Chinese Junk. Can you buy American?

[stacktester]

I just returned from my local Wally World to return a camera that my daughter purchased with her own money Thanksgiving weekend. The lens won't open all the way so I take it back and they don't take returns after 30 days even with a receipt.

I call Samsung cs and get Janet (yeah right) this lady spoke very poor english. It was obvious she was oriental. I told her the problem and she told me to go buy rechargable batteries because Samsung has had some problems with alkaline batts and the lithium work better. So because of a design flaw, I have to buy new batts to make their camera work, maybe.

I don't understand why they don't tear down the USA flag and fly the Chinese one. That's all I want to see is some honesty that everything in that store is chinese junk. Can we get an amen.

I was looking for an american made GPS but they were all made in China too so I guess Mapquest will have to work or do the chinese own them too?

People keep wondering why this country is in such a bad way. Open your eyes, a lot of industries including furniture, electronics and autos have to compete with Asia. Most people look for the cheapest thing out there and won't spend extra to buy anything quality built and that's what got us here. I'm sorry to rant but when I read about the lead based paint and sulfur based drywall harming people and we still buy it I get really mad. I will gladly pay more for something and do without something else to have better quality and keep a USA job secure.

 

[musicmama]

I just returned from my local Wally World to return a camera that my daughter purchased with her own money Thanksgiving weekend. The lens won't open all the way so I take it back and they don't take returns after 30 days even with a receipt.

Sadly, this is why I always buy the extended warranty (Wally sells them too, or I get one online) and I use American Express to pay. Amex, for all its sins, has a couple of good Gold card benes - extends original warranty for 1 year and/or if it can't be returned, they'll take it back and refund you.

I am surprised about the return being denied. I thought Wally took everything back with a receipt for almost forever? It sure seems like it in my local one.

 

[des1954]

It's a vicious cycle Donnie & one that will not soon be broken.

Major companies started contracting with Chinese/Asian manufacturers due to the cheap labor & materials. American manufacturing jobs slowly disappear due to factories shutting down. American's have less money to spend and look for cheaper products. Cheaper products come from China/Asia. The "Circle of Life" from my perspective.

Ted Koppel did a four hour special on USA/China dependancy upon each other. It was a true eye-opener.

Just one example....building demolition. They do not use any heavy equipment to demolish a building - it's all done with manual labor (skyscrapers too). It is more economical to pay some "coolie" the equivalent of $1.30/day to chip away at concrete and haul it with a bucket to a dump truck than to bring in the heavy equipment to do it. Everyone should watch this documentary. Our poorest Americans live 1,000 time better than the common laborers in China.

 

[VACAMPER]

I just returned from my local Wally World to return a camera that my daughter purchased with her own money Thanksgiving weekend. The lens won't open all the way so I take it back and they don't take returns after 30 days even with a receipt.

I call Samsung cs and get Janet (yeah right) this lady spoke very poor english. It was obvious she was oriental. I told her the problem and she told me to go buy rechargable batteries because Samsung has had some problems with alkaline batts and the lithium work better. So because of a design flaw, I have to buy new batts to make their camera work, maybe.

I don't understand why they don't tear down the USA flag and fly the Chinese one. That's all I want to see is some honesty that everything in that store is chinese junk. Can we get an amen.

I was looking for an american made GPS but they were all made in China too so I guess Mapquest will have to work or do the chinese own them too?

People keep wondering why this country is in such a bad way. Open your eyes, a lot of industries including furniture, electronics and autos have to compete with Asia. Most people look for the cheapest thing out there and won't spend extra to buy anything quality built and that's what got us here. I'm sorry to rant but when I read about the lead based paint and sulfur based drywall harming people and we still buy it I get really mad. I will gladly pay more for something and do without something else to have better quality and keep a USA job secure.

AMEN! preach on preacher donnie

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

As long as we compete with 3rd world countries that ignore environmental and human rights issues it will not change, on a level playing field, Americans can and will compete with anyone in the world.

 

[stacktester]

The reason a lot of company's have moved overseas because environmental is not an issue there. Over the years even the U.S. has gotten lax on emissions. As a compliance tester I will say if China and other country's don't get environmental issues under control they will destroy their environment. It was embarassing to see China blowing emissions all over during the Olympics. They don't care what they do. I don't have a bunch of money to spend more on items I want, but I will just because it's American and I still feel there's some hard working guy's out there making a good product and believe in the job they do.

 

[ntsammy5]

It'll happen to China too - India is outsourcing some of the stuff sent to them to Indonesia. What'll happen when they run out of cheaper countries to send stuff to?

 

[Tigger1966]

I think about this every time I install something that is made in China on one of the RV's I work on.
Even Reese Hitch has a line made in China. What is bad is when you have something from an old American company and you look at it and it is made in China (Schwinn Bikes)
They drive the American company into bankrupcy then buy the name.

 

[disney4dan]

I agree. I had a situation where I had a large wrench used to unthread pipes (up to 4 - inches in diameter). It was Craftsmen and I bought it because it was American made and I could get it replaced. It served me well until a particularly nasty job came along and it broke.

