Have retailers picked up their game or is it because my shopping habits have changed?

konazz on 17/04/2015 - 12:55
Last edited 17/04/2015 - 14:19

About 2-3 years ago, I decided to stop buying cheap s**t and started buying premium - from power tools (Ozito to Bosch Blue), home reno (DIY to proper contractors for pergola; cheap light/power fittings to decent quality LED and $40 GPOs; bond paint vs dulux wash'n'wear), computers (cheap throwaway laptops to high end surface pro3 ), food (woolies meat to farmers market or single source organic butchers).

Yes my bank has taken a hit, but I'm finding now that I'm happier… because of the after sales support I'm getting. In the last month the following happened:

  • Nissan X-trail failed EGR valve on the way back from camping (car has 108,000km), had extended warranty (i know i know, i shouldn't have but i was a good deal). The extended warranty covered car hire (Kluger), towing of x-trail back to my place (over 100kms away), and the dealer fixing everything on the car. Essentially, the whole saga cost me nothing and Nissan air freighted the part from Japan. While I have previously disliked Nissan, this was pretty good service (from what I hear - its pretty rare!)

  • my iMac failed just after 1 year. Both the screen and HDD failed (NFI?!). went in, and was fixed without any q's (because of their 2year minimum ACL guarantee now)

  • My dog damaged my Weber Q bbq. Weber sent out spare parts that the dog destroyed (electric sparker) for no cost.

  • I bought some clothes online this week (arrived next day), and they even include return shipping envelope and code if I need to exchange or return. Easier than going to Westfields and fighting the dumb asses in the carpark.

Since I've started paying for better quality stuff, I find i'm not breaking things, and i'm not getting dodgy stuff that i have to return (e.g. meat)… left my Bosch drill on the roof the other night, it was fine; I've had my expensive steel push bike 3 years with no troubles, my last iMac lasted 6 years and am hoping that this one will last a while now that its fixed. Then on the weekend, i bought a 50m hose from bunnings… it was cheap but it was the only 50m hose available… OMFG i was quickly reminded why i stopped buying cheap as chips hardware (kinks, knots, blow out all within 10 mins of unpacking it). I once bought a pack of nails and screws from Aldi… every single one of them bent or was stripped… bunnings stuff was fine (at twice the cost).

As soon as funds allow, my wife and I have decided to replace our crappy 3yo carpet that came with the house (I want a decent underlay) and change the treated pine deck to mod-wood (OMFG that stuff is expensive).

There are still some bargains to be had, but has anyone else drawn a line in the sand and said 'enough of the cheap stuff'? I find i'm happier, because i can get stuff done quicker, better, and not worried about faulty products. And buying from decent shops, means if there's a problem - i'm not up for a fight.

EDIT: forgot one other example.
I purchased a camping ensuite for our camping shower. I'd had the BCF/Oztrail pop up ones snap on me before so I bought a Roman branded one ($110 vs $40). After about 18 months of use, I snapped one of the elastic things (put it in wrong). Emailed Roman (Companion brands) asking how much for a new pole set (no warranty, no receipt)… no charge and they sent me whole new set by courier

General Discussion

Comments

  • bravyboy on 17/04/2015 - 13:24

    Interesting post.
    May I ask out of curiosity, was there a change in situation that resulted in you having more disposable income?
    I agree with your views, obviously dependent on having the money to let your 'bank account take a hit'

    • konazz on 17/04/2015 - 14:02

      There was a bit. When we first moved out, we were on a pretty tight budget as I took a pay cut so my wife could study in Canberra… so we had 1 income + a bit of money from her scholarship. But we would never skimp on fresh food, so other things had to be changed… we had a 32" SD LCD we bought as a display, we only upgraded as our family bought us a 50" monstrosity (and now I can't see how I lived without one). I bought the cheapest tools (which were shit - like the $2 screw driver sets from repco), our laptop was a $500 ACER, our coffee table was a roadside pickup, couches were 20+ year old hand me downs etc.

      Our situation has greatly changed… we went from having my income + her scholarship (and nearly 6 months of no scholarship) and servicing a mortgage, to in the last 2 years her getting a decent job (and loving her career) + 2 promotions within 18 months and then I've had a few good payrises/job changes over the last 2 years (about 35%-40% increase in 2 years).

      I guess that has helped, so i've been buying better stuff, so i don't have to go back and replace stuff as often.

  • sempro on 17/04/2015 - 13:34
    +1

    you get what you pay for?

    • esty on 22/04/2015 - 12:50

      exactly!

