Brands That Are Expensive but Crap

Trying2SaveABuck on 22/08/2023 - 21:36

So special thanks to immrnonamehello for posting this https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/794905?page=1#comment

it got me thinking what brands market themselves to be 'quality' or charge a 'premium' price but is a 'sub-par' quality product compared to its peers.

The obvious ones for me are 'certain' European [German] cars which charge a premium price but are not nessarily better quality then other then say their Japanese or Korean counter parts.

Gillette is another brand ive found to be 'expensive' RRP but not better then less known shaving brands

up market clothing brands also tend to be a bit over rated - Polo, Rahlp Laurne etc all charge a lot but ost of the ive found to be 'made in China' and not much better quality then id entry brands…..

General Discussion

Comments

    • 0FoxGiven on 23/08/2023 - 17:19
      +1

      Pixel, Apple .. prolly even better cameras. Personally always found phones Samsung phone photos extra saturated. Always had to tweak it

    • caitsith01 on 23/08/2023 - 23:21
      +1

      Google, the camera and AI is incredibly good.

    • CowFrogHorse on 24/08/2023 - 14:43
      -1

      If you really care about which phone you have maybe the problem is with the user…Why does it matter and if it does what kind of loser are you spending so much time on a phone ?

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 14:50

      iPhone actually won best camera phone. don't fall for the statistics, having more megapixels doesn't make a better shot, unless you are going to print a billboard, which no one will do with a camera phone.

  • webber23 on 23/08/2023 - 08:11
    +1

    Gibson les paul guitar. always goes out of tune!

  • Sinnerator on 23/08/2023 - 08:47
    -7

    The Law of Diminishing Returns implies that once a product gets too expensive it's quality starts to go backwards

    • brendanm on 23/08/2023 - 10:42
      +6

      That's not what it implies at all. It says that as the price goes up, the quality/utility does not increase proportionately with the price. Eg a 100% price increase may yield a 5% quality increase.

  • Baysew on 23/08/2023 - 09:11
    +18

    up market clothing brands also tend to be a bit over rated - Polo, Rahlp Laurne

    Rahlp Laurne sounds like a fake.

  • kipps on 23/08/2023 - 09:18
    +22

    Telstra. Their support is deplorable. The mobile network is the only thing premium - but that can be obtained through Boost.

    Samsung. Never again. Recently had a new washing machine require a service merely because a rubber band got in the pump. Other numerous issues with other Samsung products, including horrendous service on delivery of a 49” monitor recently.

    Qantas.

    • Lastchancetosee on 23/08/2023 - 10:19
      +2

      Argh. Telstra. Yes.

    • JimB on 23/08/2023 - 11:25
      +1

      Telstra- expensive? Yes. Crap? No.

      As you said yourself "mobile network is the only thing premium"

      I'm with Boost.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 23/08/2023 - 12:07

        Telstra and their mobile network are actually separate entities under Telstra Group. OP's view is still valid.

    • yessum on 26/08/2023 - 15:12

      Boost has the worst customer service I've ever experienced with any company and their support chat cuts out every 20 minutes or so forcing you to repeat your issues every time to a new representative. I'm still waiting for a refund from them from months ago.

      Never, ever again.

      • try2bhelpful on 26/08/2023 - 15:30
        +1

        We tried to port to Boost and they just couldn’t make it happen. Once they cocked it up with one SIM they wanted us to go out and buy another and they would try to port the second SIM then transfer the rest of the time from the first SIM to the second. We gave up and asked for our money back.

        • yessum on 26/08/2023 - 16:17

          They said the same thing to me!! My port went through but the sim was a dud so I lost access to my old service but the boost sim didn't work either so they told me to go out and buy another one. I wasn't sure if there were boost vendors near me so I asked them and the agent said they'd check and then the chat cut out. The next agent said they could send me a new one but that chat disconnected before it was resolved too and the next agent said they actually can't send out new sims because of fraud prevention and then that chat disconnected, rinse and repeat 4 more times with 4 new agents. Was told I would be refunded with the seventh agent and still haven't received it, blergh.

          Sorry for the rant, it was just a frustrating experience and it hurts me seeing so many boost deals here.

