On 8/4/10 9:27 AM, I am Tosk wrote:
In article0OidnbP6tqNoM8XRnZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@giganews. com,
says...

Harry ? wrote:
On 8/2/10 8:28 PM, Larry wrote:
Harry ? wrote:

We know U.S. corporations have no compunction about firing workers in
order to further enrich their execs, and apparently they are the same
way about their products, too.

One of my computer printers is dying. A competent repair shop
diagnosed it and informed me a certain part needed replacing. The
printer is a couple of years old and parts are available, but the
manufacturer will not sell the part in question, even to its
authorized service depots.

So I called the printer company Friday, and, after brushing off its
first line of defense, a barely English-speaking clown in India (I
asked, he told me where he was*), I got connected to a series of
U.S.-based service/technical folks.

At the end, the best deal I was offered was to buy a new printer from
the company at a "special price," which was *only* $50 more than
anyone could buy it for from any of at least 100 retailers.

The company I was dealing with used to have a stellar reputation. No
more.

Anyway, this leads me to wonder if anyone is maintaining a list of
those U.S. companies that still provide good products and good service.




* I have nothing against India or people from that area, but when
these people are hired as the first line of service for U.S.
corporations to deal with U.S. customers, they ought to have decent
facility with...English.


Walmart printers are the best - YOU bought one!

At least you got the rebate.

Sorry, "krueger"...I didn't buy a printer at wal-mart. Nice try, though.
I'm Larry - follow the thread. Was that another picture you lifted from
the internet to call your own?

Ha, ha, ha... Is Harry still trying to explain away his Wal-Mart
renovation??? LOL..



Wal-Mart renovation? Is that another of your fantasies about me?
Speaking of houses, does your family schedule its bathroom visits, or do
you guys just go out in the back yard to take a ****? Must be tough with
all those daughters, a wife, and one bathroom, eh?

--
The stupider you sound, the more Republican votes you'll get.

On 8/1/10 12:08 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 08:20:41 -0400, Harry
wrote:

One of my computer printers is dying. A competent repair shop diagnosed
it and informed me a certain part needed replacing. The printer is a
couple of years old and parts are available, but the manufacturer will
not sell the part in question, even to its authorized service depots.

There basically is no such thing as repairing computers. You throw
them away and buy a new one. It is cheaper to have an Asian make a new
one than it is to maintain parts logistic support and training service
people. The writing was actually on the wall in the early 80s in the
enterprise business when IBM shifted from "parts" to "FRUs" (Field
Replaceable Units, the smallest assembly you could order). In many
cases, that was the whole machine. They used the above mentioned
logic. We were buying computer monitors from Korea for $39. Why would
you ever open one up?
"Parts" was IBM's second highest expense, behind salary. By
eliminating the whole repair business, they virtually eliminated one
expense and cut the other one to the bone.

With mass market products, the "lowest cost vendor" model makes parts
logistics a nightmare anyway. The same make and model machine may
actually be made by several different vendors over it's life span and
the parts may not be interchangeable. Even within a single vendor, you
have production changes that affect the parts. Add to that the massive
number of different models of machines that they sell and you can see
why nobody wants to stock parts.

Personally I think this is an area where we could bring jobs back to
this country. The consumer has to demand that the products they buy
are repairable but that would make them more expensive and that seems
to be against the way we think. We are a "buy it, use it up and throw
it away" society.
It sounds like your printer is "used up" and now has become hazardous
waste.


That's basically what the printer company told me...if I wanted, I could
"dispose" of it at their depot...

Fortunately, my experiences with Apple have been more than satisfactory.

On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:08:19 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 08:20:41 -0400, Harry ?
wrote:

One of my computer printers is dying. A competent repair shop diagnosed
it and informed me a certain part needed replacing. The printer is a
couple of years old and parts are available, but the manufacturer will
not sell the part in question, even to its authorized service depots.

There basically is no such thing as repairing computers. You throw
them away and buy a new one. It is cheaper to have an Asian make a new
one than it is to maintain parts logistic support and training service
people. The writing was actually on the wall in the early 80s in the
enterprise business when IBM shifted from "parts" to "FRUs" (Field
Replaceable Units, the smallest assembly you could order). In many
cases, that was the whole machine. They used the above mentioned
logic. We were buying computer monitors from Korea for $39. Why would
you ever open one up?
"Parts" was IBM's second highest expense, behind salary. By
eliminating the whole repair business, they virtually eliminated one
expense and cut the other one to the bone.

With mass market products, the "lowest cost vendor" model makes parts
logistics a nightmare anyway. The same make and model machine may
actually be made by several different vendors over it's life span and
the parts may not be interchangeable. Even within a single vendor, you
have production changes that affect the parts. Add to that the massive
number of different models of machines that they sell and you can see
why nobody wants to stock parts.

Personally I think this is an area where we could bring jobs back to
this country. The consumer has to demand that the products they buy
are repairable but that would make them more expensive and that seems
to be against the way we think. We are a "buy it, use it up and throw
it away" society.
It sounds like your printer is "used up" and now has become hazardous
waste.

Makes me sick. Landfills full of Walmart crap that lasts 1/10th the
time that a well-made product lasts at 1/3 the price.

Most American consumers don't give a ****.

