Andy Hall wrote:
This strategy has worked for me to
goo cost effectiveness for many years. If there is a problem (and
there very rarely is, then the supplier fixes it. Simple as that.
And they do.


This philosophy only works when the manufacturer/supplier stays in
business. In todays world, this is increasingly unlikely. The production
efficiency required to survive in a global market place cannot be
attained with low volume products and increasing overhead costs. Just to
pick up a piece of paper costs over £10 in todays world. Repairing a DIY
tool is totally uneconomic. Repairing professional tools is equally
uneconomic, both for the supplier and the user. If the supplier can
afford to repair the product , then the product is overpriced to start
with. A good example is Miele, a washer controller is about £250, from
Miele. It is almost exactly the same as the unit in a Hoover Logic
series washing machine, which is available for £50. Both units come from
the same component supplier for about £10. The customer believes he is
buying reliability, tosh. He's buying a marketing image, in which a high
initial selling price, supports the service operation. The days when any
European manufacturer produced a well engineered product IMO are long
gone, what you are left with is a marketing operation geared to minimum
production cost and maximum profitability. With a product production
life of 18 months, if you are lucky, and the necessity to resource all
your components every 2 years, because the supplier has disappeared,
service is a pipedream. Which manufacturer is going to shelf parts for
10 years supply? None!!

I recall your derogatory comments on not buying in Walmart, I
selectively do, as do most Americans that I know, from all levels of
society. Buying good value products is the mark of the intelligent user.
Buying over marketed/specified products puts you into the IMM category,
+ more money than sense!!

LOL

Regards
Capitol