deleted

DoaM

Moneyineptitude said:

The Op of this thread is clearly savvy enough to purchase only the correct part for his needs, many others clearly need additional assistance. 

To reference a well-known slogan, Hotpoint are catering for the many, not the few.

Takmon

jnhuasd said:

@Takmon the number is clearly not the only reason, please see first post. What makes your speculation about their purpose for the pop up any less relevant than mine? Nothing but the main purpose of my original post was a rant. Where you agree with what I'm saying it moot since I'm the one not happy with the dark pattern which I'm ranting about because it's a waste of my time and I don't like random companies knowing my personal numbers.

Well your speculation in your first post just says that you think they are trying to get you to ring a premium rate number but that isn't the case so the number isn't premium and you haven't said any other reason why it's a "dark pattern". 
My speculation is more relevant because they clearly state they need more information to make sure it's the correct parts so obviously they think this is part this often bought wrong. 
If you don't want random companies knowing your personal number then you will obviously withhold your number when you ring. So you don't seem to have any other reasons?

[Deleted User]

jnhuasd said: I'm the one not happy with the dark pattern 

You keep referring to this, but (other than a wrongly suspected premium rate call number) have yet to provide anything to substantiate your "concern"? 

As I said earlier, you are clearly someone savvy enough to choose and purchase spare parts without any technical assistance. 

The company concerned obviously have many other customers who are not so savvy.

Regardless, you've told us you will never purchase from this vendor again and this thread can be safely put to bed on that note IMHO

Takmon

jnhuasd said:

My speculation is that I may have been wrong about the number, I was correct.

Of course in your opinion your speculation would be more relevant . The message says they need more information, not why they need it or what information is missing prior to adding a handle to my shopping basket ; so it's not at all obvious what they think or why they are blocking me from buying an item and wasting my time. If your speculation was correct then it would have been stated as such in the pop up message surely? That would be the obvious solution.

I'll withhold my number, and did withhold it, by not calling that number and buying the door handle elsewhere.

Reasons (FYI) (also dark pattern)

1. Site wasting my time

2. Site design is set up to make you call them for no obvious reason

3. Good chance no one at the end of the phone due to current situation if you did call

4. May have been premium number, I wasn't sure

Well I've just looked up a "dark pattern" and that is a user interface that is intended to steer a user into an option they may not want to do to benefit the company such as tricking them into taking out extra insurance on a purchase they didn't really want.

So considering that let's look at your justification for it being a dark pattern:

1. So you think their aim is to waste peoples time which wouldn't be beneficial to them so obviously not a reason for a dark pattern.
2. They give the reason that they need "more information" "to help you select the right part for your model", you stated this in the OP so i'm not sure how you seem to keep missing this.
3. So somehow people calling them and nobody answering is what you think they want but again obviously not beneficial to them.
4. Well you now know it's not a premium rate number so obviously not a reason for a dark pattern. 

cymruchris

jnhuasd said:

Reasons (FYI) (also dark pattern)

1. Site wasting my time

It got you to the correct part in a few clicks? Not sure that’s wasting your time? 

2. Site design is set up to make you call them for no obvious reason

Not obvious to you as you’re obviously gifted and talented, but as others have said, its likely as a failsafe procedure to ensure the correct part is being ordered, to reduce the number of customer concerns that are raised as a result of ordering the wrong parts, or potentially that there’s a model A and a model B - and so they need further information. Of course you won’t know the reason as you didn’t call them.

3. Good chance no one at the end of the phone due to current situation if you did call
You didn’t try - so you don’t know this. 

4. May have been premium number, I wasn't sure
It wasn’t - as has been pointed out. 

As others have mentioned - you might want to get a tin foil hat for Christmas. Sometimes when we realise we are wrong about something - we should just say ‘FairPlay - I got it wrong’ - none of us would think any less of you for doing so. We seem to be turning into a world of ‘Donald trumps’. If however you still think you’re very correct and everything their doing is dark and underhanded - I’m glad I’m not your neighbour 😂 (or are you? 😳😳) 

cymruchris

jnhuasd said:

cymruchris said:

As others have mentioned - you might want to get a tin foil hat for Christmas. Sometimes when we realise we are wrong about something - we should just say ‘FairPlay - I got it wrong’ - none of us would think any less of you for doing so. We seem to be turning into a world of ‘Donald trumps’. If however you still think you’re very correct and everything their doing is dark and underhanded - I’m glad I’m not your neighbour (or are you? )

Thanks for the non-comment.

