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Comment by throwawaylaptop | Hacker News Reader

Just shop at higher end stores. If I want to gamble and search for an item I go to Temu. If I want good enough, I go to value based US retailers. If I want 'a bit better' I go the slightly more expensive ones known for curating their for sale items a bit. If I want quality, I go to a specialty shop and ask a sales representative for the desired quality.

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There's no guarantee that something is better just because it's more expensive or has marketing that says that it's better. Specialist knowledge and quite a lot of time is required to properly evaluate a product. Consider that Amazon is full of questionable products. I have also seen non-UL-listed (or listed with anyone else) phone chargers in physical stores in the united states. You can't rely on reputation either in an age of enshittification.

You can rely on reputation when the store has a reputation for decent curation. I didn't say just buy a more expensive thing on Amazon. I said go to a better store. Costco has Chinese stuff everywhere, but I trust Costco to pick decent stuff.

I just asked someone whom I know who is skilled at evaluating consumer electronics and they said that Costco has more badly made junk "than you'd think". So, it seems like this is an example of marketing being unreliable for finding truth but effective in driving reputation.

This person's source of income is repairing consumer electronics.

I've been shopping at Costco/price club since 1989. I've very rarely been led astray, and when I have their amazing return policy has more than made up for it.

Costco was just an example of curation. But yes, it's more of "good value on acceptable quality" not high quality itself.

Also, idk what marketing Costco does. They earned their reputation with me.

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