All appliances are cheap now

Re: Myth or legend? The golden age of the indestructible appliance, June 20

Randy Shore’s piece really hit a chord with me. A few years ago we replaced our reliable but worn fridge and stove — judging by their “Harvest Gold” finish, these trusty appliances dated from the ’70s. Their replacements were sleek stainless steel and black beauties — top-of-the-line models sold under the name of an iconic U.S. manufacturer.

In less than two years and barely within the warranty, the main front element on the stove burned out. The part cost an astonishing $275 and we were stuck with $150 in service charges.

A few months later the main processor on the fridge burned out, spoiling the food and resulting in a $560 repair bill. The service technician asked whether we wanted to put this amount of money into a fridge that was over two years old and, in his words, “a poorly built piece of garbage cobbled together out of cheap offshore sourced parts.” Shortly after that, the oven element caught fire, filling the kitchen with smoke. Discussion with a disinterested company rep only resulted in a confirmation that such fires were pretty standard with this stove.

Manufacturers insist customer demand for cheap goods force them to cut corners and reduce quality. Given quality problems also afflict high-end goods, the fault more likely lies with corporate greed and globalized manufacturing with little quality control and accountability. In this way, cheap appliances that only last a few years become expensive appliances. Hence the saying, “a poor man cannot afford cheap shoes.”

DAVID SHEFFIELD

West Vancouver