cheap rubbish, or is it ?.

[g*****s]

With argos, doing sony 40inch lcd for £299,morrissons doing 32inch for £179. what what future in repairs can there be.?.

[E Parton]

It certainly doesn't do us any favours ..and the future looks bleak ..
What might help us survive is that tightening of belts within the consumer domain ...may well push a few more toward repair rather than replacement...
This would require a dramatic re-evaluation on the part of the customer towards the old values of 'thrift'
It also means we ..in the repair community will also have to re-think our pricing and be prepared to cut repair costs to the bone in order to do more repairs at ever cheaper prices.
Providing spares were inexpensive enough and available ...I'd rather do three at £40 ...than 1 at £100 ..if it keeps me in business.
BUT ...it would also require the government to impose some sort of restriction on imported goods sold at low prices through supermarkets and electrical stores ..
Not much can be done about the quality of these items ..as we have no manufactuing base in the UK ...all are sourced in the far east where quality control is minimal...
The kind of restrictions I'm talking about is for example ...refusing to allow an item to be imported and sold ..without provision enforced to make spares and service information available for a MINIMUM of 3 and hopefully 5 years from the release and sale of a specific model..
and that those spares be economic in cost to us ..in relation to the finished item...
THIS of course will never hapen ..as our economy is almost entirely retail driven ...and the government ..although complaining about recycling and scrappage ...is geared to making revenue by encouraging these sales...so ..
Not in their interest to impose these restrictions...
The goods get ever cheaper ..and the scrap pile gets larger ..
Sadly I fear the worst as we struggle to make a living
Churn and dictated fashion continues to drive customers to desire the latest gadget...which in turn is built to be outmoded and less reliable with each generation of such comodities...and thanks to global recession ..incomes shrink ..forcing them to increase their debt burdon ..in order to own 'the latest' ...errrr...'must-have' desirable item.
A self perpetuating cycle of parasitical planetary resource consumption ..
Driven by Government ..Greed ..and Stupidity..
Cest la vie
Evan

[ProDave]

Just a sign of the times.

Most of my tv repairs are sets I have bought as faulty, repaired, and sell again (or if I can't repair it I strip the set and sell the good panels)

What seems to be happening is the price of working second hand sets is falling, to match the drop in new prices, but it's getting harder to find worthwhile faulty sets to buy.  Prices of faulty sets are still holding up.

I used to buy fix and sell sky HD boxes, but that market went the same way, to the point you could often sell a "faulty" box for more than a working one.

Currently the only sets I can find cheap enough to buy are small (sub 19") sets.

[E Parton]

Agreed Dave ...
And if it wern't for people like you selling reclaimed boards ...people like me wouldn't have a source of spares ..so thanks ..
I rarely do one up to sell on ..and if I do scrap one I tend to hang on to the good boards myself ...so that one day ..I'll hopefully get to use it for repair of a customers unit.
Perhaps not the most economic way to go about it ...but it works for me ...as specific 'supermarket' type tvs tend to be sold in certain geographical areas ...so its likely you'll see another one the same at some point.

btw ..hope the weather is improving a little up there ..Its bad enough here near Manchester ...but I know you hardy chaps to the North are having the worst of it.
rgds
Evan

[scooby-doo]

@ProDave

Half the trouble is that faulty electronics from the UK are rated as "Grade A" in 3rd world countries (God knows why)...either that or its a form of money laundering..but I know people are shipping abroad faulty goods by the container loads...there runners spend all day running around the UK buying faulty electronics and make a quick 5-10 quid profit on each....easy money if you can get your hands on 50 faulty tv's a week...they have no intention of repair or throwing a £40 board at it , this increases the premium on faulty goods...They dont mind paying £60 for a 32inch Techwood...I know I wouldnt...Cost of Collection + Cost of Repair + Cost of Sale = Crap profit

If I had the space, time and will I would buy all the smashed screens for peanuts and strip for parts. The trouble with it is you have to get rid of a tv carcass, wait for the parts to sell then a trip to the P/O...thats so so boring

I try and steer well clear of flebay/gumtree now...I get good results from putting Wanted ad's in all the selling groups (in your area) on facebook...and best of all its FREE

[Turnip]

Hi P/D,

We could (as serious menders) maybe share details of spare panels held - Just a thought, mentioned B4 on Quuq but only one recipient of my lots'a poss good panels so far - guess Quuq needs more feedback for a dedicated Quuq spares section - Chris.

[ProDave]

I try and steer well clear of flebay/gumtree now...I get good results from putting Wanted ad's in all the selling groups (in your area) on facebook...and best of all its FREE

That's interesting.

I buy most of my faulty sets via ebay. Postage is often the killer there.  And I sell them on ebay and Gumtree.

I have only ever thought of Facebook as a way of telling your familly / mates what you are doing.  I didn't know it was being used as an advertising portal.  I will have to have a look at that.

[scooby-doo]

Ebay is full of the faulty TV's that arrive with screws missing and pidgeon shit soldering where its been messed about with before....As for postage I always use to ask seller if courier was alright to collect and use these

http://www.parcel2go.com/

Cough Cough...I didn't say anything about being a little dis-honest about the weight to get the price down...how was I to know a 42" Plasma weighs more than 20kg 

Find selling on ebay a joke..Not only do they take a massive chunk off you for the final seller's fees, money to list, paypal then think they can hold onto your money for a week.

Thats why I find facebook best...Free Wanted ad's, Free selling ad's and TV is normally gone the same day cash in hand no messing about.