Bundling - unbundling - ploys for increasing revenue?

[Dave2002]

Over the years I've accumulated many wires and chargers - some of which are useful, but some are now completely redundant, and perhaps always were. That is because many gadgets were sold with chargers and USB wires, or TVs sold with SCART cables or sometimes HDMI cables, and amplifiers with phono wires, and FM tuners with pathetic little aerials made out of flat paired cable.

Then printers started being sold without cables, and perhaps with only minimal quantities of ink.

Now some TVs are being sold without any cables at all - no HDMI, no composite or other cables, and some smaller gadgets are now being sold without USB cables or chargers.

Whilst this seems sensible enough, given that many of us have box loads of this extra stuff - just in case it'll ever come in useful - some suppliers now seem to be charging extra and at relatively high prices for cables and chargers which probably cost them next to nothing if put in the boxes with the appropriate devices in the first place.

All part of commercial churn, I presume. The suppliers would argue that they are doing us all a favour, and this is good for the environment, but imagine someone buying a TV and then driving (say) 30 miles home, to discover it doesn't work because a necessary cable isn't in the box. [This is hypothetical - won't apply to me because I've so many wires already ] - that's good for the environment isn't it?

Note that in many cases prices of the principal article have not dropped. Adding in some or all of the extra bits which might be needed can add very significantly to the overall cost.

Anyway, we should all be wearing hair shirts, eating gruel, and not travelling or using electricity or watching TV or listening to recorded music if we really want to "save" the environment.

[Bryn]

Over the years I've accumulated many wires and chargers - some of which are useful, but some are now completely redundant, and perhaps always were. That is because many gadgets were sold with chargers and USB wires, or TVs sold with SCART cables or sometimes HDMI cables, and amplifiers with phono wires, and FM tuners with pathetic little aerials made out of flat paired cable.

Then printers started being sold without cables, and perhaps with only minimal quantities of ink.

Now some TVs are being sold without any cables at all - no HDMI, no composite or other cables, and some smaller gadgets are now being sold without USB cables or chargers.

Whilst this seems sensible enough, given that many of us have box loads of this extra stuff - just in case it'll ever come in useful - some suppliers now seem to be charging extra and at relatively high prices for cables and chargers which probably cost them next to nothing if put in the boxes with the appropriate devices in the first place.

All part of commercial churn, I presume. The suppliers would argue that they are doing us all a favour, and this is good for the environment, but imagine someone buying a TV and then driving (say) 30 miles home, to discover it doesn't work because a necessary cable isn't in the box. [This is hypothetical - won't apply to me because I've so many wires already ] - that's good for the environment isn't it?

Note that in many cases prices of the principal article have not dropped. Adding in some or all of the extra bits which might be needed can add very significantly to the overall cost.

Anyway, we should all be wearing hair shirts, eating gruel, and not travelling or using electricity or watching TV or listening to recorded music if we really want to "save" the environment.

While it is true that some vendors inflate the price for cables, chargers, etc. Such items, of similar quality to those that used to come with 'phones, hi-fi equipment, televisons, etc. are to be found, with ease, in 'pound shops'. Poundland, for instance, sell a range of USB, HDMI and network cables for the standard £1. They also offer a twin outlet 2.1 amp USB charger for £2. You just have to risk being seen going into Poundland.

[MrGongGong]

aaaah yes but remember this ?

http://jordanacoustics.co.uk/products/cables/au24-sx-power-cord-1-5m/

I use one on my kettle

[Dave2002]

aaaah yes but remember this ?

http://jordanacoustics.co.uk/products/cables/au24-sx-power-cord-1-5m/

I use one on my kettle

Reduces the "value" by about £4k I'd expect.

[Dave2002]

While it is true that some vendors inflate the price for cables, chargers, etc. Such items, of similar quality to those that used to come with 'phones, hi-fi equipment, televisons, etc. are to be found, with ease, in 'pound shops'. Poundland, for instance, sell a range of USB, HDMI and network cables for the standard £1. They also offer a twin outlet 2.1 amp USB charger for £2. You just have to risk being seen going into Poundland.

I'm not proud. I've been to Poundland shops a few times in the last few days - though they seem to have sold out of Toblerone, and only one had the shampoo we seem to like.

Some of the iPhone and iPad cables from Poundland are useful, though they tend not to last very long. OTOH - they are only a pound! Got a blue 2 in one USB charger too - had it a while. Occasionally useful - and can charge up my watch - which won't charge using Apple chargers as those detect that the gadget doesn't need enough charge, so don't provide any.

[Bryn]

I'm not proud. I've been to Poundland shops a few times in the last few days - though they seem to have sold out of Toblerone, and only one had the shampoo we seem to like.

Some of the iPhone and iPad cables from Poundland are useful, though they tend not to last very long. OTOH - they are only a pound! Got a blue 2 in one USB charger too - had it a while. Occasionally useful - and can charge up my watch - which won't charge using Apple chargers as those detect that the gadget doesn't need enough charge, so don't provide any.

The quality of the USB leads they sell does vary a fair bit. Those which are basically aimed at micro USB users but have an old style iPhone adaptor attached are pretty robust, I have found. A bit annoying that they do not, as yet, carry standard USB to C type charger leads. My Sony XZ phone uses such and I only have one spare lead. Otherwise, I have to rely on little micro USB to C type adaptors which often fail to connect fully.

[Dave2002]

As machines fade into obscurity cables become hard to obtain, and the price may first go down, then start to go up again. It's now getting quite expensive to get decent charger cables for our first generation iPads. It's cheaper to go to Poundland and hope, though the cables don't always work. Those cables were used up to at least the 3rd generation, but Apple doesn't believe people should still be using such "old" kit.