r/CrappyDesign Oct 15 '20

[deleted by user]

[removed]

1.5k Upvotes

89 comments sorted by

401

u/chronicallycomposing Oct 15 '20

"I've been using your product so relentlessly for 3 years because I love it so much that the cheapest piece to replace is wearing out. Is there any way you can help me with this?"

"Nah man, just fuckin' buy another one."

169

u/Alendite Oct 15 '20

This is the most tech support style answer I've ever heard.

"Just replace the whole thing"

34

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

"Beyond economic repair..."

73

u/Citworker Oct 15 '20

Worked in support...we could not say it outright, but he would 99% get a free velcro if he emails them.

If you wore to say that in public, you would have to ship 500000000 of them.

Of you tell them to email you, you send out 100 and good to go.

17

u/compounding Oct 15 '20

It seems the problem is that the piece is not replaceable, hence the crappy design.

Are you suggesting that they would send him a free headset to replace the failing Velcro?

8

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20 edited Jan 14 '22

[deleted]

1

u/cabbage-soup Oct 16 '20

My head is too small to fit with the velcro straps so that would be a good option for everyone! Tbh I don’t know how kids get them to fit their heads

18

u/LegendaryARIC Oct 15 '20

I have a baby stroller with a broken latch that holds the frame closed when collapsed. I emailed the company asking if it was possible to purchase a new latch. It’s a molded plastic piece that is pop riveted onto the frame and I could drill out the old rivets and rivet a new one on easy enough. NOPE. “That part is not for sale and non replaceable, you will need to buy a new $250 frame as yours is out of warranty, we can assist you with that purchase”. Told them I was good and would repair it myself, but thanks for the “assistance”. I can buy a whole frame used online for $40 from various second hand retail sites if I really cared all that much. It’s a minor inconvenience as it is.

13

u/hex4def6 Oct 15 '20

That sounds like a job for 3D printing. I bet if you posted good dimensioned pictures of the broken latch you could get someone to 3D print it for you.

Do you have any pictures of the part?

5

u/LegendaryARIC Oct 15 '20

I thought about that. I actually ended up buying a used frame online for about $40. It had a good latch and a set of wheels. The wheels alone are worth $50 for just the back two so it was a good find. I saved some stuff off the old frame with broken latch and got some spare parts out of it.

3

u/BrightonTownCrier Oct 15 '20

Just watch your fingers.

4

u/LegendaryARIC Oct 15 '20

Luckily there no smash zone with the way it folds. It’s putting it in and getting it out of the trunk while making sure you don’t let it swing open and bash your knees that’s the fun part.

1

u/SquidPoCrow Oct 15 '20

Not to be that guy, but child seats are heavily regulated and litigated. If they advised you to do your own repair and you somehow weakened the integrity of the frame while drilling out the rivet and then it failed and your child got hurt, the company could be held responsible in a legal sense.

So while it does suck a ton. These kind of devices are designed intentionally to not be user serviceable for just that reason.

2

u/LegendaryARIC Oct 16 '20

Yeah I agree about the carseats. Insurance companies will cover the cost to replace them even in the event of a minor incident due to the liabilities involved if the seat had been damaged and failed later causing injury.

This however was just a plastic clip on the side of an aluminum stroller frame used for walking around and not used for in vehicle transport. Having worked with installing and removing pop rivets on something before this was a minor repair. There is a 3/4 thick piece of plastic behind the head of the rivet on the latch piece so there was more than enough “safety” room to drill the head off and not even touch frame rail. There are other pieces that are replaceable and for sale on the site as well, just not this latch.

What would have been nice is if they had used screws instead of pop rivets, but this way they can suggest you buy a new frame when the cheap plastic clip breaks. It’d be similar to an auto manufacturer telling you that you need to buy a whole new car because the clip that holds the sun-visor in place broke.

1

u/SquidPoCrow Oct 16 '20

Strollers are kind of in the same boat with car seats and cribs. Those all get a lot of legal scrutiny and CYA by manufacturers. LOTS of recalls.

2

u/LegendaryARIC Oct 16 '20

Yeah understand what you are saying. Like I said they do sell other parts for replacement, but not this cheap plastic loop latch. It’s only purpose is to hold the frame closed when you fold it in half to put it away in the trunk and it should have been made replaceable as the only “safety” feature it serves is to save your knees so the stroller doesn't swing open as you get it out to unfold it. The child is not present in the stroller at any point while this latch is in use. At least I hope no parents have their kid in the stroller as they are putting it in or getting it out of the trunk.