My comments were in bold just above that quoted section - I'll pop them here in case you missed them:

Reasons (FYI) (also dark pattern) 

1. Site wasting my time

It got you to the correct part in a few clicks? Not sure that’s wasting your time? 

2. Site design is set up to make you call them for no obvious reason

Not obvious to you as you’re obviously gifted and talented, but as others have said, its likely as a failsafe procedure to ensure the correct part is being ordered, to reduce the number of customer concerns that are raised as a result of ordering the wrong parts, or potentially that there’s a model A and a model B - and so they need further information. Of course you won’t know the reason as you didn’t call them.

3. Good chance no one at the end of the phone due to current situation if you did call
You didn’t try - so you don’t know this. 

4. May have been premium number, I wasn't sure
It wasn’t - as has been pointed out. 

Takmon

jnhuasd said:

@Takmon

Takmon said:

Well I've just looked up a "dark pattern" and that is a user interface that is intended to steer a user into an option they may not want to do to benefit the company such as tricking them into taking out extra insurance on a purchase they didn't really want.

That's certainly an interpretation, I sure conveiniently geared towards proving your point???

Takmon said:

So considering that let's look at your justification for it being a dark pattern: 1. So you think their aim is to waste peoples time which wouldn't be beneficial to them so obviously not a reason for a dark pattern.

No that's not what I think. I think they wasted my time, hence my rant.

Takmon said:

2. They give the reason that they need "more information" "to help you select the right part for your model", you stated this in the OP so i'm not sure how you seem to keep missing this.

I've not missed this but you seem to have missed (which seemed to be your want, that is to cherry pick parts of what I've said and somehow prove your point) what I have actually said. I will refer you to my presvious posts: here and here.

Takmon said:

3. So somehow people calling them and nobody answering is what you think they want but again obviously not beneficial to them.

No that's not what I think. Again with trying to put words in my mouth, where have I said that? I can assure you I don't think it.

Takmon said:

4. Well you now know it's not a premium rate number so obviously not a reason for a dark pattern.

Again as previously stated, repeatedly, I wasn't sure and put that disclaimer within the first post. The fact you continuously tried to use that one sentence as a way of trying to prove the your point is your problem not mine.

Just search "Dark Pattern" on google and look up the definition, every definition i saw stated that the purpose of a dark pattern is to get users to do something beneficial for the company such as purchase a product. Once you understand what it actually is that you claiming they are doing you will see how the points you are making don't actually match up with the definition of the phrase. 

The bits in quotation marks in my reply to your second point are direct quotes from the message that appears on their website, so that's why i said it's pretty clear. It doesn't matter that you selected the model number because how you know there might not be several variations for the same model depending on the year of manufacture, which could be the reason for the message. Considering that you didn't actually ring them then i don't see why you can say so confidently they are misleading you into the reasons for calling. 

IvanOpinion

jnhuasd said:

@IvanOpinion it's an oven door handle, I took the broken one off the oven and it only required 2 screws, which I still have. Either way that design has put me off ever using that site. 

Let me give you a bit more context and maybe it will help clarify.  We are forever getting warranty claims over a particular bit that is easily broken by not including a washer and then over tightening a screw (despite the instructions being clear).  There are actually 3 versions of the component; original, first attempt at a fix, second attempt at a fix.  The problem is that there was also a minor evolution of the mounting board as well (as it evolved trying to fix this point-of-failure).
Version 1 of the board only works with the first and second versions of the component.
Version 2 of the board will only work with the third version of the component.
Sadly the overall product has not had its name changed.  So people ask for the component and we need to talk to them to work out which version they need. To the end user both the component and the mounting board look identical.