Who is a MUD MAKER?

[Papa John]

They know what they're doing!!

I sure like my Sanitary with replaceable bags!!

That design has not changed for over 50+ plus years!!

It just WORKS!!............

Switch to the Shark Navigator Lift-A-Way.
You'll save on bags and be working with more modern technology.
Just empty the canister often- sometimes every room.

 

[frank fratto]

Switch to the Shark Navigator Lift-A-Way.
You'll save on bags and be working with more modern technology.
Just empty the canister often- sometimes every room.

Thanks John. It's a great vacuum!"Shark"
I love the Sanitary! Been working with them for over 50 plus years !
I buy bags from Levx Very Cheep.

 

[Mikey P]

and be working with more modern technology

but not better technology.

The clear view may make people vacuum more often, and slow down but its not better IMO

 

[MarkieMark]

but not better technology.

The clear view may make people vacuum more often, and slow down but its not better IMO

The bags also hold 3-5x the capacity, never look dirty either like a clear cannister.

 

[frank fratto]

Switch to the Shark Navigator Lift-A-Way.
You'll save on bags and be working with more modern technology.
Just empty the canister often- sometimes every room.

My vacuum belt broke on my Sanitaire 16 inch today.

I time myself.

Less then one minute to change it!!!

20 years ago I could've done it in 30 seconds ? lol

 

[KevinD]

My vacuum belt broke on my Sanitaire 16 inch today.

I time myself.

Less then one minute to change it!!!

20 years ago I could've done it in 30 seconds ? lol

My first job back when I was 16 was vacuuming 6 floors of a county office building for two years.
I wonder how many Sanitaire belts and brush rolls I burnt up?

 

[frank fratto]

My first job back when I was 16 was vacuuming 6 floors of a county office building for two years.
I wonder how many Sanitaire belts and brush rolls I burnt up?

Speed is everthing!

Lean that handle down and back fast! Then turn it off.

6 floors, now that Builds Character!!!

 

[Cleanworks]

2 of the best in business, Mark Saiger and Ron Werner, (where the term Wernerizing comes from) use Workhorse?Cleartrack Vacuums. Anyone else like these?

 

[encapman]

...an image that's in a couple of my Keynote presentations

Dry soil recovery is essential if we're hoping to keep the carpet in optimal condition and extend its useful ife.

 

[Nomad74]

Ask me about the Best Buy warranty.

 

[Mikey P]

Ask me bout the Best Buy warranty.

It's good to have your wit and energy back


I'm currently maintaining 8 vehicles worth of tires. How about you?

 

[FredBoyle]

Ask me bout the Best Buy warranty.

When they file for bankruptcy, I’m curious if one of their top reasons given will be re-occurring losses from warranty fulfillment

 

[Nomad74]

It's good to have your wit and energy back


I'm currently maintaining 8 vehicles worth of tires. How about you?

Too many. I'm ready to thin the herd and get simple. At the point where I really don't want or need anything. A beach or lakeshore, Starlink, and a good cup of coffee is really all I need. Oh, and my kitty.

 

[Nomad74]

When they file for bankruptcy, I’m curious if one of their top reasons given will be re-occurring losses from warranty fulfillment

I often wonder that myself.

From experience, I can tell you the Walmart Warranty process is a joke. Best Buy is the clear winner.

 

[Mikey P]

When they file for bankruptcy, I’m curious if one of their top reasons will be losses from warranty fulfillment

When you return a vacuum or a half-eaten steak to Costco years later, Costco usually makes the manufacturer pay for it, not the store.
Here is the breakdown of how these "conscience-based" returns actually work financially for retailers like Costco versus warranty-focused stores like Best Buy.
1. The Costco Model: "The Manufacturer Takes the Hit"
Costco has what is called "monopsony power"—they are such a massive buyer that they can dictate terms to their suppliers.
* The Agreement: When a company like Shark (vacuums) or a bedding company sells to Costco, they often sign an agreement that includes a "Return to Vendor" (RTV) clause or a "Markdown Allowance."
* How it works: If you bring back a vacuum 3 years later because it "stopped sucking," Costco refunds you. In the backend, they often ship that vacuum back to the manufacturer and deduct the cost from their next invoice to that manufacturer.
* The "Eating Meat" Example: If you return a half-eaten steak (which people do), the manufacturer often eats that cost, too. Costco’s deal with food suppliers typically builds in a percentage buffer for "shrinkage" and returns, or the supplier credits them for the spoiled product to keep Costco happy and keep their product on the shelves.
* Why Manufacturers Agree: They have no choice. Selling at Costco is so lucrative (millions of units) that they accept the cost of your 3-year-old return as the "cost of doing business."
2. The Best Buy Model: "The Insurance Pool Pays"
Your premise about Best Buy is slightly different. Best Buy is generally not lenient with "conscience" returns long after purchase. They usually have a strict 15-day return window (60 days for paid members).
* Extended Warranties: If you bring a broken vacuum back to Best Buy after 2 years, they usually only help you if you bought the Geek Squad Protection.
* Who Pays: This is an insurance product. The money you paid for the warranty goes into a pool. When your item breaks, the repair or replacement is paid for by that pool of money (and the unspent money is profit for the insurer/Best Buy). The manufacturer is usually off the hook once their standard 1-year warranty expires.
3. The "Conscience" Factor & Abuse
You asked if it's left up to the customer's conscience. At Costco, yes.
* The unspoken rule: Costco tracks every return you make. If you return a vacuum every 2 years like clockwork to get a free upgrade, or return dead Christmas trees in January, they will flag your account.
* The consequence: While they rarely deny a specific return, they have been known to cancel the memberships of "serial returners." They effectively "fire" the customer because you become unprofitable.
Summary
* At Costco: You are likely hurting the manufacturer, not Costco.
* At Best Buy: You are likely hurting no one because they won't take it back without a warranty (which you paid for).
* The "Mom & Pop" Shop: If you do this at a small local business, the store owner takes the hit personally. They rarely have the leverage to force the manufacturer to pay for a return 2 years later.

