Where does Boots theory apply the most nowadays?

Ubbquittious

The theory that states poor people buy cheap stuff that doesn't last and end up spending more in the long run.

I reckon it doesn't apply to actual boots anymore since most of them are made for a few quid in Southeast Asia and most of the cost is just what's added on by parasitic resellers. You could spend 250 quid on a pair that might last twice as long as a 50e pair but your price per day for wearing the cheaper pair is lower.

It does apply to power tools and machinery. A lot of the cheap stuff (no name brand, lidl/aldi) doesn't last pissing time if you start using it a lot. I doubt there is any factory where they have been running their Lidl compressor for thousands of hours without a bother. Nor is it likely for any serious power washing outfit to still be using their trusty Mac Allister that they bought in B&Q in the mid-2000's.

During the lockdown a lot of folks got into 3D printing and they mostly bought cheap Chinese ones. Anyone who got seriously into the hobby will have moved these on or have them in a corner gathering dust and anyone else has them moved to the attic from where they'll be thrown into a skip in 5 years time.

con747

"A lot of the cheap stuff (no name brand, lidl/aldi) doesn't last pissing time if you start using it a lot." I have Aldi branded DIY power tools since the early 2000's and have done serious amounts of work with them and they are still working nearly 20 years on. Bought cordless garden equipment a few years ago and they are working no problem doing 400+ yards of tree and hedge trimming three times a year. I use my power tools a lot, a lot more than an average person and have had no problems that would make me say "I should have bought x-y-or-z branded ones" Oh, and by the way, i'm not poor just frugal.

-=al=-

Depends on the tool and how much it's used etc, I've worn down expensive tools that worked well and cheap tools that worked well for less time, everything has it's use depending on how much you use/need it.

There is some stuff I won't compromise in quality for, but if it's average use, the gap between cheap and quality has closed in recent times, I think.

I always buy branded shoes, however! Life is too short for **** shoes!

adocholiday

A good suggestion I read before is if you're buying a tool for 1 job then buy the cheap version, if you use it enough to break it then replace it with the expensive one. I've done that since I started doing DIY about 6 years ago and the only ones upgraded so far are the chainsaw (Aldi to Echo) and the brush cutter (Procut to Echo). All of my DIY tools are Black and Decker or Evolution and they work perfectly after years of steady use. Definitely not robust enough for professional use though.

To answer the question of the thread I think the boots example still holds up. I don't use work boots so can't comment on those directly but I do a lot of hiking and the difference between cheap boots and expensive ones are night and day. If you buy an €80 pair the chances are that they won't be water proof, will give you blisters, and will fall apart fairly rapidly. I bought a pair of Lowa Renegades back in 2017 for €250 and the only thing I've replaced are the insoles. They're still comfortable and in perfect condition despite having done 2000-3000 miles in all sorts of conditions.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058303310/where-does-boots-theory-apply-the-most-nowadays

Truth be told I'm struggling to see where Boots theory could apply to any consumer goods these days, we've designed a world where everything gets replaced quickly regardless of price

Taking clothes as an example, it's all about fast fashion these days. People buying clothes from Shein or Boohoo and they last a few months max and get chucked away. Go to the other end of the totem pole to Louis Vuitton, and I'm sure the clothes last much longer but they get thrown to the back of the wardrobe and replaced within a few months with whatever is "new" at the time

Patagonia broke the mould a year or two ago by targeting sustainability in their products and publishing guides on how to repair and renew their clothes. But I just don't think our society is geared towards that level of efficiency, we're all supposed to be spending money, keeping the economy moving, blah blah blah

Electronics are pretty notorious for this, new versions of the same old smartphone every year which adds basically nothing. On top of that it gives manufacturers a great excuse to stop supporting older products and make the spare parts for repair harder to obtain (for the products that are even repairable)

I feel it kind of applies still to household appliances. Our last washing machine broke at exactly the 3 years mark, we managed to repair it under warranty but it broke again a year later and wasn't worth fixing.

We spent a little more money on the newer one and it has some remarkable features like a removable drain filter so you can clear and garbage out of the machine before it kills it. It's remarkable because those used to be standard on washing machines, but I guess the manufacturers figured out it was cheaper to remove them and it meant the thing was guaranteed to break after a few years anyway

So in summary, everything is designed to fail and fail permanently in the shortest possible time

silverharp

I remember a carpet fitter telling me that his busiest time was working in council estates coming up to xmas, apparently they get the cheapest carpets fitted but they smell new for the xmas period but dont last long.

tesla_newbie

Bought a Beko tall freezer for under 400 euro in 2019 , started giving trouble about fourteen months later ( twelve months warranty) , bought an 1100 euro Samsung replacement two weeks ago

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804791#Comment_120804791

The warranty time is irrelevant with items like that, "The seller is responsible for resolving the issue under consumer law. You are entitled to raise a problem about a product for up to 6 years from the date of buying it. This applies regardless of the terms of any guarantee or warranty." You should have chased that up and not taken it on the chin.

tesla_newbie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804877#Comment_120804877

That’s funny, you think Curry’s were going to do anything just because I rocked up with a little righteous indignation?

they would be forever fixing low margin products

BTW, you can get good Beko appliances, just not for that price, live and learn

Sleepy

Housing: it's cheaper to pay a mortgage than to pay rent in most parts of the western world.

Sleepy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804902#Comment_120804902

You'd be shocked at how quickly the words "Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980" can change a conversation with Currys or any other store. They count on people either not knowing, or not being prepared to insist upon, their consumer rights.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804902#Comment_120804902

If you don't want to implement your consumer rights that's up to you. I have had goods replaced after 3-5 years by using them. Most recently a 3 year old tv.

tesla_newbie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120804941#Comment_120804941

Problems arose fifteen months after purchase, not a month after

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120805440#Comment_120805440

Irrelevant when it arose if it was within the period covered by your consumer rights.

riclad

you need to save at least 10 per cent of the house price to get a mortgage , and to have a minimum income, most house,s are bought by young couples ,eg using 2 persons income to get a mortgage . theres not even enough housing units for sale for the no of single people who want to buy an apartment, we have a serious lack of housing supply

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810728#Comment_120810728

Are you in the wrong thread?

daithi7

Where does Boots theory apply the most nowadays?

Sports footwear.

People buying cheap footwear to play sports in & then getting injured (cos of poor support) & needing physio, etc.

E.g. I was playing tennis with someone who proudly showed off his €5 runners from a discount supermarket middle aisle. Same guy has back issues & regularly pulls his hamstrings & calfs. I gave him a bollocking for wearing cheap, useless shoes when playing sport. This is the ultimate false economy imho.

Honorable

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058303310/where-does-boots-theory-apply-the-most-nowadays

Lidl compressor or other tools are not for factories. Only for personal use, the manual always says this for any Lidl tool or other brand tool meant for non professional use.

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120810970#Comment_120810970

That is just a way of saying it's not durable or at least prone to overheating