Bizcuits | Obsolescent mind

Leanda Lee

Obsolescence: I’ve always had to rely on the spell-checker for this one, in maybe a subconscious attempt to deny the existence of the commercial form of this phenomenon. From the ludicrous idea that houses have lifespans of 35 years in the new world, to the need to renovate, renew and replace almost everything with the season, obsolescence is our way of life. We tend to replace rather than maintain our belongings.

You might consider darning the holes in that gorgeous Scottish lambswool cardigan your mother bought on that trip to the UK, but most things of lesser quality and sentimental value will more likely end up being chucked out. In our lives of abundance, the new is simpler.

A property I bought in 2009 had a quality SMEG refrigerator built into the kitchen cabinetry. The built-in nature suggested longevity was intended in the design, and the SMEG Italian reputation was consistent with that idea.

As can be guessed, 10 years on, and in the moist climate of Macau where even the best appliances fast deteriorate, the tenant noted his electricity bill soar and narrowed it down to the seals on the fridge.

Property management was approached for directions to a suitable repair man, on the basis that if it were happening with one fridge in the block, it would be happening with others. A sifu comes out to look, says the seals are no longer available and gives us a quote on the only refrigerator which will fit the cabinet. Gotcha!

HKD12,000 for a new Italian fridge with only 1-year warranty, but with a generous discount for lucky me. Installation of HKD650 and – this is what really grinds my gears – HKD350 to dump a perfectly good fridge that only needs replacement seals.

Hitting a brick wall with the local repair fellow, the throw-away mentality and the joy in the brand-spanking new, I go to work contacting SMEG from Melbourne to Milano for spare parts. I reason that given the quality reputation of the brand and Europe’s refusal to continue to put up with planned obsolescence, this corporation will find them on a shelf somewhere.

A warning: there is tedium in the process to beat the planned obsolescence paradigm. (And should you consider a 10-year fridge beyond bothering with, my point is made.) After a couple of days of emails to SMEG I got through to a Sydney-ite who asked for the compliance plate details. A day later the tenant located it and a picture was sent off to the spare parts department. A few days later, another email with the same response as Macau, no parts, sorry, but they suggested I might try my luck with SMEG Italy.

One wrong email address and after a couple of days I tried another, to be sent an auto-response to expect an email within 3 working days. And this is where the quality name let me down: no indication of spare parts availability, just to contact the local representative!

In one last ditched effort to keep a good fridge working, calls were made to Hong Kong. From a process that began in September, this week, I found the seals for 50% down payment, HKD3,4800 for the two sets of “gaskets”, HKD500 inspection fee, and a five-week lead time.

With this type of obsolescence, we don’t own what we have. Without the right to readily repair appliances, we are only granted their utility for a limited time. A one-year warranty is effectively a lease on utility for one year, anything more is just luck.

The costs that apply directly to me within our extraordinary industrial system lead me to choose to waste the embodied resources of the material, production and transport and disposal management along the supply chain of a new HKD12,000++ refrigerator – for one year! Cold comfort and expensive cold beers!