3beltwesty
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2010
- Messages
- 1,057
Most Washers with a major failure are disposed of.
Today's society typically will not pay more for consumer items that are easier to repair. What sells is a flashy new looking item, that polished mirror finish spin basket. The labor cost of replacing a corroded aluminum spider and or bearings on a typical FL washer can approach what another new washer costs. The problem is worsened with items not built in ones own country, parts cost more.
It is actually we consumers that put a price on safety. Nobody wants to have all ones items one buys double in price. If 1 in 10,000 tires gets a bubble in 10Km; none will pay double to have 1 tire get a bubble in 20Km.
Consumers whine about a few percent difference in prices, they work sales, try to skirt VAT and sales taxes.
I drove an 1971 MGB that twice had its headlight switch fail and thus one had no headlights. The first time it happened was while on a dark windy road at night. I guess the theory is one in Europe uses the highbeam arm as the backup?. ie MGB knew about the issue and consumers did not complain enough to get a better switch. I never had a USA built car do this ever, thus here it was shocking. It is also why Lucas is called the Prince of darkness with electrical items here.
Here in the USA some states charge yearly local taxes on one's inventory. Thus if one has 100,000 dollars worth of spare parts in a store, one pays about 3000 dollars per year in tax. This is a local tax on the items cost, paid as a property tax. To get around the tax some do not count all the items; or move them out of the building, or hide stuff. With time many old parts have palty sales; thus the tax is more on the item than the sales and parts are sold to another dealer; or more often thrown away and go into a landfill. One could buy some spares on Ebay for little cost and the tax man wants to carry the items tax basis as what the normal cost is.
Today's society typically will not pay more for consumer items that are easier to repair. What sells is a flashy new looking item, that polished mirror finish spin basket. The labor cost of replacing a corroded aluminum spider and or bearings on a typical FL washer can approach what another new washer costs. The problem is worsened with items not built in ones own country, parts cost more.
It is actually we consumers that put a price on safety. Nobody wants to have all ones items one buys double in price. If 1 in 10,000 tires gets a bubble in 10Km; none will pay double to have 1 tire get a bubble in 20Km.
Consumers whine about a few percent difference in prices, they work sales, try to skirt VAT and sales taxes.
I drove an 1971 MGB that twice had its headlight switch fail and thus one had no headlights. The first time it happened was while on a dark windy road at night. I guess the theory is one in Europe uses the highbeam arm as the backup?. ie MGB knew about the issue and consumers did not complain enough to get a better switch. I never had a USA built car do this ever, thus here it was shocking. It is also why Lucas is called the Prince of darkness with electrical items here.
Here in the USA some states charge yearly local taxes on one's inventory. Thus if one has 100,000 dollars worth of spare parts in a store, one pays about 3000 dollars per year in tax. This is a local tax on the items cost, paid as a property tax. To get around the tax some do not count all the items; or move them out of the building, or hide stuff. With time many old parts have palty sales; thus the tax is more on the item than the sales and parts are sold to another dealer; or more often thrown away and go into a landfill. One could buy some spares on Ebay for little cost and the tax man wants to carry the items tax basis as what the normal cost is.
