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lewisc
lewisc
Headliner I
October 31, 2019

Sonos contributing to electronic waste

  • October 31, 2019
  • 114 replies
  • 3933 views

Sonos have recently started a trade in promotion in the UK with partnered retailers where you can trade in a Connect or Connect:AMP and receive a 'specified' discount off of a new Sonos AMP.

 

They then modified the trade in promotion to be where you can trade in any Connect, Connect: AMP or (old gen) Play:5 for 30% any new Sonos product.

 

I get that they are trying to sell more +/ new products but then contributing a massive amount to electrical waste. In their T&C's that they send to retailers they give a £15 credit (recycling fee) for the disposal of the old product. The old product is to strictly not be used or re-registered again or the retailer will be punished or loose their partnership.

 

 

I think it's disgusting that Sonos are playing a huge role in generating unnecessary waste. All these units are perfectly fine and working but are to be disposed of for no reason other than that Sonos want to make money. Yes Sonos are giving a £15 credit for recycling but retailers won't and aren't recycling, they'll throw away in general waste and make an extra £15 profit. Sonos are doing nothing to track correct (recycling) disposal of old devices and nothing to make sure retailers are being responsible.

 

Sonos really should have thought about this trade in more. I will now be extremely hesitant to purchase any further Sonos products in the future.

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      114 replies

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      RUBIX2
      Enthusiast I
      October 31, 2019

       

       

       

       

       

      I think I'm more bothered about that they're recycling perfectly working products. Why can't they do a trade in but retailers can sell the 'used and approved' products..

       

      IMO one reason to take these old products offline is they are going to phase out support of older products. This will help reduce the the number of pissed off customers when they pull the plug- they will be bricked like the cr100 and iPod dock.  

       

       

       

       

       

      sjw
      Local Superstar
      October 31, 2019

      think this old equipment you can trade in includes the likes of this:

      https://www.johnlewis.com/sonos-connect-wireless-music-system/p230973910

      Yes, you can still buy it.

      Thank you, I hadn’t realised that. Man that’s so corrupt and morally wrong. Throwing away working products at the same time as manufacturing the exact same product. 

       

      Waiting for an official Sonos reply...

       

      Sonos isn’t manufacturing Connects anymore.  This are from previous runs that have not yet been sold at some retailers.    These units probably do have a lot of life left in them, and honestly it would be pretty silly buy one and  trade it in for a new Port.  I don’t imagine a lot of people would be doing that, or a Connect that was purchased in the last year or two. 

       


      While they may not be manufacturing them any more, up until a few weeks ago this was the latest Sonos product to enable you to hook up your AV system to your Sonos system.  In nobody’s book should that be classed as old or first gen.

      So while people would be ‘silly’ to buy one and trade it in, it’s highly possible they could buy one and be prompted shortly after by Sonos that their brand new product old and suitable for an upgrade.  That’s frankly ludicrous.  They could then reasonably come here and see that, yes, Sonos do class their new Connect as old and first gen and worth nothing like the money they’ve literally just paid.  With a ‘reassurance’ that Sonos will try to support it as long as they can - but an admittance in writing that’s it’s really old tech……...

        RUBIX2
        Enthusiast I
        October 31, 2019

        Did they really send it out to Connect and connect:amp owners? (Thought it was zp units)

        sjw
        Local Superstar
        October 31, 2019

        Did they really send it out to Connect and connect:amp owners? (Thought it was zp units)


        Yes.

        Here too (among many others)   https://www.androidcentral.com/sonos-offers-30-new-speakers-its-new-trade-program

        lewisc
        lewiscAuthor
        Headliner I
        October 31, 2019

        Oh fer cripes sake, can’t you read?  - IT’S THE CUSTOMER DOING THE SHIPPING BACK TO SONOS!!!!

        Don't be rude. That's not what Sonos' T&C's say that was sent to retailers.

        Authorised Sonos Installer
        John B
        October 31, 2019

        the retailer makes enough margin as is so don't need to receive any more incentive IMO. 

        I hadn’t realised that the retail margins on Sonos products was public knowledge.  What is it?

        lewisc
        lewiscAuthor
        Headliner I
        October 31, 2019

        the retailer makes enough margin as is so don't need to receive any more incentive IMO. 

        I hadn’t realised that the retail margins on Sonos products was public knowledge.  What is it?

        Don't think it is public knowledge, I'm in the custom install business. Margin depends on product but Sonos set their products retail price

        Authorised Sonos Installer
        John B
        October 31, 2019

        the retailer makes enough margin as is so don't need to receive any more incentive IMO. 

        I hadn’t realised that the retail margins on Sonos products was public knowledge.  What is it?

        Don't think it is public knowledge, I'm in the custom install business. Margin depends on product but Sonos set their products retail price

        I used to be a Sonos reseller.  I stopped because the margins left no hope of making any money.  I am sure the big retailers are on bigger margins, but in fact neither you nor I have a clue whether your assertion is true.  Not that it makes any difference to the theme of this thread. 

          106rallye
          106rallye
          November 1, 2019

          So a manufacturer that sells new equipment and actually financially encourages  dealers to recycle electronic products that have been maintained for in some instances more than ten years is somehow morally wrong?

          I think Sonos could have done a lot worse, first by stopping updates after (see some Android phones) a couple of years and then by not caring about recycling at all.

            pwt
            pwt
            Virtuoso
            November 1, 2019

            People would be better off selling their older gear on eBay, assuming it’s functional. They’ll get more than the discount offered by Sonos, and someone else will get to enjoy the older device.

            But for how long?  The amount of memory in the ZP80 and ZP100 is so small it is inevitable that at some point Sonos will no longer be able to maintain compatibility with the current system.  I don’t know if that point will come in 6 months, 2 years. 5 years or whenever, but come it will.  A ZP80 would need to be a virtual giveaway for me to purchase one.

            This is a digression, but there is no hard technical reason why Sonos needs to stop supporting (as in ‘render non-functional’) their older devices. They could happily continue to support the functionality they do today, with the overall system software recognising different device capabilities. Countless software systems do this using versioned interfaces or other well-known approaches.

            If they choose to stop support it will be based primarily on economic and/or product strategy considerations, not technical ones.

            4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300
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