Durable goods quality degradation harms society by enticing early purchases.
A company that sells long-lasting products might make them lower quality to keep prices from dropping later. This can make people who don't value the product much buy it sooner, helping the company avoid problems with changing prices. But this strategy might not be good for society overall, as it could make people buy lower-quality items instead of waiting for better ones. This is different from products that don't last long, where this strategy is less common but could benefit everyone.