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Consumers Expose Brands That Deliberately Design Products To Break And Here Are 35 Of The Worst
Have you ever suspected your perfectly good gadget has a secret self-destruct timer, one that’s conveniently set to go off the moment its warranty expires? You're not just being paranoid. This frustrating feeling prompted one online user to ask a powerful question: "What’s the most obvious case of a company ruining their own product on purpose so you’d have to keep buying replacements?"
The question clearly hit a nerve, as the floodgates opened with a deluge of responses. From fragile phones to appliances engineered to break, people shared their most frustrating stories of “planned obsolescence,” and we've compiled the most infuriating examples.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Volkswagen just released a subscription based car where you can access the car's full performance only by paying a monthly fee (no, not a rental car).
This needs to be boycotted into the ground.
Tabitha 3 months ago
My next car will be a pre-tablet in the dashboard, pre-subscription for everything, well maintained used car. I don’t want to pay a monthly fee to drive my godd a m n e d car, and I want buttons and k n o b s instead of a touch screen I can’t even f*****k I n g see properly and still keep an eye on the road. F*****k that noise.
RELATED:
#2
Any company that doesn’t let you outright own the product anymore because they moved to a subscription model. Adobe Photoshop immediately comes to mind.
#3
Google/nest thermostats. The thermostat itself will probably last forever. Starting in October the older ones will no longer connect to the internet, no more remote control. Remote control is the reason people bought it in the first d**n place. Google is offering a discount on the new thermostat that will do the same thing the one you already have used to do .Until Google decides that it doesn't. You no longer buy products, you rent them. If there's a more blatant example of planned obsolescence I haven't seen it.
As the examples roll on, a clear pattern emerges: no industry seems to be immune. The frustration extends far beyond the tech world, creeping into our kitchens with short-lived appliances and even our closets with fast-fashion clothing designed to fall apart. It's a universal tale of declining quality for the sake of repeat business, and the online community had receipts for all of it.
#4
Any appliance advertised as "smart".
Lee Gilliland 3 months ago
Your refrigerator should not know the state of your pantry better than you do.
#5
Any product that magically malfunctions the month after the warranty ends. It's uncanny.
DennyS (denzoren) 3 months ago
Dell, looking at you. I've always had Dell laptops and like clockwork, as soon as the three year warranty is up...something goes bad.
#6
American cars from the 60s and 70s most drive trains would fail after 100,000 miles. It wasn’t until the Japanese came in showing that drive trains could easily go 200,000 to 300,000 miles. It really changed the industry.
Wondering if your phone suddenly got dumber overnight? According to industrial design expert Dr. Miles Park, it’s not just in your head. He confirms there's "a little bit of truth" to the idea that companies are making things not to last. So go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back because your paranoia is officially expert-approved.
#7
I bought a pair of plant lights and both of them died at the exact same time in the exact same way after exactly six months of use. After going to the product page and reading all the one star reviews, there's dozens of people reporting the same thing, that their lights died at exactly six months. When I cut off the timer controls replaced it with a simple on-off switch, they magically worked just fine. Then it happened again with another pair of plant lights (different brand, style, and power adapter) I had purchased sometime after the first set. Then I noticed they used the same timer control as the first set.
#9
Singer Sewing Machines.
They were THE standard up through the 70's. Even their machines from the 80's can still be going strong today (except when the plastic gears break you can't buy parts anymore, so they're solid till they aren't...)
But the Singer machines you can buy for $150-500 at Walmart (used to be Joann's) today can't be fixed at all. They are all cheap, brittle plastic. You can barely pull the covers off to regrease them without them breaking in a way that they'll never go back together right.
They aren't meant to be maintained or repaired (and why would you when they cost $150 and a standard machine service costs $100-150 from a reputable sewing machine tech?). Which means they have a lifespan of 2-4 years depending on how much you use them. If they last longer than that, you got lucky!
Even a $200 Brother machine can be serviced and repaired (you can buy parts for it). Low end Singers are essentially disposable.
This whole scheme isn't new, by the way. For a truly vintage example, look no further than the lightbulb. Back in 1924, the world's leading bulb manufacturers formed the "Phoebus Cartel" with one shady goal: to intentionally shorten the lifespan of their lightbulbs from a robust 2,500 hours to a measly 1,000. They literally engineered a worse product just to sell more.
