This is technically OT, as it's about digital cameras.
Tomorrow is my birfday. Olympus sent a marvelous "gift", a $10 discount on a
$40 purchase. (How about a free lens? God knows, I've owned enough OM Zuikos
to justify two or three.)
Browsing the accessories, a spare battery for my E-500 seemed a wise
purchase. The BLM-05 is $50, $40 after discount. Plus shipping, of course,
and Olympus will likely find a way to tack sales tax onto that, even if it
doesn't have a Washington business presence.
Then I look closer. The BLM-05 requires the BLC-05 charger. Well, I already
have a charger, right? Uh, no. "This battery can only be charged in the
Lithium Ion Battery Charger (BCM-5). ... it cannot be charged in the Li-Ion
Battery Charger BCM-01..."
So, if I buy a new battery, I also have to get the charger. The kit of both
is $80, $70 after the birthday "present".
This is exactly the sort of thing that should be illegal. There's no
//good// reason for it, so it's not only unfair to the customer, but it
wastes the materials needed to build an unnecessary charger.
--
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