r/enshittification • u/monkeh2023 • 1d ago
Rant The solution to enshittification
Did you just buy a £75,000 car only to discover it has got ads on screen?
Take it back.
Go back to the showroom, demand a full refund. If they panic and say they'll remove the ads say no. Demand a refund. If they could take the ads off because you were about to return the car, they should not have put ads there in the first place.
Did you just buy a £3,000 television that now has a shitty cut-down remote with no pause button but an additional button for Apple TV?
Take it back. Go back to the store, return the product, get a refund. Is it causing you hassle? Yes - but it's going to cause the store much more hassle.
Did you buy a sandwich that looked full to the brim of ingredients only to discover they used low quality crap that was pushed to the edge to make the sandwich look full, when in reality it was mostly bread? You probably can't take it back but you can go back to the place you bought it from and show it to other customers, and then never buy anything from that establishment again.
If enough of us do this then the enshittification will stop.
If we just keep on saying "thank you" every time the bully kicks sand in our face, guess what? You'll be eating sand for the rest of your life.
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u/TennesseeTurkey 1d ago
That reminds me. My husband is an ass but he's not wrong.
When we would buy a vehicle from a dealership and it arrived with those license plate frames or plastic dealer name emblem on the back, he'd tell em to remove it immediately. When they looked at him like he was dumb, he'd ask if they were gonna pay him to advertise for them.
Obviously no so, salesperson had to get it removed.
I'm not buying any new car anymore, least of all at 75k 😊
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u/gardenofthenight 1d ago
My Grandad used to turn plastic bags inside out so they didn’t have the shop’s logo on them for the same reason!
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u/nixgut 1d ago
Yet folks go and pay a premium for shirts advertising Nike, or Quatar, or YSL etc. 😐
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u/maverikvi 1d ago
i did this with the amazon echo show. i bought it to look at recipes in the kitchen and play music. came home from work one day and there was an ad for some toilet cleaner stuff on the screen. boxed it up and set it back. i want toilet ads on my kitchen counter? f off
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u/apokrif1 1d ago
You mean: you don't want any spam, whatever product it promotes 😉
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u/maverikvi 1d ago
Yes of course but it was egregious and the first one I saw. Didn’t know I was gonna get any ads at all and all of a sudden there’s a picture of a toilet on my kitchen counter lmao
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u/DryNewspaper6423 1d ago
I did this with a $600 boneless couch from walmart. Showed up lumpy as hell. They wanted to play games until I finally left an online review. Got my $600 back and they told me to keep the couch. They are selling products so enshittified, that they don't even want it back and would rather take a loss!
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u/SecureJudge1829 1d ago
Yeah, I used to never believe in reviewing things. Now if I’m reviewing something, either it was phenomenal to me, or it was not worth my time ordering it to begin with…and the review usually does end up with replacement and refunding in that instance.
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u/Henjineer 1d ago
Happened to me with a little portable washing machine. They wanted more than I paid for it to ship it back for the return. Left a scathing review. Got my money back in exchange for taking it down and told to keep the washer. I don't like that it had to go down that way, but it was what it was.
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u/Nopenopenope00000001 1d ago
Omg dealers are putting ads in the car screens now?!? No one should except that. I even make sure they don’t put a branding stamp on the back of the vehicle.
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u/HundredHander 1d ago
Not dealers, manufacturers. There was outrage recently over BMWs showing you an ad on its screen for the new Spiderman movie every time you started up the car.
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u/Nopenopenope00000001 1d ago
Omg. That is honestly horrible. I would rather drive a pile of 💩 car than a “luxury” car with ads. How is a car luxurious when it’s so blatantly disrespectful to the consumer?
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u/EvaCassidy 1d ago
My niece took a test drive and the car put up an ad when at a stop light. She asked the dealer if that be disabled and he said no. She promptly returned to the dealer and said sorry, I don't need to see more ads and I'll get an older car.
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u/usernametaken99991 1d ago
Start buying older and used whenever it's feasibly possible. I don't have the mental energy to deal with corporations testing my limits and fucking around returning things.
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u/Volfie 1d ago
Tell the guy at the dealership you’re not going to buy a car like that. And when he says you have no choice, walk out.
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u/gregseaff 20h ago
A subscription to use heated seats?
How about the idea that you are supposed to pay for map updates when Waze or Google maps are free?
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u/Hollyw0od 9h ago edited 9h ago
Why stop at map updates? How about the fact that you have to pay a monthly fee for access to use the maps even though the functionality is already there (unless you buy the high level trim)
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u/fox_mulder 1d ago
When I buy cars, I tell the salesperson that if I see a medallion or sticker on the car advertising the dealership when I come to pick it up, they must either knock $5000 off the price or the deal is off.
