Reader and Flickr Pool member Steve has 6 kids and no fridge thanks to Best Buy. He’s currently waiting around the house for his 4th repair guy in 8 months.
On November 16th you featured a photo of mine (the woman in a bathtub full of water bottles) in your Consumerist Flickr Pool.
Now I’m hoping you can help me.
Last April 6th we purchased a new Samsung refrigerator from Best Buy. In the 8 months that have passed since purchasing the behemoth we have had the same defrosting element go out 4 times. Each time it has taken Best Buy more than a week to get someone out to fix it, which means that all of the food in the fridge is in the trash by the time it is fixed.
We have a combined family of 8 (4 kids under the age of 9 and two 13 year olds). We can’t afford to go a week without being able to refrigerate things like milk and cheese and fruits and vegetables.
This time we reported it broken on the 21st of January and the repairman showed up on the 25th of January and informed me that the same part was broken again. I asked if there was anything that we could be doing that might be causing it to go out and he said that there was absolutely nothing that we could have done that would cause this breakage. The last time he was at the house he said that putting the fridge on a surge protector might help, which we did immediately. He then put in a request to have it replaced, which Best Buy denied.
He then had to order the part and wait for it to come in. Today (February 1st) he is supposed to show up between 11:30 and 1:30 to fix it for the 4th time. That is 12 days without a refrigerator.
When I called Best Buy they told me that the policy is that when an appliance is repaired 4 times they replace it, but they refuse to replace this one.
I’ve also been informed that if this part goes out again after the warranty is up (April 6th) I will have to pay more than $300, out of pocket, to get it repaired. It seems to me that it will be better to spend another $1300 and buy a new refrigerator instead of getting this one repaired for a 5th time.
Last night I called and informed Best Buy that if the fridge goes out again I will be dropping it off at the front door of their store with a complete description of the problem written in permanent marker on the front of it. Not only will this provide me with the personal satisfaction of knowing that they will have to deal with the bad publicity and the hassle of moving it out of the doorway, but it will also save me the $100 disposal fee to get rid of it.
If you know of any other method of getting this problem resolved I would love to hear it.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide and thank you for all of the great tips that I’ve found on your site.
Steve
First of all, Steve, please don’t dump your fridge. There are some pretty steep fines for doing that and we’d hate to see that happen to you. Second, you didn’t mention which state you lived in but we’re going to pretend for the purposes of this post that you live in Colorado. Fair enough? Colorado lemon laws only cover vehicles, which could explain why Best Buy is refusing to replace your fridge.
You could try contacting Samsung and negotiating with them, because you’re probably still under their warranty. If you bought the fridge with a credit card that has extended warranty protection, you could wait until the manufacturer’s warranty has expired and then contact your credit card company. It’s possible that they will replace your fridge.
Finally, there’s always the EECB.
We’re going to toss this one over to the comments for further review. Any brilliant legal minds out there who can help Steve? Or loan him some coolers and ice?
(Photo:meghannmarco)
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@ancientsociety: Someone having a greater-than-average number of children doesn’t necessarily imply “lack of proper birth control or family planning”. Maybe they WANTED the number of children they have – OMGZ! Personally I don’t want any, but some people actually like and want lots of kids. Just because their fridge isn’t working doesn’t mean they can’t care for their kids properly….FFS.
I think the point is that, while this situation would be annoying and problematic for anyone, it’s even more so for someone with a large family to feed.
But at least Consumerist readers are consistent in their reactions – and their frigging jokes. HAHAHAHAHAHA BEST BUY GAVE HIM KIDS for the 18th effing time. Jeez….
Dry ice. When your fridge goes out get a few chucnks of dry ice (btw, it takes GE 4-7 days to fix a fridge). Our fridge went out, but we saved most our food. Grocery stores like Kroger might carry it.
Albertsons caries it where I live. SO check your grocery stores
@spryte: Nothing wrong if they wanted that many kids. I never said there was, good for them.
What I f***ing HATE is when parents use their kids as a crutch to get what they want or to make an appeal to people’s emotions. Really, it sucks that his fridge is on the blink but saying “ZOMG! If I don’t have a refrigator for a week my CHILDREN won’t be able to eat X. Think of the children!” is just wrong.