#10
I had bought a water purifier which had a timer, it shuts off after every two months and the service guy has to be called who replaces the filters and resets the timer.(And charges money for replacement filters)
Needless to say I threw out that purifier and bought another one.
Uncle Panda 3 months ago (edited)
AKA a razor blade business model - "The handle is FREE!" It's the effectively the same business model of a drugg dealer who says, "That's ok kid, you can keep the syringe. See you tomorrow."
#11
Nylon stockings (panty hose) lasted forever in the 1940's Then they began making them so thin that they were only good for about 6 uses. There's a ton of articles about it.
#12
Google Pixel 4a
One of the most popular phones of all time. They nuked the battery life with an update, just straight up destroyed the entire phone. It lasts about 90 minutes now. Will never buy another Google phone again, and neither should you.
Disgruntled Pelican 3 months ago
I've had Google Pixels for the last 8 years and will honestly never go back to a Samsung. I've never had a problem with battery life and the camera is amazing. To each their own I guess.
It all feels like a toxic relationship, doesn't it? We love our gadgets, but they seem determined to break our hearts (and our bank accounts). As Dr. Park points out, manufacturers often blame us, saying "it’s people who just want new stuff." But as this thread proves, most of us just want things that work. The frustration is certainly a shared one, and this thread continues to gather more furious responses daily.
#14
Scrub daddy. I am 99% sure the first I bought was thicker denser sponge and lasted far longer. I've stopped buying them because they get to a point where they just shed nonstop now.
YakFactory 3 months ago
I have some Selleys dish cloths that I purchased about 40 years ago. They're still going strong. Wash them regularly, soak on Vanish occasionally, and they're almost as good as new. Of course I can't buy them any more, because they have no built in obsolescence. I should have bought more when they were available.
#15
My label maker at work prints like 5 inches of blank space with every label, and there's no way to edit that. Such an obvious intentional waste of tape.
Uncle Panda 3 months ago
I have a simple label maker* and I found a way to turn that down to just the amount needed for the label. *I'm slowly turning into my father. It's inevitable and mostly sadly poignant.
The most sinister sabotage is often invisible. It’s not a snap, crackle, or pop, but the slow, agonizing demise of your device via a "mandatory update." Your once-zippy laptop is suddenly chugging along like it’s running on Windows 95, and your phone’s battery life mysteriously halves overnight. This digital decay is the modern manufacturer's way of turning your hardware into a paperweight.
#16
Appliances! Most of the companies except the ones that charge huge amounts! If you want old time quality with home appliances, you have to be somewhat wealthy today!
#17
Car batteries aren’t made like they used to be. I just had to buy one yesterday ($255!). 3 year warranty, lasted 3 years and 3 months.
DennyS (denzoren) 3 months ago
Yep, sounds about right. However, I've had luck with one specific local brand that has given me around 6 years last time, so I got another one lol
#18
Apple products.
reimaginealec replied:
iPhones don’t last long enough for their price, I’ll give you that, but a Mac? I think my MacBook might outlive me. Get the batteries replaced once a decade and you’re golden.
#19
Jeep, I doubt they are so unreliable on purpose.
Philly Bob 3 months ago
90% of Jeeps are still on the road. The other 10% actually made it back home.
#20
I think majority of home appliances are like that nowadays. I remember buying a TV last year and it broke just this year. Went to the store and mentioned that with the salesperson there and he literally said that they don't make appliances to last longer anymore.
It all feels like a toxic relationship, doesn't it? We love our gadgets, but they seem determined to break our hearts (and our bank accounts). As Dr. Park points out, manufacturers often blame us, saying "it’s people who just want new stuff." But as this thread proves, most of us just want things that work. The frustration is certainly a shared one, and this thread continues to gather more furious responses daily.
#21
Keurig. They used to last a long time, now you’re lucky to get 1-2 years before it fizzles out. Cheap junk.
iseefractals 3 months ago
Good. Billions, upon billions of those non-biodegradable pods, containing stale coffee, brewed at improper temps for people too lazy to spend 30 seconds prepping literally, any other coffee device deserve to have their money wasted.
#22
A majority of digital downloaded games are not owned by the end user, you merely purchase a license that lets you use the game.
