I loved this machine. Until it stopped working.

I've had my machine since 2023. I used it almost every single day since then. I cleaned it regularly, following the instructions that were given. The other day when I ran it to make my regular morning coffee, it stopped halfway through. All lights flashing and beeping. I thought I'd run a cleaning cycle. When I started the cleaning cycle, the flashing lights and beeping started again. I looked up what else I could do. I unplugged it and decided to contact customer service.

I called their customer service five times yesterday, left a voicemail. No call back. I emailed them and I got a response the following morning saying "At this time, the unit is no longer under warranty. We are unable to move forward with any warranty services for this malfunction. We apologize for this inconvenience."

I still wanted to know what my other options were, despite my machine not being under warranty anymore. I didn't really like that their customer service didn't let me know what available options I had, so I had to play this cat and mouse game with asking them through email because they will not call you back. It turns out that they do not offer any repairs whatsoever.

It's amazing to me that after spending $700 and still willing to pay for repair costs, that they don't offer repairs for their products. They need to change something about this. Terrible customer service. I guess once your machine doesn't work, you'll have to look into a third-party repair service somewhere else or just dump it.

If you are looking into any Balmuda products, I highly suggest spending your money on something that has a better warranty and offers repair services. For clarity, I went onto Amazon and not only looked at the reviews for The Brew, but also at their other products and looked into the ones that mentioned when their product stopped working. Once your warranty is up, good luck.

I've worn the same pair of Hunter boots (not shown) for over 35-years when I replaced them with the same boot (in photo) from Hunter - at least I thought it was the same boot.

Less than 2 weeks out of the 2-year warranty I emailed Hunter about my peeling boots.

I received this email from Hunter:

Hello Robert,

Thanks for sharing the photo and describing what you’re seeing. I’m really sorry this has happened, and I understand how frustrating it is when the issue worsens the more you rub it.

Because this is a damaged or defective item case, I’m going to hand this over to a specialist who can review your photos and take the appropriate steps to correct it.

If you can, please also include a quick note on which boot(s) are affected most and whether the issue is only on the surface or if you notice any cracking or peeling.

Thank you,

AI

Customer Care Agent @ Hunter Boots

Then, one day later, I received this email from Hunter:

Hi Robert, 

Thank you for contacting Hunter Boots, and for providing your feedback! I'm so sorry to hear that the Men's Original Tall Rain Boots did not meet your expectations. 

Please note that our return policy covers unworn item(s) purchased from our site, up to 30 days from the date you received the shipment. In cases of a manufacturing defect, we can extend the return window, or offer store credit.

 Unfortunately, this does not meet the criteria. While we're unable to accept a return or offer store credit, I'm happy to offer you a 20% off coupon code as courtesy for the inconvenience you experienced; it is valued at 20% off regular or sale merchandise on our website. This coupon cannot be applied to existing orders. Please feel free to use it with your next purchase.

 Coupon Code: Hunter-CS20

 Please let us know if you need further assistance.

 Warm regards,

 Charmaine

 Customer Care Agent @ Hunter Boots

So, I've got one Customer Care Agent who recognizes this is a defective item but another who says their return policy covers unworn item(s) purchased from their site, up to 30 days from the date I received the shipment.

Woof... where to begin.

We ordered the Leif bed a few months ago and waited roughly two months for delivery. We were excited about it, and we still like the look of the piece. Once it was installed, though, we ran into a real design problem: each underbed storage drawer relies on a pair of small wheels to support what is otherwise a heavy drawer. Those wheels have caused significant damage to our area rug (a brand-new, medium-pile rug that cost $800) and is, if anything, less dense than standard carpeting. Nowhere on the product page is there any indication that this bed's storage drawers are incompatible with rugs or carpeting; if anything, Article's own product photography shows the bed styled on an area rug, which reasonably led us to believe it would be fine. Upon reading other product reviews, it seems like this might be a common occurrence.

We worked with Article's customer service team and a furniture specialist to try to resolve this, but the wheel issue couldn't be addressed. As a test, we removed the wheels ourselves. That stopped the rubbing and pulling of the area rug fabric, but it comes with its own tradeoffs: we now have to keep the drawers much lighter than intended, and even without the wheels, the drawers don't align properly. In short, the drawer mechanism doesn't work as designed, with or without the wheels.