      • kipps on 03/09/2023 - 10:56

        Boost customer service is provided by Telstra. Fortunately you hardly ever need them.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 23/08/2023 - 09:24
    +19

    Dyson

    Also there is Ralph Lauren and there is Ralph Lauren. The stuff sold in retail stores here is mostly crap but they do make some amazing clothes just most of them don't make it to Aus. Ralphy is the king of American preppy.

    • Gunnar on 23/08/2023 - 10:08
      +3

      So true. Most people know of RL as their Polo branded stuff which is for the most part, garbage.

      Purple label RL, which is very difficult to get here, is excellent

    • diss on 23/08/2023 - 17:01

      Yeah I have a few Polo Ralph Lauren t shirts and though they look good and fit well, they haven’t held up with normal wear well at all

    • SolitaryMan on 24/08/2023 - 14:27
      +1

      Some Ralph Lauren / Polo is made with premium materials, even in the base brand - some of the shirts use great-quality cloth. I’ve never found quality lacking in any of their products over the years, other than t-shirts, but they’re also priced accordingly.

  • JIMB0 on 23/08/2023 - 10:11

    Ozbargain gold membership.

    • try2bhelpful on 23/08/2023 - 10:13

      Sounds like you’ve signed up to the Ozbargain pyrite membership.

      • JIMB0 on 23/08/2023 - 10:15
        +1

        I've since upgraded to platinum which offers much better value.

        • try2bhelpful on 23/08/2023 - 10:24
          +2

          Wait to you get to unobtainium level. You get your own avatar.

  • ken3051 on 23/08/2023 - 10:17
    -2

    any robovaccums rip-offs? I think roborock

    • JimB on 23/08/2023 - 11:27
      -4

      What about Robocock?

      Busy single mums do rate them highly.

    • rogerm22 on 23/08/2023 - 16:31
      +8

      No, Roborock is one of the leading brands and make top quality products. There are various other brands of Xiaomi robot vacs that are cheaper, but not as good quality.

  • tsunamisurfer on 23/08/2023 - 12:37

    Audi.

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 14:46
      +2

      as a previous owner, it isn't too bad. it is/was cheaper then getting a bmw or mercedes, but they are all trash. i started with japanese cars, but a top spec audi after i started making money, now i am back to ol' reliable japanese cars.

  • noslappers on 23/08/2023 - 15:17
    +2

    Timberlands - I bought their boots, thought they would last a while, soles have holes in them like a year or two later with minimal use!

    • sobriety22 on 23/08/2023 - 17:47
      +2

      I agree that their 6" boots are pretty disappointing and they're not very comfortable.
      However, I bought my best pair of shoes from a Hong Kong Timberland store. Leather mid and upper with their Airflex sole. Used it non-stop for 4 years, walked so many kms in them. Comfortable, smart enough to wear for dinners etc. marketed as a hiking boot but just super versatile.
      Of course they don't make it anymore and I think I'll get a few more years out of it then it will be gone. Now all their stuff looks pretty hideous.

    • CauseNEffect on 23/08/2023 - 21:34

      Dont knock timbs. Mine have survived 5 years of regular use, including in snow..

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 14:45

      you probably bought some cheap ones. they have higher quality timbs that lasted me a long time.
      you must have bought from the outlet. fyi, a lot of the outlet stuff is lower quality stuff that is made specifically for the outlets that won't reach the real stores. if you are lucky, the outlets with get old stock from the real stores, but that would most likely be single pair of boots. if there is a whole stack of them, those were probably made for the outlets and discount stores you find at the DFO, etc…

      • sobriety22 on 24/08/2023 - 16:31

        I bought my best pair from the outlet in HK. I agree that it was most likely a discontinued item and so it is 'legit'.
        The not great pair of 6" I bought was from the official Australia store.

  • Taro Milk Tea on 23/08/2023 - 15:23
    +1

    Qantas

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 14:42

      really depends. short flight domestic would be pointless.

      international flights are fantastic.

  • chriskq on 23/08/2023 - 15:41
    +11

    kogan website. mostly junk products destined for landfill or fake poor quality products like Tommy t-shirts / havianas etc + inflated prices + inflated shipping

  • debb on 23/08/2023 - 16:05
    +1

    Mimco

    • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2023 - 19:58

      They used to be better but you can see & smell the cheap pleather masquerading as real leather now.