This is what you get for buying a Samsung Fridge at Best Buy. I’d buy a Samsung TV or computer memory but not an appliance. My current fridge is a Kenmore, it has ran without a single problem since January 1994; the ice maker finally died about 3 months ago. Because of this we are getting another Kenmore Fridge. While Sears may have problems, we’ve had nothing but good luck with their products including a dishwasher and our washer/dryer.
Ditto on the Small Claims court suggestion. You’ve got the a claim that’s right in the ballpark and, apparantly, a strong case.
What a bunch of assholes.
@DeliBoy: Actually, I was trying to point out how irrelevant it is that he has six kids. Everyone knows that having kids makes all aspects of life more difficult and there is no reason why a company should provide better or worse service to people with kids than those without (except in cases where that is the specific demographic they want to target or exclude, but everyone buys a fridge).
I’m quite sick of people trying to make me feel sorry for their kid-having infliction (actually, I do feel sorry for them, but not in the way they want me to) or using it as an excuse to get off work and such. I’ve decided not to have kids… but I sure as hell expect my fridge to work just the same.
I don’t care what the circumstances are that resulted in the accumulation of a vertically challenged domestic terrorist cell, because he knew (or should have known) the potential consequences of each decision he made along the way.
Think before you have kids people!
Man shops at Best Buy, is surprised when it ends badly.
This always happens, yet everybody keeps on doing it, and acting surprised.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, this is not flamebait or trolling, but here it goes:
DON’T SHOP AT BEST BUY!! EVER! FOR ANY REASON!
This has been a public service announcement (not directed at an individual but everyone
Best Buy’s lemon policy only applies if he purchased a PSP, which it sounds like he didn’t. Under manufacture’s warranty they can send a service tech out as many times until the warranty runs out. Best Buy won’t take care of their customers unless they have purchased a protection plan. They tell customers “we don’t make commission” which is a LIE! MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS make commission based on your protection plans and return rates. So that manager who told you no, did it so he’d make a bigger bonus. Next time you are bored, go into the blue box of death and ask a manager about it, see if they lie.
@ldavis480: Agreed.
Best Buy’s service plan has a no lemon clause. If he doesn’t have a service plan then Best Buy really owes nothing to the guy. They merely acted as a middle man in a transaction between company and consumer. Also if he did have a service plan, Best Buy will reimburse you for cost of food up to a certain dollar amount. In reality this article should be about how his Samsung fridge is crapping out. How Best Buy is going above their call and sending techs out to try and fix the problem, which is reoccurring.
@Starfury:
DO NOT BUY ANOTHER KENMORE!!! My wife and I bought a new Kenmore fridge in 2001 based on past experience with Kenmore appliances. This had been the biggest POS appliance it has ever been my misfortune to own. One thing or another has broken on it at least twice a year. The only reason we haven’t dumped it yet is because despite the fact that it is costing them on average $500 a year to keep it running, Sears, in their infinite wisdom, keeps on offering us an annual service agreement for $65. We also keep a spare in the garage for emergencies.
Depending on the language of the service plan he purchased and Samsung’s warranty, his legal recourse would for breach of the following implied warranties under Article 2 of the UCC: (1) warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, §2-315, (2) warranty of merchantability, §2-314. If I was in this situation I would contact Samsung and try to resolve it through that channel first.
@Starfury: You’re mistaken. 70% of Kenmore appliances are made by Frigidaire. Some of their high-end stuff is made by LG. Some is rebranded Whirlpool stock. If you look at the same appliance from both companies, they look exactly the same.
Further, this customer doesn’t sound like they bought the PSP. They keep getting the same tech from Samsung. BBY doesn’t have any in-house service people, it’s all outside service people contracted out to the MANUFACTURER. If the customer does have the PSP, they just need to call 888best-buy, talk to consumer relations, and ask for an RA. I do it about 10 times a day with no issues. The no-lemon in the PSP should kick in on the 4th repair, and will also include $200 for food spoilage!
COMPLAINANT AND OTHERS ….. PLS SEND ME A PRIVATE MESSAGE AND I WILL PERSONALLY ESCALATE YOUR ISSUE THROUGH THE CORPORATE MACHINE.
I’d just like to point out that BBY doesn’t manufacture ANYTHING, and without a PSP, how long would you want us to stand by the product? If I built that fridge myself, I’d take it back in a heartbeat.
