The biggest problem is: how is said review site going to be sustainable?
Even apart from what you've mentioned, white goods are a minefield of scummy business practices. Just a few I've seen:
(1) Consolidation: reputable companies buy out lower quality brands or merge with other companies, and roll out the lower quality / economy models under the strength of the brand name of their higher end consumer product. The consumer never knows if that year's vacuum cleaner is the reliable model.
(2) Sowing confusion through different naming schemes: with different model numbers in different countries, all with subtly different faceplates but mostly identical innards, it is impossible for the consumer to rely on review sites. E.g., RTings is great for TVs... if you live in the USA.
(3) Meaningless warranties: e.g. on refrigerators they will give a "10 year compressor warranty" but the compressor isn't the thing that's going to break, it's the touch-screen panel on the front of the fridge, and by the time it breaks there will either be no replacement parts or the replacement and repair / labour cost will be so high you may as well buy a new fridge. Same for washing machines and dryers - the 10 year warranty is worthless, the PCB holding the membrane buttons on the faceplate will vibrate and corrode its way into failure within 2.
That's just on the manufacturer's side, and that's not counting things like planned obsolescence. The store is another hell hole of scummy practices (loans, "extended warranties", misleading sales tactics, what have you).
So how is this review site sustained? For the rich the cost is immaterial, either they get the high end doodad or they replace the cheap one yearly, whatever amortises better over their lifetimes. The live-in or part-time help probably does all of the work anyway. They don't need a specialised review site.
For the poor there is no choice, they will get what is cheap and if it breaks they have to get a new one. They sure aren't going to fund some specialised review site.
For the middle, you will make the best decision you can in the time you have and spend it more productively on other things. A review site will be nice but what for?
I mean... I'm totally with you on this, but really, what is the solution?
e.g. on refrigerators they will give a "10 year compressor warranty" but the compressor isn't the thing that's going to break, it's the touch-screen panel on the front of the fridge
Indeed, the core "refrigerating machine" is extremely reliable, because it's hermetically sealed (a design which dates back to the 1930s --- and the guy who made this video has others on his channel of such machines still in working condition), and it's usually something else that fails first.
Even apart from what you've mentioned, white goods are a minefield of scummy business practices. Just a few I've seen:
(1) Consolidation: reputable companies buy out lower quality brands or merge with other companies, and roll out the lower quality / economy models under the strength of the brand name of their higher end consumer product. The consumer never knows if that year's vacuum cleaner is the reliable model.
(2) Sowing confusion through different naming schemes: with different model numbers in different countries, all with subtly different faceplates but mostly identical innards, it is impossible for the consumer to rely on review sites. E.g., RTings is great for TVs... if you live in the USA.
(3) Meaningless warranties: e.g. on refrigerators they will give a "10 year compressor warranty" but the compressor isn't the thing that's going to break, it's the touch-screen panel on the front of the fridge, and by the time it breaks there will either be no replacement parts or the replacement and repair / labour cost will be so high you may as well buy a new fridge. Same for washing machines and dryers - the 10 year warranty is worthless, the PCB holding the membrane buttons on the faceplate will vibrate and corrode its way into failure within 2.
That's just on the manufacturer's side, and that's not counting things like planned obsolescence. The store is another hell hole of scummy practices (loans, "extended warranties", misleading sales tactics, what have you).
So how is this review site sustained? For the rich the cost is immaterial, either they get the high end doodad or they replace the cheap one yearly, whatever amortises better over their lifetimes. The live-in or part-time help probably does all of the work anyway. They don't need a specialised review site.
For the poor there is no choice, they will get what is cheap and if it breaks they have to get a new one. They sure aren't going to fund some specialised review site.
For the middle, you will make the best decision you can in the time you have and spend it more productively on other things. A review site will be nice but what for?
I mean... I'm totally with you on this, but really, what is the solution?