      • fairyflossgrapes on 24/08/2023 - 16:12

        +1. If you buy on sale though, then it's closer to justifying it.

        • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2023 - 16:46

          I haven't bought a Mimco bag in years as their styles became 'meh' along with the drop in quality.

          And their pricing is off - multiple discounts across their entire range that they couldn't sell in their outlet stores.

  • oneone001 on 23/08/2023 - 16:22
    +1

    Hismile

  • sobriety22 on 23/08/2023 - 18:02
    +2

    For cyclists:
    - Rapha
    - Campagnolo (yes, I am a Shimano heretic)

  • fullmetal on 23/08/2023 - 20:06
    +11

    Newly built apartments and houses.

  • Logical on 23/08/2023 - 20:57
    +5

    Tesla. Just another Camry

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 17:09
      +1

      you don't own a tesla if you think it's like a camry. lol

      • Logical on 24/08/2023 - 17:39
        +1

        I do actually. It is a modern day Camry. A car for the masses and overpriced for what it is should be.

        • SummerZero on 24/08/2023 - 18:32
          +1

          I think its closer to Mazda than Toyota. It's a little bit nicer on the inside. And they're basically charging you the price of a Mazda plus a battery (if you get a model 3 or y), so not sure if overpriced comes into it.

        • max900 on 24/08/2023 - 19:16

          100% true about modern Camry. Few more years there will be more Tesla on the road than Toyota. It is still cheaper and more efficient than most EVs.

  • caitsith01 on 23/08/2023 - 23:24
    +3

    Lots of hi-fi/mid-fi stuff.

    Bose.

    Modern JBL, still coasting on the 70s reputation 50 years later.

    Sonos, ludicrously priced for what it is.

    Many brands of headphones/bluetooth speakers, e.g. you can pay hundreds for absolute junk from Marley and the like. Oh, but it has a 20c piece of bamboo glued on it!

    • kaoz on 24/08/2023 - 07:47
      +1

      Came here to say “Beats by Dre”. Not sure about nowadays but I remember listening to a mate’s beats and they were terrible, compared to my bottom of the line sennheisers, and I’m not an audiophile.

      • rumblytangara on 25/08/2023 - 09:07
        +1

        Sheesh. Yeah.

        Bose speakers of any sort , Beats and Marshall headphones. So bad.

    • poppingtags on 24/08/2023 - 22:46
      +1

      I was walking past a packed outdoor bar by the street and was taken aback by how lush and clear the music sounded even through the crowd, turned around to have a look at what the DJ was using - vintage JBL's.

      Sadly, even the vintage reproductions that look beautiful and cost an arm and a leg don't sound as good as the real deals.

      • caitsith01 on 25/08/2023 - 00:27

        That's awesome - can't beat 70s gear IMHO, at least not without spending a huge amount of money. I run some 70s JBLs on my office system, they're fantastic.

  • Dollar Dreamer on 24/08/2023 - 00:26
    +1

    smeg

  • Ridiculous Panda on 24/08/2023 - 05:55
    +1

    Oceangate.
    Can’t tell whether it is too soon or too late for this joke anymore!

  • Commander1201 on 24/08/2023 - 06:31
    -1

    Audioengine…

  • berry580 on 24/08/2023 - 06:53
    +2

    Dyson fans.

    • Brick Tamland on 24/08/2023 - 09:08
      +5

      Dyson anything. There some good Dyson disassembly vids and alot of the construction is very very cheap, like unnecessarily cheap

  • USER DC on 24/08/2023 - 07:51
    +2

    https://www.bliss-gifts-homewares.com.au/products/buckle-fre…
    https://gadgetfreak.com.au/products/buckle-free-elastic-wais…
    and
    https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/gadget-freak-buckle-free-elasti…

    They marketting themselves being so expensive with RRP that it is a joke m8
    $9.99 AUD $38,829.00 AUD
    You save: 99% ($38,819.01 AUD)

    Almost like somebody be like What I want my listing to be selling at ? umm $10 okay fine, Now let me put the RRP 99% times of that, And here I get $38,829

  • Dreamcast on 24/08/2023 - 10:46
    -2

    Any luxury car brand that isn't Lexus.

