In today’s fast paced in your face get it done now world we live in there seems to be, with no surprise, a distinct lack in quality.  I see it all around me.  I see it in cheaply made products, poorly handled customer service, slow service and non acceptance of mistakes.  For the moment my thoughts are directed more at products than people.  Products seem to be so cheaply made now a days that the slightest bump will send it to the grave.   

When you try to exchange the broken product you end up waiting in line for far too long only to find out that you’re broken item needs to be shipped to the manufacturer to assess the damages.  The fact that it won’t turn on isn’t proof enough.  It will likely take 6 – 8 weeks to assess the damage and though the store is sorry they just sell the product and can’t be held responsible for whether or not it works.  At this point they comment about how you really should have bought the over priced warranty plan.  This type of thing happens far too often.  Do companies really produce cheaply made products on purpose hoping that not everyone will return something if it breaks?  It’s definitely possible.  Is there anything we can do?  Here are a few tips to safe guard yourself against being ripped off by a faulty product.

First, review the product you’re looking for.  Chances are you aren’t the very first person to buy this product so search the internet for consumer reviews and learn from the experiences of others.  Maybe that particular product is a lemon and you can get insight about a better product or maybe the product is fantastic and you can buy without worry.

Second, ask questions when buying.  Ask questions about the product itself to ensure that it’s going to fit your needs.  The staff at most places are quite knowledgeable and can help you come to an educated decision about a product.  If you don’t know the difference between 1080i and 1080p then you need to ask and find out.

Third, buy from a store that provides good customer service.  You’ll want the comfort of knowing that it won’t be a hassle to replace a dysfunctional product.  You don’t want to dance through hoops to get a new one and you definitely don’t want it sent away for a more detail inspection; you just want a new one so buy from a store that’s willing to do give you one.  Also find out if you get a 30 day no questions asked return window, most places offer it.  Lots of products are broken right out of the box or shortly into its use; those types of return options are nice.

Finally on big ticket items buy that extended warranty.  If you’re going to spend $2000 on a TV then it’s probably worth it to spend the extra $200 on the extended warranty.  Visions has a great extended warranty plan, if you don’t use your extended warranty then once the term is up you receive however much you spent on the warranty as in store credit against a purchase of $400 or more.