What are the laws in the US regarding this? In Germany, this clock is clearly defective and must be repaired or replaced or refunded by the vendor at no additional charge.
You could definitely get it repaired/replaced by the manufacturer
But, would you? You can probably return it to where you bought it, but that's at least 10 mins of your life.
You could also throw it in the trash... That takes 0 minutes. That's what they hope you'll do, and so every other option is made possible, but frustrating
I'm sure most local/county recycling centers take electronics along with other recyclables (mine does). If not, retailers like Best Buy will take them at the customer service desk. Also, we have an electronic scrap bin at my place of employment, which is what I normally use. So many options!