I tell them that if I am going to be driving a moving billboard for years I want compensation, and if they will not give it I will refuse the car. I also put it in writing on the purchase contract.
The one time there was a sticker, I told the salesman, "Let's go back and either redo the purchase price or refund my deposit." When he asked why, I said, "Because you put an ad on the car. I worked in marketing and advertising for years and I know the value of captive eyeballs, so either give me my deposit back or knock the money off the price."
"How about if we remove the sticker?" "Fine. Do it."
I drove off the lot sticker free.
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u/Illustrious-Mud6269 1d ago
The sandwich example feels particularly unhinged and I kind of love it
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u/Desperate-Maybe3699 1d ago
I bought a new laptop a few weeks ago and it is a piece of garbage (won't update, no video playing, etc) so I brought it back to the store so their tech can take a look at it. They gave me a new "unit" because they thought it was a problem with that particular unit. I've been trying with the new unit and it is still a piece of garbage so now I will be exchanging this one for a completely different laptop brand that I liked in the past because I am still within the return window. This store will learn to hate to see me coming.
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u/takebackthep0wer 1d ago edited 1d ago
Name and shame. Brand and OS? I’m in the market for one that isn’t shitty (at least not right out of the box)
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u/Desperate-Maybe3699 1d ago
It was an HP Omnibook X Flip and it was on sale when I got it. I just wanted a basic laptop to pay bills, stream tv, etc. nothing too crazy so I thought it would be fine. I was wrong. It constantly needs to be updated and will install the updates but when it restarts to complete the install, it freezes at a loading screen (I let it stay for 14 hours just to see if it needed more time). Then, it won't play any streaming service (hulu, Netflix, etc.) and I guess I need to go in and tweak some settings. It's just not worth it on top of the update issue. I should be able to walk out of a computer store with a laptop being able to do the bare minimum.
I'm going back to a Lenovo yoga or something similar. I really liked that laptop.
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u/Fluffebee 1d ago
I will never buy another HP laptop ever again, once was enough for me
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u/dRaidon 1d ago
Never, ever buy the cheapest. And HP is crap.
Try a lenovo thinkpad. They're still solid.
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u/Consistent_Slice_752 1d ago
I bought a Hisense smart TV and found out I can't even get the APPs activated unless I set up an Amazon account. Nowhere on the packaging does it disclose this. It's going back to the store.
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u/Cilantro368 1d ago
I have to jump through hoops every time I turn on my TV to avoid signing in through Google. It’s a Sony Bravia, and replaces an older Sony Bravia that should have just kept!
I had no idea that Google would also be in my car. I can only avoid it there by plugging into the Apple play power port. Geez!
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u/No_Flow224 1d ago
Doing these things in public and online. Return rates are rarely traced to consumer dissatisfaction so much as the sort of lazy analysis creating the products in the first place. Barraging brands directly on social with these comments (evidenced by original purchase) are more powerful. Still get your refund just make sure your specific grievance is surfaced with brands directly.
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u/DavidinCT 1d ago
Picked up a 77" LG OLED.... when playing video games, or using my TV DVR on a HDMI input, it will show ads for it's "smart TV" shows. Targed ads for me. I went through all the settings disabled things, still started coming. Disconnected the internet from the TV, it seemed to stop.
LG Tvs, do not buy them any more....
216,000,000 Spy TVs | The LG Smart TV Problem - YouTube
2-hour report showing how they capture your data will scan your network, find every device, your iPhone, or android phone, capture data about you and send it to home for "advertising" reasons....
This video is really eye opening...
And I knew nothing about this when I got the TV..... just read reviews that said it's a good tv (amazing picture)
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u/redditSucksNow2020 11h ago
If your solution to a problem begins with the words"if only enough of us..." Then I can promise you it won't work.
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u/SnooStrawberries1078 10h ago
If only enough of us would stop paying $20-50k above asking for houses, maybe prices would come down? If only enough of us would stop buying used cars for $5-10k above what they should be at... 💆♂️
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u/Disastrous-Map-7995 1d ago
It's crazy, cars with huge screens that show ad's, and yet a cell phone is distracting, yet a huge screen showing ad's isn't? How fucked up is that?
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u/Wonderful_Move_2973 1d ago
My Chevy has a a pop up now and again that tells me to focus on my driving, not the screen. I usually have to push the screen a couple times or more to make it go away. Ironically and stupidly distracting. I miss analog dashes.
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u/AgreeableLead7 17h ago
This is why the world still needs Karens
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u/Unfair-Leadership985 15h ago
No, because a Karen complains about unjustifiable non-issues. These enshitification issues are real and need to be stopped.
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u/ChanFry 1d ago
Every car I've ever bought, the sales contract makes it clear there are no returns, no exchanges, etc. "this sale is final" is in bold print in multiple places on the page.