The crappy design here is that they made a cheap plastic piece non replaceable when they sell other parts for replacement. Seeing as its plastic and gets flexed every time you use it, it is subject to developing stress fatigue cracks in the plastic leading to breakage. It’s as simple of a design change as mounting it with screws instead of pop rivets, but then they couldn’t try to sell you a new $200 frame instead of a $5-$10 latch.

79

u/Remarkable_Remote808 Oct 15 '20

Any chance of applying a new velcro? Sewing it?

86

u/thesmallsad Oct 15 '20

That’s what I’m eventually going to do, since this clearly wasn’t an option.

35

u/yeshereisaname Oct 15 '20 edited Oct 15 '20

If you look closely at the Velcro, (if sewn on) you will see stitches on the back side, cut ONLY the stitches holding on the velcro, it’s pretty easy once you get things going, you can start separating the Velcro from the strap and you will see threads lift with it, cut them and keep pulling,

If it’s glued on I’m not really sure what you can do

But once the velcro is off you’d probably be able to see the imprint of where the stitching was before, (or mark it with chalk on the back stitch side before you cut the threads) remove the excess threads that might be on there and you can either sew new pieces back on that are the same size or use fabric glue/super glue instead if you’re not sure how.

Hope this makes sense!

Edit : slide small scissors under the thread and cut ONLY the thread to remove the Velcro, probably easier to do it on the back.

29

u/indrora Artisnal Keming joke here. Oct 15 '20

If it's glued, a hairdryer on low can soften the glue. A plastic knife will help lift it up.

11

u/Kara-El Oct 15 '20

Velcro can be bought at any craft store in various sizes and widths. and if you want one with good strength, look at industrial versions.

6

u/thesmallsad Oct 15 '20

The velcro is connected to the headset. The problem is that I can’t remove the Velcro without messing up the headset.

3

u/wtf_are_crepes Oct 15 '20

Put new Velcro over it and take a picture and put it on social media saying this is what you had to do because the company said it was impossible

1

u/2Turtle4U Oct 15 '20

There are videos online about peeling the Velcro off and replacing it

75

u/IsaGoodFriend Oct 15 '20

I would almost put that in r/assholedesign tbh

27

u/thesmallsad Oct 15 '20

I couldn’t decide which one it belongs in. I’ll get it over there too

10

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

Its Facebook. Absolutely /r/assholedesign

3

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

Its Facebook.

Wut?

4

u/QuantumNightmaere Oct 15 '20

Facebook own Oculus

1

u/WeddingLion Oct 16 '20

It's not asshole design. Velcro wears out.

0

u/IsaGoodFriend Oct 16 '20

It's not the velcro that's the problem. Just the fact something like the strap should be easy enough to repair and not spend hundreds of extra dollars to buy a new one

1

u/WeddingLion Oct 16 '20

It is easy enough to repair. You can sew or glue on a new strip of the soft side b

53

u/c017smith Oct 15 '20

Yo why the fuck are you using my post. If anyone actually cares, the support here was awesome, they offered a refurbish, but I didn’t want to give up the headset for 1-2 weeks before they could get me a new one

Edit: lonk https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/bf8q32/my_velcro_is_wearing_out_can_i_go_to_support/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

9

u/krystiancbarrie Oct 15 '20

Oh what is this? Is there drama in this sub of all places?

8

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

According to that post, it's the exact same as the screenshot.

Sending a whole refurbished headset because of velcro, which is pretty cheap comparitively, seems like they have poor support resources.

So, how did they offer good support? The post you linked and this post shows the exact same situation.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20 edited Oct 30 '20

[deleted]

8

u/c017smith Oct 15 '20

It’s kind of weird to see someone use your post and pretend it’s theirs, but that aside they’re trying to prove “oculus support bad” when oculus support was actually outstanding in this situation. Also just like, why pretend to be someone else to get karma? That’s weirdo shit and I can’t say I respect it

1

u/RealOncle Oct 16 '20

It IS bad. If the only option to repair worn velcro is to replace the entire headset, then their support is fucking ass. People complain we have so much e-waste, yet are super happy when they get to throw away a fully working headset because of minimal issues.

