Overhyped Fear Of Child Predators Leading To Real Concerns About Child Privacy

More Companies Rebelling Against Annoying Plastic Packaging

from the about-time dept

Tue, Nov 18th 2008 4:11am — Mike Masnick

A few weeks ago, Amazon announced a program to push for more customer-friendly packaging -- specifically moving away from those impossible to open plastic clamshell bubble packs that have a way of encouraging excessive swearing (and injuries) from consumers trying to open them. The good news, however, is that many retailers and manufacturers all agree that it's time to end that practice and to move towards more reasonable packaging solutions. It's about time.

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Filed Under: bubble packs, clam shells, frustration free, packaging

35 Comments

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Anonymous Poster, 18 Nov 2008 @ 5:01am

I'm personally waiting for the day the movie studios move to Thinpak cases for all of their DVDs.
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Liam Potter, 18 Nov 2008 @ 5:09am

About time, no longer will I need to get a butchers knife just to get my pair of headphones/[other electronic thingy] out of the bubble.
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HFC, 18 Nov 2008 @ 5:19am

Now can we get rid of those damn stickers they put on DVD cases? The ones meant to keep shoplifters from stealing movies from out of the case. I have had several cases ruined because of those damned stickers.
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NullOp, 18 Nov 2008 @ 6:02am

Packaging
For years i've kept a pair of "cut a penny in half" scissors handy to get through the damn packaging. BTW, if you're not careful you can cut almost anything in half with those scissors. Its about time we went to something a human can get into.
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Alan, 18 Nov 2008 @ 6:30am

I think this is a terrible idea. If you get injured opening a package, you deserve it. I believe theft deterrent should come before a few idiots injured a year.
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- streadwick, 18 Nov 2008 @ 6:55am
  
  Re:
  Alan, you must own stock in plastic packaging and plastic surgery companies. I don't know too many other sane people who approve of a 10 minute battle trying to remove something from a bubble from hell.
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- HFC, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:13am
  
  Re:
  I believe consumer happiness should be more important than treating those same customers like they are thieves. Theft deterrence should be handled completely in-store. I shouldn't have to bypass it after purchasing anything.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:37am
    
    Re: Re:
    Ok, well then add that onto the price the store is charging.
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- chris (profile), 18 Nov 2008 @ 12:09pm
  
  Re:
  I think this is a terrible idea. If you get injured opening a package, you deserve it. I believe theft deterrent should come before a few idiots injured a year.
  
  amazon really needs theft deterrent. i shoplift stuff from their website all the time, just reach in my browser, grab stuff and run.
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Nicholas Overstreet (profile), 18 Nov 2008 @ 6:48am

Next week's headline
In a related story, retail thefts sky rocket.

Really though... it takes scissors and maybe 20 seconds to open one. Are people really getting that lazy?
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- interval, 18 Nov 2008 @ 8:31am
  
  Re: Next week's headline
  No. Its not a mere matter of 20 seconds with a pair of scissors. Its never taken me less than 2 or 3 minutes to open that packaging and its almost always caused me some minor injury and in more than one case cuts. I swear every time I have to open one of those things. You MUST be a shill for the packaging industry. I can't think of ANY good reason for a valid consumer to praise that stuff. None at all.
  
  So you never need to open a package right after you've bought it or you always carry scissor with you I presume?
  
  I'm glad they're looking at doing away with that nonsense. About time.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2008 @ 6:59am

It's time to get rid of that stupid "clam shell" packaging.

I'm not lazy. Ass-hat, these packages hurt people with the sharp and jagged edges that result from cutting/ripping them apart. Not to mention the fustration.
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Charlie, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:05am

What a bunch of whiners! Treat opening these packages as a challenge. Take a deep breath and "think!" ... what's the best way to do this without injuring myself? It's an adaptation thing.
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- Chronno S. Trigger, 18 Nov 2008 @ 8:21am
  
  Re:
  It's not just opening them that's a problem (I just use the scissor trick mentioned earlier) but the dumb ass return policies at stores now. You rip one of those things open, the store more than likely isn't going to accept it as a return.
  
  I always figured that is why they started using the bubble package, not to deter theft (it doesn't) but to stop the returning of open items.
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Alan, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:26am

Amazon was the company who started this. They are mainly, if not completely, online bases and do not have to worry about theft. It’s okay for them to make easy access packaging but nation wide; businesses lose around $16M a year in theft. If companies lose less money in theft they can afford to charge lower prices.

I would be happy if they were trying to find more environment-friendly ways to package, but not if it promotes easier theft.
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Yakko Warner, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:28am

Well shoot.
Now what am I going to do with my special clamshell-package-opening scissors (as seen on TV)?
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Joe Schmoe, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:39am

Ah, everything balances out. These fools are forging ahead to negate the gains...

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080922/0247072325.shtml

Walking into a BestBuy the other day I passed a display of these. They actually made it all the way to stores. Stupid. Sad. Oh, and just as much or more packaging bulk than a CD...
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PRMan, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:39am

One more reason to shop at Amazon...
Hey, it's another way they can compete with B&M. Sounds like a sound business plan, right Mike?
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2008 @ 7:51am

The best way to open clamshell packaging? A can-opener. It'll just rip right through it, and if the corners are sufficiently curved, the can-opener will just follow right along all the edges and open that thing up in one fell swoop.
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seatec, 18 Nov 2008 @ 8:54am

Sorry but if you are either to lazy or to dense to figure out that a simple pair of scissors can easily open those package them maybe you shouldnt have bought the item in the first place. Besides, there are nifty little gadgets out there designed specifically to open those packages. You wouldnt open a can of beans with your bare hands, would you?
Lets evolve and use the tools that we have. Primates do!
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2008 @ 9:56am

I got a blue tooth head set for my phone a year ago (never use it) that came in a package big and strong enough to hold a baby bear and keep it captive for ever.

But really the packages was 200 times the sized of the ear peice.
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Not A Whiner, 18 Nov 2008 @ 11:27am

Oh, Puh-leeze
After breaking an expensive pair of scissors, using a heavy can opener and still suffering cuts from the sharp ends of the plastic, my tool of choice is now bolt cutters. If this is how I'm supposed to "adapt," there's something very wrong with this picture.
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6 YO at Christmas, 18 Nov 2008 @ 11:32am

What are you opening?
The people saying it is easy to open packages probably haven't tried opening stuff that is popular and for younger kids.

I've opened Bratz packages and similar stuff for my niece. It is _nothing_ like more normal stuff. The plastic is 2-3 times thicker than most packaging and double or triple sealed. The toy is attached by 8-12 thick wire twists to another thick piece of plastic and maybe cardboard.

I had trouble getting a sharp knife into it that I normally use to just hack the end off packages.
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- BinaryRock, 18 Nov 2008 @ 12:25pm
  
  Re: What are you opening?
  Don't even get me started on kids toys. These days you also need a screwdriver.
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Caleb, 18 Nov 2008 @ 1:54pm

I hate blister packaging as much as the next guy. BUT, there is a fairly easy solution. I've seen it implemented once, and it worked amazingly! On the back of the blister packaging was perforation punched into the clamshell plastic, and a finger hole to work your finger in. Insert finger into the package, pull, and the back of the package is ripped off. It was loud (theft deterrent) but convenient!
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Doubtin' Thoms, 19 Nov 2008 @ 9:55am

Don't Buy Stuff!
We Americans buy too much crap anyway, and virtually all of it is imported. Can you get by without all that electronic junk? Can you live a happy life with less material goods piled up around you? I think so. If you have trouble with packaging, don't buy anything. That solves the problem.
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