Went back to the local Sears to replace it and they only had a cheap Chinese version available. I went to the desk and told the lady I wanted to order a replacement, true Craftsmen version that was made in America. The older cashier was almost in tears, saying her recently deceased husband would be turning over in his grave because the stuff was just not available anymore. Somewhere along the line, they decided (at least at that time and for that tool) that it would be better to go cheap and just keep replacing them. And I do, pretty much every time that wrench is used it bends or breaks the connection between the chain and the bar.

 

[stacktester]

I've lost a lot of clients in the furniture industry over the years due to the asian rim. One firm was Florida Furniture in Palatka, FL. They mostly made bedroom furniture but couldn't compete with Rooms to Go types. I went inside one day and watched men and women assemble the furniture by hand and drills. RTG uses nail guns and falls apart.

I agree how someone said the cheap co.'s drive out an american biz then for the extra punch they buy the name so you think you're getting good ol American made.

I know there's some things like electronics that you can't help but import. I just wish others imported from us.

 

[big kahuna1]

Had that camera been made in the good ole USA the lens would have never opened up at all, the cover to the batteries would have broken trying to open it and the button to take the picture would have stuck on the down position the first time you pushed it!

Unfortunately, it's not just Wally World... it's almost every single store.

 

[Tiggntaz]

I was looking for an american made GPS but they were all made in China too so I guess Mapquest will have to work or do the chinese own them too?

Don't worry Donnie, On the surface mapquest is an American company.


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[kc5grw]

Don't worry Donnie, On the surface mapquest is an American company.

Anyone want to take any bets that all of their IT work is being farmed out to India.

 

[ntsammy5]

Anyone want to take any bets that all of their IT work is being farmed out to India.

Yeah, more than half of ours is in India now - pretty sad.

 

[Tiggntaz]

Anyone want to take any bets that all of their IT work is being farmed out to India.

That is why I said on the surface.

 

[Tigger1966]

I read somewhere that years ago 80% of american jobs were in manufacturing and 20% were service and how that number is reversed. I don't care how much money they dump into this economy we will keep going down as long as we don't manufacturer more goods at home.

 

[liv luvs disney]

I just returned from my local Wally World to return a camera that my daughter purchased with her own money Thanksgiving weekend. The lens won't open all the way so I take it back and they don't take returns after 30 days even with a receipt.

I call Samsung cs and get Janet (yeah right) this lady spoke very poor english. It was obvious she was oriental. I told her the problem and she told me to go buy rechargable batteries because Samsung has had some problems with alkaline batts and the lithium work better. So because of a design flaw, I have to buy new batts to make their camera work, maybe.

I don't understand why they don't tear down the USA flag and fly the Chinese one. That's all I want to see is some honesty that everything in that store is chinese junk. Can we get an amen.

I was looking for an american made GPS but they were all made in China too so I guess Mapquest will have to work or do the chinese own them too?

People keep wondering why this country is in such a bad way. Open your eyes, a lot of industries including furniture, electronics and autos have to compete with Asia. Most people look for the cheapest thing out there and won't spend extra to buy anything quality built and that's what got us here. I'm sorry to rant but when I read about the lead based paint and sulfur based drywall harming people and we still buy it I get really mad. I will gladly pay more for something and do without something else to have better quality and keep a USA job secure.

Well you get a big AMEN from me brother! I have a very similar situation that happen to me exactly a year ago. Except my camera was a Kodak and I bough it at Sam's. When I called Kodak, I asked the lady who could barely speak english where her location was. She told me she was in the Philppines!!!!! I ased her if I could speak to someone in the USA because I could not understand her. (I was friendly about it.) She told me she could not transfer me to anyone in the states. At least I think that's what she said!?!?! Anyhow, I had not had my $500 camera a month when it stopped working and you guessed it. It was the batteries. I had to buy an $85 lithium re-chargeable batter pack. I ranted for weeks about it!!!!!

 

[kc5grw]

The reason a lot of company's have moved overseas because environmental is not an issue there.

Not all companies avoid environmental responsibility when building a new factory overseas. The simple fact is that with the wage disparities the cost of construction and staffing the factory are so grossly different that a new factory can be built to the same environmental standards that exist in the US for a fraction of the cost. Labor costs are such a huge portion of the operating costs that a new factory in a third world country can, on a cost per unit basis, outperform a fully depreciated factory in the US.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I agree. I had a situation where I had a large wrench used to unthread pipes (up to 4 - inches in diameter). It was Craftsmen and I bought it because it was American made and I could get it replaced. It served me well until a particularly nasty job came along and it broke.

Went back to the local Sears to replace it and they only had a cheap Chinese version available. I went to the desk and told the lady I wanted to order a replacement, true Craftsmen version that was made in America. The older cashier was almost in tears, saying her recently deceased husband would be turning over in his grave because the stuff was just not available anymore. Somewhere along the line, they decided (at least at that time and for that tool) that it would be better to go cheap and just keep replacing them. And I do, pretty much every time that wrench is used it bends or breaks the connection between the chain and the bar.

I thought it was laughable when K mart bought Sears tools out, after all those Kmart stores are all doing so well and are the models of well run stores, our K mart looks like a ghost town while the Wal mart across the street has no parking spaces left.

 

[Tigger1966]

More Chinese junk
Bought an air compressor from Harbor frieght to use on the MH. Wired it up to a presure switch with a tank underneath. Everything worked great for about a month now it quit the night before we leave
Well I guess the air horn ain't gonna work this trip.