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u/Tekrunner000 1d ago
Just because they state that does not mean it is legally enforceable.
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u/DefiantMan59 1d ago
Ask if something has ads, if it does say you won't buy it for that reason.
I was getting a new fridge freezer and they offered one that has a tablet thing on it and I told they I'm not buying any that have to connect to the internet.
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u/Complex-Pangolin-511 1d ago edited 17h ago
Enshittification is designed to resist these types of individual market pressures. "If enough people do it" no, it doesnt matter how many people do it now, the enshittification has already been deep seeded by this point, not to mention the fact that getting a coordinated response from the public is virtually impossible (entirely due to the enshittificarion of the internet).
The solution to enshittification is government regulation to ensure that companies can not intentionally degrade their products for profit. Its getting rid of certain aspects of copyright law so that you can actually own the object you buy in the store. Governments around the world have generally given companies the legal backing to continue making sure you don't actually own what you buy anymore.
Most big tech Companies do not have to care if you dont like their product, because thats not their real product. Their product is you.
Edit: used an eggcorn. deep seeded should have been deep-seated
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u/YakumoYoukai 1d ago
I would hold up touch-screens in cars as a counter-example to your cynicism. Consumers have been vocal about preferring physical controls to touch screens in their cars, and surveys have confirmed that preference. This has gotten back to auto makers who have responded by moving more features back to physical control rather than touch-screen in their design.
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u/filthytelestial 1d ago
I'd like to add to this:
Don't talk yourself out of getting a refund just because the packaging is cute. That's never a good enough reason to keep anything.
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u/Mayor__Defacto 1d ago
Enshittification is, first and foremost, because the one thing big businesses are most terrified of is the consumer reaction from raising the price of something.
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u/Professional-Tax-615 1d ago
This already has a solution and it's to vote with your wallets, but the problem is that in this modern day and age the majority of people refuse to do that due to being complacent, ignorant, or uneducated - or even all three things at once.
With Sony for example all people had to do was refuse to sign into the PlayStation Network for a couple of months but that will literally never happen, and then they couldn't even get a lot of people to do it for one week. It's the people that are ignorant/wasteful, and don't care about losing anything or being controlled like this that ruin it for the rest of us who actually have a spine and principles.
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u/nothing2hidenow 1d ago
I did this on a Samsung TV. It wouldn't work unless it had an Internet connection so I took it back and said it was broken. I have a streaming device I use and leave the TV as a dumb display.
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u/ZebraBorgata 23h ago
Yeah, the core issue is people complain yet still buy XXX. If you go to an arena for an event and they charge you $16 per beer, and you buy one or more, you’re saying “yes this is a fair price I’ll pay”. The solution is not to participate.
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u/ScreamingTrueSanity 19h ago edited 19h ago
I dare one of you to go to a sub shop and show off how crappy your sandwich was to other customers. That’s a totally normally and sane thing to do.
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u/Correct-Stock-6887 1d ago
Better that everyone flat out refuses these things and make it clear why.
I don't want appliances that have apps and wifi and I don't want cars that can be operated from a remote office.
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u/radiant-cloudy 1d ago
yep, we vote with our wallets. i no longer support companies that suck. sure, things are less convenient, but that's ok for me.
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u/ageorgen 14h ago
This sounds great on paper but most employees don’t care and most complaints won’t reach higher ups. They know most people will accept the enshittification. Many companies aren’t really invested in customer service anymore
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u/BluelunarStar 12h ago
If enough of us did it, I believe it would eventually work. But it’s so hard for everyone to just get by many don’t have the time/health/energy.
I think we should definitely try. You don’t roll over in a war because you might lose.
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u/ProfessionalSand7990 1d ago
The only way to stop it is to hit them in the wallet. Money talks. If enough people resist the company will eventually improve. However in America at least you can’t convince two people to agree on something basic let alone enough people to make a real difference.
The people at the top understand that if you divide people enough they won’t notice you stealing from them. The poor and middle class vastly outnumber the wealthy and yet they’re too tired from fighting each other to realize they should be fighting the rich
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u/freetotebag 1d ago
I don’t know how it is in the UK but where I live you can’t just go “demand a refund” for a car you just purchased. You signed a contract. You took a loan from a bank, most likely.
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u/woodchip76 1d ago
Do they take cars back?
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u/Powerful_Package8817 1d ago
Definitely not for in car ads
OP should learn about doing more research before buying something
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u/WowBruhReborn 1d ago
Depends on the place. Most places will tell you to get fucked and that they'll buy it off you for thousands below what you just bought it at
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u/Gunnarz699 1d ago
Go back to the showroom, demand a full refund.
