Christmas Gift Follies

[Clodfobble]

We had to discreetly dispose of two of the kids' gifts this year... one was a cheapo foam solar system "puzzle" which was just crappy in every way, and very frustrating for the kids. The other was this goo that was supposed to be kryptonite somehow, which was as bad as a goo-toy could be--you know, at least the "good" goo-toys stick more to themselves than to anything else, and just rely on the gross factor for their coolness. This stuff was literally just a huge mess, and had to be actively scrubbed off everything it touched. And I'm pretty sure the stains aren't coming out.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

We had to discreetly dispose of two of the kids' gifts this year...

I did not put my foot down when I suggested we vet the gifts from family for the inch. As a result, I get to gloat about how "we are definitely going vet gifts in the future."

A bunch of crappy stuff, mixed in with the good, and a bunch of stuff that he is too young for and gets frustrated with.

Hey do you think it says 5+ on the box for a reason?

We spirited away some of the things, but he doesn't miss a trick and an hour later it was "Where is...?"

[glatt]

The big folly this year was a digital camera my mom gave to my daughter. You'd think a camera being given to a kid would be a simple camera to use, right? Unfortunately not. In this case, the camera that's appropriate for a kid is the cheapest digital camera you can buy. I'm guessing it was $19.99. It can only be charged by USB cable connected to a PC. It has no on/off switch, so it is always on. The batteries last about 30 minutes. The pictures are lost once the batteries run out. So you have to take the pictures and run back to the computer in 30 minutes to load them. The resolution is only 640x480. It takes (according to internet reviews) crappy pictures inside in low light. No flash.

I'm afraid to load the software to run the thing. The internet doesn't have much to say about this camera, but what it does say is all negative, including crippling computers that load the included software. There's a slip of paper with the documentation that says in big bold letters that if we have trouble with the camera, "Do not return it to the store where it was purchased." Instead, we should call a non-toll free number for technical assistance.

Fortunately, my daughter has been distracted by other presents and even though she has always wanted a camera, she will probably be fine if I tell her I wasn't able to get it to work.

[melidasaur]

[quote=glatt]

I'm afraid to load the software to run the thing. The internet doesn't have much to say about this camera, but what it does say is all negative, including crippling computers that load the included software. There's a slip of paper with the documentation that says in big bold letters that if we have trouble with the camera, "Do not return it to the store where it was purchased." Instead, we should call a non-toll free number for technical assistance. [quote=glatt]

Take it back to the store where it was purchased - I think that those messages are a big scam.

I didn't get much this year, which is fine. My mom did me buy a pair of pajamas and apparently my mom believes that I weigh 600lbs because the pants were huge.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by melidasaur

Take it back to the store where it was purchased - I think that those messages are a big scam.

I agree. I think the business plan of this company is to sell a large number of cheap products. If they are cheap enough, people won't bother to return them when they don't work.