Wouldn't surprise me at all for two reasons:
1. The product is built to not fail or break.
2. Cost of repair exceeds the cost of manufacturing.
In the first case, I would say that this is highly possible. A properly
"hardened", engineered and manufactured product is designed to last the
expected life-span without ever breaking down.
In the second case, I would also say this is highly possible. If we figure
that the typical service costs the company approximately $100 USD, we have
to ask what the manuafacturing costs of the product were? If it is
approximately the same amount, then it's a simple matter of figuring out
what the expected failure rate is and build that amount of extras to be used
for swaps.
Another factor to consider: When a product is designed for servicing, it
requires screws, clips and other attachments which the technician uses to
disassemble. But if a product is designed to never be disassembled, the
parts inside can be bonded together in a manner that not only reduces
manufacturing costs, but makes for a far more robust product.
AG
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