Elmo said:
Which is why they DON'T have the same model number, but they DO continue
to have the identical outward appearance.
In fact, the model number is in the smallest print you can find.
So there's no price shopping the appliance store model against the
discount store model. Technically, they aren't identical.
And despite outward appearances, they aren't identical. The cheaper
models use less insulation, smaller motors, etc, etc, all to keep the
price down.
People want "the best price," but too often people don't look at the
value equation. They get the lowest price, but they also get the lowest
product--and they convince themselves that they're happy because to
outward appearance, they got "the same thing" that the appliance store
was selling for $100 more.
They didn't get the same thing, but don't try to tell them that.
The appliance manufacturers are simply responding to human nature.
Most of what you said is not true in my
experience. Lots of things look similar until you
look closely, after all what does a refrigerator
look like.
Best price and lowest price are quite different
things. Some how you have ignored features.
When you go to buy something your primary concern
should be features, not looks. And if you are
comparing brands, of course the model numbers
aren't the same. I have found, particularly at
Costo, that a much higher quality product, can be
purchase for less or the same as a much lower
quality model. Heck, in comparing the same model,
I can often get two for the price of one in other
stores.
Despite what you say I have found that
Model numbers are usually stated and comparison
shopping for the same model is not that difficult.
It is not comparison shopping if you are talking
about different models.
Somehow you have changed this to different models
that look similar and cheap models, from models
with the same number. Of course different models
have different prices and different features,
that's why they are different models. And, of
course, the cheapest models many not perform as
well as the most expensive models (however, this
isn't always true).
If you are looking for midrange models, you can
often find the same model in many different stores
including the appliance stores and the discount
stores. You think they make a different model for
every store? When I find a model I want to buy, I
shop around at different stores for the same
model. Sears can be a problem because you don't
know who made the appliance unless they put the
name on it. But a Whirlpool, a Maytag, etc. is
easy to check. Yes, a store may not carry the
same model as another store, and of course models
vary in price. Years ago we bought a Whirlpool
and priced that model at various stores including
Sears and K-Mart. We bought it at an appliance
store because that was the only place we could get
it with a crinkle door (an option in that model).
I don't believe your statement about the smaller
motors etc. The basic running gear of many
appliances (within a brand) is the same regardless
of model and most of the model differences are
related to convenience features, such as controls,
size, and material of some obvious part. For
example, the same compressor/motor unit will used
in a whole series of models of refrigerator.
The most obvious of these is the water heater
where the only difference other than size and type
of burner is likely to be the warantee.
