AT&T now shipping "refurbished" remote controls, gross

AT&T just keeps finding ways to be even cheaper, and really just be pennywise and pound foolish.  

I got a replacement STB("refurbished" like all equipment now) and it came with a "refurbished" remote control.

I use the word "refurbished" in quotes because I'm fairly certain at&t does the bare minimum/nothing to actually refurbish any equipment.  The remote came with dirt/oil stains on the front plastic between the buttons, and 1 of the buttons is rubbed off.  But they did slap a plastic sticker over the ir blaster(which has scratches and dirt under the sticker).  They then threw in a pair of cheapo zinc carbon batteries (which I didn't think anyone still used). 

At&t used to consider remote controls consumable items.  Techs didn't even have to inventory them in their trucks. Not to mention they were considered too personal and unclean to send back out to different customers.  If they were swapping the cases and buttons and keeping the internals I could seem them make an argument for reducing e-waste.  but also given the limited lifespan and easy wear of the cheap remotes they use it still seems ridiculous.  Plus how many ridiculous hours are they going to waste dealing with p/oed customers who get a refurb with a few buttons that don't work (like many of my older remotes) and can't figure out what's wrong.

This is just gross, even before covid times.  Do better at&t.