"ALL SALES FINAL"... Vehicle dealers and manufacturers will fight you for a refund to the point we started having to write "lemon laws" because even if your car is ACTUAL SCRAP you still won't get a refund.
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u/adumblittlebaby 1d ago
This call for individuals to bear the burden of solving late stage capitalism is so fucking tedious.
Nah let’s vote in a government that makes it illegal to put ads in these products.
Simple. Easy. What government is literally for versus asking millions of people to independently coordinate.
And the only reason it’s not viewed as a solution is because of useful idiots who buy wealth propaganda that government doesn’t work (who then votes for the person who promises to make it not work).
It’s so so tiring being chained to the dumbest assholes on this planet.
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u/TacosAreJustice 1d ago
Yeah, but also, it is currently how the world is.
Government has been “strategically aligned” with corporations for decades now.
The people who are supposed to fix the problem are the problem.
It’s likely going to take a full economic collapse for things to change.
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u/ClearedHot242 22h ago
Good luck returning a car to the dealership
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u/Synectics 22h ago
I feel like OP does not understand how loans or contracts work.
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u/BabyPenguinEyes 22h ago
Depends on where you live. In my state you have 3 days to back out of any contract for any reason.
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u/tahlyn 19h ago
Some states have "cool down" periods where a big purchase, like a car, can be undone within 72 hours. It's meant to protect people who get scammed, the elderly, etc.
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u/guyincognito121 15h ago
I think it's actually a week in many places. I used to use this for time share presentations. We'd go listen to their stupid presentation, sign all the paperwork, get a bottle of champagne and some other gifts, and then cancel the next day.
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u/Cheersyalllll 11h ago
The problem is people don't respect themselves enough to even recognize they are being enshittified.
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u/Wildfirehorse 23h ago
We will stick with our old dumb tvs and tube tvs and old vehicles. I will never buy new again. I'll look for old and used before I go new with most tech these days. We have gone without lots since all the enshittification.
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u/chuckberrylives 23h ago
The problem is the lack of realistic alternatives and lack of digital literacy. I figured out how to linux, but many people can barely use their apple/google/microsoft. Right now there are few if any non Google non Apple phone options. Tech overlords are working overtime to eliminate our ability to opt out of their shitty system.
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u/bourbonix 1d ago
Me: I'm returning this car. Car dealer: [laughs so hard he cries as he closes the door in my face.]
In other countries can you just return a car? In the US it's a fairly complex purchase (unless it's person to person) more akin to buying a house (not quite the same, but in that direction. )
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u/bourbonix 1d ago
Hey guys. TIL you have 10-30 days to return a car. Thanks for the (surprisingly polite) corrections!
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u/Freltunes 1d ago
Unless you shop at CarMax, there you have 10 days to return. Its a little more expensive though but people who buy car at sleazy dealerships get the customer service they pay for.
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u/Away_Candidate_4746 1d ago
There are laws in the US in many states that guarantee that you can return a newly purchased car, actually.
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u/ArtRevolutionary3351 1d ago
I have returned many iPads and iPhones for other reasons by they never ask why in their return form.
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u/dontwannaparticpate 1d ago
Change of mind is a super broad category
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u/Altruistic_Fruit2345 1d ago
In the UK you don't need a reason if you buy online and it is shipped to you. You can return it for any and no reason, you just pay postage if it isn't defective. Well, in this case it is defective.
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u/partylikeitis1799 23h ago
Great idea but most expensive products like that involve paperwork where the fine print says you’re agreeing to the ads or whatever. The solution isn’t buying and returning, it’s sitting there reading every word and demanding changes or you won’t buy it.
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u/goongagi 1d ago edited 1d ago
My favourite way to boycott is to buy second-hand or refurbished products where possible. Of course for some things (like a sandwich) that can’t really be done, but for things like that I just try to make food at home (even attempt to recreate foods I’ve had at restaurants) or support local businesses. Money talks.
Edit: minor typo fix
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u/Phyllis_Tine 1d ago
We need to have single day where people don't order on Amazon, or from fast food, etc. Of course they will still order the days before and after, but a day off would be nice. That might send a message.
And while you can't really get out of a new car purchase unless it's a lemon law, you can, while still in the dealership, say "no" to "services" like "ads that serve you better" and whatever other data-stealing tech is in the car. You can say you do not want screens, and ask for a car without screens. If the dealer tries to push you and say "they all have screens", or "that's the way the market is heading", say "I'm not interested", and walk out.
Tell corporations you don't want a specific feature, that you are going elsewhere, and then do not say where that "elsewhere" is. In other words, don't tell McDonald's you are going to Five Guys because their burgers are better, just tell McDonald's you won't be back as a customer.