Even though it has been sorta known in gaming circles for years, it is only in the recent couple of years that it has become widely known. The thing that broke it through to the mainstream was Ubisoft closing down *"The Crew"*. A game that could be played just fine in singleplayer. So they could have opted to just remove the multiplayer elements if they didn't want to pay for servers anymore.
This lead to the "Stop Killing Games" movement that have gotten the attention of EU legislators to make some changes.
Sven Horlemann 3 months ago
I totally get the licencing, but if they close something down, you should be able to keep a local version and play at least single player games. Everything else is theft. And I write this as a 58 year old product manager.
#23
Philips electric shavers. Can't be used when plugged in (plugged = charging mode). So when the internal battery eventually dies, you can't use them at all. Pure electric waste. Never again.
David 3 months ago (edited)
they used to work for years when plugged in, and my older shaver does, but about 10 years ago they put in a safety feature that doesnt allow it be plugged in and used. This was after a lawsuit when someone used it plugged in while in the shower (Bc many models can be used while showing due to their water resistance) so they put in a cut off. Blame the lawsuit
#24
Gillette Fusion razor blades. They used to make them so strong, I would use them way past recommended expiration. Then they added blue stripes. They don't do anything other than turning white after a while and then getting worn out. So you end changing the blade, not because of the razor but the padding is worn out.
Ange Marsden 3 months ago
A real, old school, metal razor is the best value. The blades cost pennies, they don't clog up, theyre easy to clean, and you get a good shave.
#25
Any car with "lifetime" transmission fluid.
keyboardtek 3 months ago (edited)
And when buying a used vehicle you may not have transmission fluid changed noted in the carfact info. Most mechanics do not recommend changing t****y fluid after 100K miles if it has never been changed before. Apparently fresh fluid can dislodge micro metal particles that mess up the transmission. Fortunately my Camry lasted 22 years and 250K miles without a t****y fluid change. P.S. It is funny how the short word for transmission got censored.
#26
Insulin manufacturers having the use by date a full year and a half short of real time while being 4000 times the price.
#27
Most car manufacturers are now doing this, and if you live in Australia new houses and units have been 'discard-able' for the last 20 years, clothing no longer lasts, most electronics and appliances, it's all very obvious... hell, is there anything that isn't suffering from Planned Obsolescence.
Uncle Panda 3 months ago (edited)
Quality still exists but, as has always been the case, it comes at a premium. The trade off is that you have to take care of quality goods if you want them to last and that practice is treated with contempt by the disposable Me-Me-Me! world of today.
#28
Xbox controllers. Those things used to be able to take an absolute beating. Stepped on, sat on, thrown, etc. Now I have to replace mine after just playing it normally for a year or two, and I play way less now.
Laughing Orc 3 months ago
Also see: Playstation controllers and Switch Joy Cons. All are prone to stick drift thanks to the crappy, cheap analogue sticks they use in them.
#29
Microsoft with windows 11 and ending support for 10, but having the threshold for compatibility very high for an upgrade. A perfectly solid operating system, like 10. However the threshold for 11 I so high that many perfectly usable and fast computers cannot be upgraded. The cut off is 8th generation intel I series. The odd thing is there are many many substantially faster cpus in earlier generations that don’t have the instruction set/on board encryption device required for windows 11 than what comes with the low end cheap cpus.
Windows 11 can happily bumble along on a third gen intel and can be overridden with the know how to do so.
Uncle Panda 3 months ago
This is such an old post the author should be receiving aerial attack tomatoes.
#30
Disposable razors in general.
I bought a proper straight razor 13 years ago, and spent maybe a half hour learning how to use it without slicing myself up.
The only downside is it takes me a few more minutes to shave in the mornings, which is perfectly fine with me, given the money I’ve saved buying Gillette’s overpriced c**p.
If you regularly shave, and you’re paying to replace razor blades, you’re just wasting money. Buy a straight razor, learn how to use and maintain it, and stop shelling out your hard-earned bucks for a sub-par shave.
Ace 3 months ago
Trendy to say this, but actually BS, they're _much_ more difficult to use and _much_ easier to cut yourself with. Cheaper in the long run, I grant you. Oh, and try using it for parts of your body other than your face.... actually, don't, you may regret it; use your imagination.
#31
Ant baits sold in stores like Terro.
