Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

A few weeks ago I stopped at our local Kirby dealer to pick up some bags for my Ultimate G.  After paying the $28.49 for 9 Micro-Magic bags I noticed that the bottom of the package read "Made in China from American made materials".  WTH.

When I got home I looked at the old package and it clearly says "Made in the U.S.A"

How could this have happened?  My American designed machine is a "globally sourced" machine, and the bags are "Made in China"

I called back to the dealer and advised that I would have given another $2-$3 for the bags if they were American, an was told that Kirby sold their equipment and all the bags are now "global".  Mr. Buffett, is this how you re-energize America, by sending the business and jobs to China.

--Rant over, you may discuss.

Hi Just.

This has been going on since the 2002/03.

And Kirby is not the only one......

Regards

MOLE

vacmanuk wrote:

I am sorry Vacmanuk,

I did not mean to sound like a hypocrit, cause I'm not.    I'm not even saying the bags I purchased are not the same quality as the ones previous.  What I, as an American, am saying is when we have one of the richest men in the country, maybe the world telling us how to get back on track, and then send the business from his companies to another country; i feel he is looking after only the bucks in his pocket and not the country he keeps trying to give advice to.

Not only is most of the crap we get from China just that CRAP, but it is produced cheaper because they employ in many cases forced labor, and child labor.  And they turn their profits for their companies on the backs of their workers.  Children that work an 18 hour day and as a reward gets to choose two carrots from the pile as they go home.  Now you can praise this if you like, fill your home with Haeier appliances, and bow to your neighbor because we are being sold out.

Kirby is on a slippery slope, First it's the bags, then the motor, and the next thing you know TTI tell Berkshire they can produce the Kirby cheaper in China and that's all she wrote.

Just wrote:
Yes, but you forget China is part of Asia, Asia is not a western continent - therefore cheap labour/slave labour is something these countries have endured. Same applies to the fact that most women stay at home. men go out to work. Western companies have set up in ASIA because of it, even if they are against cheap labour, the cost of selling/purchasing & importing is cheaper "in roads" than manufacturing on home turf. Regardless of what "westerners think," the Asian workforce may be forced to work under what we class as "poor" conditions - but on the other side of the coin, Asians are hard workers, proved to be better engineers and in skilled areas of work. They also have a huge support for family; very few divorces and health wise very few heart/obesity and cancer problems. Major health problems that both blight the UK and the US.

Also I wouldn't say everything in China is crap - a lot of the Apple hardware is made in China and I'm all for it - I adore Apple products - and it took me a long while to see that Apple were better than a PC in so many respects.

Sorry Vacmanuk,

I was only meaning to make a statement, not get into a debate.  However, if one will take the time to look in the English Dictionary they will see that Most, and Everything do not mean the same.   If one is trying to twist another's words to make their point.  Not playing nice.

Just wrote:
With the greatest respect, if you want to make a statement, print it on a t-shirt.

If you post it to a on-line discussion forum, it's up for discussion.

Sorry Moose

I wrote a long response, but felt it wasn't worth it. 

Having T-shirts printed today.

"Take care of your own first."  "Keep jobs and factories in the U.S." 

I Will send you one as soon as I can find a textile and screen printer in this country.

Just wrote:
The shirt will likely be made in Taiwan.

It is sad that a great country as the USA has given way to the greedy corporate whores in the USA.  Those living in lesser capable countries are less concerned since they are already lower down the chain.

HARDSELL wrote:
Here, try this: http://www.usstuff.com/shirttee.htm

Apparently it's all American made.

Make it in Europe and a vacuum costs a small fortune.  (Quality comes at a high price you know.)  Make it in China and the price is more attractive and no matter what it is an attractive price will usually win out.

After several grueling weeks of doing vacuum demos at a major retailer I have learned that the whole thing is about the buyers.  Everybody wants a wonderful machince BUT they do not want ot pay the price for "wonderful."  What I've seen are everyday day people hitting the vacuum aisle and -- seeing all vacuums as equal in their minds -- they head for the cheapest priced models they see.  I seldom matters how much efficiency, durability, convenience or length of warranty are stressed many shoppers remain unconvinced about buying.

It would be snotty of me to dismiss the like as bearers of poor man's mentality and possibly wrong becuase these are teh same people who'll go whole hog for screen TV.  Thus, I can only assume that vacuums are considered as less necessary.

Nonetheless, I maintain that the "China thing" is a problem that we, collectively speaking, made.    Also this problem did not start with China.  Since the 1960s when manufactures began seeing the saving in availing themselves of cheap labor in other parts of the world and that non-thinking consumers would say yes to buying.

Riccar/Simplicity, Aerus and Oreck I believe are the last holdouts save for certain vacuumsand  items that we may consider American-made but their prices are formidable.  Nevertheless, there must be a push by shoppers that insists upon affordable nationally-made product.  I lay no blame on the manufacturers or China -- just us.  If you're either striving to hold onto your money or keep your virture -- keep your legs crossed and slap the hand on your knee.

Venson

Venson wrote:
Very good point Venson.

Im going to add something which will probably annoy the heck out of Mike, our moderator but frankly I think it is important.  I strongly believe that appliances in terms of their quality and features borders on the same kind of buyer perception when it comes to cars. The U.S went mad for Hyundai's Excel in the mid 1980's featuring loads of kit and good reliability, putting the noses out from the Big Three! In the UK Hyundai didn't do so well with its Pony/same model - UK buyers were already in the throws of value for money (VFM) with Toyota & Nissan - but the UK did buy a lot of Hyundai's bigger model which offered more space, more electrics at the same price as the Pony, therefore qualifying what buyers could be given for a third of the price of mass rivals.

This then followed much later to the preference of audio equipment from Japan (clearly not Chinese/China but Asia still the same) where the build quality, components, sound quality and features were worth paying out for than local or European brands. When it came to large household appliances, a lot of UK buyers found out the hard way by doing with not-so-reliable brands like Hotpoint, Ariston and Hoover - who were producing machines in the UK, yet still leaked, broke down against European brands were offering. Maggie Thatcher taught the UK to stay conservative and to be as patriotic as possible but with it came the downside to most products produced in the UK being ship shoddily made against what other countries in Europe, our PM at the time wasn't happy to import by rising import taxes and restrictions. So whilst America had the wonderful lifestyle products that would make life easier like central vac systems, self driven uprights, the UK got very little of this.