My refrigerator is 25 years old put one part on it 7 years ago, dread the thoughts of buying ANY major appliance (except for tv...they're dirt cheap now)
This aired last week.
Faulty Appliances: Repairmen Unplugged
I grew up in the day when replacement parts were available for various consumer items.
We know that not everything last forever and we expect certain items to break down either during or after any warranty.
What we don't expect is when company XYZ says that no replacement parts are available for your purchased product(s).
I bought on of the those car 12 volt booster packs to keep as an emergency back up in my car. Like anything emergency related, you won't use it till you need it. That time line could very well go beyond any 30 day warranty. During the warranty the item can be returned and get a replacement. After the warranty is over no parts are available and you're off to buy another new item.
I bought two booster packs in a row and the dealer, as well as the manufacture, tell me that I'm on my own.
My nephew just bought a house. The furnace is 4 years old and it broke down. He called a big name furnace company and they said the simple part he needed is over $1,000. The tech said this company, RHEEM, charges these prices because they don't want you to fix the furnace, they want you to buy another new one.
One problem I have is when we contact the company online we end up dealing with someone in the call center. Their answers to us are all scripted or auto-bot responses. There is no real connection to the companies. Any concerns that we have don't really reach the upper management as we asked for.
Retailers base all their sales on the major consumer percentage that will buy and do nothing after the fact. They don't worry about the smaller percentage of us who express our concerns. Same as those "seen on TV" ads.
I have seen way too many brand names that have been bought out by unknown names so to sell their products as though you're buying quality, when in fact we're buying garbage.
Why aren't more people speaking out? Where is the government for consumer protection?

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