So I saw an ad for this cool looking led strip thing you can put in your car and then it has lots of settings.

Clicked the link and it took me to Temu, figure sure I’ll give it a go and download the app.

OMFG what the heck is this gamified shopping?

When it loaded I swear to Odin it went like a casino and said you can get the item you clicked on for free and you can choose another 5 items.

So I’m browsing through all this crap I don’t really want and adding things to move on. After selecting all free items it then said you win again or something and gave me more things to pick.

Then at the end it’s like right spend $35 to get all the other stuff for free, but said the original thing I clicked to get was not available. It’s like a bait and switch and I’m thinking I don’t any of this really I just wanted the cool led strip thing and to be left alone.

Honestly I really can’t believe people would use this place at all.

  • remotelove@lemmy.ca
    71·
    1 day ago

    HF tools are not designed for the long term, generally. If you need a tool to work at least once, for one job that you are never going to do again, HF is “good enough”.

    The rule of thumb is to never buy a tool there that could result in a gruesome death if it fails to protect your life, like jack stands. (Invest in quality safety equipment first if you get something like an angle grinder.)

    • Somewhiteguy@lemmy.world
      2·
      12 hours ago

      When getting into a new project or hobby, I tend to go to HF for the tools first. The tools are inexpensive, and I’m probably going to be dropping the hobby or thing soon after my hyperfixation dies off. So, that means I didn’t spend a lot of money on this thing that I’m not going to keep going on. If the tool dies, and I’m still into it, it’s not just hyperfixation and I can get a better tool, but now I understand what I’m looking for. Sometimes, the tool from HF is just fine for the long term, and honestly this happens more than you’d think. I have some drills that aren’t the best, but get things done for near a decade, and some yellow, teal, and reds that have died within 6 months.

      My wife bought me a HF (Port Cable) pancake air compressor for a father’s day. It wasn’t the best, but it was from her and what she could buy without pinging the account in a way that alerted me. It’s just now starting to die off and it’s nearly 12 years old.

    • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
      5·
      21 hours ago

      Harbor Freight has come quite a long way and has multiple tiers of product quality now, including stuff that can be compared to SnapOn, Matco, etc (the Icon line). Some of it is really good without requiring you to pay insanely inflated tool truck pricing and the rest of the market outside of tool truck brands is also built in China now so it’s fairly slim pickings if you don’t want to pay outrageous prices. If you use your tools for a living, there’s a good argument to use mainstream brands like SnapOn for their convenience, but for hobbyists and the like HF will suit you well. For power tools I mostly use DeWalt mainly because they’re better quality and because of the battery lock-in, but I do have a few Bauer power tools and they work great and cost half as much along with batteries being half the cost. DeWalt wants you to pay $100 for four 18650 batteries which is insane. For stuff like griding disks, cutoff wheels, or other consumables, I do tend to go with name brand since they’re all universal and the cost difference isn’t that much.

      I do agree to be careful with stuff like jackstands, but I always double them up keep the jack under the car, put a tire under the car, and avoid being completely underneath them when possible. I actually bought a set of ramps just to avoid having to use them when I don’t need the wheels off.