Article credited us $200 for the white-glove installation we had paid for and an additional $200 as a goodwill gesture. We appreciated that, but it doesn't come close to covering the actual impact: we're now out $800 for a rug that was damaged through no fault of our own, we have to source a replacement rug with no guidance from Article on what would actually be compatible with this bed, and we'll have to manage the uninstall and reinstall of a genuinely heavy piece of furniture on top of it. We paid for the white glove service install because the bed is heavy/big and with two very young children, time is just not on our sides right now.

This wasn't an isolated experience for us. A previous Article order also had product quality issues, and this is now two for two. It's made us call into question if I'm just another one of "those customers" who is unhappy with everything. That's not the case. We've genuinely liked the aesthetic of what we've purchased, but the engineering and quality control haven't matched it.

We weren't asking for a new bed or a replacement; we didn't want to go through another lengthy install for a piece we'd still need to work around. We're sharing this because, at this price point, we expected better, both in the product itself and in how a real design flaw like this gets handled. We hope this is useful feedback for Article as they think about product testing and customer resolution going forward, and you as the consumer of an otherwise pricier piece of furniture.

Not the obvious stuff, where it was cheap from day one and you knew. The ones where it looked

perfectly fine and then it wasn't.

Rust starting under the weave at the feet. A cover that keeps the rain out and the damp in, so the

frame goes anyway. Cushions that feel dry on top.

What got you?

Hello!!
I have made the mistake of falling in love with this necklace on facebook marketplace and not buying it immediately, it was sold this morning but it CALLS to me so please please PLEASE if you recognize it, have it, know where to get it, please let me know, name a price 🫰

Bought a Bumbleride speed from baby and child store in April. It came faulty. Three of the wheels won’t pump up, the frame is squint and lopsided. The break likes to pick and choose when it works. It caused the whole stroller to flip while my baby was in it. Dangerous item. I reported the stroller faulty to baby and child store in April. They sent me two inner tubes. Left out the third one. Told me that was unusual. I’ve been back and forth with baby and child store, bebebrands and Bumbleride now for a total of 6 months. They are refusing an exchange, refunding a refund and breaking warranty for this item. I’ve never had such poor customer service. They have literally went to extremes to make sure they don’t replace this item. While talking I’ve baby and child store sprout lies to bebebrands and Bumbleride as well to cover themselves. I have it all in writing. All three have been reported to trading standards and they have left me no choice but to put paperwork in for court proceedings. Please avoid. There are better out there or at least companies with better customer service if something goes wrong.

trying to slowly replace all the cheap stuff in my kitchen with things that will actually last and i'm tired of buying the same item three times because the first two fell apart

so far i've made the switch on a few things and noticed a massive difference but i feel like i'm missing stuff that the bifl community would know about that i'd never think to look for

specifically interested in things that seem boring or unglamorous but make a real difference over time. not just the obvious cast iron skillet answer lol

what's the one kitchen purchase you made that made you feel like you finally stopped wasting money on the same thing over and over

Idk if the counter is broken or this thing is built to last, also I bough this used from some lady and she said that it has been sitting in her yard for like a year. i haven’t had major problems with it. I guess they don’t make them like they used to.

I work in furniture manufacturing (mostly outdoor), and teak vs aluminum is the question I get asked more than any other, so I'd rather hear the other side of it.

My own view: teak looks better and ages better, but the maintenance reality catches people out — especially on partially covered patios or under a pergola, where the exposed edge greys out much faster than the sheltered part. Two years in you can end up with one set that looks like two.

Aluminum doesn't care about any of that, but it doesn't age into anything either.

For anyone who's had teak outdoors 3+ years, partly under cover — did it ever even out, or did you end up with a visible two-tone? And anyone who went aluminum and regretted it?

Has anyone purchased any furniture items from Article's Lenia line? If so, how has it held up over time?

Rubber role has developed a bubble.
Their Ai customer service says I’m SOL.

I’m curious which backpacks are genuinely great to live with, not just nice-looking. What’s the one you used and thought, “I should’ve switched to this sooner”?

