Friday, March 30, 2007

Vacuum Cleaners That Do Not Work

American consumers have acquired a bad habit –

Purchase first, try later.

Nowadays, consumers’ go to big-box stores, with empty-jackets for help and buy a vacuum cleaner based on 4 principles: name, color, font and price. There are no professionals to ask a question to.

By the time you open the box and turn the vacuum on, most find the appliance to be useless and never return it. It breaks down (usually after one-year) and the cost to repair the vacuum cleaner is greater than the purchase of a new machine. As a result, the vacuum cleaner is kicked to the curb, found with a white-paper attached to it that says “FREE.”

Among the top ten vacuum cleaners that breakdown within one year are:

  1. Hoover
  2. Eureka
  3. Kenmore
  4. Shark
  5. Oreck
  6. Electrolux
  7. Bissell
  8. Oxygen
  9. Dirt Devil
  10. Dyson .....(Yes, even the Dyson will breakdown - Ranked as the least reliable vacuum cleaner on the market, but also the one most likely to be recommended by a friend).

The department store and manufacturers keep selling the same garbage that breaks just by picking up a nickel, dime or penny. They know only a small percentage will be returned.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are in a new era – The Throw Away Era.

WAKE UP AMERICA. These so called quality name brand manufactures are the ones producing the garbage you buy and the discount stores are dishing you the “dirt.”

It is time for consumers to stand-up to the manufacturers and big-box stores. How do you do this?

Take back control, return items that don’t work. Ask for your hard earned dollars back. Educate yourself before buying. Don’t act oblivious to the shopping world around you.If you made purchased a crappy vacuum once, shame on them. If you did it twice, shame on you. Search out stores that will gladly answer all your questions, show you products that work and also compare by the merits of each product. Check out your independent vacuum dealer nearest you or just visit my website. How about this, just call me, ask for Gerry as I will walk you through your needs and gladly provide free advice.

Support your local stores. Some may say, but why Gerry? We have to pay more money! Yes you will, but you will be getting quality machines and impeccable service.

You have a choice: buy MULTIPLE cheesy plastic vacuums over the next 10 years, or buy ONE vacuum that you can use for the rest of your lifespan.

-Gerry

Sunday, March 4, 2007

The Hoover Vacuum Does Not Work

Stay Tuned

The Ingenious Vacuum Cleaner Industry


Vacuums used to do what they claim, "clean carpets and bare floors." They were made of metal and had amazing vacuuming prowess—renowned for their durability. Today, it is a totally different story as the industry has evolved from floor-care to the floor-miscare business. The vacuum cleaner industry has drastically changed and you would think that with time, research, and development, this would spur innovations. Ideally, vacuums should progressively improve. Well, completely wrong. Nowadays, vacuums are made of plastic, everything goes through both the fan and motor. In the 21st century, if you pick-up a nickel, dime, sock or penny –BANG! Your hit with a costly repair. By the time you shut down the machine to examine the situation, damage is already done. You have two options (which I am sure you, the reader, never had to confront –right?)

1) Throw it away

2) Pay for a costly repair.

The cost of the repair is much greater than the purchase price of a new junky-vacuum. Warranties are not worth the paper they are written on (manufacturers warranty is against defects not against picking up something hidden under a bed like a sock). As a result, you just toss out the recently-bought vacuum and go to your nearest big-box store.

The vacuum cleaner manufacturers made this all possible, who else? Instead of building a sturdy, powerhouse machine, they have changed their approach. Today, they understand the marketplace and the consumer’s behavior. Now, the vacuum cleaner industry produces cheap vacuums with a limited life-span –made to break. Planned Obsolescence. Ingenious idea--right? Selling volume over quality, especially if the consumers are still obliviously buying the product. In fact, the machine consumers think are American made, are no longer. People think they are buying the iconic Hoover, but in fact, Hoover is owned by Hong Kong's finest --Techtronic Industries Co. (which owns, among other companies; Dirt Devil, Royal and Regina). Your mother and her mother’s favorite vacuum,“Electrolux” brand (which does business under, among other companies, Eureka) is not the same company that has been doing business in the U.S. under the Electrolux name in the past. The old Electrolux changed their name to Aerus Electrolux. By exploiting the name-brand recognition of Hoover, Dirt Devil, Electrolux, they squeeze profits from the shell-company, reduce costs (ie. quality) and pass on these ‘savings’ to the consumer.

The bottom line is -
Poor vacuum cleaner construction with short life times ensue vacuum companies stay in a constant state of profit.