[navane]

My fan broke after five? years of near 24/7 use. Customer support was very easy to reach. They sent me a new one after I sent some serial numbers as proof. They asked me then to break off a blade, and a picture of it so I didn't have to sent it back.

[herbst]

I get why. But that still seems wasteful

[exitb]

But would it be more wasteful than shipping a parcel with broken equipment?

[layer8]

If the old one could still be used, they shouldn’t send a new one anyway.

[breakingcups]

Well, if it can still be repaired but the producer doesn't want to bother and just sends a new fan, that's fine. That doesn't mean a repairable product should be destroyed and sent to a landfill just because it makes Noctua's logistics easier.

[layer8]

The point is, if the owner thinks it can be repaired, they shouldn’t call for a replacement in the first place. And indeed they wouldn’t get one, because they wouldn’t break the blade. So it’s completely under control of the owner.

[Levitating]

Sure but the owner could've technically been left with a spare part in this case

Though it's not that likely that users will try to replace the blades on a fan.

[DrNefario]

Anecdotally, when my Xtrfy MZ1 mouse cable started shorting 5V to ground, they required a similar process (cutting the cable) before sending a replacement.

This was their response when I asked why: > Yes this policy was put in place because there was multiple instances of people reselling their faulty products after receiving a replacement.

> The secondhand buyers then reached out to us, let down to have received a broken product.

I'd imagine it's a similar reason for Noctua.

[dyauspitr]

It’s a chilling effect on folks that buy one noctua fan and want to get another free one by claiming the first one is broken.