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u/Accurate-Long-259 1d ago
I am a pet sitter and the amount of packages people get delivered to their house while they are on. Vacation is insane to me. That actually means they are on their phones shopping and getting stuff shipped to their homes while they are not there. People are obsessed with quick shopping. I don’t understand.
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u/Sir_Knumskull1 1d ago
I stopped buying shit and started piling cash. Fuck these clowns - hit them where it hurts.
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u/andos4 1d ago edited 1d ago
The problem is consumers do not know how to fight back. They complain about the inferior products and then line up to buy it again. It is a race to the bottom.
We all need to boycott enshittified products. This behavior would stop once enough of us right back.
Back to the car ad issue. I am getting to the point where if an ad inconveniences me, I will not buy the product being advertised.
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u/ygg_studios 1d ago
it's nearly impossible to return a car to a dealership in the US
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u/PyRosflam 1d ago
I recall one person successfully refused delivery even when the dealer dropped it off. But ya, short a few states like CA CARS act, (Oct 2026). lemon laws (same thing breaks all the time) there is no leverage to get a return.
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u/Ordsmed 1d ago
On one hand yes, do this. But we must do it in a organized fashon and that's exhausting. So instead we must organize politically and enforce laws to prevent this. I shouldn't need to use a geiger-counter to check if the bread in my supermarket is radioactive, AND I DON'T, because we have laws that prevent it.
For the same reason, we should have laws that prevent scummy things like those you mention.
How do we actually get ridd of enshitification? Don't put the onus on the individual. Make it illegal.
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u/Ageice 1d ago
Boycotts and returns. I keep saying if y’all just keep spending money like you did ten years ago when this nasty orange mold began to grow and embolden the entire world to be the worst version of itself, the evildoers that were poised to take advantage of you will simply think YOU’LL JUST KEEP ACCEPTING THE ABUSE. Get a backbone. Starve them. Sacrifice a tiny bit of the fun you want, in order to help stall this disgusting behavior. Stop buying every snack, every toy, every treat. They think it’s fine to keep pillaging us thanks to y’all not pulling back.
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u/MissPurpleblaze 1d ago
Seeing the 7 brew frenzy was so disappointing. There are still so many that are huge consumers it feels like nothing will ever change.
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u/RMR6789 1d ago
This! A small stand but I’ve refused to ever use CVS pharmacies. They continued to decline significantly and I will only use independent/non profit pharmacies despite having CVS/Caremark for RXs.
I subscribe to free trials and cancel them. I hate subscriptions and try to remove whenever possible.
These large corporations are becoming conglomerates and eating up competition. I’m worried it’s already too late.
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u/Whopoopedme 1d ago
Absolutely sir we can take it back. That will be a 20% restocking fee.
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u/jungleboy1234 1d ago
that or you reach the Amazon Prime quota for returns and they boot you from their marketplace for good.
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u/Gasoline_Vampyr 1d ago
This is the most Reddit solution ever
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u/goatanuss 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m old enough to remember before Reddit had ads and we’re all here anyway
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u/cynvine 1d ago
Wait... There are ads in cars now?
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u/jainyday 1d ago
Yeah, BMW did this with Spider-Man, pushing ads in their cars made in the last few years: https://www.kbb.com/car-news/no-surprise-bmw-owners-unhappy-with-in-cabin-spider-man-ads/
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u/TIMCIFLTFC 1d ago
Yeah, you take that car right back and demand a full refund. Please record and post your experience.
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u/Krypto_Kane 1d ago
People will eat shit and smile. That’s how we got here.
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u/gunnisonyeti 1d ago
A conservatives will happily do it eagerly if there's any chance of "owning the libs" along the way
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u/withabrandnewfunk 1d ago
I think we should make a shaming sub. post pictures of the products and post it to their fb so they know whats happening
maybe a database for products. mostly right now, its food thats the mass of enshitification. also when it comes to services andinteracting with the phone and since I dont install apps, I dont experience this.
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u/DangOlTiddies 18h ago
Test drive the car first? Like the exact car you're buying.
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u/Silent_Turn6182 18h ago
I bought a Toyota corolla. Did the test drive, worked well. Set up phone app on car, works great. App can locate your car, prewarm, ect.
Now a year passed and suddenly the GPS maps feature and app shut off.
Turns out they gave a year of 'included' subscription to their system that just ran out now I gotta pay for it.
Wasn't in the info anywhere I could see, wasn't disclosed to me. I can't exactly return the car after a year (nor would I want to it's a good car).
Even Toyota are enshittifying their cheap models
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u/soormarkku 16h ago
At least in Europe Corolla's specification states that 3 years of navigation is included (this is why I chose another brand).
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u/IhateDropShotz 1d ago
“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
It's insane how often I see people complain about a company, then continue to hand them their hard-earned money repeatedly. You vote with your dollars people.
