The warranty is a contract between purchaser and mfg. It was offered without coercion by the mfg. It was accepted by the purchaser at time of purchase. Consumers did not form a union and demand unconditional warranties from the mfgs. If the mfg offers such a warranty and I break the rod cleaning my shotgun barrel with it, then that contract entitles me and obligates the mfg to a replacement. THEY wrote the contract! If they don't like the contract they can change it. If I don't like the contract I can choose not to buy their product. There are plenty of choices for the consumer in the marketplace.
If anyone is to blame for unconditional warranties it is the mfgs. who offer them. They wrote the contract. They thought up the idea. And they are also to blame for the prices of their products. They set these prices based on two factors: cost of product and price the market will allow them to get by with charging. The only role the consumer plays in this equation is what the market will bear. So, at most, we have some responsibility for the high prices, but NONE for the warranty.
Finally, "the customer is always right" is also a marketing choice of the company. They don't have to take this approach if they don't want to. There are plenty of examples in the business world where this is NOT the standard. I don't want a doctor, attorney, accountant, auto mechanic, therapist, personal trainer, architect, or police man who adheres to this philosophy working for me.
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Fishing the Ozarks
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