It is a big problem, but consumers can fight back by reporting issues. Especially in the high tech products the manufacturers keep trying to tempt us with new products, but they can force upgrades by dropping support for the old models.

I've seen stories of people who are using old appliances, e.g. cooker, iron, that are 50 years old! Newer models are unlikely to last that long. People are less likely to repair items now as it can be cheaper to buy a new one. That's not good for the environment.

Printers are definitely a rip-off. HP just got caught out deploying an update that made it harder to use 3rd party ink. I know I've spent a small fortune on ink over the years.