I recently gave my daughter the Sunbeam 'drip' coffee machine I'd replaced with the Expressi pod machine I got from Aldi, and she's more than happy with it because of its ease of use... the fact that it just works each time, every time.

"Hello, is that Sunbeam Customer Service?"

"Yes, maaaaam, how can I help you?"

"Well I bought one of those new fangled drip coffee machines of yours, and it don't work."

"Okay, maam, to best help me to help you, can you tell me what is happening?"

"Well it's like this, you see. I put the coffee, milk, sugar and stuff in the big tank at the back, put the filter in the place it says it's gotta go before turning it on at the wall, and dang me if it don't come outta the pot tastin' worse than Texas mule piss on a hot day."

"Listen, maam, I think you may be doing it wrong......

"Don't you listen me sonny boy, I'm 97 years old and been around the block a few times more than you have, you young whipper snapper, you, so don't go telling me I got it wrong. I've made more pots of coffee than you've had hot dinners, sonny, so don't try to tell me I don't know what I'm doing."

Like that, you mean?

Hehe, cos it's so much easier to tell them what you did wrong when you ring customer service.

Probably won't help much...but do be careful. I hear there can be 'fallout'.

And to think, prior to my appendectomy, I was this trim, taut and terrific... tho I'm not so sure about the ankle under the armpit bit.  Now the only trim is a bi-annual haircut... I'm taut to mind my manners better... and I'm told it'd be terrific if I didn't talk so much.

And speaking of ankles, I recall the resident film reviewer bloke on one of our midday shows some years ago, while I was recovering from yet another bout of surgery.  Anyway, John Michael Howson was his name, and he said to the host: "You know how a lot of women put a little perfume behind their ears to help attract men?  Well do you know what Madonna puts behind her ears to attract men?"

The host, Mike Walsh, says that he has no idea and the camera returns to Howson.

"Her ankles, my dear man, her ankles!"

Let's just say that it got him into a fair bit of trouble with the network... and supposedly Madonna, who apparently/allegedly demanded both written and public/on-air apologies from him or she'd sue.  Hehe, but it was funny, though.

As for my 6-pack not working so well, I've been advised gentle exercises can help to restore some tone, but that I do it under the supervision of a physiotherapist so as not to overdo it. 

Would be a very dumb move on Keurig's part, IFYAM.  Not sure the 'printer paradigm' would/will translate to the coffee market.  I use refillable cups with whatever coffee is my current preference with my Keurig.  Simple French press works just as well, though, and only a little less convenient when you think about it.

That's my thought too.  There's just too much good coffee in the world to limit yourself to one brand.  Right now I've got 3 different brands going, and a few varieties within those.  I don't have a Keurig myself but someone I know well does, and he uses some Keurig and some other brands.  Tell him he can only use Keurig in a new machine and they'll lose the sale of the new machine as well as the sales of the Keurig coffee he's buying now.

Which brings to mind - I wonder if they'll continue to sell "backward compatible" coffee.  What a crock.

Still!

I'm ok with drip makers, Mr Coffee or other, as long as they use a filter basket instead of paper filters.  Paper sucks too much out of the coffee.

I suspect if they go through with this they will find the new machine sells about as well as the Vue machine they put out then the Kcup patent expired... which is to say, not at all. And other companies can keep on making machines using the old Kcups to take advantage of the established base.

In Keurig's defense (or favor, depending), they have been remarkably customer-friendly.  I'm on my third machine, having paid for only one - they simply replace the machine if you have a problem that can't be readily fixed in a few minutes on the phone.  No questions about warranty or any hassle at all, they just ask you to send them the 'core' of the cupholder from your existing machine.  But not before they send you a new one - they do it all on the honor system & ship same or next day.

Maybe there's a new sheriff in town at corporate, but up to now their CS has been outstanding.

Consumer Protection Rights require that of any Manufacturer.

Also... extended warranties are a waste of your money as the warranty period is meaningless if the product was not fit for its purpose - the Manufacturer is required to replace it.

You probably need to thank Ralph for any such legislation...

Last failed product I received was met with the 'oh, we'll send it back for repair' to which I simply replied...'no, it's 4 days old and thus is not a merchantable product...I require it to be replaced, not repaired.'  They then tried the 'oh, we don't have another in stock' to which I replied 'yes, but I am sure another of your stores will have it' - and they did....

There's grudging compliance with consumer protection laws and there's simply doing right by the customer hassle-free.  Keurig could satisfy its obligations under such laws with a variety of much less friendly policies.  My experience has been that most companies take advantage of such laws as cover to do the absolute minimum required.  That's why Keurig's behavior has been noteworthy.

Australia's 'Choice' Magazine [to which I subscribe] has a 'thumbs up' section where readers cite examples of being-done-right-by by Manufacturers/Vendors... some of 'em go way OTT to do the right thing...

DRM hack found - worthy of thread resurrection.

You can carefully slice off the top of a 2.0-compliant K-cup, place it on top of an old style cup or self-fill basket (tape an edge to hold it in place) and the Keurig 2.0 device is none the wiser.  Can re-use the top as many times as you want.

Also, don't remember if mentioned above but the reason this DRM scheme was adopted is that Keurig is now owned by a coffee company - Green Mountain - which is more interested in selling coffee (and licensing cup rights) than in selling a machine for the general enjoyment of the coffee-loving public.

Of course, in a year or 5 they'll find out the tape will cause gills to grow on your nose...