I'm guessing he realised what a hypocrite he was at the end there when his own shoddy work was pointed out prior to sending the letter. i wonder if he ever bothered to send the letter afterwards?
But that kid... Boy. Isn't he lucky he didn't get a beating for being so obnoxious and smart about the whole thing?!
Really don't think I'd have the patience to deal with *that*
I can, however, liken this to modern-day issues we face, or those faced by the British Car Industry in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Yes, everyone disliked British cars for their unreliability and poor build-quality, but no-one was willing to be better than "That'll do" on the production lines, because of the working conditions they wanted improved. It probably didn't help that BL didn't have much money then, either...
Fast forward to the 1990's... BMW puts their variable-valve-timing system on some of the engines they produce, which uses the engine oil flow/pressure to operate. This system, known as "VANOS" uses rubber seals that perish in as little as 40K miles, and require a very expensive trip to the dealer for replacement: At least $1000. A DIYer can replace this today for about $300 with improved seals that will last much longer. This problem is/was still an issue even for much later model vehicles, and is widely reported across the internet as "VANOS rattle."
Move further still to now, 2014: We have exploding washers, Dishwashers that set themselves on fire (from control boards, or faulty heating elements), Cars with so much wizz-bangery that they too can't go a decent run without a new transmission, this, that or some other part needing replacement and CNG buses that explode randomly and uncontrollably.
Quality-Control is clearly an issue that is present no matter what time or place you are in. Unfortunately, people aren't willing to pay for better quality, or very expensive stuff that costs pennies to make is hyper-inflated in price for profits/greed, promote "social-status," and make people think they are getting something for their money (e.g. The iPhone - the Phone that costs just US$90 to make, but costs over AU$800, another example would be the Samsung WaterWall dishwasher that has been discussed recently)