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 14:40

      Acura is fantastic.

      also Genesis is amazing.

    • max900 on 24/08/2023 - 19:18
      +1

      The only luxury car brand that is reliable. lol

  • k1llersloth on 24/08/2023 - 13:53

    razor (gaming accessorises) - bought around 3 keyboards over the years (last one was a top range $300 all broke sooner than they should have). I buy steel series now which on top of being much better quality also does not have bloatwear like razor does.

  • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 14:39
    +1

    Hershel is one. once is saw the "leather" i knew this was low quality garbage. you kind find better in kmart for cheaper.

  • syousef on 24/08/2023 - 14:47

    Any premium brand name Bag/Shoe/Clothing/Makeup manufacturer. That's a lot of money you're paying for a basic item in the hope of impressing people you don't like.

    Apple. Disney. Wizards of the Coast.

  • Cluster on 24/08/2023 - 14:55

    Penfold's Grange. It's a brand in itself.

    https://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_234439/penfolds-bin…

    Retails for $989… per bottle. It's very good wine, but I have tasted equally good wine for $40. It's not like your tongue falls out of your mouth and does pushups from the rapturous joy of flavour compared to other wines.

    Here's the kicker: It's just wine in a bottle. It's mass produced scarcity. Penfold's makes hundreds of thousands of bottles of Grange per year.

    Retail limits of 30 bottles, per customer apply.

    LOL!

    I visit estate auctions regularly and see old bottles of Grange from decades ago for sale, usually with decreased fluid level inside and thus completely damaged. People buy this wine and then don't drink it while they are alive. What's the point?

    • try2bhelpful on 24/08/2023 - 15:26

      We’ve tried a few Granges because we had a friend who was buying them back when they were $25 per bottle. (Still expensive for wine back then). They are a nice wine but, probably, completely wasted on my palate. I think the real answer is get what you like and cellar it properly.

  • Aerith-Waifu on 24/08/2023 - 14:59
    +1

    Smiggle, their bag quality is just crap

    • fairyflossgrapes on 24/08/2023 - 16:13

      Wouldn't have called Smiggle bags expensive comparatively, sorry.

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 17:10

      it's not to expensive, but i would never pay full price for it.

  • bozaar on 24/08/2023 - 15:38
    +3

    Daniel Wellington watches

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 17:11

      agreed, absolute scam. watch only cost like $5 to make.

    • JimB on 25/08/2023 - 09:27

      But it's not expensive?

  • drprox on 24/08/2023 - 16:25
    +1

    I'd say a few clothing brands started out solid but have become utter nonsense like oxford

    • Hugh G Rection on 24/08/2023 - 17:13

      it's inflation. i wouldn't categorise oxford as an expensive brand. don't let the fake rrp fool you, it is just high to give the perception of expensive clothes. you are stupid if you don't buy it on sale, it is regularly on sale, lol.

      • drprox on 26/08/2023 - 07:22

        Oh I'm assuming at their sales prices btw. The quality is poor for those too.

    • JimB on 25/08/2023 - 09:29
      +1

      Oxford in the 2000s made fantastic shirts. Italian fabric too.. but haven't bought one in years.

      The same thing happened to Rhodes and Beckett.

      • drprox on 26/08/2023 - 07:21

        Yep this is what I mean. I first became aware of the brand as a good friend bought me a very expensive oxford shirt that I think may have been silk at the time!

  • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2023 - 17:27

    Woolworth's macro wholefoods market - crap taste & most items are not even Aus products, only packed here

  • Dack Smith on 24/08/2023 - 17:35

    Tesla

    Samsung

    Mercedes Benz

    Jeep

  • Daddy Chill on 24/08/2023 - 22:29

    Kalvin Clien undies

  • ak47wong on 25/08/2023 - 01:58

    Original Rubik's Cubes. The genuine Rubik's® has been left in the dust by "knock-off" speed cubes for almost 20 years. They have weird Chinese names like MoYu, DaYan, Shengshou, YuXin, QiYi and Mofang JiaoShi but they're all better than the original and entry level ones cost a fraction of the price.

