oh black and decker how you do annoy me

[solarbird]

So the filter and the thing that holds the filter in place on Paul's 7.2V rechargeable wet/dry dustbuster vacuum went on walkabout, and Paul bought a entire replacement unit, but of course I hate throwing perfectly good things out that just need parts, so I poked around on Black and Decker's website until I gave up trying to find parts ordering and contacted email costumer service, which kindly sent me back a phone number and a link to a parts-ordering website, the latter of which had been domain-squatted.

Well done.

So I call the phone number, and the first thing the phone answering system does is direct me to a different parts-ordering website, only this one actually works! And it knows the device and lists the parts.

90508160   WET DEFLECTOR   $0.73  In Stock. Limited Quantities
90508842   FOAM FILTER     $2.30  In Stock. Limited Quantities

So I go "yay!" and add them to my shopping cart where I get:

Subtotal       $ 3.03
Shipping       $10.50
               ------
Total          $13.53

These vacuums, new, on Amazon, are $20... and I don't even need one. Paul bought a replacement.

I hate you, Black and Decker.

eta: Anybody local want this? Free? U-haul. Or I can drop it by if I'm already going somewhere. Motor, charger, battery all work fine.

Comments

[peakoilchaplain.livejournal.com]

I went through almost an identical exercise with a weed-eater a few years ago, and as result, I have given up trying to fight the throw-away society for the most part. If I can fix something myself without needing parts, great - otherwise, I just assume that a replacement part will either be unavailable or will be so hard to find and/or so expensive (either in itself or in shipping) compared to the cost of the complete assembly such that it won't make any sense to get one.

But, you have my sympathy - it is a stupid way to run a world, but here is what our society does.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

It's frustrating to me, too, and supply-chain management is what I do for a living. But the problem is understandable, in a way. Now in fact, the shipping they should use wouldn't cost $10.50 -- probably more like $5 -- but they're almost certainly using an automated system that has a minimum shipping charge by one of the Big Three (UPS/FexEx/USPS). In situations like this, the only way to make it worthwhile is to buy a bunch of the parts so that the minimum shipping charge isn't more than the part costs.

I have an electric razor that uses disposable lather cartridges. The ones I want are difficult to find in stores. I used to be able to buy a case of them (twelve boxes, five cartridges/box) at a good price, and without the shipping being prohibitively more than the product, with the case lasting about a year. The vendor has stopped selling them by the case and now only sells them individually, which makes them much more expensive and not worth my effort. I've stopped using their cartridges and am just using soap even though the gel cartridges were easier on my face. (Fair skin, coarse black hair; not a nice combination.) Grumble.

[denelian.livejournal.com]

that is... insane.

how much can something like that WEIGH, for the shipping to cost so much?

i hate things like that. i mean, i just got a bunch of books. they were all from second had books stores, and so in general (from the B&N website, so everything is linked and easy to find an all) i would buy a book for a dollar and spend 4 to have it shipped. which is still cheaper than buying the book for 25. BUT, if i go to mail the same book, it costs me about a dollar and a half (and please not, it would be cheaper if i mailed it at book rate, which i don't do i certify EVERYTHING so i can track). so why am i being charged 4 dollars? it's all stupid, and i have come to the conclusion that everyone is underpricing stock to convince people to buy it, and the making their actual profit off of the shipping. and that seems to be very deceitful, a deceptive business practice. i don't know why it's happened. or how to fix it. sigh.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

Why don't you hang onto it against the time when the NEW one quits?

[kvogel.livejournal.com]

I check the local yellow pages for a factory parts/repair store. If they happen to have the part in stock, its golden, if they have to order it, I usually pass, because they'd then tack on some crazy additional charges.
Doing things on-line only goes so far, face-to-face or local phone calls can avoid built-in bottle-necks and/or extra profit points.

[dpawtows.livejournal.com]

Replacement parts are usually insanely profitable.

Heck; that's one thing that bugs me about this whole "Don't buy a car from a manufacturer that's going under" mindset. The parts & warranty service are likely the most profitable parts left; other manufacturers will fight tooth-and-nail to buy those up from the remains.