The Energy Star program is overseen by both the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, although they monitor different product categories. Last December, the EPA admitted it couldn't really verify whether the products it oversees (computers, TVs) deserved Energy Star label. And now the Energy Department is confessing pretty much the same thing:

While the Energy Department requires manufacturers of windows and L.E.D. and fluorescent lighting to have independent laboratories evaluate their products, the report said, companies that make refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters and room air-conditioners, which consume far more energy, can certify those appliances themselves.

The problem for consumers is that unless the program is properly regulated, you could be sold an appliance that uses more energy than promised, costing you more money over time. The New York Times says the Energy Department and the EPA "signed a memorandum of understanding" last month in which they promised to have all products in the program certified by independent labs—but there's no mention of when this will happen, if ever.

"Energy Star Appliances May Not All Be Efficient, Audit Finds" [New York Times]
"Energy Star has lost some luster" [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: tom.arthur)

The program, part of the federal economic stimulus package, also has the disadvantage (perhaps) of being administered by individual states, instead of federally. $300 million will be divided up among the 50 states for consumer rebates.

Yesterday was the deadline for states to submit their plans to the federal Department of Energy. If you're going to be in the market for new appliances in the near future, check out the Consumer Reports Home FAQ on the program. You might be able to get rid of your energy-wasting appliances as soon as December.

Cash for Clunkers for Appliances FAQ [Consumer Reports Home]

(Photo: samwilkinson)

From The Daily Bleat's open letter to Best Buy's CEO:

As it happens, I was on a cordless, and I was outside, so I was literally facing a brick wall while I was talking to one. Tanya explained that the unit had to fail four times before anything could be done. That was the alpha and omega of the situation. It would have been nice if Tanya had expressed sympathy or tendered an apology at that point, but it's not her job, I guess.

It's Tanya's job to tell me what the customer isn't going to get. If that's what the rules say.

Now. I don't run a big company, and I have no inside know-how on the vagaries of handling customer complaints – Gosh, I bet you get a lot! But I would suggest, with all due respect, that the customer profile database be tweaked somehow so you can see, for your own benefit, that a customer who bought two top-of-the-line appliances has had failures with each one, and tie this information into a repair / failure database. Surely some program could tell you that the cost of satisfying the customer NOW is less than the cost of making four trips to repair the SAME. STUPID. POORLY. DESIGNED. PART, and said customer might buy another appliance, or speak favorably of the experience to others, or refrain from issuing twitter updates to 10,000 people.

Heard of Twitter? Yes? Okay, then.

Since she couldn't do anything for me, she set up an appointment to repair the unit. We had to choose a date on a Saturday, because I work. I suggested they order the defective control panel now so it can be installed on Saturday, but she said the technicians don't get their assignments until the day they go out. So next Saturday's visit is just a formality, I guess. It will take a week to get the part, and I hope they can show up on the next Saturday, because otherwise I will be washing dishes for three weeks.

We've heard this type of complaint a lot. Anyone had success short circuiting the 4-repair policy?

Dear CEO of Best Buy [Daily Bleat] (Thanks, Rich!)
(Photo:Meg Marco)

As a part of the Obama Administration's economic stimulus bill to encourage the purchase of energy-efficient appliances, the $300 million appliance-rebate program will soon dole out amounts that could reach $200 if you buy Energy Star-qualified models. Appliances that qualify for the Star should use roughly 10 to 25 percent less energy than the maximum allowed for that category by the Department of Energy, which monitors the Energy Star program.

Unlike the Cash for Clunkers car program, you won't have to turn in your old appliance to get the rebate. But states are expected to have recycling plans for the flood of old appliances the program could unleash. And while the money is coming from Washington, how much you get for which appliance will be a state-by-state decision.

Cash for Clunkers moves to appliances: money back for your old Kelvinator? [Consumer Reports Home & Garden]

(Photo: Dan4th)

Porter writes that even though he found similar online stories from other owners of the same Kenmore model, when he called Kenmore they acted as if he was speaking gibberish.

I opened our 2-year-old high-end Kenmore French door refrigerator and noticed the butter on the top shelf was all melted and other foods on the top shelf were warm. On further investigation I figured out both interior lights stayed on when the door was shut, and had apparently been a problem for a while, and heating up the unit. They melted the plastic lens/light cover and bubbled the top of the unit. When I pulled the cover off the light I saw the sockets were burned and smoking. The problem was there was no way to turn them off without unplugging the fridge, which was very difficult since it is built in. I ended up trying to unscrew the lights using a kitchen towel (they were VERY HOT) but there must have been moisture in the towel, as the bulbs exploded when I touched them.

