Another rip-off

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Internet purchases

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

When i was looking around for the weights I wanted to buy COVID has reduced availability with lots of folk buying their own. I finally found the sets I wnatd at 'standard' price on Amazon and saved the link with intent to order the next day after discussion with OH.

When i went back to the link they were unavailable and I was presented with similar items at between 50-100% more. This is a bit like package holiday purchases for folk hunting arund – the prices suddenly start to go up. I went to my shed PC off a seperate router and the original weights at original price were offered again.

Yesterday i had need to order a new oven. I found the one I wanted on a 'cheap' site and out of interest looked up the same model on Amazon. It was 40% more expensive. it's not 'you get what you pay for' as much as 'you get what you get ripped off for' in many cases. Oven turned up today, works fine has the same warranties etc.

caveat emptor

pgk

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

You have an option to "clear all history" which zaps annoying stuff like tracking cookies

I have my browser set to do this every time I shut it down

tools/options/privacy/clear-all-history kinda thing

Edited By Ady1 on 19/11/2020 14:24:30

[John BaronParticipant @johnbaron31275]

Hi pgk,

This is all down to the cookies and other data that gets stored on your computer. Much of it hidden or encrypted !

Supposedly clearing cookies, history and other stuff gets rid of this spying on you. Unfortunately not always !

I've found megabytes of stuff stored hidden from view on my machine. With web sites now asking you to approve cookies etc, you have given permission, cart blanch for what ever, who ever wants to store on your machine.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Have a general clearance!

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by John Baron on 19/11/2020 14:27:35:

Hi pgk,

This is all down to the cookies and other data that gets stored on your computer. Much of it hidden or encrypted !

Supposedly clearing cookies, history and other stuff gets rid of this spying on you. Unfortunately not always !

I've found megabytes of stuff stored hidden from view on my machine. With web sites now asking you to approve cookies etc, you have given permission, cart blanch for what ever, who ever wants to store on your machine.

As it happens I have my browser set to delete cookies on exit and I also clear them with CCleaner every session so it wasn't just that – some storage at Amazon's end…

pgk

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hi,
Depending on the browser you are using (Mozilla FireFox, IE or Edge), you can find out what cookies are deposited on your machine and, if you want to be selective, choose which ones you want to remove using a free tool.
For that purpose I use a free and easy to use application. Possibly other tools will do the same …
Check here please: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/iecookies.html

greetings from
Dias Costa

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

the more sophisticated trackers don’t bother with cookies but effectively fingerprint your machine by creating a unique checksum derived from your browser apps, fonts used, etc – probably also your MAC address (apple foxed this one by using a random MAC when asked – Microsoft uses a similar checksum on machine facilities eg ammount of memory, processor type etc to block transfers of its O/s – I don’t know how much info is actually available to Javascript which is the mechanism by which this theft (+ much more) is carried out – Firefox says it blocks many such but since it accepted Googles dirty money I’m no longer 100% sure of its purity.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Weights nowadays are just lumps of concrete covered n plastic. Bit of a rip off anyway and of course shipping by definition is expensive on them. Better off just doing some gardening or log shifting.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Weights nowadays are just lumps of concrete covered n plastic.

Ahhh! I thought he was going fishing, or had an old type set of scales (the ones with fancy brass weights).🙂

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by Bazyle on 19/11/2020 18:11:18:

Weights nowadays are just lumps of concrete covered n plastic. Bit of a rip off anyway and of course shipping by definition is expensive on them. Better off just doing some gardening or log shifting.

I specifically chose cast iron – reports of cheap plastic ones 'wearing' out and the smallest weights might be repurposed. As for log shifting etc – I do enough of that and to get the job done usually use tractor and loader bucket or PTO rotorvator etc. Feel free to come round and do it manually if you wish in Welsh rain. I've got a mile or two of hedge that could do with pruning as well. Heck you could even mpw the lawn with an old-fashioned push mower if you like – but I usually use a 6-foot cutter deck and it still takes 2 hrs. Then there's 40 aces of fields I could do with a scythe but choose to use a topper on….

pgk

[John BaronParticipant @johnbaron31275]

Posted by pgk pgk on 19/11/2020 14:56:14:

Posted by John Baron on 19/11/2020 14:27:35:

Hi pgk,

This is all down to the cookies and other data that gets stored on your computer. Much of it hidden or encrypted !

Supposedly clearing cookies, history and other stuff gets rid of this spying on you. Unfortunately not always !

I've found megabytes of stuff stored hidden from view on my machine. With web sites now asking you to approve cookies etc, you have given permission, cart blanch for what ever, who ever wants to store on your machine.

As it happens I have my browser set to delete cookies on exit and I also clear them with CCleaner every session so it wasn't just that – some storage at Amazon's end…

pgk

Hi pgk,

Amazon don't need to keep your information, they store it all on your computer !

If you are a Wins user you will find great difficulty in removing or preventing data being stored about you. Someone mentioned Firefox, which is one of the browsers that I use. Yes you can tell it to use private browsing and to delete data and cookies, which it will. But it won't remove the data that is stored in other places. It doesn't have control of that. The web site decides what and where its going to put the data that it wants to keep.

I've done all sorts of things to subvert the storing of stuff on my machine and it just puts stuff somewhere else. Wins aids and abets this behaviour.

Android is even worse ! That OS is now a marketing tool.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

John Barob

The real thing is that this shonky modern approach to sales, trying to push folk to buy a more expensive item by pretending their first choice has gone, needs jumping on where possible by making others aware.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Seems like most sites are able to track you easily and even more so if you follow up their emails (after checking if genuine)

Just out of interest last year I was looking for shredders on Amazon, after a few days of repeatedly looking at the same one I got an email saying it was reduced for me.

Edited By V8Eng on 19/11/2020 21:32:05

Edited By V8Eng on 19/11/2020 21:33:25

[Anonymous]

Posted by pgk pgk on 19/11/2020 20:10:21:

The real thing is that this shonky modern approach to sales, trying to push folk to buy a more expensive item by pretending their first choice has gone, needs jumping on where possible by making others aware.

Another common practice (WalMart uses this):

The item states there are only one or two left in stock "order now hurry, hurry …. did we say hurry?

So the order goes through and a day or so later to get an email saying "sorry they are now back-ordered and delivery will; be ….). This is so common that it seems obvious that it's an order-on-demand system in the first place.

[Author]

Posts