OT: Unopenable packaging

[Davey]

I had one available if I had wanted to, but this seemed a better way to get into it once I had created a gap.

[Chris French]

In message , Davey writes

And of course it will work sitting in the car with a map or where ever.

Google Earth is fine, but you need a laptop or desktop to run it, no good on just a smartphone or a tablet. Even with roads, Goolemaps on the phone doesn't allow you to choose your route in the same way, by forcing it to go certain ways (which is understandable really, given it's intended use).

I have a a smartphone, tablet, laptop, handheld GPS etc. but I also have a map measurer still in the car. it's still the quickest easiest way to quickly measure a route sometimes (actually, with a paper map, 'counting the squares' is usually good enough)

[879]

Doesn?t explain why even the very large stuff that is impossible to put in your pocket also comes in the same unopenable packaging.

[Bob Eager]

That's to stop people opening it and fiddling with it.

[Bill Wright]

I can't believe how many men don't carry a penknife these days. Ridiculous!

Bill

[Jonno]

Davey scribbled

They're a pita, one slip and it's start again. I was glad to see the back of mine.

You can zoom in with Earth to get the route correct. Save your routes, give them a route name and different colours and turn them on/off - otherwise the map can end up looking like a patchwork quilt. I used it all the time on the local hills, then picked up a Garmin Forerunner for about £20 on Ebay and that will save your route and will transfer it to Google Earth when you've got home.

[Jonno]

Bill Wright scribbled

Yup. You never know when a boy scout might need a stone removing from his hoof.

[Jonno]

Clive George scribbled

A Garmin can transfer a route straight to Earth.

[Jeff Layman]

Quite right! A small, Swiss-army type of penknife is invaluable. I can't count how many times I've used mine for odd things, and often get asked "Have you got your knife? Can you do xyz, please?" It never seems to occur to others to carry their own. And not just men. Women have that Tardis thing, don't they? What's it called... oh, yes, a "handbag". Full of the most unimaginable junk, but no room for even a small penknife.

I was just thinking that the OP's problem might be solved somewhat more effectively by the can-opener on the penknife, rather than the blade. I must try it next time I get one of those packages.

[charles]

+1 to "swiss army knife". Invaluable for getting boy scouts out of horses' hooves.

[Dave Liquorice]

That's what I do, about the best way to get into the damn things. May only need to cut adjacent sides to get the product out. The packaging is then still sturdy enoough to store the product.

Why not? How can you try the product without opening the packaging? Many places say all returns must be complete with all packaging and all instructions. It doesn't say what condition the packaging.instructions have to be in. I'm not convinced that having to return the packaging/instructions is enforceable anyway. It's the goods that are being rejected, the rest is incidental.

[Davey]

Sounds reasonable to me.

[Davey]

Does it leave a trail as it does it? Or do you mean Google Earth? No need to be lazy.

[Davey]

I wondered about this as well. I would think that the condition of the packaging would be important if you were returning the item because you didn't like it, but if it had proved to be faulty, then the supplier would have to take it back in whatever condition the packaging was. But because this is a sensible interpretation, it's probably incorrect.

[Dave Liquorice]

Or a "Leatherman" or other multi-tool.

Be careful, trust me... That clear plastic is damn tough but flexible, the can opener doesn't have anything to lever against. Using just a blade is a bit risky because the plastic is tough but can suddenly give way and it's far to easy to have the hand holding the packet in front of the blade... The wire cutters can cut across the weld and make a hole into which the balde can be inserted and use like a letter opener with holding hand behind the blade.

But really the scissors are the safest and quickest wasy.

[Adrian Caspersz]

Pocket Angle Grinder ...

[Jonno]

Davey scribbled

it chalks arrows on the ground. Won't work atm with all the wet we're getting.

[879]

Essentially because they can't sell it to someone else like that.

You can't but in most cases if it does do what it says it can do, you don't get to have a full refund if you don't like how it does that.

Plenty say that it must be in saleable condition.

It isnt if it doesn't do what it claims to do, or isnt of merchantable quality. But it is if it is both of those and you just don't like the way it does that.

Not if they are going to sell it to someone else.

[879]

It is actually correct.

[Chris French]

In message , 879 writes

you seem not to know about the Distance Selling Regulations (though IIRC they have been subsumed into some other more recent regs since the initial introduction)

Basically they say you are allowed to remove items from the packaging to inspect them. If the packaging is damaged so be it. The idea is to put you in the same situation as you would be in a shop, where you could physically inspect the goods.

Ok, I guess there is possibly moot point here with this particular packaging as I guess in a shop you could ague you might not get to inspect it anymore than that anyway. But I think the force of the regulations would lie with the buyer here.

And no ICNBA to find a link, search for DSR if you want to read about it, lots on the web.