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im convinced that everything is dissposable. im also convinced that warranties are a myth and the warranty is over as soon as your product is bagged and out the door.
all tech suppost has gone overseas to a a group of people that you cannot undertsand and they have no idea of the product you are calling about.
in my mind also when you buy something and it tears up in a matter of weeks. you should call the company they should send you a new one right then and then you send the damaged one back....NO! YOU have to pay to ship it to them AND WAIT! then they fix your brand new item and send it back. so now you have a refurb.
i have come up with new system that is stress free. if my new product breaks i do call and see if it can be corrected or repaired. if not i go to the store buy and new one and shove the old one in the box and return it. i am sick and tired of working for crap and there is no customer service or companies who really give a damn anymore.
i should not have vented this but do alot of you find that stuff is just getting ridiculous and no one cares. i have had enough and will not waste anymore of my time on something that should be easily replaced to me the customer!
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
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Where I work, we are pretty cool about returns. If the person has a dated receipt, we give them their money or a new item in return. If they used a credit card, their accont is credited. Unfortunately (not singling you out) some people have tried to return things we don't stock, things they bought 3 years ago, you name it. I do think that most customer service has taken a nose-dive. Just wanted to say that there are still a few good stores out there. Love.....jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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That's our wondrous 'one world economy' Bruce. And you are right. Unfortunately. The buying and enjoying of products "Made in USA" is a thing of the past. Most noteably, when Sam Walton founded and expanded Wal-Mart, he was responsible for keeping many small towns alive by buying much of the store merchandise from American suppliers. In fact, most of everything they sold was made in this country. Now....you have to look hard to find anything American made in Wal-Mart. Coupled with some other of their current dubious practices, I would imagine old Sam is doing flip-flops in his grave.
Your idea of replacement of defective goods has merit. I have a friend whose wife keeps receipts from every appliance/electronic item they buy. At a point near the end of the warranty period, she returns them and gets a replacement. Dishonest? Maybe...maybe not. I know that quality has become somewhat a thing of the past also.
Like you said, tech support is hard to come by. And when you do, if it's something that requires more than one call (like a computer or cell phone problem) you NEVER get to talk to the same person twice. Usually, you have to start over with someone new, and go from there, all over again.
Many times, an individual replacement part can cost more than the entire device cost. Our local repair person swore to us that they don't want the stuff fixed anymore. You're supposed to throw it away and buy new. It's a sad state of affairs.
We had for many years bought only Sony electronic product, as they seemed to be clearly superior to many others in quality. For the most part, it seemed to be true. Recently however, we had a 5-disc DVD player that quit, and the repair person could not find parts to fix it locally. It was only maybe a year and a half old. I told him I'd do some footwork for him on the internet. Long story short, it took two months, numerous emails and phone calls to Sony's regional offices in Colorado, two episodes of them sending the incorrect parts and argueing with me that they were correct (after I had sent them digital pictures of the bad parts, parts numbers and location, etc.) And it still didn't work.
So I'm not so partial to Sony anymore. In fact, like he told me....just go buy the cheaper stuff. They're all pretty similar. And after a year, throw it away and get a newer one. That first one is obsolete now anyway. Sad.
-------------------- Dale Feicke Grafix 714 East St. Mendenhall, MS 39114
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Posts: 2963 | From: Mendenhall, MS | Registered: Apr 1999
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I belive that America has gone disposable with the "I want it, and I want it now attitude"...
Case in point, computer printers. I got a dell printer with my system, and when the cartridges went dry, it would have only cost me a couple of bucks to buy a new dell printer with new ink cartridges enclosed than the ink alone.
It just doens't make sense.
-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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I agree, the printer cartridge deal is rediculous! Another one that chaps my a$$ is they come out with a new model of something and a year and a half later it's out of date/discontinued
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
If something breaks out of warranty and you try to get it fixed, would you honestly spend $200 on a repair bill when you can get a brand new unit for the same price, maybe less?
10-11 years ago I worked at a VCR and TV repair shop. More often than not, people would bring in VCR's that would cost $200 to fix when $100 could get them a fairly decent brand new one. TV's would come in and regardless of if they're two years old or 20, sometimes the repair bill would have cost $500 with parts and labor, nevermind the fact that the TV originally only cost $300.
