this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2025
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Europe

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (8 children)

Imagine, government of the people, by the people, and for the people - that's crazy SoCiAlIsM talk!

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[–] [email protected] 61 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Back to the good old days when products were of higher quality. What a concept.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 days ago

And to a world where repairing is both possible and feasible.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (6 children)

I've heard this from service techs who have worked on my refrigerator and dishwasher - major appliances in America last a third as long as they did 10 or 15 years ago.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

they are truly junk. the only goal of American industry, it seems, is to make more money than ever.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

Always has been.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

I can tell you from firsthand experience it's even worse than that. I had a washer that lasted me damn near 20 years that was made in the 90s. Finally decided to get a new set from Samsung. Made it just past warranty, or basically 1 year. The repair would have cost as much as the washer was new. Similar experience with an LG fridge. Bought it and the ice machine broke in it, TWICE, within the first year. Fuck these brands and their established hold on the market.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

And that's nothing. You know how they're pushing for washing machines, dishwashers, etc. to be internet connected? Currently they're forcing this for data mining purposes. But I have no doubt their real goal is to eventually make these devices like printers, with expensive consumables locked in by internet-connected DRM. They've already gotten people used to using dish and clothes detergent pods. How long until they're putting everything in plastic cartridges, locking things down with DRM, and charging like printer companies do?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

We have a Bosch washing machine we bought second hand 15 years ago for Β£50. It's basic, not digital, but has all the functions we need. We've never had a problem with it. It will break one day but I'm hoping it lasts a lot longer still.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Bosch makes good appliances.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Oh look! So much progress is being made since USA embargoed itself!

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I know this is a joke, but it is important to point out for others that such policies get years to be designed, discussed and published in the EU.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

And this law came into effect last July

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Samsung: god damnit, now we have to use the $0.30 washer instead of the $0.29 washer and itll last at least 10 years longer!

That's 10s of millions in extra sales lost!

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The spirit is willing, but the machine is spongy and bruised.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Bullshit. My aunt has a washing machine with all knobs and switches that's probably 30+ years old and it still works fine.

They need to stop putting all these digital components into washing machines or make the boards standardized so they can be easily swapped out. These aren't laptops that you toss after 3-5 years. Appliances should last 10-20 years.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Laptops should last longer than 3-5 years too. It should go without saying, but this is the internet.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Agreed but in most larger businesses swap out the laptops around 3-5 years.

Consumers use laptop 5-10+ until they die.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

As much as I love this, I fail to see how this would be able to be written into law. It's basically gov mandated warranty period. If the goal is to have manufacturers make products that last, how long is long enough for every product category? What's to say that they do the same thing and design products that fail right after warranty ends? Who decides if there is foul play in designing faulty products and how? Unless the gov makes their own product that lasts for 20 years and tells every other company to use this as a baseline otherwise get fined, I don't know how they would be able to enforce this.

I just think this is a big gray area and it would be hard to make this cut and clear. The only thing I think they could do for now is to have companies provide repair manuals and provide parts for a set amount of years after product launch, and repairs should be able to be made by customers themselves without needing to go through 1st party verification like Apple requires with their phones.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

Think you answered your own question there.

Mandated warranty periods. Pretty straight forward.

And they currently engineer product to have things fail right after their warranty expires, so, that’s not really a concern, since we’re already living with that.

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