The ingrediants make the ants die so fast that the queen will never die and the ants will always come back.
#32
Bounce dryer bars were discontinued because they worked so well and lasted so long between replacements that the company wasn’t selling enough of them. They eventually went back to selling regular dryer sheets to keep consumers spending money to replenish once the box of sheets ran out.
#33
Xbox controllers. I've gone through a few now that all end up getting stick drift and become unusable. Hall effect joysticks help to solve that but they will never add them because they just want you to buy more. Shout out to the Vader 4 Pro for being a much better alternative.
#34
Basically any electronic device at this point, either through hardware or software planned obsolescence.
Yrral Spavit 3 months ago
Look for surplus think-pads etc, the ones used by the zillions in offices. They are build better because if you supply 5000 pieces of c**p to a company you aren't getting the next contract.
#35
Bic. They were the best at making disposable stuff that you will just continue to buy. Razors. Pens. Lighters.
nut nibbler 3 months ago
The Bic Biro started to feel scratchy on paper during usage as if the ball wasn't working, so we switched to Zebra pen and they feel silky smooth.
What do you think ?
nut nibbler 3 months ago
My partner is convinced some weed eradicators are in reality plant food.
Alex Ruddies 3 months ago
Well, there is weed & feed lawn fertilizer. I'm curious, what brand are you folks using?
Load More Replies...
walkabout 3 months ago
Cycliq bicycle (dash) cameras. I’ll try to be brief. I purchased a set, front and rear light/camera combo set January ‘24. With accessories and SIM cards about $650. I bench tested both immediately. It suffered inconsistent connection to phone by BT as well with supplied data wire to computer. They worked sporadicly throughout the summer. Customer service offered hoops to jump through and I worked the connectivity problems out myself. The following spring I find that the rear light was no longer supported by the Cycliq and the front light was no longer connecting to my Mac. All customer service offered was a new round of b.s. proof of purchase requests. In the end they closed my ticket because I didn’t respond to them quick enough. This product is available for purchase through Facebook. I cut my loses. System and accessories for sale. Cheap.
Kelly Scott 3 months ago (edited)
Butter. Ever notice how the sticks are short and fat now instead of long and skinny like they used to be? That's because you can only cut a pat of butter so thin and with the short fat sticks, you are always using more butter than you used to with the thin short sticks, so you go through it quicker and have to buy more sooner. Select-a-size paper toweling. How often do you really only use half a sheet? Chances are you still tear a whole sheet off but if you look carefully, two half sheets are now larger than a regular full sheet used to be. That means you tear off a larger full sheet now than you used to use and as with the butter, you use more faster and have to replace the roll oftener. Unbelievable how greedy companies and their CEOs can get.
nut nibbler 3 months ago
My partner is convinced some weed eradicators are in reality plant food.
Alex Ruddies 3 months ago
Well, there is weed & feed lawn fertilizer. I'm curious, what brand are you folks using?
Load More Replies... walkabout 3 months ago
Cycliq bicycle (dash) cameras. I’ll try to be brief. I purchased a set, front and rear light/camera combo set January ‘24. With accessories and SIM cards about $650. I bench tested both immediately. It suffered inconsistent connection to phone by BT as well with supplied data wire to computer. They worked sporadicly throughout the summer. Customer service offered hoops to jump through and I worked the connectivity problems out myself. The following spring I find that the rear light was no longer supported by the Cycliq and the front light was no longer connecting to my Mac. All customer service offered was a new round of b.s. proof of purchase requests. In the end they closed my ticket because I didn’t respond to them quick enough. This product is available for purchase through Facebook. I cut my loses. System and accessories for sale. Cheap.
Kelly Scott 3 months ago (edited)
Butter. Ever notice how the sticks are short and fat now instead of long and skinny like they used to be? That's because you can only cut a pat of butter so thin and with the short fat sticks, you are always using more butter than you used to with the thin short sticks, so you go through it quicker and have to buy more sooner. Select-a-size paper toweling. How often do you really only use half a sheet? Chances are you still tear a whole sheet off but if you look carefully, two half sheets are now larger than a regular full sheet used to be. That means you tear off a larger full sheet now than you used to use and as with the butter, you use more faster and have to replace the roll oftener. Unbelievable how greedy companies and their CEOs can get.
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