I've simplified my life, I just quit buying stuff. Unless it's absolutely essential to survival or the success of my business, I just don't buy it.
I HATE being a slave to possessions.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Mike Pipes: I've simplified my life, I just quit buying stuff. Unless it's absolutely essential to survival or the success of my business, I just don't buy it.
I HATE being a slave to possessions.
AMEN Mike, this is the best thing I've seen posted in a long time.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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These days, anything I buy that is worth over a couple of hundred dollars gets bought with the "2 or 3 years extended/over the counter replacement warantee".
If it's less than a couple of hundred then I'll just bite the bullet and buy a new one when it dies after manufacturer's warantee is expired.
As far as a business purchase is concerned. My current desktop is over 5 years old and in a way I wish it WOULD bite the dust so I can justify buying a new one. My cutter is 5 years old and cost me less than $2000 when I bought it (slightly used). Both have worked for me to the tune of well over half a million in gross sales so I guess if either one dies I can replace it without feeling cheated or ripped off.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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When something new (or even something almost old) malfunctions, and, if it happens that it is WAY to much trouble to try to return the item . . . one great way to vent your frustration is to do so directly to the item . . . like this >
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Look Bruce, Habib and Patel provide the worlds greatest tech support. You should be honored to speak with them directly.
Just because it sounds like they're saying "Pek tur de poo swiggle dop moofa, Mitta Ward" doesn't mean it's not good advice. It's your fault for not speaking their language.
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Doug Allan: hmmm... & all this time I thought Mike was buying into the Ipod generation.
You are a credit to your generation for seeing the trap before falling into it!
Naaahh... while the iPod is neat-o I really don't have any use for one, nor want one.
A credit to my generation? Nice play on words Doug! Hahaha.. I went into that trap already but I'm free now.
What I see happening out west here is something that I either never noticed when living in Missouri or it just wasn't as prevalent there. It's like every time you turn around, someone is getting a more expensive car or house or some other stupid thing like a 150-inch TV or something.. I'm sure it happens everywhere, but here it never stops and the people getting the stuff don't think twice about telling the world or showing it off. who knows, maybe it stems from the BLING lifestyle portrayed on MTV.. Everyone wants to party like a rock star.
People.. customers.. complain to me about how they don't know if they're going to make it then the next week it's "Oh hey! Look! Did you see my new Hummer?"... Wow geeeee no I've never seen a Hummer before, is it like the other 200 DAMN MILLION of 'em on the road???
Then in the summer time people get their boats out. They spend 50k, 100k, 300k, 500k on a boat. You know what they do with it? They drive in circles for a while on a 45 mile long lake then they park it on the beach along a narrow channel where there's a thousand other boats just like it parked as well - sit there, float on rafts behind their parked boats, get drunk and yell "WOOOOOOO!!!" at all the other drunken slobbering idiots down there.
Gosh.. I could do that with a free inner tube from the truck shop!
It all disgusts me really. The only redeeming thing about it is the fact I can make a living off them. Call me a hypocrate.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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thats great too... now sorta back on topic... did you see the yuppie-scum christmas rant? check the link from the home page: http://www.illwillpress.com/
posted
Yeah Doug.. now click on the "Toons" link at the top of that page and you'll see a ton of links to other 'toons there. Along the lines of this thread is one titled "Channels".. funny as hell!
Also make sure you watch "Bra Bashing" and "Unmentionable Auctions".
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Hi, doom and gloom here , thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in. I could be wrong, but this could be an indication of the true state of the economy. We can't afford to hire our neighbors anymore, so not only can we not hire them to make the thing in the first place, but we also can't afford to hire them to fix it. Usually the only reason we get hired to make signs is that they think they can make a buck from it.
There are still some quality items being made, but check out the price. So people opt for the So's (shaped objects). The blacksmiths refer to the MIC anvils as "anvil shaped objects", a violin made over there is a VSO. You get the idea. I've seen some of these things so cheaply made that 'disposable' is too much of a compliment. They fall apart after using them a few times. Which goes to show that part of the time, as said above, it's the buyer's fault.