      Why are people suprised. You cant expect the same quality stuff if you are buying the cheapy ones! Lets be realistic here people.

  • SirFlibbled on 17/04/2015 - 13:35
    +1

    I've always been a proponent of VALUE over price. Sure you can buy stuff cheaply but it always isn't value.

    If I'm buying a big ticket item I'll go for a good quality brand over a cheap no name brand every time. There's usually a reason good stuff costs more.

    I did once cheap out and buy an Ozito drill - wow what a mistake. I was basically a glorified screw driver. It certainly couldn't drill anything. Bought a Bosch and it was like night and day.

  • donbot on 17/04/2015 - 13:52
    +4

    To me, its about getting as close to the point of diminishing returns.

    I'll pay a premium for a premium product/item for features/benefits I'll actually utilise, but I wont be gauged paying for a ridiculous high end product that is unnecessary for my needs.

    • konazz on 17/04/2015 - 14:10

      Totally agree - i won't pay for a BMW as its 'too high' for my needs, others love the extra quality + service (just look at their servicing schdules - 12month 15,000km, not your standard 6m/10km from the cheaper brands)

      but neither will buy a Holden Craptiva… as their customer service, at that price point, is something I'd expect to get from Great Wall.

      I also factor in the cost of failure - why I spent: e.g. i can buy something cheap, if I'm not too reliant on it and can wait to get it exchanged or purchase a new one (e.g. whitegoods, i can go down to GoodGuys and pick a washing machine up within 30 minutes). But everyone laughs at me when I tell them I spent $80/chair and $800 on a tent for camping: well when I drove out into the outback, what would happen when (not if) my $10 bunnings special chair broke… sure I can return it… in 2 weeks in Alice Springs… but what do I sit on for 2 weeks. Same with our tent… there's pretty much ZERO difference between a $100 and $800 tent on a nice, clear, sunny weekend - all that changes once wind or water comes into play… and can make a nice weekend a horrible weekend very quickly. All our mattresses (self inflating black wolf) and sleeping bags are high end stuff for that reason - as I can't afford to have a failure in either one. On the other hand, our gazebo/shelter is a cheaper one as is our 4WD awning - because I can afford not to have the top of the line as its not something i have to rely on.

      • RockyRaccoon on 17/04/2015 - 20:39

        just look at their servicing schdules - 12month 15,000km, not your standard 6m/10km from the cheaper brands

        BTW a "cheap" toyota camry has the same schedule. Things are changing everywhere…

  • Lysander on 17/04/2015 - 13:56
    +1

    In my experience retailers have NOT picked up their game - they are still up to their shenanigans trying to deny responsibility, liability etc. In fact, I think it got worse, judging from personal experience and my work load.

    The service is probably better if you pay higher prices but that is what you pay for. In terms of quality of goods, very often there is no difference. It all comes down to luck. In fact, regularly branded products and non-branded or homebrand products are made by the same manufacturer in the same machine from the same raw materials.

    In Germany, there is a book, published annually, that reveals the real manufacturers behind Aldi products - you will see that what I said is true. The reason such a book can be written is the requirement for origin marking in Germany so it is through the codes on the products that the real manufacturer can be identified.

    P.S.: With machines it is different. Equally with cars. You do pay a price for the brand but there in fact better quality components are used.
    It is likely that this is more so the case in Australia as there are not that many manufacturers/sources in Australia where these products could come from.

    Here is the link to one of those books - they are updated regularly but don't have the time to find the latest:

    http://www.amazon.de/Aldi-dahinter-Aldi-Produkte-prominenten…

    P.S.: With machines it is different. Equally with cars. There you pay more for the brand but also for better quality components.

    • konazz on 17/04/2015 - 14:22

      Thats what I'm thinking - its where I've started shopping, or the manufacturers i'm dealing with that means there's customer service.

  • Annoying Source on 17/04/2015 - 14:34
    +9

    My Philosophy is unless I really need something I won't buy it at full price.

    I don't wait for all my underwater to wear out, I buy them when they are on sale at myer for $5-10 a piece. Another example is, you might not need a pair of new dress shoes now but $30-50 is better now then in 3 months when you will have to pay $100+ because there aren't any sales. Same thing can be said for a power drill, get that Bosch power drill now while it's on sale, compared to when your current 3 yr old one dies and you need to replace it asap.

    Point is buy the expensive stuff for cheap, best of both worlds.

    Also know which things are okay to cheap out on and which aren't.