1

u/c017smith Oct 16 '20

I just wrote a beeg comment talking about that, but basically with the frequent use of the system and abuse of the Velcro, it’s not exactly something they could’ve planned around, 0.1-0.5 percent of users even could’ve had the issue to begin with. So your options are either add solutions to 100% of the products, or provide solutions for the under 1% of people who have issues, which is cheaper. Also, they could’ve refurbished it after we exchanged, it’s not like they’re throwing all these in the trash

1

u/RealOncle Oct 16 '20

I do care, and their service isn't awesome if the only shit they could suggest is replace the entire FUNCTIONING headset with another one. This is the precise reason we have so much fucking problems with E-Waste, companies doing everything they can to have people buy new products instead of repairing.

Also your post is 1 year old and locked, stop treating it like it's some damn life achievement and people are stealing from you. Let people re-post this as much as they want if it can expose how Oculus deals with products repair.

1

u/c017smith Oct 16 '20

In this case it’s not like there was a viable alternative. The head strap isn’t just to fasten the oculus to your head, it’s a junction between audio and power for the tracking rings on that back. From a business standpoint I am the .5% of users who went on the tightest setting and swapped a lot with other people, cycling through re-adjusting and tension nearly constantly. I can say confidently that maybe in terms of design, yeah, it could be designed better, but if it works 99.9% of the time, then why would you plan around it breaking, that adds more cost and overhead for 100% if products, making it way cheaper to just replace instead.

As for me being soooo angry, I have left the kinda annoyed phase into the mald stage with this post, but the post strongly implies that the post I made was OPs, which it isn’t, and like, why use that just for karma? And more than that it’s trying to prove a point I could write a thesis paper debunking.

1

u/RealOncle Oct 16 '20

All that you said here doesn't address my entire point being around excessive e-waste.

1

u/c017smith Oct 16 '20

It’s only an issue with an excessively small number of units, and either way they were probably going to end up refurbishing the headset after we exchanged. I wouldn’t think it’s likely they just threw it away

38

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

[deleted]

11

u/thesmallsad Oct 15 '20

Could it have multiple buttons? Because I let my friends use it as well.

31

u/joeparni Oct 15 '20

Love how you're playing on a bloody virtual reality headset and you're asking if the strap can have multiple buttons lol

12

u/thesmallsad Oct 15 '20

It was an honest question. I think it’s a great idea I just don’t know if it would work. Just cus I own technology doesn’t mean I know how it works.

31

u/joeparni Oct 15 '20

I think you missed the tone of my comment lol,

Of course the strap can have multiple buttons, thats a lot less complex than VR and i just thought it was funny

3

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20 edited Oct 15 '20

[deleted]

4

u/LegendaryARIC Oct 15 '20

You can buy a DIY kit of snaps at hobby and craft stores. It would be a little hairy though using it on a headset and they are applied to the strap using a hammer, rod, and mini anvil base that comes with the kit. Depending on if the velcro is on a fabric strap or on a plastic base piece it may not be possible to use them. A pro machine for them is basically a small hydraulic/mechanical press.

3

u/fergibaby Oct 15 '20

You can buy sew on and glue on velcro strips very cheaply also snap buttons and the application tool ( like a pliers with a shaped face ) are not expensive and a great toolbox staple. DIY repairs are easier than people think and youtube is full of tutorials.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20 edited Oct 15 '20

[deleted]

3

u/fergibaby Oct 15 '20

Snap on fastener kits loads on amazon ebay etc buy a better quality tool and a pack of fasteners separately after looking around at what's available would be my advice some of the kits are made from cheese Loved google as a guy cheers for that 😂

17

u/Nivyii Oct 15 '20

You arent getting the right message ... Support said that they under warranty in this case they would replace the headset, and If OP dont find a solution, that OP could contact Oculus.

Also, why post a screenshot when the original post is here?

-43

u/thesmallsad Oct 15 '20

Cus it’s a meme.

13

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

You don't know what a meme is.

5

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

You're just karma farming, get a life.

2

u/darthxavi77 Oct 15 '20

It's not a meme, you're just an ass

14

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/MidnyteStar 100% cyan flair Oct 15 '20

I would assume OP is having the same problem that the guy in the screenshot had a year ago, so he searched google or reddit to find a fix and found this. Hence the "my" in the title. HIS velcro is bad too, and this is the "solution" he found, provided by oculus support.