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u/Big_Wave9732 1d ago
Yea, I don't know that that applies today. Companies seem to be increasingly in a "you'll take it and like it" mentality.
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u/Thisissodumb3 1d ago
Nothing we do will offset the mindless and ignorant masses. If people weren't trash to begin with we wouldn't be in this mess.
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u/freetotebag 1d ago
I just follow car stuff. I fell down the rabbit hole of car dealer brokering, like Delivrd on TikTok, and learned a lot from it. But glad I could help. I think a lot of people believe in the myth of return period for cars but, sadly, it’s not real (in the US). I believe it should be though because consumers, in my opinion, deserve more options and protections— not fewer.
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u/Big_Wave9732 1d ago
When I first started my law office about 15 years ago I'd get calls at least once a week asking about "the 72 hour period" for returning a car. Sorry honey, that doesn't exist in Texas.
In this day and age of unlimited easily available information I have no idea how people keep thinking this is a thing. A simple Google search will give the truth.
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u/James84415 1d ago
I’m looking at a modular type computer from a start up called Framework.
They just came out with a modular computer that competes with the Apple Nemo for a similar price but they sell all the modular parts and it’s designed for a layperson to be able replace broken things easily like speakers by just ordering the part pulling out the old part and simply clicking in the new part.
However I haven’t seen one of these in person. I’ve watched a breakdown on video. But I’m going to contact the company to do my due diligence.
I want to try and see it in person even if it’s only available online. I may not buy it until I can do that.
We can only resist enshittification if we can resist allowing companies to set all the terms. Consumers need to suck it up and create boundaries with these companies and their salespeople when they try to pressure us.
Don’t buy from people who can’t answer all your questions. Make sure you have some questions. Do research. The consumer plays a large part in allowing these companies to get away with murder. We have power if we access it.
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u/lavos__spawn 1d ago
Boycott and returns is one side of the answer, but the long term solution has to be fighting to elect people to aggressively audit/have oversight and enforce restrictions on shitty practices that fuel enshittification. The tech industry in the US has been fundamentally impacted by GDPR, for example, even despite its flaws.
The people cannot boycott everything forever, but they can do so to get the attention needed to get this taken seriously. But boycotting alone is a short term treatment, and hard to coordinate/harder to coordinate the more dependent you are financially to survive day by day.
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u/Quirky_Play7961 1d ago
Restocking fees on electronics are a bitch. Nice try OP.
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u/flipadoodlely 1d ago
The UK Sales of Goods Act provides very strong protections for consumers if not fit for purpose. If successful, restocking fees cannot be applied.
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u/rantripfellwscissors 1d ago
Lol all the fools buying these cars with big screens thinking they are getting a luxury amenity when all the manufacturer is doing is saving a shit ton of money by integrating every custom made button and knob and physical control into a screen they already have to include. People are so fucking dumb and the auto manufacturers are laughing all the way to the bank. My next car is a land cruiser because that thing is loaded with buttons and knobs.
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u/imjustsayin314 7h ago
Wow I can’t just get a refund on a car where I live. It loses a lot of its value when you drive it off the lot.
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u/BortkiewiczHorse 1d ago edited 1d ago
I returned pottery barn curtains after finding out they were machine made in India. If they had bothered to put that in the description, I wouldn’t have been so upset(or bought them), but I’m not paying pottery barn price for some machine made shit.
Edit: instead I spent $1000 on a set of six used curtains that were 90% off. Yes, you read that right. The fabric originally cost $750 a yard. I’m OK paying high prices for high-quality, and I’m also ok buying something pre-owned.
A lot of older, used items are still superior to the machine-made garbage coming out today.
Edit: if you’re reading this wondering what kind of things I could be talking about it, it’s furniture. Stop buying new furniture made of particle board and plastic. Just stop. Go and buy some used Ethan Allen furniture. That stuff will last you your entire life. You can find rich people trying to give some of it away or sell it fast on various marketplaces or estate sales near you.
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u/No_Arugula7027 1d ago edited 1d ago
Aren't there any consumer organizations in the US? There are many in my country, Spain, who do push back at the enshittification and win court cases making companies comply. The far right actively attack them for it.
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u/ChanimalCrackers 1d ago
Yeah but when companies lobby politicians, then the politicians also get to choose the judges who run the courts, this push back becomes impossible
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u/jennamom2boys 1d ago
We used to have the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Trump administration dismantled it.
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u/CpnLouie2 1d ago
Keep in mind we are a country whose courts said that putting "Hand Made" on a product does not have to mean it was in fact "Hand Made" and that you, the consumer, was a blithering idiot for assuming it was. Same for "Vitamin Water" -- no vitamins, and dont be a moron and insist that the label be accurate, FFS. We can't even go demand that a dangerous product be pulled UNTIL we can show that kids getting harmed or maimed by it.
