Where Do You Draw The Line with Cheap?

• 

  inherentchoice on 12/06/2017 - 09:04

  +4

  Even the premium and more expensive products and services have risks. Dare I say United Airlines or Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

  For airlines I am happy with the cheapest of the cheap unless it's long haul and there's bad lay overs. Even being reasonably tall I don't care about seat pitch.

  • 

    haha on 12/06/2017 - 12:12

    From my experience Qantas so much better than United.

• 

  Kangal on 12/06/2017 - 09:16

  +5

  Cheapest doesn't mean Best Value.
  We OzBargainer's look for the "Best Value"… or Cheapest of a Specific Model.

  Same thing with, for instance, Graphic's Cards:
  A GTX 1050 (2GB) may only cost AU$140, where as an RX570 (4GB) can set you back AU$240. But you know damn well, the extra $100 is worth it, and makes the RX 570 a much better Bargain. The performance difference is like upgrading an overheating XB1 to a PS4 Pro, or specifically going from 1080p/50fps/High -> 1440p/70fps/High… it's huge!

• 

  Savas on 12/06/2017 - 09:31

  +7

  Whole point of OzBargain is to buy reputable products at cheap prices, otherwise you should neg the deal.

• 

  Diji1 on 12/06/2017 - 10:10

  +3

  I've noticed there is too cheap where it becomes a waste of money just because the items are so low quality.

  It's usually stuff which you know is ridiculously cheap. Talking about you Mr. $14 dollar blender.

  I think in some areas it's false economy to buy cheap. For example spending $150 on a shitty eBay seat every 2 years is false economy. I just bought a Steelcase Leap which has 12 year warranty. It's about a grand but it costs less per year than eBay chair over 12 years and you better believe this thing is comfortable (maybe you wouldn't, you need to try this seat!).

  There is definitely such a thing as too cheap IMO.

• 

  sane on 12/06/2017 - 10:21

  +1

  In general the very cheapest item is usually compromised in some way. So you go up in RRP a bit to find an item where corners haven't been cut. Then you look for a deal on THAT item.

  The other side of the equation is knowing what features are needed, and what impact reliability will have. If you are going to use the item a lot, or you NEED it to work (say, a tire jack on a car) then pay for quality (not brand). Otherwise use a cheap item to find out if the expensive version is necessary.

  And, of course, look up online reviews.

• 

  UFO on 12/06/2017 - 10:25

  +3

  I think it depends entirely on the product you are buying, and its intended purpose.

  Phone cables? Cheapest possible.
  Phone chargers? There's a much bigger risk, so brand reliability/function is more important.
  Aircraft engines? The best in the market, regardless of price ;).

  • 

    AlienC on 12/06/2017 - 11:45

    +1

    Just a minor suggestion with phone cables some don't carry the required amount of voltage or power necessary to charge some amaybe larger devices such as tablets and newer phones especially with longer cables. I like the quality and make of the premium brands especially nylon braided for durability. Went through a bunch of short cheap plastic cables that fell apart or did not charge well before I hit jackpot with anker premiums.. blitzwolf do good cables top but could never find a good lengthy cable that could deliver to my area locally.

  • 

    toristo on 12/06/2017 - 11:47

    +2

    Any deals on a new Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 engine? …asking for a friend

• 

  AlienC on 12/06/2017 - 11:41

  When it will cost me more to fix in the long run then I decide whether or not this is a good idea to purchase or not. For example with food I usually go for the cheapest or hardest to make compared to price but with electronics I have aa certain level of quality that I like to maintain and having gambled/tried the cheapest of the cheap I know now a lot more and better.

  But yeah as always it depends on the purpose of the object or item and situation.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 12/06/2017 - 12:13

  -1

  I never buy cheap toilet paper. I love my butt

• 

  Bellpop on 12/06/2017 - 12:17

  +1

  Tend to agree re higher end products. Waiting around for a good price on a quality and well rated product such as the sammy ks8000 I got for $1400 from Myer at Boxing Day sales.

  Definitely lean towards cheaper disposable stuff iphone cases.

  After years of Chinese lightning cables I prefer to buy apple original ones now. Honestly think it's heaped in the long run and a heap more convenient.

  Flights is tough. I love a cheap flight. Just take a sleeping tab and wake up on arrival. Having said that I don't want an engine ripping apart mid flight…

  • 

    fossilfuel on 12/06/2017 - 13:24

    Definitely lean towards cheaper disposable stuff iphone cases.

    Not sure about iphone cases but I've had my Sony Xperia Z case for close to 3 years now. A silicone case which has protected my phone from the countless times it has been dropped. The cheap plastic cases are garbage, once they crack, they're done for. Go for cheap and durable, a silicone case will do the trick.

    After years of Chinese lightning cables I prefer to buy apple original ones now. Honestly think it's heaped in the long run and a heap more convenient.

    My lighting cable gave out after 2 1/2 years, not because of quality but of neglect and rusting. I have another chinese lightning cable, purchased for $2, have been using it for close to 2 years and hasn't died yet. I think it's good to have 1 original charging cable and a collection of cheaper cables. I have killed and lost so many micro-usb cables over the years but I've only ever spent $4 max per cable.

    Flights is tough. I love a cheap flight. Just take a sleeping tab and wake up on arrival. Having said that I don't want an engine ripping apart mid flight…

    The engine ripping apart is the least of your worries. While cheap flights are nice, the layover times are ghastly. I think it's worth paying a bit more for convenience than having to sit through a 7 hour layover.