On 8/1/10 12:18 PM, jps wrote:
On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:08:19 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 08:20:41 -0400, Harry
wrote:

One of my computer printers is dying. A competent repair shop diagnosed
it and informed me a certain part needed replacing. The printer is a
couple of years old and parts are available, but the manufacturer will
not sell the part in question, even to its authorized service depots.

There basically is no such thing as repairing computers. You throw
them away and buy a new one. It is cheaper to have an Asian make a new
one than it is to maintain parts logistic support and training service
people. The writing was actually on the wall in the early 80s in the
enterprise business when IBM shifted from "parts" to "FRUs" (Field
Replaceable Units, the smallest assembly you could order). In many
cases, that was the whole machine. They used the above mentioned
logic. We were buying computer monitors from Korea for $39. Why would
you ever open one up?
"Parts" was IBM's second highest expense, behind salary. By
eliminating the whole repair business, they virtually eliminated one
expense and cut the other one to the bone.

With mass market products, the "lowest cost vendor" model makes parts
logistics a nightmare anyway. The same make and model machine may
actually be made by several different vendors over it's life span and
the parts may not be interchangeable. Even within a single vendor, you
have production changes that affect the parts. Add to that the massive
number of different models of machines that they sell and you can see
why nobody wants to stock parts.

Personally I think this is an area where we could bring jobs back to
this country. The consumer has to demand that the products they buy
are repairable but that would make them more expensive and that seems
to be against the way we think. We are a "buy it, use it up and throw
it away" society.
It sounds like your printer is "used up" and now has become hazardous
waste.

Makes me sick. Landfills full of Walmart crap that lasts 1/10th the
time that a well-made product lasts at 1/3 the price.

Most American consumers don't give a ****.

Most American consumers no longer know the difference. Remember, this is
a country where a significant percentage of the population believes
Sarah Palin is qualified intellectually to hold high political office.

"Harry " wrote in message
...
Most American consumers no longer know the difference. Remember, this is a
country where a significant percentage of the population believes Sarah
Palin is qualified intellectually to hold high political office.


Lord help us all. The 'End Times' prophesy must be coming true!

On 8/1/10 6:49 PM, YukonBound wrote:


"Harry " wrote in message
...
Most American consumers no longer know the difference. Remember, this
is a country where a significant percentage of the population believes
Sarah Palin is qualified intellectually to hold high political office.


Lord help us all. The 'End Times' prophesy must be coming true!


A clear indicator!

On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:00:30 -0400, Harry ?
wrote:

On 8/1/10 6:49 PM, YukonBound wrote:


"Harry ?" wrote in message
...
Most American consumers no longer know the difference. Remember, this
is a country where a significant percentage of the population believes
Sarah Palin is qualified intellectually to hold high political office.


Lord help us all. The 'End Times' prophesy must be coming true!


A clear indicator!

I agree. She's the second coming... of Anita Bryant!!!

Harry  wrote:
On 8/1/10 6:49 PM, YukonBound wrote:


"Harry " wrote in message
...
Most American consumers no longer know the difference. Remember, this
is a country where a significant percentage of the population believes
Sarah Palin is qualified intellectually to hold high political office.


Lord help us all. The 'End Times' prophesy must be coming true!


A clear indicator!
On Obama's watch? Say what?

In article ,
says...

"Harry ?" wrote in message
...
Most American consumers no longer know the difference. Remember, this is a
country where a significant percentage of the population believes Sarah
Palin is qualified intellectually to hold high political office.


Lord help us all. The 'End Times' prophesy must be coming true!

I'll see you in our own little paradise, little buddy...MUUUAAA!

In article ,
says...

On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:08:19 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 01 Aug 2010 08:20:41 -0400, Harry ?
wrote:

One of my computer printers is dying. A competent repair shop diagnosed
it and informed me a certain part needed replacing. The printer is a
couple of years old and parts are available, but the manufacturer will
not sell the part in question, even to its authorized service depots.

There basically is no such thing as repairing computers. You throw
them away and buy a new one. It is cheaper to have an Asian make a new
one than it is to maintain parts logistic support and training service
people. The writing was actually on the wall in the early 80s in the
enterprise business when IBM shifted from "parts" to "FRUs" (Field
Replaceable Units, the smallest assembly you could order). In many
cases, that was the whole machine. They used the above mentioned
logic. We were buying computer monitors from Korea for $39. Why would
you ever open one up?
"Parts" was IBM's second highest expense, behind salary. By
eliminating the whole repair business, they virtually eliminated one
expense and cut the other one to the bone.

With mass market products, the "lowest cost vendor" model makes parts
logistics a nightmare anyway. The same make and model machine may
actually be made by several different vendors over it's life span and
the parts may not be interchangeable. Even within a single vendor, you
have production changes that affect the parts. Add to that the massive
number of different models of machines that they sell and you can see
why nobody wants to stock parts.

Personally I think this is an area where we could bring jobs back to
this country. The consumer has to demand that the products they buy
are repairable but that would make them more expensive and that seems
to be against the way we think. We are a "buy it, use it up and throw
it away" society.
It sounds like your printer is "used up" and now has become hazardous
waste.

Makes me sick. Landfills full of Walmart crap that lasts 1/10th the
time that a well-made product lasts at 1/3 the price.

Most American consumers don't give a ****.

Most Americans do give a **** and that's why they refuse to purchase
products that are high dollar and don't last as long as the low dollar
products.