99 karma · joined February 16, 2018
Recently, I have read an article which claimed that one should only drink water when their body demands it, you know, like becoming thirsty. The problem is, in most of the popular science circles these kinds of urban myths are propagated almost as if they were basic nutritional facts. I would personally think some mega-companies, such as Nestle, would be really interested in propagating the myth of the necessity of consuming at least two liters of water.
Eating an apple a day - unsupported
Saturated fats causing increased cholesterol, thus leading to heart failure - unsupported
It seems that almost everything we've been told since childhood to be healthy has no scientific basis whatsoever.
As @always_good pointed out already, a flexible return policy is actually a competitive advantage for the company if they know how to conduct a retail business properly. I, for example, would always prefer Amazon to any other German online store simply because the confidence Amazon gives me when shopping. I can easily go on a shopping spree on Amazon knowing that if I don't like something I can easily send it back, although, during the last 3 years, I haven't sent a single item back to Amazon.
Thanks, but I will pass. I would rather test my stuff at home, taking my time. In general, it will lead to higher customer satisfaction and confidence. People would be willing to buy more often knowing that in case they are not satisfied, they can simply return the product hassle-free. (A concise and clear return policy gives consumers a feeling of security; that what they are buying is guaranteed to be what it is represented to be. If a retailer doesn't give this guarantee, then consumers often become suspicious and avoid buying the product.)
> Nobody in north america expects they can buy something, walk away with it, and then have a right to return it simply because they don't "like it".
Have you ever been to the Customer service section of a WallMart store? :)
Of course, there should be a code of honor by the customers as well. If you buy something with the intention of returning it after using, then you are just a bad person. But that shouldn't mean If I have legitimate reasons to return some item, I shouldn't. That is how stores maintain customer satisfaction, thus a competitive advantage.
The same old argument... The problem originates from the fact that the internet/phone providers can actually put those fine prints on the contract. So saying that you should read the fineprints doesn't mean anything. Why don't I have the same type of scammy contract elsewhere? Why is it only in Germany (at least among the many countries I have lived in)? Why does someone who already moved to the Netherlands have to wait for 6 months to cancel the contract they had with a phone company? Shouldn't it be immediate? I leave the country, which means I should be able to cancel any contracts that I have with any company. That should be a basic customer right, or even better, that should be the default treatment of customers by the companies without even needing all these regulations. The copmanies should have this customer-centric mindset, which is lacking in Germany in almost every field (aka Serviewüste Deutschland)
Those scratches were only visible under direct sunlight and after a close examination. Besides, you assume that it is always possible to see defects when buying an item, which is, I am sorry, really ridiculous.
The point is, if I bought the same pair of glasses in the US, there would be zero problems returning them. Absolutely zero. In most cases, they would even apologize for selling you a defective item and wasting your time. Not the case for Germany, and this is the problem. Does Germany have better customer protection laws than most of the developing world? Definitely. Does Germany have better customer protection laws and better customer satisfaction than the US and most other developed countries? Definitely not. And that was my point.
Edit: typos
> though generally if it's not a warranty case then you're at the sellers good will if they accept it.
well, that is the problem. A good set of consumer protection laws shouldn't leave the consumer to the seller's good will, don't you think?
> Most of german consumer protection happens at the backend and between shops, not directly with the consumer.
Whatever that means... Why would I care what happens behind the doors If I, as a consumer, don't see the real-life benefits of it?
The thing is, German customer protection laws are just laws with no real implications. As with almost everything else in Germany, there are more exceptions to the laws than the laws themselves, which makes it possible for the stronger side (sellers, renter, contractors etc. ) to find a loophole and exploit it for their benefit.
I am not even talking about scammy contracts with internet and mobile companies that would not be possible in any other developed country. A very relevant link: https://twitter.com/FRYTG/status/1023927351514734593