Outrageous Cost for Replacment Parts

Based on my do-it-yourself repairs, I knew that replacement parts were expensive.    For example, it's not uncommon for a part to cost 1/10 of an entire appliance, and that's before labor.   However, today I learned of the worst cost yet, where the replacement part cost over two times the cost of just buying a new item.  I thought I had misheard the price and asked four times to make sure.  To my dismay, I had heard the correct price.

Basically, I was buying the charger for a small portable electric appliance since that was the only element missing.  The entire appliance cost $40, including the charger.  The cost of only the charger from the manufacturer?   $82.  That's right, over two times the cost of buying a new appliance. 

I told them that was crazy and that I would check with a local electronics store for a replacement.  After a little research, I found options for $15 - $20, which was reasonable.   However, since I was convinced that I had recently seen the charger, I decided to search the house in areas I had been working.  After about an hour, I found the charger, even though it wasn't near where the appliance was stored.

I definitely saved $15 and time searching and I saved as much as $40 to buy the entire appliance.   I didn't save $82 because there was no way I was paying two time more just to buy the charger. 

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This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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