Comment by jessriedel
6 years ago
If the devices become useless, how is this any different from Sonos just offering customers "trade-in" value for their old devices (like for used cars) and then throwing them out? Just that the device doesn't get physically mailed to Sonos?
Like if you think it's just spiritually bad to throw working things out, fine. But how is Sonos doing wrong by the customer?
Yes, as a marketing person you could probably argue that the environmentally positive effect is that you don't have to mail the device in, and I'm not claiming other vendors aren't trying to prevent people from reselling used products, but this specific instance just seems so overly ironic because it makes the result of such offers so crystal clear:
"get a discount by making sure nobody could possibly get any use out of your old device even if it's still working fine"
Plus I don't think other vendors are trying to sell such discount programs as some form of recycling.
Presumably that customer lives on the same planet as everybody else does and we all share the same environment. Sending good gear to the landfill is disgusting and damaging on many levels.
Used cars don't get thrown out when they're traded in. And it's not "spiritually bad," it's actively destructive to the environment. Manufacturing things requires a great deal of energy.
Well, there was this, fortunately short-lived... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Allowance_Rebate_System
It sounds like the proceeding comment might be thinking of something akin to the "Cash For Clunkers" program where the cars' engines were destroyed with sodium silicate in the crankcase.
I found this idea an egregious waste as someone who maintains vehicles, often with serviceable used parts.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Allowance_Rebate_System