Author Topic: Major companies and their products NOT cars for a change  (Read 3009 times)

guest5079

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Major companies and their products NOT cars for a change
« on: October 05, 2016, 12:04:43 PM »
We live in this wonderful technological age. Over the years we have come to rely on refrigerators in order to keep our food fresh and until the blessed thing breaks down, you don't realise how important they are. Eight years ago, my Wife decided to bite the bullet and buy a Miele fridge/freezer. It cost an arm and a leg. Miele have like Honda a reputation for reliability. Over the intervening years we bought other large white goods made by Miele. Last Friday evening , the readouts on the fridge/freezer started going haywire. So Saturday my Wife tried to find an engineer. Our local electrical  shop has two off sick, a Miele agent said we might be able to fit you in around the 18th of this month. So She contacted Miele, very helpful. Today, the engineer came. Terminal. WHY beyond economical repair.  Absolutely nothing wrong with the unit all working fine. The problem. The evaporator at the back of the freezer had iced up giving a false reading. No sir this is not a design fault.!!!!!!!!!! He steamed the ice off but told us it might go on for months or repeat it all in a week.  The food that we had to throw away was criminal. The unit is sold as frost free. I should really not complain too much as they have offered a very good discount on a new unit but come on Ice in a freezer writing it off. Still I suppose 8 yrs in this age of throw away is not bad going.
Three days without fresh milk is enough to bring anyone to their knees.

pb82gh3

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Re: Major companies and their products NOT cars for a change
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2016, 04:19:54 PM »
In my experience one needs to be careful with so-called premium products at premium prices. We had a SMEG fridge freezer costing about £1100 which was effectively written off after one of the rubber seals around the door split. The crazy thing was that the seal itself could not be replaced, the only solution on offer being a £350 new complete door. We wrote off the SMEG and bought a perfectly serviceable equivalent, a new Hotpoint fridge freezer with a 2 year guarantee for 2/3 the price of a SMEG door. Along the way we were told by an engineer that the SMEG was nothing special as a fridge freezer and the premium was basically for a fancy cabinet.
Having said all that Honda's do seem to have quite a number (along with old Saabs and Volvos) of examples that have done very high mileages very reliably. Perhaps Honda is a case where a (slightly) premium price does get you a genuinely premium product.

culzean

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Re: Major companies and their products NOT cars for a change
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2016, 04:53:19 PM »
Some companies charge for 'style' and put effort into styling and charge a premium,  others like Honda (styling sometimes referred to as 'bland') put their resources into making a reliable product where the engineering (but maybe not the style)  is right.   You learn from experience,  but experience does not come free as you often find out when buying 'stylish' cars that cost money to keep on the road - and as you say plenty of old Honda cars with mega-miles still driving around quite happily.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

guest5079

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Re: Major companies and their products NOT cars for a change
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2016, 03:54:24 PM »
Looking into the Miele business, the engineer told us that the Miele Fridge/Freezers were in fact made by Lieb.... it is so annoying when the brain is giving up but most of you would know the firm they make those dirt great diggers etc. He claimed we were unlucky, some luck. As to Hotpoint, my other half had AEG stuff for her laundry, they were excellent but age took it's toll. We did not buy AEG again as they were taken over by Electrolux and the quality bombed. The Miele engineer confirmed this and said at the takeover the AEG staff were treated badly by Electrolux. The AEG machines were replaced by Hotpoint. The washer went rusty within 4 yrs and er indoors was not appy. She wipes everything out between washes so it wasn't a case of neglect. Hence our splashing out on Meile. Incidentally, the Miele Fridge /Freezer replaced a Hotpoint unit. Nothing at all wrong with the Hotpoint but age and of course the newer machines  don't use so much 'lectric'.
There you go, pays yer money and takes yer choice BUT car programmes have featured the RR Silver Shadow yes you can find some bargains BUT some are suffering from the Rust Mice, yes even a Roller.

madasafish

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Re: Major companies and their products NOT cars for a change
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2016, 12:04:38 PM »
Look at Whirpool tumble driers and ensure you never buy anything from them.

They are awful and burn houses down.

guest5079

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Re: Major companies and their products NOT cars for a change
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2016, 10:47:52 AM »
I am sorry I feel in a gobby mood. Many years ago I knew a Washing machine repairer. He told me a story which beggars belief but at the same time is believable.
It was a time when the number crunchers were trying to save money.
Hotpoint, decided that if they made the washing machine casings out of thinner steel they could save x pence a machine BUT when the machines kicked as washing machines do, the casing folded. He was going around replacing cabinets.
So the accountants saved pence and costs hundreds.
Has anything changed?

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