Beware of cheaper goods (mostly) – sometimes paying more can pay off

Buy cheap, buy twice. It’s an old adage that’s still relevant today, and one that often runs through my mind when I’m buying things. A seductively cheap product has obvious economic appeal but there are disadvantages down the line which outweigh the upfront saving. Short life, poor performance, woeful after-sales service, expensive maintenance or non-existent spare parts are all pitfalls awaiting the avid bargain hunter.

The classic example is the alluringly cheap printer which consumes expensive replacement cartridges that last no time at all. When you realise the horrific printing costs you immediately replace the machine with a refillable ink tank model, or at least one with cheaper, longer-lasting cartridges.

A similar principle can apply to white goods and their power consumption. More expensive dishwashers and tumble dryers can have a better energy rating and pay for themselves after a few months or years. Extra durability is more difficult to evaluate but independent surveys tend to show more expensive brands of white goods are more reliable and last longer.

Cheaper brands themselves can be very short-lived, and you can lose your guarantee and after-sales support. I can well recall recommending a promising budget binocular brand that disappeared within the year. Big brands, by contrast, can offer guaranteed spare parts and other advantages. Cheaper products may have fewer features meaning you have to replace them sooner. Or they may be so bad that they put you off entirely. I tested an e-bike a couple of years ago that would only engage its motor after a complete revolution of the pedals. It made hill starts virtually impossible. The more expensive bike on test made light work of the same terrain. If I didn’t know better, the cheap one could have deterred me from electric bikes for life.

Often, paying more does give you much better performance. In the tests I’ve done for telly, with expert contributors, comparing the value for money of budget and premium products in dozens of categories, the premium product was deemed to offer best value almost exactly half the time. More expensive coffee machines, bread machines and TVs were considered worth it, while a premium blender made the best kale smoothie I’ve ever tasted, for example.

In half the tests, though, the budget product was judged the better value buy. With outdoor clothing and power tools you often appeared to be paying quite a bit extra merely for an established name. Regarding durability, my own experience of small electrical goods like toasters and kettles is that cheap supermarket own brands last as long, if not longer, than much more expensive models from well-known brands. And value is in the eye of the beholder of course. A frequent flyer may get better value out of an expensive suitcase than an occasional traveller.

How can you spot a proper bargain? Gathering information remains, as ever, the most important priority for the value-conscious consumer. And it also pays to remember another classic adage, that the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. Keep that in mind and you’ll increase your chances of being a happy customer.