Companies Forcing Purchase with Proprietary Features

[UCFRogerz]

So I got a fancy new GE Cafe fridge back in August. Well it is time to replace the water filter, RPWFE. $50 for a GE OEM replacement filter. OK I'll buy third party like I did with my previous fridge for like $12. There are no third party replacements BECAUSE GE decided that charging $50 for a $10 water filter that has and RFID chip on the side is A-OK. Keep in mind this is the exact same filter as the common RPWF it just has a "This is a GE filter" RFID sticker on the side.

So here are my choices as I know them right now.

• Spend $50 on a GE RPWFE water filter.
• Spend $12 on a 3rd party RPWF water filter, cut the RFID chip off the original filter, and deal with my fridge telling me my filter needs to be replaced forever.

**** you GE.

and **** you too, Keurig, for presumably starting this RFID bullshit.

 

[1ofTheseKnights]

All about squeezing more shekels out.

Kinda similar: love reading my new Ford Exploder manual. It tells me what parts to use but not actually how to do the work like owner's manuals of the past. Instead it says take it to the dealer. Totally fücking garbage.

Eventually we're going to have to fight these machines. What happens when the ATMs revolt?

 

[UCFWayne]

 

[chemmie]

Why do you hate Capitalism?

 

[UCF11and1]

If it is made in America, pay the $50

 

[CommuterBob]

All about squeezing more shekels out.

Kinda similar: love reading my new Ford Exploder manual. It tells me what parts to use but not actually how to do the work like owner's manuals of the past. Instead it says take it to the dealer. Totally fücking garbage.

Eventually we're going to have to fight these machines. What happens when the ATMs revolt?

That's the same as the manual of every car I have bought since 2001. You tube videos help a lot with stuff like that though. What's crap is that I have to take the front bumper off of my wife's Buick to replace a light bulb for one of the daytime running lights. So if I took that to the dealer, I'd have to pay like $300 to change a bulb that costs $3.

And video games are the same, too. Buy that new game for $60, but be prepared to buy add-ons within the game, too.

 

[SublimeKnight]

So I got a fancy new GE Cafe fridge back in August. Well it is time to replace the water filter, RPWFE. $50 for a GE OEM replacement filter. OK I'll buy third party like I did with my previous fridge for like $12. There are no third party replacements BECAUSE GE decided that charging $50 for a $10 water filter that has and RFID chip on the side is A-OK. Keep in mind this is the exact same filter as the common RPWF it just has a "This is a GE filter" RFID sticker on the side.

So here are my choices as I know them right now.

• Spend $50 on a GE RPWFE water filter.
• Spend $12 on a 3rd party RPWF water filter, cut the RFID chip off the original filter, and deal with my fridge telling me my filter needs to be replaced forever.

**** you GE.

and **** you too, Keurig, for presumably starting this RFID bullshit.

Just to piss you off a little more, there is a good reason they use RFID. By adding it, if anyone does attempt to make an OEM equivalent or even post info on how to bypass it, GE can leverage overreaching anti-hacking laws the music industry has lobbied to create. This is the same reason that Keurig uses RFIDs in their new brewers/k-cups. Even though they're simple to hack, you could find yourself arrested for felony hacking for selling a k-cup with a non-legitimate RFID on it.

 

[1ofTheseKnights]

That's the same as the manual of every car I have bought since 2001. You tube videos help a lot with stuff like that though. What's crap is that I have to take the front bumper off of my wife's Buick to replace a light bulb for one of the daytime running lights. So if I took that to the dealer, I'd have to pay like $300 to change a bulb that costs $3.

And video games are the same, too. Buy that new game for $60, but be prepared to buy add-ons within the game, too.

Awful. I swear my 05 Silverado has instructions on what I think of as "basic bitch" stuff like light bulbs engine filter but it's also pretty obvious how shit works. I'm just sour grapes the two chevys, 1 honda & 1 subaru seemed much easier to do shit on

 

[UCFWayne]

Eventually we're going to have to fight these machines. What happens when the ATMs revolt?

Pretty sure I saw that movie, didnt turn out to well for us.

 

[OmniKnight]

simplify

fancy s*** is for fools

 

[EweSeaEff]

my new Ford Exploder manual.

Man, talk about "fix or repair daily"!

 

[1ofTheseKnights]

Man, talk about "fix or repair daily"!

Wasn't my car, but a car to end spousal bitching & resumption of mass quantities beejs & anal

 

[USFSucks]

I say good for them, if I had a company and the ability to do shit like this you bet my ass I would.

 

[cnsaguy]

Wasn't my car, but a car to end spousal bitching & resumption of mass quantities beejs & anal

She let you have a side chick?

 

[UCFRogerz]

Update. I bought the $12 filter, slapped the RFID tag from the old filter onto it and now have nice, cool, filtered water. My fridge also claims that the new filter expired 30 days ago. **** you GE.

This is how GE gets you to buy a new filter. No RFID tag and install the filter, the fridge claims that it detected a leak and shuts down the water. Bull. Shit.

 

[UCFWayne]

Thank you for sharing. Now I will never buy a GE fridge.

 

[UCFRogerz]

Thank you for sharing. Now I will never buy a GE fridge.

Yeah. The leak detection very well may be a true feature of this filter/fridge but at least allow the option to say "no thanks, I prefer filters that are 1/5 the cost."

Actually, on second thought, I'm not so sure about that. The RFID chip is held in place by a sticker that seems to have a plastic coating. I'm not so sure just how well this thing would detect a leak if you can't saturate that sticker backing.

 

[1ofTheseKnights]

Look at what's in ur water - what your filter filters & report back.

 

[NinjaKnight]

Simple solution: Just drink your local tap water, bonus man points if you live in MI or one of dozens of other cities around the US and you get that sweet lead taste included for free