Ignoramus12063 wrote:

I had a few other experiences with their stuff made just to barely
survive light use. Perhaps it is OK for people who use things very
lightly, but they do not work well for me. I am not in any way a
"tough user", just trying to do things as they were intended to be
done, like solder wires or jump car batteries. I have resolved to buy
better stuff and pay more than walmart prices if necessary.

Someone pointed this out here a while back, but in a market driven
system you get market driving quality, and that means two kinds of
errors: items that are overbuilt for the task (and cost too much) but
also items that are underbuilt and cost too little. If you put your
faith in the market to determine the right answer, then you are
accepting that non-functional junk is going to be made and sold in the
process of determining the right cost point.

For things that are consumed regularly this gets sorted out: food items
for example, we've probably each figured out where the store brand is
serviceable and where we are willing to pay for a name brand product.
But if like most consumers you buy jumper cables to have on hand for an
emergency, and put them unopened in the trunk, then feedback of quality
is so seperated from the act of purchasing as to not play much
effective role in determining what is made and sold. Only those who've
been burned by failed jumper cables (or know enough to be suspicious)
will pay a premium for ones that are reliable.