Tech Purchase Errors: what was I thinking?!

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#3112125 5-Aug-2023 18:46

michaelmurfy:
Years ago I backed the Indiegogo for the Volterman Smart Wallet - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/volterman-the-world-s-most-powerful-wallet#/

Never heard of this before so I did a bit of reading... a "smart wallet". Finally a product that's even more pointless than a "smart watch".

olivernz

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#3112127 5-Aug-2023 18:55

Yeah I had a Indiegogo one too. Dune case. About $450 that I'll never see again.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dune-pro-pc-case?utm_term=#/

But reading all the comments from scammed people and discussions with the actual Dune team etc (there's a Discord too) nearly makes up for it. But it's still going and I think some people may still be trying to buy these things. And I did sooooo want the product!

neb

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#3112128 5-Aug-2023 18:55

quickymart:
Anything purchased from Expert Infotech.

I made the mistake of trying to buy from them some years ago, a camera item that was a bit hard to find but they had it in stock. Ordered it and waited a week or so, then pinged them, they were in the process of sourcing it from overseas. W/T/F? Web site still shows it in stock, a few more weeks and emails pass and it's still not in the country at which point I'm close to leaving for the overseas trip I need it for so I cancelled it and got it for about a third less in the destination country. And since it was in Europe I also got the VAT back when I left.

At which point Expert Infotech were still showing it as in stock.

If you do want recycled parts, go across the road to PTL Computers, they're a great source of things for older computers, have reasonable prices, and are pretty decent about letting you test things out before you buy, e.g. power bricks for obsolete laptops and similar.

neb

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#3112134 5-Aug-2023 19:31

Can we also post unnecessary woodworking/metalworking/electronics/etc tool purchases here?

Although if we do I think we're gonna need a bigger server.

Edited to add: To illustrate, the EEVBlog thread on this topic currently runs to just under five thousand four hundred pages.

Handle9

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#3112147 5-Aug-2023 20:26

johno1234:
Handle9:

I bought one which I got banned from using a year later. Still grouchy.

I sense an amusing story behind this. Care to share?

Bet you flew it too close to significant other’s prize petunias. Or similar?

Unfortunately not amusing. Personal drone flights got “temporarily” banned after this.

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2022/2/3/timeline-uae-drone-missile-attacks-houthis-yemen

michaelmurfy

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#3112153 5-Aug-2023 21:54

olivernz:

Yeah I had a Indiegogo one too. Dune case. About $450 that I'll never see again.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dune-pro-pc-case?utm_term=#/

What a sexy case but also you totally win here with indiegogo losses. My loss has only been the Volterman so far! I've backed so many things on Kickstarter however and never experienced a failure (yet!).

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#3112168 5-Aug-2023 23:06

Oooh, not a physical product - but I'm a launch backer of Star Citizen on Kickstarter. That was thirteen years ago. And it's still "in development".

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quickymart

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#3112188 6-Aug-2023 08:04

neb:
quickymart:

Anything purchased from Expert Infotech.

I made the mistake of trying to buy from them some years ago, a camera item that was a bit hard to find but they had it in stock. Ordered it and waited a week or so, then pinged them, they were in the process of sourcing it from overseas. W/T/F? Web site still shows it in stock, a few more weeks and emails pass and it's still not in the country at which point I'm close to leaving for the overseas trip I need it for so I cancelled it and got it for about a third less in the destination country. And since it was in Europe I also got the VAT back when I left. At which point Expert Infotech were still showing it as in stock. If you do want recycled parts, go across the road to PTL Computers, they're a great source of things for older computers, have reasonable prices, and are pretty decent about letting you test things out before you buy, e.g. power bricks for obsolete laptops and similar.

I had that a few times as well - "in stock" but that meant they had 1 in stock, and it was the display item. More than that needed "an order to be placed".

PB Tech didn't have those problems, luckily.

tripp

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#3112200 6-Aug-2023 08:47

For me it's any ticwatch I have purchased. When i was on android every couple of years i would buy their latest high end watching thinking just maybe they had fixed the issue from their last high-end watch, everytime i was disappointed by slow speeds, random issues or awful battery life. Luckly I never had an issue selling them on via trademe etc (sometimes more than what i paid for them).

Wheelbarrow01

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#3112487 6-Aug-2023 22:02

I bought an Igloo set top box and never got around to setting it up before they closed the service down. I still have it, sealed in the box.

I also bought a 'refurbished' dashcam from 1-day that never really worked and I gave up on it. Actually there are several tech purchases from 1-day I regret - solar lights, RC helicopter, a parallel imported Galaxy S7, and many more. It was all crap. The best thing I ever did was forget that 1-day exists.

Oh and a portable Navman GPS with (only) USA maps that we took with us on our USA roadtrip in 2017, only to find that our rental car had built in sat nav.

mattwnz

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#3112543 7-Aug-2023 01:50

Purchasing a Samsung S3 instead of an iphone. Worst phone I ever had, slowed down terribly and so laggy, and ended up buying a iphone after 18 months, which is what I should have purchased originally.

mudguard

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#3112575 7-Aug-2023 07:12

mattwnz:

Purchasing a Samsung S3 instead of an iphone. Worst phone I ever had, slowed down terribly and so laggy, and ended up buying a iphone after 18 months, which is what I should have purchased originally.

That's interesting, I had an S3/4/5 and didn't really notice performance differences with them. I think I still have the 3 or 4 in a box at home.

reven

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#3112638 7-Aug-2023 09:33

Bought an OUYA, then sold it. years later i bought a couple for my console collection. but yeah terrible console, nice piece in the colleciton.

I bought a 2u hdmi over ethernet 1080p unit with 3 client boxes. thought i'd run this throughout my house. never used it, cost me $1700. taking up spcae in my warddrobe., waste of money.

Bought a 1u server off TM for $70, was going to put it my home lab, but the fans are jet engines. would be fine in server room, but not next to your desk :P

Geektastic

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#3112645 7-Aug-2023 09:43

neb: Can we also post unnecessary woodworking/metalworking/electronics/etc tool purchases here? Although if we do I think we're gonna need a bigger server. Edited to add: To illustrate, the EEVBlog thread on this topic currently runs to just under five thousand four hundred pages.

Sure, why not? 🤣

Although I doubt I will have many to add. I suppose my De Walt professional drill that makes perhaps a dozen holes in things (nothing to do with government spending...) a year might count!

reven

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#3112648 7-Aug-2023 09:57

oh in that case

ozito 235mm circular saw, way to big, pita to use. used it once.
bosch workbench drill press, the one with the wheel, pita to use, way to small
the full boar bigger drill press i got to replace the bosch, just stopped working on me, havent had the time to find out why
any and every toolshed brand tool i have ever bought, drop saw, router table, table top belt sander, dust extractor. I finally learnt not to buy their crap.

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