Scrutable

I’ve got a small cafetiere I keep at work. I think it’s sold as a 3 cup, which means it does 1 mug. Anyway, I’ve had it maybe six years and the mesh filter is starting to break up so I’m browsing the web looking for a replacement. Amazon would like me to subscribe to a regular replacement service for them, and claims the most popular interval is 4 months. What?

Recurring revenue... all companies are chasing it. The crazy one for me is car companies selling subscriptions to access features of the car. E.g. Unlock the drivers seat massage function for €10/month (I made that one up, wouldnt he surprised if someone is doing it though).

Grumble wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:44 pm I’ve got a small cafetiere I keep at work. I think it’s sold as a 3 cup, which means it does 1 mug. Anyway, I’ve had it maybe six years and the mesh filter is starting to break up so I’m browsing the web looking for a replacement. Amazon would like me to subscribe to a regular replacement service for them, and claims the most popular interval is 4 months. What?

You're luck, I am shortly going to have to throw ny cafetiere away because the mesh has disintegrated and being an odd size I can't replace it.
The internal diameter of the cafetiere is 80mm, so the mesh needs to be 90mm dia. 100mm is too big.

Boustrophedon wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 9:15 am

Grumble wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:44 pm I’ve got a small cafetiere I keep at work. I think it’s sold as a 3 cup, which means it does 1 mug. Anyway, I’ve had it maybe six years and the mesh filter is starting to break up so I’m browsing the web looking for a replacement. Amazon would like me to subscribe to a regular replacement service for them, and claims the most popular interval is 4 months. What?

You're luck, I am shortly going to have to throw ny cafetiere away because the mesh has disintegrated and being an odd size I can't replace it.
The internal diameter of the cafetiere is 80mm, so the mesh needs to be 90mm dia. 100mm is too big.

What size is the mesh?
It seems relatively easy to buy mesh online, could you bodge a replacement?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252712442303

Boustrophedon wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 9:15 am

Grumble wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:44 pm I’ve got a small cafetiere I keep at work. I think it’s sold as a 3 cup, which means it does 1 mug. Anyway, I’ve had it maybe six years and the mesh filter is starting to break up so I’m browsing the web looking for a replacement. Amazon would like me to subscribe to a regular replacement service for them, and claims the most popular interval is 4 months. What?

You're luck, I am shortly going to have to throw ny cafetiere away because the mesh has disintegrated and being an odd size I can't replace it.
The internal diameter of the cafetiere is 80mm, so the mesh needs to be 90mm dia. 100mm is too big.

I’d have thought a man with your skills could cut some mesh to size, roll the edge and drill a hole through the middle. Given the right metal working tools of course. Probably need to fit a collet in the middle too.

TopBadger wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:11 am Recurring revenue... all companies are chasing it. The crazy one for me is car companies selling subscriptions to access features of the car. E.g. Unlock the drivers seat massage function for €10/month (I made that one up, wouldnt he surprised if someone is doing it though).

Yeah noticed that trying to find a magnetic whiteboard to stick on the fridge. Almost all of the hits link to Amazon. Ho hum, off I go to look there and most have got this recurring order thing, that apparently you can cancel. Stuff that. I can sort of get it for consumables (whether actual food or things that get used up), but why on earth would I need to keep buying magnetic whiteboards?

FlammableFlower wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:32 am

TopBadger wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:11 am Recurring revenue... all companies are chasing it. The crazy one for me is car companies selling subscriptions to access features of the car. E.g. Unlock the drivers seat massage function for €10/month (I made that one up, wouldnt he surprised if someone is doing it though).

Yeah noticed that trying to find a magnetic whiteboard to stick on the fridge. Almost all of the hits link to Amazon. Ho hum, off I go to look there and most have got this recurring order thing, that apparently you can cancel. Stuff that. I can sort of get it for consumables (whether actual food or things that get used up), but why on earth would I need to keep buying magnetic whiteboards?

Did it suggest permanent markers as a "people who bought this also bought"?

TopBadger wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:11 am Recurring revenue... all companies are chasing it. The crazy one for me is car companies selling subscriptions to access features of the car. E.g. Unlock the drivers seat massage function for €10/month (I made that one up, wouldnt he surprised if someone is doing it though).