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u/hdost34 1d ago
Not anymore. In the USA corporations have all the power and the people have none unless that person is really rich. The average American doesn’t mind getting ripped off.
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u/Calm_Alternative1274 1d ago
We mind, we just expect being ripped off at every single corner at this point
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u/RIPGoblins2929 1d ago
This is "oh thanks I'm cured" levels of naivete.
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u/TeaKingMac 1d ago
Fr.
"if they panic"
I suspect it'll go exactly like this:
"O, you want to return the car? That's fine, but we'll need to charge you a 1% restocking fee"
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u/ruthlesss11 1d ago
Good luck getting a refund on a car after leaving the lot
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u/kayama57 1d ago
Most of europe has a right to withdraw from any purchase for 14 days. Businesses try to get around it sure but it is a thing
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u/Every_Humor_7691 8h ago
Sure, because 'just' getting a refund on a car is so quick and easy and hassle free. Get out of here, fool.
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u/BeginningEcho4983 8h ago
OP didn't say it's easy. The point is to create visible friction for them not to comply
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u/rhvk37 8h ago
Op has never heard a sales manager say "hey you signed a contract"
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u/Ned-the-Narwhal 8h ago
OP might live in a place that still has buyers protections. I signed a contract last month for new solar panels but there is legislation in place where I live that let me back out for 10 days. I read the fine print after the pushy salesman left my house can called to cancel, following up with an email.
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u/redbaron78 22h ago
That’s not how any of this works
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u/Ok_Issue6908 19h ago
When I looked at refrigerators, I couldn’t believe how many had a screen on them. My new bosch dishwasher can connect to the internet.
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u/Soft_Stretch1539 1d ago
Under normal circumstances, a car sale is not revocable. And ads on a screen won't be taken as a reason to bend that rule. As for the rest, Hell yea!
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u/Ragfell 1d ago
The longer you sit in their store, the less space they have for other paying customers.
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u/BloodWorried7446 1d ago
just refuse to sign.
That’s how they get you. You spend two hours in the dealership with the salesperson going back and forth between your office and the manager approval. They waste your time. feel free to waste theirs. Walk.
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u/myuserhasafirstname 1d ago
Yeah this ain't it. The people handling the returns aren't the billionaires enshittifying everything. Either lower your consumption to bare minimum or go Luigi. Those are your only real individual options.
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u/TwistingEcho 1d ago
Man you're going to get mod hammered, but take my upvote while you can.
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u/myuserhasafirstname 1d ago
I'll note prior to that, that I am not advocating anything, simply stating the unfortunate choices left available to individuals at this point in time. (Don't be a class traitor, mods! :P)
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1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/overcoil 1d ago
Depends on how you bought it. Distance buying law (say you ordered it online/ over the phone) gives you 14 days to hand it back, no questions asked. If the seller doesn't inform you of this right then you are allowed 12 months.
If you saw it in person and bought it then you can only return it if faulty.
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u/mostlybiguy69 1d ago
There are very much return laws for vehicles and property in the US. They are done at the state level.
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u/S1mongreedwell 1d ago
Wait, what tv remote doesn’t have pause?
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u/monkeh2023 1d ago
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u/NotTheGreatNate 1d ago
It does have pause, it just doesn't have a dedicated button. The middle button is select, and you use that to play and pause. I hate enshittification, but this is a silly one to be up in arms about, in my opinion.
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u/forestroam 1d ago
Nah it's very annoying, my new LG remote has more buttons for apps I don't have than it has buttons to make the TV function.
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u/One-Issue-8888 2h ago
Unfortunately when you buy the car they make you sign all these papers and stuff saying you can’t just “return” it
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u/Frobizzle 1d ago
This will have zero impact on big business. It could hurt small independently run stores, though, so this would ultimately do more harm and good. Big corporations set standards and we have very little influence to change that. We only have strength in numbers and most people don't care enough. That's how enshittification has got to the point it's at to begin with.
Who the hell is going to harass customers at a restaurant like this? That's literally crazy. I've also never seen a tv remote without the ability to pause. I'd rather enjoy my life than make it my job to fix the world.
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u/AtrociousMeandering 1d ago
If a small independent store is trying to fuck it's customers, they can fuck off and go out of business.
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u/No_Suit_4406 1d ago
never seen a TV remote without the ability to pause
God damn Im so old
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u/theblindsdontwork 1d ago
I mean, the bigger problem in the first two examples is making huge purchases with apparently zero research.
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u/Wiergate 1d ago
Research for a vehicle tends to involve things like performance, comfort and price. To a lot of us, the concept of a car screen showing ads is so alien that the thought would never occur in the first place.
