Do you really get what you pay for?

[Bonnyboy]

Originally Posted by derekgas

The Potterton gold is the most efficient, not the most reliable or best quality, potterton and main are both owned by baxi, Worcester Bosch and Vaillant are the best by a fair way. Most important is the guarantee (5 years on WB if fitted by approved people) and the cleaning of the system which should take about 4 hours.

Thats a bonus to hear that my newish Worcester Bosch is a good 'un... Good isn't somthing I would say about Vaillant tho having worked for them. Thats a different tale tho and it wasn't at their boiler factory.

[cashman]

i had a vaillant about 15 yrs ago,was top of the range at the time, was utter crap,always failing n leaking etc, put me off em for life.

[harwood red]

Keep it coming people, just about to buy a new combi boiler

[grannyclaret]

I bought a new blender on saturday,,"Ready Steady Cook,",it was cheap rubbish,so i took it back and bought a" Philips",,,there is no comparison,,,,

[Bonnyboy]

Originally Posted by harwood red

Keep it coming people, just about to buy a new combi boiler

Get a Worscester Bosch if it's in budget...Gas board fit mine they said it was one of the best ( they would, they sold it to me ) It's a cracking boiler, cheap as hell to run. Circumstances dictate that I dont work. So the temp in the house is never below 21 degrees It gets turned up in the evening if we get cold. I pay 25 quid per month for gas and a bill today told me Im 81 quid in credit...the meter reading was estimated but still overestimated. We also run our shower off the boiler which equates to 2 showers each for us both a day.....and they aint 2min jobs neither, i luv spendin ages in the shower.

[derekgas]

Vaillant are still good, did have 2 recalls last year though, and 1 for glow worm which they also own. If you have the 30si, cdi, or the highflow you are on a winner, if you got the i boiler, it is the cheapest, but only fault with it is no hot water control.

[Bonnyboy]

Originally Posted by derekgas

Vaillant are still good, did have 2 recalls last year though, and 1 for glow worm which they also own. If you have the 30si, cdi, or the highflow you are on a winner, if you got the i boiler, it is the cheapest, but only fault with it is no hot water control.

Mines an RD32i. Think it's a bit over size fore a 2 bed terrace but I thought the bigger it was less work it would have to do...if that makes sense...would do same work but less effort

[garinda]

Certainly in clothing brands you don't get good value.

Designer named goods are no better quality than any others, and are very often made in the same factories.

You could argue that more expensive goods are better designed, but I disagree, unlike the sheep that slavishly buy goods purely because of the label.

Twice a year I used to go to Como in Italy, to buy ties for the company I worked for. Same factory, same silk, and the same buyers going from all the stores. M & S would sell a printed silk tie they bought there for £16, we'd sell one for £45, and Hermes would sell them for £120.

Same quality ties, same interlining...though the one's which were designed by me were definitely worth the forty five quid.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by derekgas

The Potterton gold is the most efficient, not the most reliable or best quality, potterton and main are both owned by baxi

The gold is the same bolier as its equivalent baxi or potterton. The only difference beside the outer case and the name on the box is that the gold comes with a longer warrenty. All you are paying the extra for is the warrenty. The Main version is also internally identical to the baxi and potterton (same spec models). The Main brand was re-released to tap into the cheaper boiler market but is internally a current model as sold badged as both Baxi and Potterton.

So you don't always get a better product when you pay more money for it. Sometimes you can get the exact same thing with differnet names on but priced differently depending on the name on the box.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I know for a fact that some 'own brand' and named products are exactly the same. My first husband used to work in the department of a food factory where they put all the different labels on. The Asda mustard was exactly the same as the Harrods one but just a different label.

[lettie]

If I am buying a large appliance then I tend to do a bit of research first and go for the one with the best record for longevity, function and economy.

I never skimp on work footwear but tend to have a good touchy feel at clothing and go for what feels nice to me. I have to say that I will rarely buy t-shirts and stuff from New Look or Mk 1. They don't survive the wash without becoming mis-shapen.

I'm not brand loyal with food and will happily try the cheaper products.

[Eric]

I think it matters which "house brand" you choose. In Canada, one of the major grocery chains, Loblaws, has its own brands called President's Choice. They are cheaper than brand names, and are often rated better by consumer groups. But a lot of others are just junk. If it doesn't really matter, for example in the case of ketchup, which you are just going to dump on your fries, what the brand is as long as it is red, and tastes vaguely like tomatoes.

[emamum]

omg..... canadian kechup tastes of tomotoes.... wow! lol