“My problems are more important because I have kids!”
Samsung makes crappy tvs, vcrs and dvd players. Who buys a Samsung fridge??
Thank you all for the wonderful advice. I promise not to have any more children.
Here are some of the details that were missing…
1. I did not get the extended protection plan, therefore it is only covered for 1 year.
2. I do live in Colorado, so lemon laws do not apply as far as I know.
3. I don’t believe that I would be in any trouble for simply returning the merchandise to the store where I purchased it, even if I left it at their front door. But I’m not an attorney so I can’t be sure on that one.
4. I did not purchase it with a major credit card.
5. Best Buy won’t disclose why they made the decision not to replace it. I’m assuming that its not cost effective.
6. I have not contacted Samsung, but you can rest assured that I will do so as soon as possible – thanks to everyone who recommended that.
7. I did research the fridge when I bought and couldn’t find anyone saying anything truly awful about it at that point. Today I checked epinions again at DSADDICT’s suggesting and found that there is someone with the same problem with a very similar model, but they didn’t start having a problem until August, 4 months after I had already purchased mine. [www99.epinions.com]
8. For those that are interested – she has three children (6, 8, 14) and I have three children (5, 6, 13). We have each dealt with our own divorces prior to having met and we are both done breeding. So BB had no hand in the conception, acquisition, or upbringing of said children.
9. I did mention the fact that we have 6 children to garner emotional support for this issue and hopefully to shine a brighter light upon it. I apologize if I offended ANCIENTSOCIETY or anyone else on here by doing so.
Thank you again – all of you – for the great advice. I’m just glad to see that almost 6,000 readers are now considering purchasing their next refrigerator somewhere other than Best Buy.
Yeah…without buying PSP, you’re lucky Best Buy has repaired it for you AT ALL.
It is SAMSUNG’S problem that they made a shitty fridge. Not Best Buy’s.
Also, the “no-lemon policy” only applies if you have PSP, so you aren’t entitled to it.
@Nighthawke: what lemon laws? what are you talking about?
Samsungs are not made by Maytag. Samsung made the Maytag Neptune but that is as far as the relationship got before Whirlpool purchased Maytag. Samsung now make 2 models for GE. It is a small world in appliance manufaturing just not the same world as the one mentioned above.
@scarlin: I don’t get why you feel entitled to a new refrigerator from Best Buy. The fact that they are even repairing the problem and not having you go through the manufacturer is generous enough. Maybe I’m a cold, heartless capitalist, but I don’t see any logical reason why a retailer would be responsible for replacing rather than repairing a product outside of their returns period.
This is 100% a Samsung issue, and it’s kind of ignorant that you blame Best Buy in this case.
@scarlin: So, without the service plan, why are you mad at BBY? I don’t understand. The no-lemon policy ONLY applies to appliances covered under the PSP. Samsung needs to replace your fridge, not BBY. If you total your car and don’t have insurance, do you ask Ford to replace your car? A service plan is an “in case shit happens” insurance. In your case, shit happened. Appliances are made on a line assembly, and a Samsung is as likely to die on you as a Viking. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, Viking and Sub-Zero have the highest failure rates in the industry.
Samsung is the number one selling fridge in Europe. Its 4-door fridge is award-winning. You happened to get a dud. I’m really sorry, but BBY would not be able to get its money back from Samsung a year later and cannot be responsible for your purchase.
Why do you feel differently?
I,ve had issues with BB products before – even the electronis ones, a DVD player specifically. The common thread I see in this post isn’t who is responsible for the repair but rather the lackluster and inconsistent customer service we consumers get from these large stores. But, there’s hope. If you don’t like what one store says…go to another. Sometimes this works, but, what do you expect, it only worked sometimes with mom and dad too!
Enough banter…If you want satisfaction and your lawyer tells you not to ‘drop it on their doorstep’ then try this. Use your pickup, or a friends, load it up with the fridge, complete with appropriate graffiti, and park it in their lot and go shopping for a while. This worked a few years ago with a car that had signs on it saying ‘A certain car dealer “sold me a lemon.’ After the local paper got involved, taking care of the customer and doing the right thing all of a sudden became a priority for this dealership.
Best luck – Wow six kids, phew!
OK all of you English Majors….have at it!