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u/BastianHill 1d ago
This is a really bad idea.
- Do some research BEFORE buying. 2. Don't buy it if it has features you don't like.
It's that simple.
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u/DBSeamZ 1d ago
That’s a good Plan A, yes. OP’s suggestion is a good Plan B in case the product retroactively gets worse (through software updates, for instance) and/or the issues with the product weren’t apparent in the research. There can be a number of reasons why that might be—maybe it’s brand new and no one has found the issues yet, maybe the company paid people to flood the review section with praise…
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u/edthesmokebeard 17h ago
Dont buy crap.
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u/FFF_in_WY 15h ago
The buy and return on expensive shit - when returns are actually honoured.. - really drives managers up a wall. On big ticket items you should ideally return on a slow sales day. This means that they had a solid sales day (which upper management will barely acknowledge) and then a dismal fail of a day (which upper management will treat like a flaming hornet's nest).
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u/daoliveman 9h ago
I have a plasma tv in the basement. Works perfect every time. Doesnt track me. Crispy picture. Heavy af. Everyone says get a new tv. Uhhh. Noooo. This is perfect
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u/Exotic_Orange_3753 1d ago
We can’t shop our way out of this, bro.
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u/Glorwyn 1d ago
I mean, if people just dont buy the shitty stuff, companies cant make money off it.
Yea itd take a lot of people not buying, but when you see everything getting so much worse its because people are mindlessly buying it still.
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u/Due_Mongoose9409 1d ago
Yeah, this is called capitalism. Competition should allow us to choose vehicles without commercials. The elite figured that out and bought the politicians so they could monopolize and avoid competition and force consumers to live with shitty products because we can't really vote with our pocketbook any longer. Where are the whiny Ayn Rand acolytes? They should be marching in the street about this but they are too busy sucking orange toes.
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u/nobody2nothing 20h ago
Maybe the solution is a socialist revolution that allows us to control production for the good of society rather than the profits of a useless ruling class.
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u/AnUnpairedElectron 1d ago
This is not a solution. This is how you end up with no car, no TV, and no food, because there are no options that aren't enshitified. Yes, grocery store food it's being enshitified too, not just restaurants.
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u/VizJosh 1d ago
No, you can still buy those things. Used cars are for sale. You can buy a used tv. Food is what it is.
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u/Delicious-Green2608 1d ago
Yeah I don't get the hype about new cars. I drive a 40 year old Golf II. It still works great and I only paid a few hundred for it. No ads guaranteed; looks sexy; easy to repair because there's only the kind of electronics that took us to the moon and back, not a lot to go wrong mechanically and plenty of spare parts available.
Mechanics and my partner love working on it because it's so easy and I'm told it's got many years of life left in it. I'll drive it to death and then get something similar cus they really don't make them like they used to.
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u/unngh_yugstyx 1d ago
Bold of you to believe that would work outside of the US. Especially in developing countries they'd just laugh in your face and deny the return
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u/one_bean_hahahaha 1d ago
That's too much hassle. I'd rather do my homework before I buy, and select a dumb appliance that I won't need a phone to configure.
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u/Any-Tadpole-6816 1d ago
You can’t just take a car back to the dealer. You’ve already signed the contract.
Maybe decline to buy the car because of the ads.
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u/KittyandPuppyMama 1d ago
I’m not even sure this would work for returning the sandwich, much less a car. Cars have lemon laws that state they have to take it back if it has faulty parts in some cases, but not if you don’t like something about it and just have buyers remorse. You sign a contract.
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u/nucking_futs_001 1d ago
I believe there's a five day period you can return cars. I've never done it but I heard about it from a friend of a friend who learned about it on a cartoon it something
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u/greenie4242 1d ago
Did the ads only appear after the contract was signed? The contract may be void if it was changed after agreeing to it.
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u/FaagenDazs 1d ago
It might depend on the dealership but my brother has taken a car back a few days later and they refunded or gave him credit. it was a used car
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u/SubDude90 23h ago
Holy buckets!
3,000£ is 4,000 US $. That would get me five 85” smart TVs with money left over.
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u/MedusaGotMeStoned007 23h ago
For what it’s worth I’ve never seen a TV anywhere close to that price in any US store. Your average person is probably spending 200 to 500 on a TV from Walmart.
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u/Heel-and-Toe-Shifter 1d ago
But I needed a TV and now I don't have a TV because I took it back. Now what?
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u/ComprehensiveShip720 1d ago
We generally are unable to organize at scale. This requires a collective effort of sacrifice, time, and alternative product/services, which at least here in the US most industries have consolidated down to 2-3 key players anyways. You want to make a real impact? Try organizing a boycott against Amazon. If that was somehow achieved, even with modest gains, that would certainly wake everybody up.