When we talk about electronics and home appliances on this site, the question that frequently crops up is how long consumers can expect an item to work before it needs expensive repairs or dies altogether. Reader Karen spent $800 on a General Electric dryer for her then-new home waaaay back in 2011. Less than two years later, the plastic power button on the appliance’s front broke. The repair cost? $485. [More]
ending is better than mending
Sorry, No Parts At Asus: Guess You'll Just Have To Buy A New Computer
By 2.25.11
As consumer electronics become lighter and tinier, and are assembled on the other side of the planet, we’re more inclined to replace something than to repair it. Mike’s experience takes the “ending is better than mending” phenomenon to a new level: he’d be happy to replace the unbearably loud fan on his Asus Eee PC himself, but the company doesn’t sell parts. Asus could accept the machine for repair, but no one knows how much the repair would cost, or if it’s even possible. [More]
Why Does Digital Camera Repair Cost More Than Just Buying A New One?
By 10.14.10
Dan writes that he was very happy with his Panasonic camera, a point-and-shoot with a nice zoom lens. He would have been happy to pay $100 to get it back in working order and avoid buying a new one. Alas, this was not to be. Since a special part needed to be ordered from Japan, Panasonic wanted $488 to repair a camera that originally cost $300. Dan is better off buying a new camera–which won’t be a Panasonic. [More]
Ugly Shoes As Economic Indicator: Crocs In Trouble
By 7.16.09
Here’s the problem with Crocs. You either love them or you can’t stand them. You make fun of them mercilessly, or you can’t imagine a more comfortable shoe. What’s problematic for the company that makes Crocs is that they don’t really wear out…and who needs multiple pair of glorified garden clogs in a recession?