It varies by state, California, both parties must be aware that the call is being recorded. If they have you on hold and it says that the call may be recorded for “training” purposes (Legal), then both parties are aware, just make sure you have that message in your recording… Even though they are making the statement.
Before I found the Consumerist, I had a problem with a Compaq Laptop (cracked screen) right out of the box. I had paid cash and the store was telling me to call Compaq, I called tech support to get it fixed. The CSR told me they would not repair the monitor under any circumstance. Even though I had never booted the computer, run any software, never even unpacked the battery and charger! ..They accused me of damaging it on the way home or removing it from the box incorrectly. Warantee would not cover user damage to the screen, I got heated and told the guy I was recording our conversation, He told me company policy was to end the conversation unless I understood he was not legally allowing me to record him. I argued that they were recording.. he said by my staying on the phone, I was agreeing to it. Both parties know in this instance, just don’t mention it unless you want the conversation to end.
BTW, I was stuck, either toss it or pay a few dollars to get my new computer working. Compaq Service Center tried to charge me $800!!! for a new screen on a $650 laptop.. I already lost a new laptop and this time I REALLY lost it and I started screaming at the tech who called for repair authorization and a credit card.. The poor guy went down to $400 using his employee discount and then finally said he would write it off as a defective replacement part and not record the repair to my machine. The poor guy was so shaken and I could swear he was crying by the end of our call. The result… Hot head prevailed in this instance and the laptop was repaired at absolutely no cost to me, when they originally said I had to pay for all repairs and shipping! Worked great for a couple years too!
my experience has taught me that buying from the local little guys and the big box doesn’t make any difference when the product breaks… which is a fact that made me quite sad.
we purchased a bosch washer from a local shop in berkeley (home of “vote with your dollar”) with the high hopes that — should something go wrong, we’d have some recourse. wrong.
the machine breaks, you have to deal with the manufacturer. period.
so (sadly), lesson learned… get the machine on sale at the mega-lo-mart and hope it wasn’t dropped on it’s head en route from it’s country of manufacture… because 6 months later, we still do not have a functioning washing machine.
Not being able to keep it in your pants or use a condom doesn’t give you special privileges.
@scarlin: “I did mention the fact that we have 6 children to garner emotional support for this issue…”
I appreciate your honesty. Actually, I wouldn’t mind at all if you deployed this tactic against Best Buy, I just don’t appreciate when it is used on me.
Perhaps in aggregate you will derive more sympathy than scorn, but for myself, it has just the opposite effect.
Yeah, since the original poster didn’t mention a PSP, i think it is a safe guess they didn’t buy one. Since it’s from best buy, they probably got offered it and turned it down. Now they complain that best buy didn’t take care of them? You can’t have it both ways.
worst buy…
Have you contacted Samsung?
With the exception of Sears, Best Buy and all the other appliance dealers do not have repair people who service appliances. They contact the manufacturer to arrange the repair. They probably did not jump on it quick enough when you called. Samsung should have repair centers throughout the area and if you call Samsung, they should be able to dispatch. Whe an appliance has to be replaced, it is the determination of the manufacturer and not the store. Once the sale is complete and the appliance is in, all your dealings should be with the manufacturer.
@scarlin: My Best buy Samsung fridge fiasco turned out a little better but still took 4 months to complete.
I bought out of box @ BB a Stainless Steal Side-by-side Samsung Fridge w/ ice and water in door (I did get the PSP). About 1-2 months after having it delivered. the water dispencer stuck on. Had to pull the fridge out and turn water off behind it to get it to stop. Call BB. they sent a repair man out in about 2 weeks. Repair guy diagnoses prob. to solenoid… will get part and return. After replace, it lasts about 3 weeks, then same problem. I contact repair man directly… but line is disconnected… Contact BB… they don’t have any other repair people for Samsung fridges… They contact Samsung on my behalf… About 3 days later BB calls back (amazing, I know) to say Samsung is sending me a new fridge and will be delivered in 2-3weeks. I actually get a new model fridge. No more problems except it is slightly larger and I have to trim some over fridge cabinetry to get it to fit under.
So, short and sweet… Contact Samsung or have BB do it for you. You may even get an upgrade or new model…
Six kids? I think I see a whole new line of products for BB – crappy for sales & service, fantastic for adoption.