Have things changed for the better?

The other night my car overheated in heavy traffic on the M25. A fuse had gone stopping the fan from working. On opening the bonnet a latch spring was missing. So the patrol man made a fuse as it was a special type and replaced the spring with a strong rubber band and away we went. The next day I went to a local dealership to get replacement parts. Firstly the fuse had to be ordered and I would have to return the next day. Then the biggest shock was that I could not buy a spring but would have to buy a complete latch assembly  (£42) and pay for it to be fitted. I told them they could keep their assembly. I went to a local spring manufacturer and they gave me a spring free of charge. The following day I picked up the fuse and it cost £4.20.

Have we made progress with our throw away society as we now don't seem to repair anything just replace it?