Does Technology make things better?
I’m over half a century old, and have owned three new refridgerators. The first new one was left with the first house we sold, the second, left with the second house we sold. Both were 15 to 20 years old and still running.
Our current home, came with a 20 year old refridgerator. Noisy, but it was still running. The wife decided we needed a new one, something a little bigger, prettier, and quieter.
Yeah well, it’s a bit bigger, and a sight prettier, but, how about longevity? This nice new Kenmore from the Sears store made it precisely 2 years and 5 months before blowing out it’s computerized brain. (It’s also just as noisy as the old one)
So, I call Sears and order an extended warranty at $240 per year. Repair bill number one, came to $400 with labor! (so the warranty covered itself this time) Who’d a thunk you’d need an extended warranty on an appliance that SHOULD last a minimum of 18 years??????
Guess I better get busy and send out that extended warranty order on the wife’s 1 year old washing machine too!
So to answer my own question,,, NO!!!!!!!!!
Building all this tech stuff into washing machines, refridgerators, etc, etc, is a huge and expensive (to the consumer) Mistake!!!!!!!
Given my druther’s, I’ll keep my PC, but get the computers off of my Truck, my Bike, my Boat (doesn’t have one), and most of my household appliances!!!
~~GB
May 19th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
We have had a GE for about 12 years now. Runs great, says I as I knock hard on wood 3 times (that wood being my forehead, maybe not the best but certainly the thickest wood in the house). I gave up on the extended warranty a couple of years back, figuring it it goes now, a new one would be a better deal.
The thing about your, that is nice, is that it sounds as if Sears let you buy the extended wearranty after the fact of the breakdown. good for you. We had the drier fixed once, costs about 2x as much as the extended warranty. Now though, if that goes, we would buy a new one of them too, and use a clothes line until we could afford it (which would be pronto because my wife would kick my behind otherwise).
I had no clue that fridges were computerized. Of all the gizmos that could go on a fridge, it figures it would be something they don’t need to run just fine as one in thepast could attest could they speak.
All the best,
Glenn b