Saturday, July 6, 2013

Marketing

Be forewarned that in reading this post you may perceive me as being a cranky, nay even a misanthropic member of the human clan.  If you see me this way,  you may be right.  So many things these days just wear me down.  The ultimate goal of the perpetrators, I am sure, is to wear me out.   I have probably carped about some of these annoyances before.  These things may seem petty to you. and perhaps they are, I'll give you that.  But a sufficient number of these little things loom quite large in my field of vision. 

These are little switch knobs for the rheostatically controlled lights and fans.  They are not readily available in the cream color here in Perfect.  So in the past, I have added a couple of white ones, notwithstanding the fact that they do not blend with the rest of the electrical fixtures.  So finding ourselves (what a concept!) in the City the other day, we stopped at a huge hardware outlet.  Certainly they had the item we desired.  Here you go, sir!  The guy handed me a packet containing two knobs.  Two matching knobs.  I think not.  One cream knob, one white knob per package.


There are marketing genii sitting around dreaming up ways to make the customers' lives more pleasant and efficient.  There are no such things.  Oh, there are marketing people, but they are sitting around dreaming up ways to steal from us without violating the law.  This is one example.

Thus, I bought three packages to get three knobs and paid for six knobs.  When I finished the installation of the knobs, now all matching the decor, I threw five white knobs into a box somewhere in the garage along with the spare screws and bolts we bought in packages of three, needing four, two to spare.  They will probably still be there at the resurrection.  But I have spare knobs!  They don't match anything, but I have them.

10 comments:

Shelly said...

I feel the pain. That stuff bothers me to no end.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what a rheostat is - I googled it - so it's like a dimmer switch? Can I have one of the leftover white knobs please?

Next time - Google It! (http://www.truevalue.com/thumbnail/Electrical-Lighting/Switches-Outlets/Dimmer-Switch-Replacement-Knobs/pc/4/c/58/495.uts)

It's just as bad when you need only one thingy and they only come in multi-packs of thingies. Same with sizes - multi-pack of multi-sizes and you only need one size...

Sigh...

vanilla said...

Shelly, clearly these tricks are legal, but they are still tricks.

Grace, now I'm wondering why I didn't just write "dimmer switch." Guess because I've always called them rheostats.

It is a shame that we all have collections of assorted thingies we were forced to buy, yet had no use for.

Lin said...

Can you buy just the cream ones online? I think it's sort of silly to package one cream and one white together. Why not 2 of the same color?

Criminy. Why do they make things so darn difficult?

vanilla said...

Lin, well, I bought twice as many as I could use, didn't I? Marketing.

Secondary Roads said...

There was a time when you bought an automotive battery that they'd give you a credit for the old one. Now they charge you dispose of the hazardous waste. Marketing.

vanilla said...

Chuck, it is a different world. As I am fond of saying, Not all change is progress.

Vee said...

I understand the frustration. The other day we purchased a package of fifty nails. We needed one.

Sharkbytes said...

NO kidding. It's just a big game.

vanilla said...

Sharkey, to the marketers, a game. For me, money out of pocket.