No, that’s not it. Often there is free shipping to begin with; sometimes there isn’t.

Sometimes the shipping costs to return the product are covered, sometimes they aren’t; but when they are covered, that still doesn’t reimburse the original shipping costs if it wasn’t free shipping [to me].

I bought patches via amazon a couple of weeks ago - from a German company - with shipping costs since they weren’t part of prime. I had to send everything back and pay for the return too, was absolutely a loss on my end but the quality was too shit to keep them. None of the shipping, neither to me nor back, was refunded.

When I buy directly from companies, be it DMC, Rosie Wool (RIP), Otto - when I pay for the shipping to me I have not been refunded the cost.

What shops are you referring to? Nothing I ever ordered refunded my delivery fee upon return. This includes but is not limited to Amazon, Ikea, Zalando, Otto, Roller, Kaufland, Lidl, Yarn Shops, DM, Mediamarkt.

I moved from Bavaria to Saxony about two years ago. I always thought the whole “The West” “The East” thing was a joke and no one actually talked and thought like that.

Then I realized that it was just that there is “The East”, “The West”, and “Bavaria”. Bavarians don’t identify with “The West”. Nothing “The East” says about “The West” applies well to Bavaria. It’s just a very shielded microcosm. Bavarians don’t identify as Germans. They identify as Bavarians primarily. They are doing their own thing.

In defense of the restaurant (because I used to go there a lot) they also have a selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. They do serve Bavarian classics and that’s their main focus, but there are always some “modern”/“alternative” dishes.

It’s in the airport. Actually, Airbräu is the only brewery that is located in an airport as far as I know. It has also weirdly cheap (and very tasty) beer for being both in “Munich” and in an airport .

You’re at Airbräu! I love it!

I heard that sentiment a lot the last couple of days, and people were so serious about it. It was mostly because I thought it was common sense to use sun protection with my 3 year old and not let her play out in the sun in a short bathing suit at noon and without a hat. And that I preferred her to wear socks and tucked in pants when they went to a forest with ticks.

You worry too much Look at us, we also made it here, and our parents didn’t look out for these things How are people even living nowadays with all their restrictions Think less you’ll sleep better Ignorance is bliss, we just don’t overthink it

Your kids all look like tomatoes turning into raisins y’all

I feel like in a fever dream

So Idk where you guys live and how your self checkouts look but here is my German perspective.

1. If I need a new gas cylinder I have to exchange it at the cashier’s
2. If I buy alcohol or cigarettes I also have to get my ID checked. The self checkout will then be put on pause until some worker shows up and realizes I am well in my 30s. I can also not buy things like razorblades at self checkout.
3. Often the stuff will be weighted to ensure I put it in the bag and not more or less. When I buy something light, think a small back of herbs of like 15 grams, the scale doesn’t realize it and again a problem occurs and a worker has to come
4. If I make a mistake like scanning twice I cannot cancel and again a worker has to come
5. It usually is a much more crammed space. I don’t even need a whole trolley for it to become uncomfortable. More than 5-10 items just don’t work because I have no space. Putting everything out of the trolley on the conveyor belt, getting it scanned, and then putting it back in the trolley is much easier.
6. If there are any items with a sale (30% off because BB date is approaching) I cannot scan this and again a worker needs to come.
7. I am not as fast. Not only because it is not a conveyor belt and I am not sitting at a scanner deck, but also I am just slower than a cashier who knows the code for fairtrade bananas and the avocados from spain but not from peru by heart. It’s my first time scanning this can of beans, where is the bar code? While it is 9 am and the cashier has already scanned this can of beans 25 times today. (8. In some supermarkets my kid gets a free fruit which it not necessary but I find super cute. This is only a thing at the cashier’s)

All I have to say is “hello”, “card please”, and “good day”. And I can also just wave these things. So yeah, I am absolutely standing in line if it is possible. It is so much faster and more convenient and going to self checkout to then get an error code and wait for help to arrive for 10 minutes is absolutely not worth it. (Looking at you, cursed Rewe in Munich). Then I also have to explain what’s the problem much more embarrassingly than any “hi thanks yeah with card please have a great day you to bye” conversation could ever be.

Edit: I just thought of an important 9.

9. I feel so much more anxious and pressured in the self checkout. How fast I am done with scanning, paying, and packing things up depends entirely on me. And I feel the stares of the people in line at self checkout stabbing my back. Telling me to hurry. I try to be fast but the more I try the more I fuck up. So for all the folks who don’t like cashiers because of social interaction, don’t you feel the angst of the line?

I know I’m in the minority

Dude look around the comment section. 90% talk about prefering self checkout