N80
Super Member
This is mostly just a rant but it comes with a question attached. We are going to be selling our house soon. When we bought it, there was a trash compactor in the kitchen. It broke within weeks of moving in and it has just sat there useless for the last 12 years.
We figured we better replace it before putting the house on the market. Well, much to ur surprise, these pretty unpopular appliances (when was the last time you saw one in a new house?) are EXPENSIVE. Most of them in the $600 dollar range!!!
Anyway, we just happened to find a used GE Profile compactor for about $200. It looked pretty new but the decorative front panel was missing. No big deal, we'd just order a new on and that would be quite a good deal. Guess what, the decorative front panels cost $100 at most places. We did a lot of internet searching and finally found this piece of black sheet metal for about $60. It arrived, we put it on, looks great. Except, there is no handle. Guess what the handle costs? About $90 for an 18" plastic handle and two srews!!! We searched again, found one for $55. Its on the way.
So, we still get a compactor for under $400. Not that bad.
Here is the kicker. From GE parts catalog, the decorative front panel (black painted sheet metal) and the handle sell for around $200. But I got to poking around looking at drawings and parts and the whole drawer, can assembly, with about 20-25 parts including the bucket, latches, frame, rollar bearings etc, sells for only $180.
Bottom line is, GE is ripping people off for trim pieces in a big way.
The question: Is this typical for all appliance makers? Or is it just GE? (I'm interested because I'm considering buying a used 48" GE Monogram duel fuel range from the same place. It is in great shape and about 1/2 price compared to new. Comes with a 1 year warranty. But, if this practice of jacking the prices on trim is just a GE thing, then I'm not going to buy anything else from GE.
We figured we better replace it before putting the house on the market. Well, much to ur surprise, these pretty unpopular appliances (when was the last time you saw one in a new house?) are EXPENSIVE. Most of them in the $600 dollar range!!!
Anyway, we just happened to find a used GE Profile compactor for about $200. It looked pretty new but the decorative front panel was missing. No big deal, we'd just order a new on and that would be quite a good deal. Guess what, the decorative front panels cost $100 at most places. We did a lot of internet searching and finally found this piece of black sheet metal for about $60. It arrived, we put it on, looks great. Except, there is no handle. Guess what the handle costs? About $90 for an 18" plastic handle and two srews!!! We searched again, found one for $55. Its on the way.
So, we still get a compactor for under $400. Not that bad.
Here is the kicker. From GE parts catalog, the decorative front panel (black painted sheet metal) and the handle sell for around $200. But I got to poking around looking at drawings and parts and the whole drawer, can assembly, with about 20-25 parts including the bucket, latches, frame, rollar bearings etc, sells for only $180.
Bottom line is, GE is ripping people off for trim pieces in a big way.
The question: Is this typical for all appliance makers? Or is it just GE? (I'm interested because I'm considering buying a used 48" GE Monogram duel fuel range from the same place. It is in great shape and about 1/2 price compared to new. Comes with a 1 year warranty. But, if this practice of jacking the prices on trim is just a GE thing, then I'm not going to buy anything else from GE.