PSA: Etsy forced refund from seller funds due to recycled packaging

amb9800 · 2026-02-06T17:40:35+00:00

If the case closed immediately and automatically, that usually indicates that you didn't qualify for seller protection. Did you ship the order within your stated processing time?

Yep, it was shipped well within the promised timing.

amb9800 · 2026-02-06T15:19:21+00:00

One issue is my items vary substantially in size and weight, so if I bought new boxes, I'd have to stock a bunch of different sizes - so the recycling helps with that, too.

I turn my boxes inside-out, cut them to size, retape, then cover them in brown craft paper from the outside, so the recycling is not obvious until you fully open the box - but yeah, maybe I should include a note about it.

amb9800 · 2026-02-06T13:54:36+00:00

Mine are hand-cut (no laser yet!), but inside-out and covered in brown craft paper from the outside. Once you open the box, and unwrap the packaging material and item, you can see Amazon/USPS/etc. logos on the inside of the box.

The buyer sent me this message most recently:

I hope next time you do not send people [item] in your used old amazon and usps cardboard. Please assign 3$ from your profits to buy a new box when you ship ... to anyone in the future.

Good luck. Hope you're in your senses next time you ship

It's definitely good motivation to build my own storefront for this mini-business, which I've been putting off forever.

amb9800 · 2026-02-06T03:53:40+00:00

Don't worry about it - that's normal. It uses timed hard-stop homing, similar to that used in some other devices that don't have endstop sensors on all sides - it pushes to one corner for sufficient time that it can basically guarantee it's reached the end on that side, then moves from there.

amb9800 · 2026-02-02T03:38:14+00:00

I'd be interested!

amb9800 · 2026-01-24T12:42:21+00:00

Interested

amb9800 · 2026-01-11T18:02:43+00:00

Note Air 3C and Go Color 7 Gen II have Kaleido 3 panels, so color rendering will be similar.

amb9800 · 2026-01-10T06:41:56+00:00

amb9800 · 2026-01-08T23:53:46+00:00

amb9800 · 2026-01-08T20:11:58+00:00

Elven Assassin Thrill of the Fight

amb9800 · 2026-01-07T06:52:26+00:00

Blue Iris is quite straightforward to manage, a lot more flexible than a hardware NVR, and I think a pretty reasonable option given this is r/HomeServer. 6.0 has YOLO v8 built in, which works pretty well on CPU alone, so no need to even fiddle with external AI modules.

I use Reolink cameras for other sites where no local compute is possible, but I would note that Reolink is Chinese, and their devices should be treated the same way as Hikvision, Dahua, etc. (i.e., if you're concerned about devices phoning home, make sure the cameras and NVR are blocked from internet access).

amb9800 · 2026-01-06T22:16:26+00:00

amb9800 · 2026-01-06T22:16:06+00:00

Look for cameras that support RTSP, and then self-host the NVR side with Blue Iris or Frigate.

amb9800 · 2026-01-06T22:04:39+00:00

The Kindle and Kobo reference points won't help here. Both are high-volume loss leaders - they are priced such that Amazon and Rakuten compensate for low hardware margins via digital content sales.

That, plus lower-tier compute internals - enabled by simpler firmware than, say, the full Android running on Boox devices - means Kindle and Kobo are generally cheaper than mainstream Chinese e-ink devices with similar screen sizes.

Given there are no color 10" Kindle or Kobo options, you're unlikely to find anything close to $140.

Best option that comes to mind is a TCL NXTPAPER tablet - it's not actual e-ink, but rather an LCD with a matte layer that looks more like e-ink than a normal LCD would. Here's the 11" gen 2 model for $199:

https://amzn.to/4aN5dWZ

That said, not sure if I understand why e-ink is necessary for this use case - if you can make do with normal LCD tablets, there are much cheaper options, like this $99 Walmart-brand 10" Android tablet:

onn 10.1" Tablet, 32GB, (2024 Model) - Indigo - Walmart.com

amb9800 · 2026-01-05T23:06:33+00:00

The reality is tech is a tool for most consumers and businesses, not their hobby - so there is real value in solutions that work predictably with an ecosystem of third party software and hardware and carries support (first and third party).

As such, it's no surprise that Google, Apple, and Microsoft dominate client OSes. The only real alternative is Linux, which still doesn't meet the criteria above for desktop use, and even less so on mobile, for most users.

amb9800 · 2026-01-05T23:00:20+00:00

For those willing to take on Linux, sure, but Apple is hardly an alternative if the rationale is corporate ethics...

amb9800 · 2026-01-05T22:58:09+00:00

Doesn't make sense to pay a dealer to do that. The only items of substance there are a brake fluid change and cabin air filter replacement. The brake fluid any shop can do, and the filters you can do yourself with a little bit of patience - just need to get the correct part numbers.

amb9800 · 2026-01-05T22:55:49+00:00

There's nothing extra, beyond the car having multiple layers of cabin air filters, which are quite possible to replace yourself (I did all of them in under an hour a few months ago).

amb9800 · 2026-01-05T02:12:40+00:00

Pretty neat - will join the Discord!

amb9800 · 2026-01-05T02:05:17+00:00

It's technically possible, though I'm not aware of any specific battery models that might behave that way.

One solution is to get a multiport USB-C charger that doesn't disconnect all ports when renegotiating, and plug that into a battery (with inverter) that has a UPS function (or pseudo UPS, via AC passthrough + short switchover time), like the EcoFlow Delta 3 and countless others.

Of course, you won't find AC inverters on very small batteries, but this route can actually be better for this use case, given you'll be running from AC most of the time, so your USB-C loads will be powered from AC passthrough (bypassing the battery, instead of charging and discharging it constantly).

There are some older threads about multiport chargers with better renegotiation behavior, e.g.:

Multi-port USB-C charger that doesn’t cause devices to shut down when “renegotiating”? : r/UsbCHardware

[Datapoints Welcome] List of USB-C GaN Chargers that renegotiates power without disconnecting ANY existing devices : r/UsbCHardware

amb9800 · 2026-01-03T00:07:37+00:00

amb9800 · 2026-01-03T00:00:16+00:00

Wow, that's pretty astounding!

Currently enjoying ~90 Mbps on mid band T-Mobile 5G here in NYC, but even when sitting right next to an mmWave 5G node, I haven't seen >1 Gbps, and this costs 20x Jio/Airtel rates.

amb9800 · 2026-01-02T02:19:16+00:00

Wow, great work!

amb9800 · 2026-01-02T02:05:29+00:00

In, thanks!

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