970€ pour une paire de Dior B33.
Achetée il y a environ un an.
Après une année d’utilisation, le dessus de la languette s’est détérioré sur les deux chaussures.
La paire est rapportée chez Dior.
On m’explique qu’elle doit être examinée par le service technique, avec un délai annoncé d’environ trois semaines, afin de déterminer s’il s’agit d’un problème d’utilisation ou d’un défaut de fabrication.
Quatre jours plus tard, la réponse arrive :
970 € d’avoir.
Et la paire sera détruite.
Pas réparée.
Pas restaurée.
Pas remise en circulation.
Détruite.
C’est ici que le sujet devient, à mes yeux, plus intéressant que le simple prix d’une paire de sneakers.
Une maison de luxe vend-elle uniquement un produit ?
Ou vend-elle aussi une promesse de qualité, de savoir-faire et de durabilité ?
Car lorsqu’un produit de près de 1 000 € présente un défaut sur les deux chaussures après seulement un an d’utilisation, puis est destiné à être détruit, une question se pose :
quel est réellement le rapport entre le prix du luxe et la durabilité du produit ?
Et au-delà du prix :
quel est le coût environnemental réel d’un produit dont la valeur commerciale est celle du luxe, mais dont la fin de vie peut être celle d’un produit jetable ?
Je ne connais évidemment pas le processus exact de traitement de Dior après destruction, et je ne tirerai donc pas de conclusion que je ne peux pas démontrer.
Mais le paradoxe est là.
970 € de valeur.
Un an d’utilisation.
Quatre jours pour statuer.
Une paire destinée à la destruction.
Alors une question reste ouverte :
que devient le luxe lorsqu’il devient un déchet ?

Six months of daily cycling seems long enough for the less obvious maintenance issues to start showing up, which is what I’m trying to get a better sense of with PetPivot that I had. All though even without Wi-Fi or app problems, there are still gears, tracks, sensors, litter dust, and wet clumps to deal with. Dust getting into moving areas or buildup on the inside seems like the kind of thing that could slowly make the box less reliable if it isn’t cleaned regularly. I’m especially curious about what shows up before an actual failure. After several months of daily use, is it usually the sensors, moving parts, litter buildup, or something else that starts needing more attention first?

I got bitten by the BIFL bug—or at least I’ve been trying to buy things that will last at least 10 years. Unfortunately, I’ve met with disappointment every time.

I bought three pairs of Nicks boots, hoping they’d last at least seven years before needing to be resoled. Two pairs had cosmetic defects that looked like they’d been made by a cobbler in training. One pair was perfect; I bought that one during their “free range” special.

Then I got into DE razors. For the most part I liked the razors themselves—they’ll last—but the service just sucked, especially with Razor Emporium. I’m going back to disposables.

Hell, I even tried handmade boot laces from Pisgah Laces. I emailed them an hour after placing the order (and a week before they shipped) to request a length change. No reply. Nothing. Then I got a tracking number saying the laces had already shipped. Yeah… not buying from them again.

I try to give small businesses a chance, but not anymore. I’m going back to name-brand disposables for everything now—shoes, razors, clothes, etc. Except for mechanical Swiss watches. Those I’m keeping.

Four years ago I splurged ($500+) on a beautiful King sized comforter and shams for my new bedroom. It was a lovely light paisley with a dark blue, tan and cream colored print. After a year or so, I noticed the shams started looking weird - some of the tan began fading to a lime green shade! I was not over-washing them - literally just using them.

I called Ralph to complain because these were from Bloomingdale’s, not the factory outlet so I expected this to be my set for years. The woman on the phone was apologetic but said because a year had gone by, all they could do was give me 20% off my next purchase. Well it took about a year before they started turning green!!

Fast forward three years and I have just replaced them because the comforter started turning lime green too. And the shams are a nasty dirty shade (the cream has turned brownish!) and I’m done. Hopefully my new set (NOT Ralph Lauren!) will not also disappoint.

I grew up in the 1980’s when Ralph Lauren was THE posh brand for luxury to be enjoyed a lifetime. How very disappointing to see how little care they take in their production processes anymore. The top brands back in the day are no more! 🫠😢