Compared to Costco. Bed Bath & Beyond is the perfect example of what happens when the "conscience system" fails and the store takes too much of the hit.
The Bed Bath & Beyond you are likely thinking of—the one with the famous 20% off coupons and the "return anything forever" policy—no longer exists. It went bankrupt in 2023.
Here is the breakdown of how they handled returns and why it eventually helped destroy them:
1. Who Took the Hit? (The "Golden Era")
For decades, Bed Bath & Beyond operated similarly to Costco, but with a fatal flaw.
* The Big Brands (Dyson, Keurig, etc.): Like Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond had leverage. If you returned a broken Dyson vacuum 2 years later, they would send it back to the vendor (RTV - Return to Vendor) and the manufacturer paid.
* The "Soft" Goods (Towels, Sheets, spatulas): This is where they lost. If you returned a used towel or a spatula because you "didn't like it" a year later, the manufacturer generally did not take that back. The store had to mark it as "damage/shrink" and throw it away or sell it to a liquidator for pennies. The store took the hit.
2. The "Conscience" Failure
Unlike Costco, which charges a membership fee to offset losses and tracks your returns to ban abusers, Bed Bath & Beyond was open to the public.
* People would buy expensive wedding gifts, use them, and return them for cash.
* People would return worn-out sheets after 5 years claiming they were "defective."
* Because they didn't have the membership revenue to cushion these losses, the "generous" policy bled them dry.
3. The New Reality (It's now just Overstock.com)
After the bankruptcy in 2023, the brand name was bought by Overstock.com.
* The physical stores are gone.
* The "return forever" policy is dead.
* Current Policy: They now have a standard 30-day return window. If you try to return something used or without a defect, they either won't take it or you pay for shipping.
Summary:
Costco survives the "conscience" model because they have your membership fee and the power to "fire" you as a customer. Bed Bath & Beyond tried to play the "nice guy" without those protections, and the cost of those returns (combined with poor management) helped put them out of business.

 

[Nomad74]

When you return a vacuum or a half-eaten steak to Costco years later, Costco usually makes the manufacturer pay for it, not the store.
Here is the breakdown of how these "conscience-based" returns actually work financially for retailers like Costco versus warranty-focused stores like Best Buy.
1. The Costco Model: "The Manufacturer Takes the Hit"
Costco has what is called "monopsony power"—they are such a massive buyer that they can dictate terms to their suppliers.
* The Agreement: When a company like Shark (vacuums) or a bedding company sells to Costco, they often sign an agreement that includes a "Return to Vendor" (RTV) clause or a "Markdown Allowance."
* How it works: If you bring back a vacuum 3 years later because it "stopped sucking," Costco refunds you. In the backend, they often ship that vacuum back to the manufacturer and deduct the cost from their next invoice to that manufacturer.
* The "Eating Meat" Example: If you return a half-eaten steak (which people do), the manufacturer often eats that cost, too. Costco’s deal with food suppliers typically builds in a percentage buffer for "shrinkage" and returns, or the supplier credits them for the spoiled product to keep Costco happy and keep their product on the shelves.
* Why Manufacturers Agree: They have no choice. Selling at Costco is so lucrative (millions of units) that they accept the cost of your 3-year-old return as the "cost of doing business."
2. The Best Buy Model: "The Insurance Pool Pays"
Your premise about Best Buy is slightly different. Best Buy is generally not lenient with "conscience" returns long after purchase. They usually have a strict 15-day return window (60 days for paid members).
* Extended Warranties: If you bring a broken vacuum back to Best Buy after 2 years, they usually only help you if you bought the Geek Squad Protection.
* Who Pays: This is an insurance product. The money you paid for the warranty goes into a pool. When your item breaks, the repair or replacement is paid for by that pool of money (and the unspent money is profit for the insurer/Best Buy). The manufacturer is usually off the hook once their standard 1-year warranty expires.
3. The "Conscience" Factor & Abuse
You asked if it's left up to the customer's conscience. At Costco, yes.
* The unspoken rule: Costco tracks every return you make. If you return a vacuum every 2 years like clockwork to get a free upgrade, or return dead Christmas trees in January, they will flag your account.
* The consequence: While they rarely deny a specific return, they have been known to cancel the memberships of "serial returners." They effectively "fire" the customer because you become unprofitable.
Summary
* At Costco: You are likely hurting the manufacturer, not Costco.
* At Best Buy: You are likely hurting no one because they won't take it back without a warranty (which you paid for).
* The "Mom & Pop" Shop: If you do this at a small local business, the store owner takes the hit personally. They rarely have the leverage to force the manufacturer to pay for a return 2 years later.

