A: I have to agree with your assessment of the parts today. Everyone demands cheaper w/o considering the consequences. Also, NAPA has 2 lines of electrical product. Top quality line is ECH and second line is MPE. Several times I have caught "punks" buying both lines, then trying to return the lower quality product in the better quality box. (not only in the electrical stuff. Brakes, etc) There is an email going around warning people in the stores to watch for this scam. I check the part going out AND coming back (since so many "broken/used before I got it" stories are crap) unless it's a core.
Yeah, we're in a race to the bottom. I returned some unused 5 gal. paint buckets to The Home Despot some time back, and they opened every one and poked around with a stick. Apparently people use some paint, wipe down the bucket and fill it with rocks to make it seem full.
Less and less do I shop for cheapest. It's all gone crazy. I would rather do jobs only once!