Comment by NikolaNovak

There's no part of me that follows anything you said.

We absolutely understand what the intention of the button is.

I do not understand the actual sane incentive for anybody in this transaction.

How would Sonos be worse off if those machines weren't wasted? You get a sale either way; you reward a loyal customer for an upgrade either way. If it weren't a large company, I'd say they do it out of spite - but in reality, it's just the bizarre, surreal method large corporations end up with ridiculous policies through a set of seemingly logical steps.

>>they have to trust you're actually recycling it instead of keeping it or selling it

Why? What is the benefit to them (Sonos)? What is the harm if you DID keep it?

>>The credit helps encourage people to recycle them at all instead of just throwing them in the trash, right?

There's absolutely positively nothing about this mode / button that prevents people from throwing it in the trash. In fact, by any logic I can see, it does the opposite and encourages them to chuck it in the garbage - since it's now a worthless non-functioning brick.

>>the recycle lock is a clever mechanism to ensure that.

Let us please NOT call this travesty "Clever". At least not outside of SV tech-bro blinders culture :O. It does NOTHING to ensure recycling.

>>Otherwise you could "cheat" by getting the credit AND still using/selling your speakers.

Oh noes! Wait.. HOW would Sonos be at all worse off? How would ANYbody be impacted for the worse?

>>this seems like a win for all sides

Sonos didn't get anything out of it. Recycling company got less out of it. Earth got less out of it. And there's no reason I can understand why consumer has to go through that hoop to get an upgrade credit. Seems like a lose-lose for all sides.

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I'm not going to downvote, because you made a lucid argument and downvotes are for those who do not contribute to conversation, not for disagreements. I'd say your post contributed a lot to conversation, seeing the number of comments:). But I fail to understand the argument you're trying to make and the framework / world outlook where it makes sense. I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise but need a lot more to even begin changing my mind :-/. Just because consumer "have choice", doesn't make one of the options automatically sane.