Shopping Discussion

Disney Fills the Landfill!

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  • Oct 28th, 2019 10:55 am
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Deal Guru
Jul 19, 2012
14763 posts
4912 upvotes
Montreal

Disney Fills the Landfill!

I really hate seeing this level of insane corporate greed (toss something in the landfill rather than dropping the price) from companies like Disney:

https://www.ebgames.ca/Toys-Collectible ... ld-destroy

https://www.ebgames.ca/Toys-Collectible ... ld-destroy

I know this happens all over North America (Europe has rules against it) and corporations continue to dump millions of tons of "don't leave money on the table" excess goods into the landfill but it still sickens me.
59 replies
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
31271 posts
17295 upvotes
JackWhyte wrote: toss something in the landfill rather than dropping the price
Don't get me wrong, I don't disagree, but these things are headed to the landfill either way.
Disney is just skipping a step so the owner doesn't have to do it a year or two later.
Do you not have anything else to do rather than argue with strangers on the internet
Nope. That's why I'm on the internet arguing with strangers. If I had anything better to do I'd probably be doing it.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 25, 2004
4495 posts
3437 upvotes
London
sounds like this is more an ebgames/gamestop problem there the ones thoughing it away rather then selling it for cheap or donating it. disney didn't tell them to though it away that's eb policy with games when they become unprofitable like sports ones they will though those in the dumpster and there head office tells them to use knifes to put cuts in the discs so dumpster divers wont take them controllers they are told to cut the cords on and other things they are told to smash them.
Member
Feb 22, 2017
429 posts
513 upvotes
Canada
A long, long time ago when I worked customer service at Canadian Tire, I had a lady come back and return 6 DVD players. They were all opened, and she couldn't get them to work (because she didn't understand you needed an extra box to hook them up to the TVs she had which were all old and used coax). The return policy back then was very lenient, so she got her money back. And the manufacturer (can't remember) had a "no open box" policy. I was absolutely stunned, just a teenager, looking at all these DVD players I'd love to have one, but nope, manager on duty -- take 'em to the back and crush them. I like to think we've gone past that level of waste but still have a ways to go.
Deal Fanatic
Jan 31, 2007
6370 posts
6730 upvotes
Center of Canada
Tell them to Apple / Corn / Wheat etc farmer as well.
******************************************************
Bright side of RFD: Often find good deal
Dark side of RFD: Tons of stuff that I don't need but still got them because of RFD
******************************************************
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2001
18944 posts
10527 upvotes
daveinsurgent wrote: A long, long time ago when I worked customer service at Canadian Tire, I had a lady come back and return 6 DVD players. They were all opened, and she couldn't get them to work (because she didn't understand you needed an extra box to hook them up to the TVs she had which were all old and used coax). The return policy back then was very lenient, so she got her money back. And the manufacturer (can't remember) had a "no open box" policy. I was absolutely stunned, just a teenager, looking at all these DVD players I'd love to have one, but nope, manager on duty -- take 'em to the back and crush them. I like to think we've gone past that level of waste but still have a ways to go.
I think it would open the eyes of a lot of people if they saw how returned items were often treated. Whether it's physical destruction or spraying it with paint if it cannot be destroyed (e.g. large metal object) there are many items simply disposed of because we, as customers, said "I don't want it".

We are all too often hidden from these realities. Yet if we knew more about how things actually work we might change our behaviour (whether it's willingly or being guilted into it from others who now know better).
Deal Addict
Jan 12, 2017
3685 posts
4751 upvotes
B.C.
what am I looking at?
two links are to product page on EBgames
Deal Expert
Jun 30, 2006
21132 posts
9788 upvotes
Toronto
Not sure what point OP is making. A ton of product goes to Landfills.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Aug 14, 2001
5231 posts
4105 upvotes
Yesva Scotia
Dreamrider wrote: what am I looking at?
two links are to product page on EBgames
I looked earlier and the product titles had "set-to-field-destroy" in them. You can still see it in the URL.

I assumed that meant they were going to the garbage?
😱
Deal Expert
Jun 30, 2006
21132 posts
9788 upvotes
Toronto
Well it's not Disney it's Mattel that has the license, so blame Mattel not Disney.
Deal Fanatic
Mar 10, 2004
7220 posts
5991 upvotes
The destroy rather than discount is a common practice - I fished a new snowblower (2 cycle Murray complete with owner's manual) out of the dumpster at a Walmart - I was there watching the mechanic spray my car with rustproofing (it was the Thursday before Good Friday - first warmish sunny day in a long dreary winter and they had the Automotive Dept bay doors open) when the manager wheeled the snowblower out and placed it in the dumpster. So I asked the mechanic what the deal was - he told me the "snowblower was being written off as not for sale" - I asked if I could buy it for a discount - I was told no it had to be destroyed as per the mfr instructions for Walmart to receive a credit from the mfr. I asked if I could have it and the mechanic replied that only he, the manager and I knew it was in the dumpster and if I happened to come back when the store was closed to "dumpster dive" - no one would be the wiser.
I went back the next morning at 7 am (it was the Good Fri holiday and Walmart was closed) - pulled that snowblower out of the dumpster and took it home.
Lots of engine compression but it wouldn't start - basic troubleshooting narrowed it down to a faulty on/off switch - I pulled the spade tip off the switch which removed the ground and it fired up on the first pull.

