Saturday
Jul072012
Question: do you unpack new gadgets carefully and store the box?
Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 3:00AM Some unboxing videos show the person taking great care to preserve the packing, others casually rip and cut boxes open.
Which are you and why?
Reader Comments (12)
I always keep the boxes & packaging for all gadgets, from TVs to phones to DAB radios. It's always helps when selling them on eBay at a later date.
Carefully — "just because," I guess!
Packaging can be kept as reused if treated with care, because it is very difficult to un-rip or un-cut it afterwards.
I generally only keep the boxes if the gadget will be difficult to transport safely without it.
Some packaging is so flash it seems a shame to chuck it, but if I didn't my box room would be exactly that.
carefully - in case I have to return. After 6 months it goes into the recycle box where my kids tend to turn it into something wonderful. Two weeks later its tattered and knackered and finally ends up in the recycle bin.
Carefully. For two reasons: I may have to return and in the future it's much more easy to sell in mint conditions saying "in the original box".
Carefully in case of return. I keep some, such as iPad and iPhone boxes. I keep some accessory boxes but most are culled once I'm sure I'm keeping the contents.
I keep boxes worth keeping. Apple boxes are designed with so much thought and care it's hard to throw them away. Also good for resale.
The other boxes I generally throw away (especially those annoying blister packs) unless it comes with heaps of accessories i need to store.
Its always important to unwrap carefully in case of product fault.
I keep some boxes but not all. Just depends on what the item is.
Its always important to unwrap carefully in case of product fault.
In the UK, if it's faulty / not of satisfactory quality / not fit for purpose, not having the packaging, or having ripped it, is not a ground to withhold a refund / repair. (Completely different it's just a case of not liking the product, where there's no legal right to reject...)
I open packaging carefully no matter what the item so that I can return faulty goods more easily.
If I the item will never be resold, the packaging will be recycled (or used for junk modelling by the kids and then recycled) after a month.
I'll keep the packaging for a long time if it'd be useful for returning an item for repair and the item is fragile, and then discard when the item is out of guarantee, unless the item has some resale value and the price would be boosted by having the original box.
Occasionally I go through boxes in my loft and find and recycle packaging for things which are only of scrap value.
@ Neil
Here in Portugal we have 14 days to judge the device/appliance. You are advised to keep the box. If for no reason you just don't like the item you can return it and get the money back. No questions asked, that's the law.
Every item also has 2 two year warantee. Except for Apple products, I guess (just 1, infringing the law).
During the Euro 2004 (in Portugal) some people bought (cash) huge screens and returned them at the end of the competition...
I choose my devices carefully, but once I bought a mouse and when I got home I just didn't like the "click". I went back the other day and just said that "I don't like the click". I got the money immediately back.
But I'm sure this doesn't apply to all devices...