Nothing to do with DIY I suppose but I was pondering what a rip-off electric shavers are. Over the years I've gone through about 6 of them. The motors never break down but when the foil breaks after a year, or maybe two if you're lucky, they rip you off for nearly as much for a foil and cutter pack as the whole bloody thing cost in the first place. OK maybe that's because I just buy the cheapest one that Argos has on sale at the time but the price for a foil/cutter pack is about the same for every model whether it cost £20 or £60 in the first place. Usually £16 to £20.
If the whole shaver, box, travelling bag, charger even if it's a rechargeable one costs £20 how come just a foil and cutter costs nearly as much? Well clearly it doesn't but once they've got you hooked into the purchase they can charge nearly as much as the whole replacement price because that's still the most cost effective way to keep the thing working.
However, 15 months ago, just after the last shaver broke its foil and I was grumbling about the necessity of forking out another £20 soon, I was filling up with petrol and there was a promotional items stand of things you could buy cheap with a full tank of petrol. One of them was a waterproof, rechargeable electric shaver for about £5. That'll do the big man methinks and sprung for one. Even if it's crap I figured you can't go far wrong for a fiver.
15 months later it not only not crap it's a cracking little bit of kit. It shaves adequately close, the foil is still going strong, a recharge takes only 2 hours and lasts over a week which is handy when the bathroom doesn't have a socket and here's the icing on the cake. When I got the thing home and unpacked it there in a little recess in the bottom of the box is a spare foil for when the first one breaks. That spare foil alone is worth more than the whole purchase price if it means you don't have to buy a new shaver for another couple of years.So if a bloody decent rechargeable shaver with a spare foil thrown in can be sold at a profit for so little money how come Braun et al charge more for just a foil?
On the box it says DSL promotions so I did a bit of Googling and here's the very thing.