In the TVs manual they mention multiple times and in a fatalistic tone that I must register my purchase with them and always install the latest updates. The register form needed my full address and phone number. And that’s not I want. I want to purchase a device and my relationship with the seller ends there, unless it needs repairs.
My kitchen appliances are 10 years old and they are starting to give up the ghost. I had to replace the dishwasher last week and was looking for a very specific feature (that the door pops open itself after it finishes washing). Incidentally this feature is a premium feature which mostly limited my options to the upper end of the price spectrum where, you guessed it, most dishwashers connect to the internet. And it’s marketed with some type of Cory Doctorow type of bullshit like “we’ll just order cleaning supplies when you’re done”. I had to eventually cross research based on keywords and read the .pdf manuals of about 20 dishwashers to make sure they 1) have what I want and 2) they don’t connect to WiFi