The way things used to be was plan A : Quality workmanship made in USA, Germany, wherever.
Now it's plan B: incredibly junky stuff MIC, because the cost of products made according to plan A is hard to afford.
What I'm wondering is, what happens when plan B is hard to afford? When are people going to awake to real state of affairs? I was always curious about where inflation comes from, but at this time, I think the best explanation is that Government keeps printing more money, hence, it is continually devalued. Politicians CALL themselves conservative, but wasn't it a republican that took us off the gold standard?(RMN) Maybe he just made it illegal to buy and sell with precious metals. Whatever.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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James, it's not that we can't afford to hire our neighbors. It's that there is so much greed & gluttony in this country that everyone thinks they have to everything to outdo the Jones, the Smiths and the Millers. The way to have 1 of everything is to buy a cheaply made version of everything. Your neighbor just got a 42" tv? Well then you just have to run right out & buy a 46" one.
If people would quit thinking they have to have so much crap & clutter in their lives & so much stuff to try to impress their buddies, and only bought what they truly needed, they could afford to buy the quality products.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Printer manufacturers are now in the ink cartridge business. All the new printers are junk. I hope the HP I bought six years ago continues to hold up; it out performs the two I've bought recently (one an HP, one a Lexmark).
I'm currently in the market for a new digital camera. It amazes me that I can read a review on a camera by a "professional reviewer" and hear nothing but praise about a specific model, but when I investigate further and read actual purchaser's reviews I hear of nothing but greif.
"Broke the first week I owned it! Company will not replace!", "Used up the batteries after 10 pictures", "Camera lense will not retract", "First one never worked. Replacement died just after warranty expired", etc. And I'm talking $500.00 to $800.00 name brand cameras. For an enlightening read, check out: "Why Nothing Works".
-------------------- Tim Whitcher Adrian, MI Posts: 1546 | From: Adrian, MI | Registered: Mar 1999
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-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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Hey Tim, for $800 you can get a SWEEET digital SLR! move on up to the big leagues and quit messing with the children's little toys!
Edit:
Kimberly, glad you posted that link. I went back and re-read it and saw my post in there. I have an update too: I now spend only $30/month on gas for the truck! Read: 15 gallons - ONE tank - lasts a month! I ride a bike everywhere now these days because most of the time I just don't need the vehicle. I've already heard from several people "Man, I see you all over town riding that bike!"
[ December 05, 2005, 12:14 AM: Message edited by: Mike Pipes ]
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Ah, I still have my great and trusty 91' Toyota PU. She has over 348,000 miles on her. Same trans, clutch, engine and even some of the hoses. I even have a dress from 1977, and it still fits me and I still wear it on special occations. But, people every day get more and more hipnotized about having to buy the latest stuff, newest in technology, new fashion, what the He,,,, for. What, just to show off. But I do splurge quite a bit on fine food. Not from restaurants, but from my higher end grocers. You are what you eat, I work hard and need to feed my body the best. Ah, did I get off the subject? Oh well.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3820 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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I also need to add that 90% of all the sales I do in one day are of the plastic-fantastic variety...all credit card slips. 2% are debit cards, and the rest is cash. 90% credit cards. No wonder we are all so broke! Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I am laughing so hard I am crying..."That right there funny, I don't care who you are"
-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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I had to read this post. It does have a catchy title! Great post. Alicia, now maybe you won't laugh. I have never had a cd player, in fact, I am working on getting a wire for an old phonograph with eight track tapes that I have set up in my living room; I never owned a dvd player, and still drive a 92 Chrysler (but it should have been a Toyota, due to the fact that many things have been replaced in the last two years; it only has 103,000 miles on it though). and I still feel rich. Hey, I have some clothes from the 60's...all made in America, with the exception of the robe from Thailand that my brother brought to me from his R and R after his Vietnam tour. and I still feel young! I love the memorable stuff and it still works. ...oh and I don't want to forget to mention.. I used my Gerber 4B yesterday. I bought it refurbished in 1992.
