[WiZ] It wasn't a Hat

[WiZ]

Matthew sends Helen an item. He wraps it in tinfoil before sending it. This saves Helen money. How?

ROIMBT. Caveat Earlispoilor.

[Hobbsicle]

Was it a hat?

I am assuming you mean that wrapping it in tinfoil is what saved her money? Such that sending her the same item without wrapping it in tinfoil would not have saved her that money?

Is this one of those sneaky gaming-the-system tricks?

[GalFisk]

Would another metal foil have worked? Such as lead? Copper? Would plastic foil have worked? Does the foil perform the money-saving function? Is the money-saving initiated before sending? On sending? During transport? When passing through whichever people/institutions/companies handle it? On delivery? After? Would this work for any item? Does the foil relevantly reflect something? Deflect something? Conduct heat? Electricity? Make noise? Make the wrapped item appear to be something else? Is the item itself involved in saving the money?

[WiZ]

Hobbsicle

Was it a hat? no

I like my misdirections at least slightly subtle

I am assuming you mean that wrapping it in tinfoil is what saved her money? Such that sending her the same item without wrapping it in tinfoil would not have saved her that money? your assumption is correct

Is this one of those sneaky gaming-the-system tricks? no

GalFisk

Would another metal foil have worked? I believe so Such as lead? I believe so Copper? I'm less sure on this one Would plastic foil have worked? I doubt it Does the foil perform the money-saving function? yesish Is the money-saving initiated before sending? no On sending? no During transport? yes When passing through whichever people/institutions/companies handle it? On delivery? After? no to rest Would this work for any item? no Does the foil relevantly reflect something? no Deflect something? yesish Conduct heat? Electricity? Make noise? Make the wrapped item appear to be something else? no to rest Is the item itself involved in saving the money? yesish

[markobr]

Does it save money because the transport itself is cheaper? Because it prevents the item from some kind of damage (which would cost money to repair? time until the item is useable again?)?

Does Matthew send the item by post? Relevant? Does the item relevantly cross a border?

Is the item made of metal? Wood? Plastic? Glass? Ceramics? Paper? Cloth? Stone? Leather? Is it a plant? Part of a plant? An animal? Part of an animal? A chemical? Food?

[Mimino]

Was the tinfoil to deflect X rays?
Was the item in a box, and the box wrapped in tinfoil? so that the tinfoil concealed the actual content of the box when the box got X-rayed?
Customs or import duties relevant?

[trebor]

Would something have happened to the item had it not been wrapped in tinfoil that would’ve resulted in Helen paying more? If so, breakage?

[WiZ]

Markobr

Does it save money because the transport itself is cheaper? no Because it prevents the item from some kind of damage no (which would cost money to repair? time until the item is useable again?)?

Does Matthew send the item by post? please rephrase Relevant? potentially, yes Does the item relevantly cross a border? no - it could be argued that it relevantly doesn't

Is the item made of metal? Wood? Plastic? mostly this Glass? Ceramics? Paper? Cloth? Stone? Leather? no to rest Is it a plant? Part of a plant? An animal? Part of an animal? A chemical? Food? no to all

Mimino

Was the tinfoil to deflect X rays? no
Was the item in a box, and the box wrapped in tinfoil? so that the tinfoil concealed the actual content of the box when the box got X-rayed? no
Customs or import duties relevant? no

Trebor

Would something have happened to the item had it not been wrapped in tinfoil that would’ve resulted in Helen paying more? yes If so, breakage? but no

[Doriana]

Does he send the item through his country's regular postal service? a local/regional postal service? a company's internal mail? a parcel service? a courier service?

[WiZ]

Does he send the item through his country's regular postal service? a local/regional postal service? a company's internal mail? a parcel service? this a courier service? no to rest

[Enjay]

Does wrapping it in tinfoil mean that it gets sent by a different means than it would otherwise? Gets delivered more quickly?

Does Matthew plan for the tinfoil to be removed at any relevant point (other than presumably by Helen when it arrives)? Does this plan rely on the people involved in the parcel service knowing that the item is wrapped in tinfoil? Is the item itself wrapped in tinfoil, then packaged up? Or is the tinfoil the outer packaging of the parcel?

If Matthew hadn't sent the item at all, would Helen still have saved money? Would she not have had to make whatever payment she is saving money on at all?

[gregoryuconn]

PMing a guess.

[WiZ]

Enjay

Does wrapping it in tinfoil mean that it gets sent by a different means than it would otherwise? Gets delivered more quickly? no to both

Does Matthew plan for the tinfoil to be removed at any relevant point (other than presumably by Helen when it arrives)? no Does this plan rely on the people involved in the parcel service knowing that the item is wrapped in tinfoil? no Is the item itself wrapped in tinfoil, then packaged up? yes Or is the tinfoil the outer packaging of the parcel? I suspect this would also work, however

If Matthew hadn't sent the item at all, would Helen still have saved money? intrinsically, yes. extrinsically, no Would she not have had to make whatever payment she is saving money on at all? intrinsically, yes. extrinsically, no

GregoryUConn

PMing a guess. You are correct!

[Mimino]

Was the tinfoil to deflect light? heat? magnetic fields? an impact of any kind?
Would the item become worthless if exposed to this impact? useless for Helen?
Is it an audio tape? a film roll?
Is the tinfoil necessary so that Helen can safely take the item out of the package?
Could the item damage something else if not wrapped in tinfoil?
Are Matthew and/or Helen doing something illegal?

[biograd]

I don't think I understand what you mean by the distinction between "intrinsically" and "extrinsically". Do you mean that not sending the item at all would have saved money from being spent for the specific purpose at issue here (what it would have been spent on, if the item were sent without tinfoil), but would have required another action to be taken instead of the mailing that would have cost just as much or more?

If Helen already had one of these items in her possession at the start of this puzzle, would that have meant that she would have saved the money regardless of what Matthew did or didn't do?

[markobr]

Is the tinfoil intended to mislead someone? To fulfill some condition? To be used after Helen receives the item? If so: By Helen?

Does Helen's saving money mean she would have to spend money if Matthew hadn't wrapped the item in tinfoil? If so: Would she have paid the money to Matthew? To the parcel service? To someone else involved in delivering the item? For her own transportation (e.g. taking a bus to fetch the parcel from the place it's ultimately delivered to)? To the government? To someone selling her tinfoil (which she doesn't need to buy now she has some from the packaging)?

A parcel service ,but not the regular postal service... would the regular postal service have been unavailable? Refused to transport the parcel? Been too expensive? Too slow? Too unreliable? To uncomfortable? Relevant in which country this takes place?