I think the world's gone mad!

[Steve Lee]

last week some publicity brochures came through the letterbox, with all of these wonderful offers all too good to be true. One of them is for a local electrical retailer, advertising a coffee machine/ capsule thing, on offer with €160 off the retail price.
So as you do, I went down the road and purchase one, as I was actually looking for a new one. Got it home and set it up, it came with a selection box of different coffees so I tried a couple of them out, no problem.
The next day while in the supermarket I thought I pick up some more capsules for the machine, 4 different supermarkets later no capsules! No shop sales them.
It turns out that you can only purchase these from the manufacturer, in which you have to purchase a minimum of 200 at €1.70 a piece + shipping, so I started to look into this more.
This particular machine was first launched in Canada, so I decided to have a look on ebay to see if there were any available on there.
There are many sellers selling these coffee capsules on there.
I sat down and calculated that with the price of the capsules, plus the cost of the shipping and then with the import duty, that each cup of coffee would set you back €24 from this machine, and we are talking French cups of coffee ( two mouthfuls ).
It's going down the tip. No wonder it's got €160 knocked off the price.
Absolutely crazy!!

[Osi Osgood]

That, my friend, is why you do "market research" before ever plopping your money on the counter. It maybe an old semi-cliche'd statement, but the old saying, " If something sounds too good to be true, it's not a good deal", is still very true.

[Brian Fretwell]

I've always heard it as "If something sounds too good to be true - it usually is!"

[Maurice Leakey]

"Caveat emptor" still holds good after many, many, years.

[Osi Osgood]

Yeah, that too! Actually, I was struggling to remember that second part, thanks!

[Steve Lee]

The most frustrating part of this is that the machine is produced by a well known coffee machine manufacturer, those original range of machines have well over 200 different coffees available for them, and the majority of them for sale in every supermarket.
I have just had another look at the box that the machine came in, and there is no mention of this whatsoever using a totally different pod system.
The only blessing is that didn't cost me anything, as I was given a cheque to be used in this shop that covered the entire cost.
I guess some you win some you lose.

I might have a go at converting it into a table lamp / plant holder.

[Brian Fretwell]

Just a pity you can't convert it to take the other pods.

[Steve Lee]

The problem is Brain, the machine uses very high pressure steam.
I would like my kitchen windows left in tact !