  • ChatCPT on 25/08/2023 - 09:01
    +1

    Ducati
    MV Agusta
    Alfa Romeo
    Fiat
    Jeep
    RM Williams
    LV
    Chanel
    Prada
    …. all those $5k bags that are overpriced 10x

    • Brick Tamland on 25/08/2023 - 11:51
      +1

      Agree on the Ducati. For such expensive bikes the fit and finishing is pretty poor. Crappy plastics everywhere

      • ChatCPT on 25/08/2023 - 12:26

        not only that I tried out the streetfighter v2 and the engine was so jerky - japanese 4 cyl are smooth as butter - decades ahead imo yet people actually pay more for Ducati

        • Brick Tamland on 25/08/2023 - 12:46

          That’s just Ducati being Ducati though. They need to be ridden fast to get the best out of them. Even then heaps of bikes have jerky throttles. Euro5 issues.

          • ChatCPT on 25/08/2023 - 14:06
            +1

            @Brick Tamland: Praying that the japs will stop messing around and just design a ducati killer already
            - I would be all over it, full day Sunday rides, sleep next to it, have bfast on it, wash it every week - keep her sparkling

    • Shiny Mew on 26/08/2023 - 19:28

      Alfas 10 years ago, yes. Most of their current crop including the Guilia are great.

    • mudkipz on 28/08/2023 - 13:55

      What's the issue with RM Williams? Afaik, they're still being made in Adelaide and still maintain quality; however, still a lot of money (and climbing).

  • CowFrogHorse on 25/08/2023 - 09:02
    +1

    A good measure of the quality of a product, whgilst not perfect is how much they advertise and what sort of advertising they use.

    If they are highly reliant on celebrities or social media twits - well i think the answer is obvious.

  • Goat Lord on 25/08/2023 - 09:29

    I've had three Sony Bravia TVs in a row, all still work (the first is 20 years old!) - but - have had questionable backlight quality (slight clouding on the latest one).
    Ive had many Samsung phones, like, five, and they have all been fantastic while I was using them. My current Galaxy Z Fold 2 from nearly four years ago is still perfect and has great battery life even. BUT - my previous Galaxy S8 had battery issues when i stopped using it. Common issue with the Samsung phones - if you stop using it, its dead.
    My latest TV is a Samsung and its fantastic BUT has horrible banding. Its really hard to ignore (obvious vertical bars in bright scenes). Samsung fridge is 10 years old and is fine.
    My Razer keyboard's backlit keys stopped working within a month (!!?). ALL my Logitech stuff has been cheap and superb.
    Finally, my 2018 Audi S3 had a coolant leak issue at the 3 year point, JUST out of warranty, needed full thermostat & associated parts replacement, $1800. Mechanic told me "its all plastic, its just the way things are these days". My previous car, a 2010 Subaru WRX lasted 10 years without a SINGLE ISSUE. That said, I still love the Audi, it drives really well and feels premium in every way, but I am… dubious about its longevity, i will probably aim to sell it before it gets 10 years old.

    • v12e on 25/08/2023 - 16:45

      Amen for the WRX, I used to drive MY11 until I sold it at 210,000 km because addition of family member.

      Only had 1 clutch, 1 set of shockies, a radiator, couple of bushes, 2 or 3 batteries, 4 sets of tires and timing belt replacement due to it's age + power steering pump rebuilt for the lifetime I own it and plenty of fun :)

    • Ramrunner on 25/08/2023 - 16:51
      +1

      "Common issue with the Samsung phones - if you stop using it, its dead"

      Not just Samsung - that's with pretty much all devices with Lithium Ion batteries.

      I try to keep my old devices charged between 50-80% percent when in storage and that seems to work OK but yeah, if I charge them and leave them they tend to die. I just have a monthly routine where I plug them in and check the battery level.

      Not saying this will work for you or is even worth it but if most definitely works for me.

  • ass3ts on 25/08/2023 - 11:16
    +1

    After owning 3 including the late models, I have to say Maserati is one of them, while the build quality has improved but considering the prices the rest still have to catch up.

    • Ramrunner on 25/08/2023 - 13:17

      Ugh don't say that.

      Wife has heart set on Grecale. Saving up…..

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