  • Mad Max on 17/04/2015 - 15:58

    Sometime cheap stuff does the job (tools you may only need once or twice?). For some other stuff you want quality and durability.
    The say "horses for courses" is very appropriate in my opinion.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2015 - 19:26

    Mate. It depends, some stuff I don't really care if it's crap so I buy the cheap stuff.

    Things I rely on like my laptop I got a Dell with next business day warranty instead on a acer.
    Likewise with tools, although I rarely use them I like the feel of a quality sockets over some cheap soft piece of crap.

    Same with shampoos, soaps, toilet paper, etc.

    Things like the bathrooms scales, $9 from Harvey Norman on a recent deal.

    But if I can get the same quality product for less, I will. I don't see cheap crap as "bargains", just cheap crap.

  • brickwall on 17/04/2015 - 20:47

    I think it depends on your luck and the person in-store. I have recent experience with JB HiFi with 6 months old broken headphones - still working, just the cable got pulled out.
    Bourke St store's manager got no stock for replacement, but very nice and directed me to the Elisabeth St store. Went to Elisabeth St store they got stock but the manager just trying to get me to buy new one. I even requested politely if they could send to manufacturer for repair, he said can't. I emailed the manufacturer they said the retailer should be able to if I still have the receipt (and I did have it with me). The female employee was also quite b*tchy, saying that "I wouldn't touch it, just call x (the manager)" with disgusted expression.

    Similar experience with returning intact, excellent condition and resale-able sunglasses at Sunglass Hut, the Melbourne Central store employee is b*tchy, but the people at Emporium is very nice.

  • outlander on 17/04/2015 - 22:40
    +1

    You certainly can go too cheap. In my case, I am feel better having bought the cheap stuff, because it has allowed me to calibrate my expectations a bit better, and I can identify whats important easier. For example, I would never buy the cheap 50m hose, because I know more about water pressure now, and wouldn't expect it to last very long under full mains pressure (650kpa, was 1000kpa before i had it lowered, use to explode bits off). Thanks to using the cheap stuff for so long, I can tell that its the wall thickness thats important, and how flexible it is.

    On the other hand, take a toaster, like mine that broke just last week. I'm not upset, even though its only a few years old and cost a fair bit, because I realized that toasters are not designed to last very long. The nichrome wire used is very thin, and should anything get stuck to it (say from homecut piece of bread) the lifetime of that toaster is dramatically shortened. Now you might say, go out and spend a little more on a better toaster, but I went to big w and got the cheapest one. Why? Because although the more expensive ones look nicer, more accurate timers or tighter wound coils for a more even cook, they all seem to use the same thickness of wire. No matter which toaster you buy, its gonna break in a couple of years. So I will buy the cheapest one from now on, because all the other stuff doesn't matter to me as much as how long its gonna last.

    That said, if you think bunnings nails are good, I think your going to be pleased no matter what you buy

  • outlander on 17/04/2015 - 22:40
    +1

    relevant

  • airzone on 18/04/2015 - 01:10

    Cheapest is not always the best value.

    • RockyRaccoon on 18/04/2015 - 02:14

      Expensive is not always the best value.

      So where do we go from here? LOL

    • netbies on 18/04/2015 - 08:21

      I agree cheapest may not be the best value, but best value does not have to be expensive. It really depends on how much the values added to individual versus the costs paid. The same thing will have different values to different people even though they are paying the same price.

  • Waldo000000 on 18/04/2015 - 08:18

    Think about the opportunity cost. What would you otherwise do with the money?

  • babylon on 18/04/2015 - 13:21

    It's just your shopping habits.

    You chose quality over lowest price so now you can enjoy the benefits in warranty and service and product build that comes from the manufacturer not having to skimp to make a profit margin on a cheap item.

  • 2ndeffort on 22/04/2015 - 16:03

    What about when you get the exact higher quality item for the price of the cheap version? Surely that is the goal of an ozB

    • leiiv on 23/04/2015 - 13:39

      Exactly! The challenge here is how to get premium stuff cheaply..
      Sometimes premium brand does not necessarily equal to premium quality.

  • 2ndeffort on 24/04/2015 - 11:40

    My wife has been after some compression tights to wear to the gym. I know i could get her some cheapo ones off eBay for $30 ish but she wants the good quality ones. The local sports stores will sell them to me for $150 ish. I just managed to get her a pair in the 25% off sale at the 2xu online outlet with free shipping for around $75. These are genuine 2XU brand the same things that Rebel etc would probably charge me well over $100 for. I haven't compromised on quality these are the 'real deal'. I've got a cheap deal for the same quality, that's what it is all about!!!

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