What brands do you avoid at all cost? I don’t keep up with the news all that much, and many of the reasons to avoid something don’t make it there anyway. So I’m asking here to make a big list of things to avoid. It could be anything from bad security practices to really frustrating packaging. Working as a cashier myself, I definitely know there are plenty of brands I avoid purely on the basis that their product is a pain to stock.
On the flip side, what’s the alternative? If you avoid Pepsi, for example, what do you turn to instead?
You must log in or register to comment.
This might be an unpopular opinion but I avoid Western Digital hard drives after their two recent issues:
-
In 2020, they silently started selling SMR (shingled magnetic recording) drives as NAS drives, without labeling them as such, even though they’re not appropriate for use in a NAS. They can get very slow and cause issues during RAID rebuilds. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/wd-fesses-up-some-red-hdds-use-slow-smr-tech
-
In 2023, they started flagging drives with a warning just because they had been powered on for three years (26,280 hours), even if all the SMART data was fine. The “fix” was updating systems like Synology to totally ignore WD’s alerting (WDDA) and only use SMART. I think the warnings are still present, but NAS software just ignores them now. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/06/clearly-predatory-western-digital-sparks-panic-anger-for-age-shaming-hdds/
Both were intentional changes to try and increase profits.
I’m using Seagate Exos drives, which are the same price or even cheaper than WD Red Pro drives, when on sale.
When I first started using external drives I always used WD. I had two fail on me. Switched to sea gate and the one drive I got is still kicking. Will never use WD again.
Huh, I didn’t know about that. I only bought mine because they were the only ones the store offered, but I guess I’ll try to find another brand when it comes time to replace them. I’ve been meaning to get a new NAS sometime anyway, so that’s a good excuse as any to do so.
Their drives are good quality and work well. I just don’t want to give them any money after they intentionally misled customers :)
I’m in the USA and bought two brand new Seagate Exos “X20” 20TB drives for around $250 each last year. One from Newegg and one from ServerPartDeals. Normal price is over $350, but I’m sure they’ll be on sale again at some point.
-
Bad dragon, my tiny rose petal still gets sore on rainy days
Tesla
Chick-fil-A
Still, after all these years?
Always.
I try and not support many corporate brands, and buy local produce and meats.
It’s easier to avoid problem companies by not buying any of the millions of cheap snack foods that are basically just repackaged corn syrup and starches.
Many store-brand foods because they’re made with half garbage.
HP - their printers and subscription models pissed me off so much that I want nothing to do with them.
Apple - 'nuff said
at&t, comcast, tobacco co’s
Nestlé, Amazon, Coca Cola, Mars & its associates, Mondelez (“Kraft” for the 'muricans). I try to avoid basically any corporation greedy enough to go against human rights in the name of profits.
I agree with your list, but I also have to point out the irony of throwing in a “for the 'muricans” in reference to an American multinational company.
But where will you get your super processed food?
Most fashion clothing brands.
The additional expenditure rarely maps to better quality.
And if they make watches too, don’t buy those. They are always the cheapest watches with a name stamped on.
Yeah, pretty much anything luxury. I make a point to buy knockoffs if I need the same class of product, because I know I’m paying a premium for intangible marketing bullshit otherwise.
Less than half of them are legit. You want to buy $15 pants 10 times or buy $70 pants once. Budget says $70 is a luxury. So we keep at it. It’s expensive to be poor.
No, I meant “luxury brands”. Buying something better quality but not flashy doesn’t count. Nobody is impressed I’m wearing GAP instead of Walmart.
Same here regarding fashion brands, except for Duluth Trading for clothing and Ariat and Hoka for shoes. When working out in the elements and walking on concrete all day, I find the extra expense for those brands are worth it for me.
Dell Microsoft Roku Sony Briggs & Stratton Duracell
All of the above companies have failed me for the Last. Time. Admiral Piet. We’re done.
MS make a decent mouse as it goes.
I’ve been using Logitech trackballs since Clinton was president.
I know it’s not the point of the post but what do you use? I hated trackballs back then.
I had one of these for awhile, then a Trackman Optical, and that lasted until the M570 came out and I’ve been using those until now.
Sony
Tesla, Red Bull, Believe Music, Microsoft, Samsung, so many more I can’t think of right now
Nestle.
Microsoft and Lenovo
I’m not that familiar with them; why Lenovo?
Dollar, Hertz and Thrifty car rental. Also Budget, but for different reasons.
Never use Dollar, Hertz or Thrifty under any circumstances unless you want to be fucked. Never prepay with Budget unless you want to be fucked.
Can confirm, got fucked by Hertz last time I rented a car. Who’s your go to?
I truly do not know. I was using Budget, my truck was in the shop and two days’ rental was going to be $142. Two hours after reserving it my mechanic tells me he’s going to have me done today - so I cancel the reservation.
Because I chose “pay now” rather than “pay later”, I’m charged a $150 cancellation fee on a $142 rental (the fee posted on the website - $50 - is not for “prepaid” “same day” cancellations - not that the website told me this anywhere obvious, of course).
So I literally would have done better financially to drive the fucking thing around for two days for no good reason.
Protesting to customer service gets me a resounding “go fuck yourself.”
I’m now open to suggestions, I was using Budget because they had the best prices of what remained to me, but never again.
Damn. I’d have tried a chargeback, especially if their site is incorrect or misleading (idk how recently this was). It’s damn near impossible to see who actually has the best prices because you can’t tell what anything really costs until they tack on all the horse shit fees after returning the car.
Hertz left me stranded in Austin TX last time I was there. Rented a car for a week. They let me think I had a car until the morning of my reservation, when it was an hour before pickup to notify me that “sorry we’re cancelling you”. I had no other options, every other place in town was out of cars. Most said I needed a reservation and I had to think to myself how stupid it was.
I spent over 500 in Ubers on that trip going stupidly long distances.
As soon as I was home I dropped my Hertz membership and joined Enterprise. They cost a bit more but I have never been treated that way. Hertz/Dollar/Thrifty are all pretty much the same, so I’ll never use them again.
Dollar, Thrifty and Hertz are all the same company now. They intentionally overbook. I don’t know the exact reason why, short of naked profiteering and not giving a fuck.
The last time I rented with them (initially Dollar) I booked several months beforehand and when I got up to their kiosks, I ended up getting one of the last cars that they had on hand. I know I got one of the last because as I was waiting (for hours), they first closed the Dollar storefront, then they closed the Thrifty storefront - funneling everybody into one line ultimately ending up at the Hertz storefront. Shortly after I got up to the desk and they were finally giving me my paperwork and keys, they began to shut down the Hertz storefront. At this point there were still literally more than a hundred people standing in line (it was a holiday). So closing up left a whole bunch of people carless and very, very angry. So even waiting for hours through this bullshit, I was one of the LUCKY ONES.
I booked the car online at the extortionate price of $800 for a week, but ever since the pandemic, rentals have been overly expensive so whatever. Subsequently, they proceeded to apply every possible extra to the rental, without my knowledge. Extra insurance, top tier insurance, full tank of gas, roadside assistance - everything - all of which are also at inflated prices. Not until I got home did I notice that the actual cost of this rental was going to be almost $1500, TWICE THE FEE I HAD BOOKED ONLINE. I had no choice but to accept it and get on with my driving vacation, but I never forget.
deleted by creator
