[matthew]

The most appalling product I've ever owned is my Asko combination washer-dryer. It has had all of its electronics replaced twice, had the dryer belt and drivetrain fixed three times, the internal hot air ducting replaced, and the water pump assembly needed to be swapped when its impeller broke off. It's not quite five years old – and now the electronic controls aren't quite working correctly again.

I have the repair company on speed-dial (they're great) and not only do I know the two techs that fix this particular model by name, I know which days they work in my area and what their personal strengths and weaknesses are. When they arrive at my condo they still remember where the washer is. And when they leave it's never "goodbye," it's always "see you later."

I know now that this particular unit is made under contract by someone else, and is inferior to the genuine Asko machines. But it has their name on it, they approved it, they sold it, and there's no way for me to tell which of their products I can trust, so I am genuinely, honestly, absolutely never buying anything else with their name on it ever again.