Whatever happened to quality?
By Bill Kasman
@BillKasman1 (49)
Edinburgh, Scotland
February 21, 2016 5:01pm CST
One of the things I was given as a gift on Christmas Day was a new printer. It is an amazing piece of kit and I am very happy with it but the thing looks and feels so flimsy - like if I slightly mishandled it the result would be a pile of plastic bits on the floor. This started me looking at other things new for Christmas - toys, appliances, clothes and more. What I discovered that just about everything was plastic based in one way or another. We seem to have moved away from sturdy wood and metal objects in favour of finely-judged pieces of only-just-good-enough stuff built to a price, not a standard. Now I appreciate a bargain as much as the next person but are some of today’s manufactured goods a false economy intended only to last as long as the guarantee and not much longer? How much of a bargain is it if you have to buy a new one every year instead of maintaining and repairing something long-term? I suppose it’s that kind of world - use it then dump it in favour of the latest shiny doodad. I have a suspicion my new printer won’t last much beyond it’s years’ guarantee before giving up the ghost and forcing me to buy another one.
7 people like this
9 responses
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
21 Feb 16
I discovered that also. Got a HP printer at a great price then discovered it will only accept costly HP ink.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
21 Feb 16
We have a printer but it just sits there collecting dust. It's actually cheaper for us to go up and get things copied at the UPS store. That's generally what we use it for anyway.
1 person likes this
@crystalvisions (440)
• United Kingdom
25 Feb 16
Its like that with everything these days. They're not all built to last - just chuck them out and fill up land fill even more. Or if you buy from a responsible brand, have some peace of mind that the appliance will be recycled and moved onto new pastures.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37334)
• Toccoa, Georgia
22 Feb 16
Yes it does seem like things today are not as quality made so people have to buy a new one each year or so. That happened in my husband's and my early marriage with vacuum cleaners. We had to buy one nearly yearly because they were so cheaply made and always broke. Then, we had a traveling salesman come to our door trying to sell us an expensive vacuum cleaner. We decided to buy this expensive vacuum. And do you know it still works today? We have had it and used it for 15 years. So, really buying a quality item is best even though it costs more.
@Marilynda1225 (82582)
• United States
22 Feb 16
Nothing much is made to last for a long time anymore. I spent a lot of money on a good vacuum and it's 99% plastic.
@Dalane (691)
• United States
21 Feb 16
This is so true. I was considering buying a new Singer sewing machine to replace a very old one (from the 1960s) that I had been using with no problem as long as I had it. Then I found out that the new Singer sewing machine that my friend just bought broke after three months. I decided to keep my old one.
@BillKasman1 (49)
• Edinburgh, Scotland
21 Feb 16
It seems like manufacturers don't build for the long term any more. They're in it for a fast buck.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
21 Feb 16
Unfortunately I agree with you. Things tend to be made out of plastic as it is somehow cheaper for them to manufacture. They earn much more off of us this way as we have to replace the items, or get new parts for the items, regularly.
Anything made with higher quality material comes with a much heftier price tag as well. Don't get met started on keyword up charges either. If it has any satisfactory word than chances are you are paying a pretty penny just for the label. "Natural" "Resilent" etc.
It's shameful.
@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
22 Feb 16
I know! I had one printer for five years, another for one month and It went back to the store, I paid more for better.
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
21 Feb 16
That is sadly the way of the world. Shoddy goods made as cheaply as possible and meant to wear as soon as possible so you have to buy another.
