Which premium brands do you think should not be premium?

[Cheeseandlobster]

For me it's Morning Fresh. I thought it was shite a decade ago. Bought it again recently and it is still crap. It doesn't lather and my usual Aldi own brand is far superior. How on earth has it survived this long?

@orphananniesmum

A lot of these brand name mentioned here are not premium

That has already been mentioned and addressed.

Reiss. Massively overpriced. Crap fabrics. Pretty clothes though.

Same for Captain Tortue. I've never felt cheaper cotton that shreds in the washing machine.

Reiss. Massively overpriced. Crap fabrics. Pretty clothes though.

Reiss uses man-made cheap materials for womens clothing. They use cotton and linen in their menswear. I refuse to shop there.

I wonder if Miele has gone down in quality. We inherited a Miele washing machine and dishwasher with our house and they were both ancient and are the best we've had (my last washer was a brand new Samsung ecobubble)

Ditto my dubarry boots are 7 years old and no leaks.

Not worth it:

Most premium mascaras. I've tried MAC, diorshow, benefit...all sorts. My favourite is actually Primark!

Mini Countryman...we got given one as a courtesy car when I was in a crash. I was driving a car with the same list price and the mini was all plastic-y inside and horrid to drive in comparison though it did handle corners really well. Couldn't wait to get rid of the thing.

For food, general toiletries and cleaning products we just go to the supermarket version for nearly everything. Heinz and walkers taste particularly cheap and rubbish to me.

Monsoon clothes. Often are very badly finished and cannot be washed as per the washing instructions.

My Miele washing machine is 16yrs old and used nearly every day still going strong. Also Miele vacuum cleaners are elderly but still work perfectly, I got through at least 3 Dyson in the six years before I bought Miele, and I’m not a frequent user!
We have a Gtec glorified carpet sweeper, which I thought was a bit expensive but it is a godsend when you have a black Labrador and a cream tiled kitchen floor.
My mum used to make all our clothes when we were children, she was a very talented seamstress/tailor, so I am very picky about clothing. Very few of the top end brands produce quality clothing.

Birkenstocks.
They're great once worn in but massively overpriced.
I've had seriously cheaper versions that have been comfortable and hard wearing.

@FindingMeno

Birkenstocks. They're great once worn in but massively overpriced. I've had seriously cheaper versions that have been comfortable and hard wearing.

I'm going to have to disagree here! I have several pairs of Birkenstock's that I almost exclusively wear during the summer, they're extremely hard wearing and better than any cheaper versions that I have tried.

@FindingMeno

Birkenstocks. They're great once worn in but massively overpriced. I've had seriously cheaper versions that have been comfortable and hard wearing.

I’ve never had to wear in a pair of Birkenstocks. They are comfortable straight out of the box.

totally disagree with birkenstocks. comfortable from day one. currently wearing a pair that I think are 5 years old. had a conversation only yesterday with a friend that she has finally bought a pair. fed up of cheap versions that she had previously. plus look at their website and they are making good work on their sustainability.

Yikes! Looks like I'm in the minority with Birkenstocks!
As you were

I'm with you @FindingMeno
I've had two pairs. Thought it was just me that found them hard to break in, but I persisted as everyone sings their praises and are supposed to be feet friendly.
Two very painful corns , various blisters and endless foot cramps later , I ditched them.
Never looked back.

I find that getting Birkenstocks in a size smaller is the answer, as the foot-bed on them is massive...

@HelloBunny

I find that getting Birkenstocks in a size smaller is the answer, as the foot-bed on them is massive...

I get them in the narrow width with the soft footbed and find they are true to size.

Toast clothes. Frumpy dowdy muu-muus for depressed women who live alone on remote farms and want to keep it that way.

£200 for a shirt?

Mind-boggling.

Charlotte Tilbury is horrendous quality! Tom Ford make up is very poor too.
I used to think Jo Malone was shite but someone bought me a candle recently and it's magnificent.

Freddie's Flowers are shit too. Lots of 'filler' stems and they don't last long.

@MissTrip82

I’m basically just here for the faux wide-eyed ‘goodness it never occurred to me that was a premium brand’ and ‘I’ve simply never heard of [insert name of incredibly well-known brand]’.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

More of the outrageous snob posts please.

Yup. The stealth boasting, she is strong. IDGAF whether something is 'premium' or not - is it any good, do I want to pay that price? Only two useful questions.

@godmum56

Bit surprised at stuff like Cadburys and washing up liquid being described as premium brands.....

Bosch whitegoods.....had a Bosch dishwasher put in with new kitchen and it was total rubbish

OTOH my Bosch fridgefreezer lasted 16 years...

@MrsAvocet

This thread puts me in mind of a former colleague of mine who always prided himself on having better taste than the rest of us and valuing things that most people weren't discerning enough to be able to appreciate. Years ago , before gin became the fashionable drink that it is now, he started drinking Bombay Sapphire and telling us that it was vastly superior to "common" brands like Gordons which as plebs like the rest of us us would choose. Fast forward to a business trip to India when in the bar afterwards my colleague was pontificating to all and sundry about the superiority of Bombay Sapphire and how nobody with any taste or knowledge on the subject would drink anything else. Awkward silence ensued as it became apparent that virtually all our hosts had opted for Gordons. I don't know if it's still the case, but at the time there was a heavy import duty on non local alcohol which meant that well known British brands were a lot more expensive than local brands. Thus it was a status symbol to order Gordons etc. Whether there's really any objective difference in quality I have no idea, but I thought this incident demonstrated very nicely how perception varies and whether something is "premium" or not is often driven by fashion.

I don't get this. Bombay Sapphire isn't made in India. It's made near Basingstoke!

I don't get this. Bombay Sapphire isn't made in India. It's made near Basingstoke!

🤣 Basingstoke Sapphire doesn't quite have the same ring to it!
Basingstoke Zirconia?

Love Birkenstocks they are definitely worth the price, they are ethically made and are extremely comfortable. Love them.

Only buy my pyjamas from the Toast sale. Expensive but really well made.

The price of Birkenstocks reflects the fact that they are made in Germany by people who earn what we would recognise as a living wage.

that they are made in Germany by people who earn what we would recognise as a living wage

DD is looking for a graduate position now. She found something she was interested in, and told me the starting salary. I thought it was good. Her German boyfriend was outraged at how low it was!

I bought Branston baked beans off the back of this thread, what a disappointment. Not keen at all.

On the other hand, I also bought the Wilkin & Sons ketchup and was blown away by how good it was. My bacon sandwiches are going to be on another level tomorrow!

Vanish stain removal powder and their whitening powder. It absolutely works a treat but the wilko one and supermarket ones work just as well at a fraction of the price.