Compared to Costco. Bed Bath & Beyond is the perfect example of what happens when the "conscience system" fails and the store takes too much of the hit.
The Bed Bath & Beyond you are likely thinking of—the one with the famous 20% off coupons and the "return anything forever" policy—no longer exists. It went bankrupt in 2023.
Here is the breakdown of how they handled returns and why it eventually helped destroy them:
1. Who Took the Hit? (The "Golden Era")
For decades, Bed Bath & Beyond operated similarly to Costco, but with a fatal flaw.
* The Big Brands (Dyson, Keurig, etc.): Like Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond had leverage. If you returned a broken Dyson vacuum 2 years later, they would send it back to the vendor (RTV - Return to Vendor) and the manufacturer paid.
* The "Soft" Goods (Towels, Sheets, spatulas): This is where they lost. If you returned a used towel or a spatula because you "didn't like it" a year later, the manufacturer generally did not take that back. The store had to mark it as "damage/shrink" and throw it away or sell it to a liquidator for pennies. The store took the hit.
2. The "Conscience" Failure
Unlike Costco, which charges a membership fee to offset losses and tracks your returns to ban abusers, Bed Bath & Beyond was open to the public.
* People would buy expensive wedding gifts, use them, and return them for cash.
* People would return worn-out sheets after 5 years claiming they were "defective."
* Because they didn't have the membership revenue to cushion these losses, the "generous" policy bled them dry.
3. The New Reality (It's now just Overstock.com)
After the bankruptcy in 2023, the brand name was bought by Overstock.com.
* The physical stores are gone.
* The "return forever" policy is dead.
* Current Policy: They now have a standard 30-day return window. If you try to return something used or without a defect, they either won't take it or you pay for shipping.
Summary:
Costco survives the "conscience" model because they have your membership fee and the power to "fire" you as a customer. Bed Bath & Beyond tried to play the "nice guy" without those protections, and the cost of those returns (combined with poor management) helped put them out of business.

Well, I disagree with "The "Conscience" Factor & Abuse". I buy a product, it breaks in 30 days, I demand it be fixed or replaced. I pay for the extra protection, and I use it. These shark vacuums are great at what they do, but the beater brush and plastic clips just don't hold up. sometimes I just look at the thing and a clip snaps.

Yesterday, I opened the rear door to my van, and the filter cover on the front of the vacuum had fallen off and was laying on the floor. Nobody touched it. It just broke off overnight sitting there. When I tried to put it back on, the little clips had snapped off. Maybe I have a sprit that follows me and hates vacuums. I see another trip to Bet Buy in my future.

I've tried every vacuum brand that Best Buy sells. They all don't last. Dyson was heavy, and it would over heat and shut off. Plastic would snap.


Maybe its the extreme high summer and winter temp swings that cause things to become brittle. I blame the ghost.

 

[Mikey P]

You need a Kirby

 

[Nomad74]

You need a Kirby

I have 2. They are horrible on rugs, no edger pipe, and too heavy. Plus I hate the bags. All personal issues, I know.

 

[frank fratto]

Well, I disagree with "The "Conscience" Factor & Abuse". I buy a product, it breaks in 30 days, I demand it be fixed or replaced. I pay for the extra protection, and I use it. These shark vacuums are great at what they do, but the beater brush and plastic clips just don't hold up. sometimes I just look at the thing and a clip snaps.

Yesterday, I opened the rear door to my van, and the filter cover on the front of the vacuum had fallen off and was laying on the floor. Nobody touched it. It just broke off overnight sitting there. When I tried to put it back on, the little clips had snapped off. Maybe I have a sprit that follows me and hates vacuums. I see another trip to Bet Buy in my future.

I've tried every vacuum brand that Best Buy sells. They all don't last. Dyson was heavy, and it would over heat and shut off. Plastic would snap.


Maybe its the extreme high summer and winter temp swings that cause things to become brittle. I blame the ghost.

I got 12 inch Sanitaire for wedding present 40 years ago!
I vacuum my house 3 times a week!
That thing still looks brand new!
Haven't did a thing to it other then change belts and beater bar

I think the warranty has ELAPSED???

 

[Nomad74]

I got 12 inch Sanitaire for wedding present 40 years ago!
I vacuum my house 3 times a week!
That thing still looks brand new!
Haven't did a thing to it other then change belts and beater bar

I think the warranty has ELAPSED???

I have one of those also. I need to fix it. The beater bar stopped working. Not sure if its a belt or motor issue. Something else I gotta fix.

 

[Mikey P]

I have one of those also. I need to fix it. The beater bar stopped working. Not sure if its a belt or motor issue. Something else I gotta fix.

I sold over 150 887 dirt cup Sanitaires, there's nothing easier to work on