Getting ripped off is nothing new. But lately I've been feeling more and more that I can't trust legitimate companies to provide goods and services to an expected quality, or without some kind of dishonesty behind it.
Clothes brands that used to sell decent pieces are now selling plastic tat that falls apart, often bought in from cheap external manufacturers with their label slapped on. Even "posh" brands like Reiss have started selling polyester and poorly finished goods in among their rails. Karen Millen is selling old Oasis stuff with the names scrubbed off and the prices inflated. Not to mention online brands who steal other designers' product pictures for their own websites, and send ugly knock-offs to customers.
It's not just clothes - I feel like I have to put more effort into making sure things I buy for my home are what they say they are. Established names like Le Creuset and Doc Martens are churning out lower quality versions of their time-honoured goods and dressing them up (and pricing them!) as the real McCoy.
I feel like I'm being gaslit into expecting/enduring a lower quality of goods without complaining.
I really feel for people who are more disadvantaged than me, who don't have the time or money to shop around, or who might not have the experience to sniff out a bum deal. The cost of living crisis is only going to make this worse.
Am I the only one? Has anyone else lost faith in a beloved brand because they've pulled the quality out from under their customers' noses? On the other hand, is there a company or manufacturer out there that's still worth their good rep?