developer and tech people. They will understand why or how some corp. decisions are made and what is the aim.

I agree with you, but is awareness among that cohort really the problem? “Planned obsolescence” is engineered by tech people, after all. It certainly wasn’t divine intervention that came up with internal Li-Ion batteries (IMHO the most brazen example, where manufacturers effectively stick a 3-year timer inside your gadgets).

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#67

Post by kleiba »

Liftyee wrote: post #6

Not criticising the article or the decision to buy a new washing machine (20 years is a long time), but just noting that the old machine was likely fixable. If spare parts are even still available, that is. Whether it's deemed worth fixing is another matter. This must be the case for so many discarded appliances these days, especially underengineered ones with common issues. Also, not using the QR code protocols prop…

Don't know about washing machines, let alone this particular one, but my reasoning for replacing a twenty year old machine is that a new one will hopefully use less energy and might be better for the environment thus?!

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#68

Post by mid-kid »

Workaccount2 wrote: post #55
exabrial wrote: post #20

Why not just print a $.0001 sticker and stick it the machine listing all of the info needed to fix the machine... instead of building a $86million datacenter and burning through $100,000 of clean electricity every month that could have been used to power homes, but was instead used doing this?

As someone who has a side job doing repairs, I charge more when customers try to repair things themselves. There is a whole class of people who are smart enough to fix simple things, but not smart enough to recognize their limited ability. They will strip out all the screws on the machine and then claim warranty after replacing random electronic components on the control board. In reality the problem will be a dirty…

On the one hand what you're saying seems somewhat fair, but on the other hand, I prefer encouraging the attempt. A portion of the people who do this will never have to call you, having managed to solve the issue, and any experience gained with the attempt will go into doing it better next time.

In a world where people know less and less about how to solve problems themselves, I think repair skills are incredibly important for people to have.

Personally, I would happily pay more if you show me what you're doing and/or explain what I did wrong :)

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#69

Post by jkestner »

toastal wrote: post #41

> Electrolux washing machine I had to buy one a couple of years ago. Snarkily I asked the floor salesman if I could get the washer “without all the smart features”. He said “let me check”, which had me puzzled. He came back to inform me that they still had last year’s model which was before the “smart” features were rolled out. He said they can sell it on the same warranty, & since it was older I would get a signific…

I personally like the ad-subsidized TVs. The money I save easily covers a used Apple TV on eBay, and I never connect the TV itself. Regardless of TV brand my interface stays the same. Bring back modularity!

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#70

Post by Perz1val »

hn_throw_250903 wrote: post #9
Liftyee wrote: post #6

Not criticising the article or the decision to buy a new washing machine (20 years is a long time), but just noting that the old machine was likely fixable. If spare parts are even still available, that is. Whether it's deemed worth fixing is another matter. This must be the case for so many discarded appliances these days, especially underengineered ones with common issues. Also, not using the QR code protocols prop…

As someone who just replaced the bearings on a washing machine motor (carbon-commutator), I uhh… agree? The old machines are absolute workhorse beasts and they can work indefinitely as brand new with some maintenance here and there. However my expectation of people doing this are basically zero. So this is an anomalous post. By the time you write a blog post complaining about how a machine has a required IoT thing, y…

I've read somewhere, that washing machines need to be run on hotter programs (at least 60°C) from time. This dissolves detergent accumulation on the bearing, slowing it's wear down. Apparently bearing failure is more common with modern washing machines as eco 30°C programs are used more often.
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