Appliance dealer: Appliance

Answer choices

1. A

   No Impact5% picked this

   Appliances are generally purchased with the expectation that they will continue to be used

   It's not clear how we could take "I expect this blender to last for several years" and turn it into "how dare you create an updated, improved version of this blender and not label the packaging differently!"

   5%
2. B

   Strengthens, if anything7% picked this

   Appliances usually carry a model number that provides substantially more detailed information about the product than

   This makes it sound even more like consumers have no reason to object. Not only are all modifications improvements, but you can also get more details by looking up the model number online. So, yes, the model name is the same, but you can learn about the updated version by referencing the model number.

   7%
3. C

   No Impact13% picked this

   Appliance manufacturers frequently sell identical products under several different

   The "this practice" we're discussing in the conclusion is where a manufacturer is selling different products (i.e. modified versions of the original) under identical model names. This answer is about selling identical products under different names, so it really has nothing to do with the practice we're supposed to be scrutinizing.

   13%
4. D

   Correct69% picked this

   Improved versions of appliances typically become available before vendors have stopped selling the older versions of the appliance

   Why this is right

   This allows us to tell a story where a consumer could be annoyed by the fact that all versions of an appliance have the same model name. Let's say you're at your friend Beverly's house, admiring her blender. "It also has Bluetooth capabilities? You can start the blender using your smartphone?" you ask, incredulously. Wow, that seals the deal for you. You need this Whirlybird Blender. You head on down to your local T.J. Maxx and pick one up. When you get home, you find out your Whirlybird Blender doesn't have bluetooth capabilities. Why not? It's because Beverly had an updated version of the Whirlybird that she bought at Bed Bath & Beyond. Meanwhile, the T.J. Maxx where you bought your Whirlybird is still selling the older model that didn't have the bluetooth modification. There was no way for you to know that you were buying the older version, since all the versions have the same model name. You call up Whirlybird's corporate office to object to this practice: "When you guys modify the existing model and improve it, can you give it a new name, so that we consumers can tell whether we're buying the improved version rather than the old version?"

   Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   69%
5. E

   No Impact6% picked this

   The high cost of product advertising makes appliance manufacturers generally reluctant to change model names to reflect

   This explains why the manufacturer is motivated to keep the model name the same, but it doesn't give us any way to support that consumers could have reason to complain about this practice.

   6%