Chevy trucks.
I’m pretty meh about the rest of GM’s output, but have a quarter million miles on the current one and it doesn’t hold the record of the five that I’ve owned.
Panasonic. In my experience their electronics may not be the very flashiest or most feature rich, but they’re extremely solid and well designed.
I’ve had everything from 1980s era 9-pin Panasonic dot matrix printers and Technics tape decks (a Panasonic brand) up through a 50" full 1080p plasma televsion that I got in 2010, with some other stuff thrown in there, and every one has worked as advertised, and been durable and reliable.
Ruger is a solid gun manufacturer as well- it’s basically an unwritten guarantee that their guns will work properly and be reliable as well as be value priced. They may not be sexy, and they may be a bit on the big and heavy side, but if I actually had to be in a gunfight, I’d be confident that a Ruger would fire, be reasonably accurate and function properly. Can’t say that about all guns, and and certainly not ones in their price range.
Discount Tire. If there’s one near you in the US, you should be patronizing them. Never lets me down.
Ditto from me on this one. I really like their business model, it makes so much more sense to me than what most other cell providers do.
I’m going to mention Angie’s List. Every service provider I have found through Angie’s List has been first-rate. They may not give you the lowest price out there, but the work is always solid, and that’s worth a lot to me. Just the confidence that this gives me when I’m looking at hiring a plumber or electrician is worth the annual fee that Angie’s List charges.
Doc Martin’s. Only shoes that can last at least a year for me. Good return policy when my SO needed a different shoe.
Charles Schwab
American Express
Land’s End. They are not fucking around with that “satisfaction guaranteed” thing. I had a great heating blanket - worked great, you could barely feel the wires, got really warm, two different zones, etc. Well, one day it died. I’d had it a good 8 or 9 years, but I figured, hey, I’ll call them just in case - maybe I can get a replacement controller if that’s the problem, or, I dunno. It says “satisfaction guaranteed”, right?
I’d bought the thing long enough ago that they had no record of my purchase. They gave me a full refund anyway. I figured it wasn’t going to be much, since they said they’d have to give me the last price they sold it for - I was even worried that I’d spent more sending it back to them then I’d get.
$290, baby. For a blanket they had no evidence I bought from them.
I suppose it was cheap for them for the good publicity and keeping me as a lifetime customer, which they certainly did.
Ford.
My dad worked for them, sure, but in all of the new and used Fords my family of 4 have gotten since the 80s, all of them have been great cars. Except one, the Escort I had just had a shit transmission. But the Aerostar, the Tauruses, the 500, the Focus and especially the Escape have been long-lived gems.
**Paper-Mate **ball point pens. The ten-packs cost a little more than Bics, but they are greatly superior. Really cheap store-brands hardly work at all, are a waste of money.
When **Personna **razors went out of business, I had to buy a gross of them from an online source that still had them. Much better than Giletteror any of the others.
REI
Chaco Sandals
Zenni Optical – Bought many a pair of glasses from them, for both me and my husband, and have been thrilled with their products and service every time. Very affordable, professional and prompt. Also great with handling problems.
Aldi – Love their prices, selection and business model. I wish we had one where we live. They’re so amazing that we seek them out whenever we must travel out of town for doctor’s visits. AAA+
Toyota since 1980
IBM > Lenovo laptops
Sony since 1970’s (TV)
Amazon - since the beginning
Overstock - never disappointed with any purchase
Verizon - over 10 years
Expedia - tried another company once, with disastrous results (stupid gnome and his fine print)
Bruce’s Sweet Potato Pancake Mix - haven’t used any other mix for 10+ years
Hostess - my go-to comfort food since childhood, still the same even after the change of ownership
Wells Fargo - one branch was a disappointment, but all others and their online service have been stellar. Customer for over 20 years.
SFGate.com - just realized I’ve been reading it for 15+ years.
Dunder Mifflin. When I ordered my usual twenty-four pound cream letter stock, there was a watermark of two cartoon animals making love on the paper. I called and a nice gentleman assured me that next shipment I would be getting would be free, and that the cartoon depicting the two animals was highly inaccurate.
SAS (San Antonio Shoe Company) shoes. They last forever and are always comfortable. Plus, they’re made in the USA!
Nordstrom’s. Good service, good clothes, no questions asked refund/return policy.
Was that before or after Sears bought them? I noticed a distinct difference in materials quality in some of their shirts after the Sears purchase.
And I agree with whoever suggested Discount Tire. They’re really the standard by which all tire places should be judged. Excellent service and they stand behind the tires they sell.
A couple more:
- Amazon (me too) since they were only/mostly books
- Newegg
- Crutchfield (best customer service ever)
- Levi’s 401 button fly, shrink-to-fit, straight leg, plain old pants, since 1968
- AAA auto insurance since 1982
Toyota and Panasonic have both been mentioned, so I’ll just “second” them. Extreme reliability.
Also, T-Mobile. I’ve been with them since before they were T-Mobile (they were called Voicestream around here), and they never cease to give me MORE services every year for LESS money. The latest addition: they just sent me a note saying, “we’re adding free worldwide data roaming to your plan, no charge.” Excellent customer service, too.
I did notice that they weren’t quiiiiite as nice in quality after Sears bought them. However, I believe they’ve been spun off again.
But this was just a few months ago.
Levi’s - yes the quality is not what it used to be, it’s still the best
Microcenter - fair pricing, honest advice
Maglite - Over the last 25 years I’ve had multiple relationships, 3 kids, 3 homes, 3 cats, 2 dogs, 5 jobs, and ONE Maglite