[ December 05, 2005, 08:31 AM: Message edited by: Deb Fowler ]
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Jill, I'm not so sure about that 90% credit card thing. Most of the charge cards I get in the shop are check cards, they run through the processing system as a charge card instead of a debit card but come straight out of their bank account like a debit. They usually process faster as a charge than debit and most banks don't charge cardholder to use it as a charge but may charge to use it as a debit card. My bank charges if I use it as a debit at a store (which drives me nuts about Lowes & some others that automatically want you to use it as a debit.)
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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wow what a resonse thanks for the link kimberly you hit the nail on the head. ive been doing signs for over 19 years now and it has given me things i would not have realized it would, and taught me some very good lessons. i buy used vehicles, i live in a very moderate home that is so close to being paid for its scary. i do not buy crap for the hell of it i dont need it. i do not run out and buy the latest junk....i want until it is old junk, but still exciting to me.....lol.
my comp is 2 years old and my plotter was born in 99. it runs great and i have no desire to buy another. i have not bought a digital printer yet because they are expensive and im paying 6.00 per sq ft now so what the hell!!!
i was still toting a damn bag phone around when the lil ones came out and i did not care. i will say this im living more comforatable than alot of people in this town in the $400,000 homes.....the cannot sleep good at night gee wonder why!?
and dear god thanks for the tech support cartoon cartoon!!!
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
posted
Yeah I have a debit card but always ring it up as "credit", I don't have to use a PIN that way, just my signature.
A lot of people who use credit cards aren't going into debt with them, either -- they use a credit card with "points" or "cash-back" or something, use it for EVERYTHING possible, and pay the balance in-full each month. That means no interest, and they pay the same amount they would in cash -- but the accrue points, or miles, or cash, or whatever for each dollar spent. Not a bad idea if you can manage your budget that way.
As far as buying needless crap, well I don't do too much of it. I drive a nearly 15 year-old car, nowadays I just buy clothes just when my old ones wear out (or browse the t-shirts at Goodwill), etc. But, if it WASN'T for people buying needless crap, our economy would be in the tank fast. A lot of jobs come from people buying all those luxury items, a lot of businesses exist only because of them, etc. If everyone stopped buying things they didn't NEED, we'd be in very bad shape in a hurry. However, you can "beat the system" by figuring out that you don't have to keep up with the Joneses...buy a car that's a few years old and pay half the price. You've still got a ton of life left in it, but someone else spent all the money and took the HUGE hit in depreciation while you reaped the benefits. You might not impress your buddies as much, but is that new-car smell really worth paying that much more?
Being broke for awhile teaches you a lot. When I have cash in my pocket, I try to pretend I'm broke. If I don't have money, I don't buy a stack of CDs or eat fancy dinners, etc -- so I TRY to pretend I don't all the time (usually I don't have to PRETEND very often, haha).
As far as things like tech support go, I agree 100%. I used to work (in high school) for a very small, rural ISP. We provided great service, because hell, the guy we are on the phone with could walk in the door 30 minutes later if we ****ed him off. If someone needed to try something and call us back, they were told to ask for us by name and they got us. Later the small-town ISP/telephone company was bought out by a big telecommunications company and eventually they closed our little tech support center and sent the calls to a national call center. I know the customers would rather talk to me down the street than some guy in a huge call center in Madison, WI, but the company would rather save a few bucks. Go figure.
-------------------- Ryan Long Magic Light Neon Sign Co. Crawfordsville, IN Posts: 132 | From: Crawfordsville, IN | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Mike Pipes: The flipside of it is..
If something breaks out of warranty and you try to get it fixed, would you honestly spend $200 on a repair bill when you can get a brand new unit for the same price, maybe less?
10-11 years ago I worked at a VCR and TV repair shop. More often than not, people would bring in VCR's that would cost $200 to fix when $100 could get them a fairly decent brand new one. TV's would come in and regardless of if they're two years old or 20, sometimes the repair bill would have cost $500 with parts and labor, nevermind the fact that the TV originally only cost $300.
I've simplified my life, I just quit buying stuff. Unless it's absolutely essential to survival or the success of my business, I just don't buy it.
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Hahaha.. I went into that trap already but I'm free now. 
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