Lowe's Installers Fail To Follow 9-Step "Easy Guide To Quick Setup," Break Washing Machine

Poor Eric. He only wanted Lowe’s to deliver and install a Bosch washing machine, a tall order for any home improvement giant. Eric chose Lowe’s to escape Home Depot’s notoriously horrible customer service, but Lowe’s installers turned out to be just as incompetent. Thanks to their shoddy workmanship, Eric new washing machine has an uncontrollable urge to shake across the room when in use.

I finally realized why it was moving; the installer did not read the “Easy guide to quick setup” booklet with only 9 steps to follow through. The most essential step which was in big bold letters stating “removing the transport bolts is VERY IMPORTANT!”.

Bosch insists that the washer is damaged, but Lowe’s refuses to deliver a replacement. Eric writes:

Dear Lowes,

Please take the time to read my experience, which is only fair because your company took time out of my life which was completely avoidable and unnecessary. My name is Eric and my father John is the person who bought the washer. I have had to endure this whole ordeal since my father’s limited speaking ability would be impossible to explain our situation. Everything that you read is my experience since I had to do everything.

This is about regarding my horrifying experience buying my Bosch clothes washer. I have wasted countless hours of my life and experienced unneeded stress and anxiety. After much shopping around for prices, my family decided to chose Lowes for their excellent price and rebates that covered delivery and even offered a rebate for a 75 dollar gift card for a future purchase; I always considered Lowes a step up from the horrid service at Home Depot and I was completely wrong.

I purchased my Bosch washer in the San Bruno Store #1019 and was overcharged for my washer; the price did not match which was advertised in the store. I drove back the next day to fix this error, only to wait in line at customer service for over 15 minutes only to be told to talk to appliance department where my transaction was to reordered and to return my previous order.

So basically start new again. I waited for another 15 minutes in the customer service line in order to do this, only to have my washer only refunded but not my extended warranty and when I reordered the washer another extended warranty was charged on to my credit card. Its quite confusing, and its even harder to explain this when I am shuffled around department to department trying to explain what happened. I basically have a washer and two warranties. I realized this after I left the store and was already 20 minutes away from the store. I went back to the store to wait another 10-15 minutes in line due to the lack of customer service reps on the counter throughout the whole day. I finally get everything resolved and I have wasted gas and my time sorting this mess out. (the charges are still not reversed but somehow they were able to instantly charge me for the other washer)

About a week and a half, I finally got a message that my washer was in stock and I should call back to confirm a date to have it delivered. So after calling, Ryan the salesman who I placed the special order was out on lunch, so another person assisted with setting up a timeframe for my delivery. We agreed it was to be the next day between 12 and 4. The following day, I waited on my day off for the dryer to come, after 4:30 I called the store to see what time they were able to come.

After much transferring and holding, hold time was approximately 6 plus minutes in each department and being shuffled around only to be brought back to the same customer service center after about 30 minutes I finally talked to a manager who informed me that it was not procedure to tell anyone the time frame of a delivery the day before and that I had to set up another time frame the next day and that I should receive a call from 7-8:30 to confirm a time frame. I never receive the call, in fact I had to call the store to get the time frame after being on the phone for 15 minutes due to the fact I had to be on hold and the delivery department never picks up their phone. Again, I had to talk to a manager to get any progress done.

I finally get my delivery on the time frame they said, the delivery guy installed the washer with ease and took my back my old washer. The installer checks everything and does a test run everything is fine and says we’re good. After running it for the second time my washer started moving out of place, so I thought it was out of alignment. I called Lowes the next day asking to send a delivery/installer to adjust the washer for me, this of course took me over 30 minutes after being transferred to department and to department and being on hold only to wait over 6 minutes to recall the store just to talk to a service rep. I told the guy my problem and he told me they could send a installer the next day and that I should receive a call from 7-8:30am to confirm a timeframe like last time.

The next day I waited and when it was 9:00am I called the Lowes and they said the deliverers were late and I should expect a call later on. 11 rolls around I call the Lowes and the customer service rep told me to expect a call after giving my name and number. 2pm passes and I still did not get a call so when I finally reached a manager, they told me there was no order for a delivery person to come over and adjust my washer and I had to wait for Monday to have a delivery/installer come in.

Monday rolls around and I expect around 7-8:30am to confirm a timeframe but again I had to call the Lowes department to actually get a timeframe. After I finally get my washer adjusted the washer starts moving again when I test it out.

After reading the instructions and seeing why it would keep doing it, I finally realized why it was moving; the installer did not read the “Easy guide to quick setup” booklet with only 9 steps to follow through. The most essential step which was in big bold letters stating “removing the transport bolts is VERY IMPORTANT!”.

I wanted to call and have my washer replaced with a new one because of the unknown damages running the washer with the bolts still attached to it might cause, this was what the Bosch service rep insisted that I do since I could still replace the washer because of the 7 day return policy. Having 3 days left before it would be too late. I quickly called Lowes to try to get this washer replaced.

This is the absolute worst part of my experience and I have this part down for your convience. I call the store to tell them I want to return my washer only to be shuffled to Customer service, Appliances (5 minute wait time), Delivery (No one picked up had to recall the store again), and other departments they transferred me to without telling me that I where I was being transferred to. Customer service suggested that I somehow bring the washer back to Lowes and have it exchanged only to have them redeliver and install it for another 80 dollars which they claim is justified since they have a rebate which makes the installation and delivery free. Finally 50 minutes later I actually talk to a person who seemed helpful but regrets to inform me that he needs to get a manager. He tells me that he would get one and explain the situation and I should expect a call back (which I some how doubt they’ll call back). I had to go to work and I gave them my cell number, I waited throughout my shift for a call and nothing happens, I did not get a call or a message on my voicemail. I wasted over 50 minutes of my life on the phone only to get absolutely zero progress.

This is the worst customer service I have experience in my life and I am disgusted by the level of service I have received and how unprofessional this store has treated me. I will not ever shop at Lowes again. This is what I expect would expect from Home Depot but now I realize Lowes is exactly the same if not worse. I have worked retail for over 8 years and this is completely unacceptable and disrespectful for any consumer.

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