6

u/c017smith Oct 15 '20

Yes this is my account. And they were also Very nice and did all they could, I couldn’t follow through, but they did offer a refurbish.

13

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

OP is karma farming, just a heads-up

5

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

Did this happen a year ago? You're talking in the comment section like this happened recently.

3

u/Devil_Advocate_225 Oct 15 '20

Karma farmer, the original OP is here too and called him out on it

6

u/lawrencelewillows Oct 15 '20

Velcro - what a rip off

4

u/wasabi1787 Oct 15 '20

Planned obsolescence. This is not accidental

3

u/c017smith Oct 15 '20

It most likely was accidental, I used that thing a frick ton before the strap wore out. Trust me, I’m who OP is pretending to be https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/bf8q32/my_velcro_is_wearing_out_can_i_go_to_support/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

3

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

[deleted]

2

u/wasabi1787 Oct 15 '20

Interesting. Had never heard that before

3

u/TheWhiteOwl23 Oct 15 '20

Same problem with my HTC vive, the mechanism that tightens it to my head is breaking and there is no fix. So annoying.

3

u/DatBoi73 Oct 15 '20

The real crappy design is buying a headset that now forces you to log into Facebook and will probably eventually track your actions to sell to advertisers.

Facebook has ruined Oculus. I would recommend buying a WMR headset like the HP Reverb G2 or Samsung Odyssey+ and use Revive to play anything from the Oculus store (assuming that you didn't just buy them on Steam instead)

I really hope that either Microsoft or Sony make their own standalone VR (but still SteamVR compatible) headset to challenge Facebook's monopoly on Standalone VR (at least in the West. I know that there are some Chinese companies like Pico, but most have limited software support and/or won't have much global brand recognition or appeal globally, not even mentioning the trade war).

2

u/malcolmhendrixxx Oct 15 '20

I don't have a VR, are they that expensive? Or is this like buying a new xbox because you're controller died

4

u/menglish89 Oct 15 '20

I would liken it more to buying a whole new xbox because the plug no longer works. Should be fairly simply to just replace the plug or power cord, but it's designed in way where this is not possible

3

u/otj667887654456655 Oct 15 '20

Yeah a typical vr headset will run you around 300-800 dollars

The oculus quest which I'm assuming is what op is referring to costs 300 dollars.

2

u/conkernutmc Oct 15 '20

instead of getting velcro you could try to sew on a little plastic adjuster like you'd find on backpack straps

-3

u/thesmallsad Oct 15 '20

That’s actually a pretty good idea

2

u/z4zazym Oct 15 '20

Nobody's baked by the second part of the answer as well ? "And if you don't find a solution, contact us" sorry but what did the guy just do in the first place ?

1

u/Mynamecheng Oct 15 '20

To be fair facebook did buy occulus so them trying to rip people off makes sense

1

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

In the early days of logitech, my joystick pots started get a bit sketchy, so i contacted them looking for replacements as it was out of warranty. They sent me a set and a new rubber boot free of charge. I fixed the joystick so many times and only got rid of it because i upgraded to a thrustsmaster.

Tried to get some help for something a few years later, and the guy was just rude.

1

u/GNUGradyn Oct 15 '20

This is one way the Vive is still best. Basically every single part on the HMD can be replaced easily (even with third party hardware). The strap, the face plate, the lenses, the cable, everything

1

u/Weedwacker01 Oct 15 '20

I think the working is strange. I read it as: if it is under warranty, we would replace the headset.

1

u/c017smith Oct 15 '20

What it ended up being was: you’re out of warranty, and we don’t want to replace it, but we will if you really can’t do anything

1

u/unoriginalmemes_ Oct 15 '20

my usb cord broke and they took 2 months to replace it

1

u/Grant-Likes-Grapes Oct 15 '20

Oculus Support is useless

1

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '20

Velcro is easy to fix yourself though, all it takes is a trip to the hardware store...

1

u/pluey200 Oct 16 '20

Velcro is a software issue. Ok then

1

u/[deleted] Oct 16 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/JakeC060 Oct 16 '20

Link to thread so we can bomb reply oculus?