power tools that won't work unless they're properly scanned and activated at the register via Bluetooth technology. If a thief managed to smuggle a power drill out of the store without paying, the drill simply wouldn't turn on.

Effort and Cost.

While this will stop most shop lifters it won't stop them from selling them online at a discount to people smart enough to bypass the on/off switch.

I do find it a little funny how they say this is their best solution that avoids hurting their brand.

Defects will happen. A tired a employee won't scan it right. Now there's a person on the job trying to use a tool that won't turn on. He makes a post online about it. Other people chime in with similar experiences. Other brands are recommended. Then somebody will post a youtube tutorial about which wire to disconnect to bypass the bluetooth. That video gets removed for "piracy" or some made up reason.

Sounds more and more like John Dear hell every day.

Can't wait for the anti-right-to-repair people to start screaming when customers start taking their broken power tools to someone like Louis Rossmann who can "fix" their tools for $5, instead of going back to the store to have it be turned on.

I'd rather pay $5 to have the bluetooth safeguard removed at a small tech shop than disabled at the store who couldn't do it right the first time.

And all of this because the store doesn't want to hurt their brand image by tying things down ffs.