BMW 's £15/month for heated seats isn't far off https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/07/1 ... re-of-cars

Bird on a Fire wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 12:47 pm

TopBadger wrote: Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:11 am Recurring revenue... all companies are chasing it. The crazy one for me is car companies selling subscriptions to access features of the car. E.g. Unlock the drivers seat massage function for €10/month (I made that one up, wouldnt he surprised if someone is doing it though).

BMW 's £15/month for heated seats isn't far off https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/07/1 ... re-of-cars

Tesla have made Bluetooth connection to their entertainment console a 'charge for' feature after the 8th year (I think)

Grumble wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:44 pm I’ve got a small cafetiere I keep at work. I think it’s sold as a 3 cup, which means it does 1 mug. Anyway, I’ve had it maybe six years and the mesh filter is starting to break up so I’m browsing the web looking for a replacement. Amazon would like me to subscribe to a regular replacement service for them, and claims the most popular interval is 4 months. What?

I normally subscribe to save the money then cancel the subscription the next day

Stranger Mouse wrote: Thu Oct 13, 2022 3:33 pm

Grumble wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:44 pm I’ve got a small cafetiere I keep at work. I think it’s sold as a 3 cup, which means it does 1 mug. Anyway, I’ve had it maybe six years and the mesh filter is starting to break up so I’m browsing the web looking for a replacement. Amazon would like me to subscribe to a regular replacement service for them, and claims the most popular interval is 4 months. What?

I normally subscribe to save the money then cancel the subscription the next day

Does this mean that you're throwing away the subscription? Another example of Throwaway Society!

I took out a printer cartridge subscription when I bought my printer, cause they push them and to be honest the price worked out as roughly 1 of each cartridge per year, which seemed reasonable, plus the added convenience of the new ones turning up automagically.

Except, in the two years I've had it I've not need to change the cartridges until now. And they haven't sent new ones, and I've had two customer service tickets open, one since August, that are being ignored.

So I'll cancel it when this month's subscription is up (otherwise they remotely cancel your printer), and try to pursue a refund lol.

It's probably most cost efficient to buy the cheapest same-sized cafetiere and taking the mesh out of that. It seems materially wasteful, but the efficiency of mass production means that someone else can make whole cafetieres for less than the time and effort to you to craft another filter from mesh by yourself.

Is somebody on a subscription model of chancellors? (is there an upgrade to PMs?) the last one didn't seem as well put together as the ones we started out with.

Just had to buy a new rubber seal for my aeropress, as it had finally perished after 10 years.

Got a new one for 7€ plus p+p, and it was very easy to swap out - good as new!

Bird on a Fire wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:11 pm Just had to buy a new rubber seal for my aeropress, as it had finally perished after 10 years.

Got a new one for 7€ plus p+p, and it was very easy to swap out - good as new!

They changed the rubber material a few years ago (from nitrile to silicone I suspect) and - fingers crossed - the new ones seem to be long-lasting.

Martin Y wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:40 pm

Bird on a Fire wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:11 pm Just had to buy a new rubber seal for my aeropress, as it had finally perished after 10 years.

Got a new one for 7€ plus p+p, and it was very easy to swap out - good as new!

They changed the rubber material a few years ago (from nitrile to silicone I suspect) and - fingers crossed - the new ones seem to be long-lasting.

Ah cool! I'll set up my recurring Amazon delivery for once a decade, then

We have a heavily-used shared Aeropress at work and the original rubber bung on the plunger leaked after a couple of years. New type has outlasted it.

Martin Y wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 5:15 pm We have a heavily-used shared Aeropress at work and the original rubber bung on the plunger leaked after a couple of years. New type has outlasted it.

To be fair there were a few years when it sat in a cupboard in the UK while I was gallivanting. But I've gotta say I'm impressed with the longevity.

Prime Ministers don't seem to last as long as they used to.

dyqik wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 6:40 pm Prime Ministers don't seem to last as long as they used to.

They just don't make them like they used to.

dyqik wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 6:40 pm Prime Ministers don't seem to last as long as they used to.

Maybe Brady forgot to cancel his recurring subscription?

Bird on a Fire wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 4:41 pm

Martin Y wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:40 pm

Bird on a Fire wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:11 pm Just had to buy a new rubber seal for my aeropress, as it had finally perished after 10 years.

Got a new one for 7€ plus p+p, and it was very easy to swap out - good as new!

They changed the rubber material a few years ago (from nitrile to silicone I suspect) and - fingers crossed - the new ones seem to be long-lasting.

Ah cool! I'll set up my recurring Amazon delivery for once a decade, then

I did wonder how you’d set it