I heard stories of a certain higher end leather goods store where employees threw out lightly used/damaged customer returns and slit them to shreds with a box cutter rather than selling them at a discount or giving them to the homeless.

Years ago, I managed to get a pile of Pulsar brand cordless phones from someone I knew who worked at the Maple Garbage Dump in the GTA who watched a truck full of Crappy Tire returns being dumped into landfill. The employees of the dump were expressly forbidden (under threat of termination) from "garbage picking" but many did anyway. I managed to make a couple of functional phones out of the half dozen I was given.

Many of us are familiar with the Atari ET game story:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/j ... -game-ever
Deal Expert
Jun 30, 2006
21132 posts
9788 upvotes
Toronto
The same case with fast food especially Cinnamon buns. They throw them out rather than discount it or donate it.
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2001
18944 posts
10527 upvotes
hierophant wrote: It truly sucks - Amazon destroys millions of unsold products instead of donating it https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-war ... a-reports/

Supermarkets rather toss stuff in the garbage than donating it or marking it down significantly days before expiry - disgusting.
It's misleading to say that "Amazon destroys" because they are often destroying products at the direction of a seller. A seller who would rather pay less to have them destroyed than donate.

However Amazon is stepping up to make it cheaper to donate:
Sellers told CNBC the new program makes it cheaper to donate than to dispose or ask for items to be returned, where Amazon charges 50 cents and 15 cents, respectively. The program will also be the new default for sellers, though they can choose to opt-out, if desired.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/15/amazo ... o-charity/
Deal Expert
Dec 5, 2006
16787 posts
12571 upvotes
Markham
hierophant wrote: It truly sucks - Amazon destroys millions of unsold products instead of donating it https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-war ... a-reports/

Supermarkets rather toss stuff in the garbage than donating it or marking it down significantly days before expiry - disgusting.
For donations, I am wondering whether it's because those foods or whatever could cause sick or allergies which might create legal or reputation problem
Deal Addict
Apr 26, 2013
4104 posts
4052 upvotes
Toronto
Welcome to North America.
Deal Fanatic
Feb 4, 2010
7156 posts
7137 upvotes
TrevorK wrote: It's misleading to say that "Amazon destroys" because they are often destroying products at the direction of a seller. A seller who would rather pay less to have them destroyed than donate.

However Amazon is stepping up to make it cheaper to donate:
Sellers told CNBC the new program makes it cheaper to donate than to dispose or ask for items to be returned, where Amazon charges 50 cents and 15 cents, respectively. The program will also be the new default for sellers, though they can choose to opt-out, if desired.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/15/amazo ... o-charity/
Potato potahto. They setup the terms with their merchants - they could have easily had agreements where anything not sold is donated, not destroyed. They're one of the most powerful companies in the world - they have the power to do that - the onus is on them. If that weren't true then Amazon wouldn't NOW be makign it cheaper to donate. They're only doing that now, after public outcry. I'm not going to debate on this any further.
smartie wrote: For donations, I am wondering whether it's because those foods or whatever could cause sick or allergies which might create legal or reputation problem
Ummm no because you're selling or donating items them BEFORE they are expired. Also it's common knowledge that many products can be eaten well past the best before dates - those dates are just suggestions, doesn't mean you just toss stuff out - use common sense, or at least your sense of smell and sight.
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2001
18944 posts
10527 upvotes
hierophant wrote: Potato potahto. They setup the terms with their merchants - they could have easily had agreements where anything not sold is donated, not destroyed. They're one of the most powerful companies in the world - they have the power to do that - the onus is on them. If that weren't true then Amazon wouldn't NOW be makign it cheaper to donate. They're only doing that now, after public outcry. I'm not going to debate on this any further.
If it costs more to donate an item than to destroy it, the cost should reflect it. Further they cannot force their merchants to donate instead of destroy.

The onus is on their sellers, not the platform. It's like blaming a shopping mall for stores offering plastic bags rather than banning them from every store.
Sr. Member
Dec 1, 2015
813 posts
338 upvotes
Toronto, ON
From the headline of this thread, I thought it would be about Rose Tico toys.

Also, see Atari E.T.
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2006
31271 posts
17295 upvotes
cheapshopper wrote: Tell them to Apple / Corn / Wheat etc farmer as well.
Food in general.
It's even worse when perfectly good but ugly food has to be destroyed because a customer doesn't want anything but a perfect specimen.
carmaster wrote: Not sure what point OP is making. A ton of product goes to Landfills.
A ton of product goes to the landfill needlessly.
plymouthhater wrote: The destroy rather than discount is a common practice
It "makes sense" from a business perspective too.
Ever notice that Apple never goes on sale?
If you discount enough, people will think of the sale price as the regular price. An example would be Canadian Tire. You have to be insane to buy anything at full price at Canadian Tire and their sale prices are really no better than most people's sales despite being 99% off.
smartie wrote: For donations, I am wondering whether it's because those foods or whatever could cause sick or allergies which might create legal or reputation problem
In some places (France I think was the first one I heard about) they're changing laws around donations where the donator can't be sued.
It makes sense because food production places toss a frankly embarrassing amount of perfectly good food away.
The only thing stopping them is a frivolous lawsuit.
Do you not have anything else to do rather than argue with strangers on the internet
Nope. That's why I'm on the internet arguing with strangers. If I had anything better to do I'd probably be doing it.

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