I researched the problem on the net and found many other narratives of the same problem, it turns out it is not an uncommon problem with that model. My wife called Kenmore and talked to multiple cust serv reps and supervisors, all said they have never heard of such a problem, and there is no manufacturer's defect, or known problem. My wife insisted they come out and repair it. After multiple calls, and single minded insistence that they come out and fix it, Kenmore agreed to send someone out, but we had to agree to pay for the service call "if the technician did not find a defect" We agreed, knowing we were right.

The service tech came out and laughed at the CSR's. He said it is such a common problem that Kenmore had developed a "kit" to repair it, it is a collection of all the parts that are needed to fix it, so the service tech does not have to order all parts individually. He was happy to order the kit, and made it clear he would make sure there was no charge.

Porter sent us some photos of what the fridge looked like, which we'll post here to help provide training resources for any Kenmore CSRs who think the bulb problem is imaginary.

To recap: they ordered two air conditioners from Sears, and waited for the promised delivery. Sears held the delivery since they had failed to pay an extra fee for delivery in New York City that nobody had bothered to tell them had been imposed. Let's catch up with our heroes where we left off:

The last you heard from us was on a Thursday night two weeks ago. Here's the conclusion of our Sears air-conditioning saga.

On that Thursday evening, shortly after Fleur and I got off the phone with the aggressively unhelpful complaints department supervisor-whose sole suggestion to address our situation was for us to cancel the order and take our business elsewhere-we'd had enough. We were pissed and we were sweaty.

I fired off a ticked-off-consumer letter to every Sears department I could find on their website, even sending it to some poor PR rep I located through Google because, as Fleur went in for cold showers at twenty minute intervals, I didn't know what else to do. I also sent the letter to Consumerist because I felt the Internet needed to know the absurdity of our situation. The world needed to be warned.

At about 9:05 a.m. the next morning, Fleur received a phone call from a woman at Sears corporate. The woman-I'll call her Godsend-had read our letter and told us our experience was inexcusable and didn't sound like the Sears she knew. She wanted to help. Godsend's goal was three-fold: 1) dismiss that extra $200 charge Sears had insisted on putting on my credit card after their colossal foul-up, 2) make sure we got our AC units the next day, and 3) give us some sort of "compensation" for the days of delay and the hours of phone calls we endured. Godsend said she'd make a call and sort everything out.

Fleur called me up ecstatic. Was Godsend from the Sears Cares Team, I wanted to know, that mysterious unit the SearsDeals Twitter account promised (after I tweeted them in frustration on Thursday night) would contact me ASAP? Nope. But who cared? My letter had worked and we were on our way to air-conditioned bliss.

Godsend called back about three hours later, sounding as if she'd spent the intervening time on the phone with various Sears departments trying her best to sort out the situation. Steely as ever, Godsend told us everything was set: our units would be delivered and installed tomorrow, Saturday. She said we should expect a call soon with an exact delivery window.

And then Fleur indeed received a call. We'd be getting our air-con units in two weeks. Hooray! Or not. Fleur called up Godsend and explained the perplexing call and delivery date. Godsend sighed and said she'd sort everything out...again.

Another three hours passed. Goodness knows what Godsend had to put up with during that time; my guess is many calls, much holding time, that single hold song playing over and over. Anyway, she eventually called Fleur back to say everything had been sorted out again...really. We'd be getting our units on Saturday as promised. And this time, when Fleur got another call from Sears, we were told the units would in fact be delivered and installed on Saturday.

(As I discovered on Sunday, Consumerist posted our letter on Friday afternoon. The first comment was from the Sears Cares Team asking me to contact them. This was a head-scratcher because I'd given my cell and email to the SearsDeals Twitter on Thursday night to pass along to this Team and had never heard a peep from them. During the entire ordeal, the Team never once contacted me. My Twitter interactions with Sears proved to be a bust, but since we were already in the capable hands of Godsend, I didn't much care).

So. On Saturday morning, at around 12 p.m., two gentleman showed up with the air con units. They unpacked and installed them in about 30 minutes. We were gratefully and, finally, cool in both mind and body.

Then the calls started. In the span of about an hour, we received four calls from four separate departments checking to see if we'd received our units. After speaking with these folks, it was clear these calls were less a case of diligence on the part of Sears then a complete lack of communication between the company's various departments. Was this a symptom of the systemic problem we'd encountered from the very beginning? Sure! Did we care? No way. We had what we wanted and were happy to field calls all day.

(Days later, SearsDeals tweeted me, asking how everything worked out. Did they not know? Or did they want it on the public Twitter record that all was now well? I shot them a Direct Message saying we got our air-cons, the Sears Cares Team never contacted me and we probably wouldn't be giving money to Sears in exchange for goods anytime soon. They didn't DM me back-go figure!)

One of the Saturday, post-installation calls came from Godsend herself. Was everything good, she wanted to know? Everything was good, we told her. She made no mention of that mysterious promise of "compensation," but we couldn't bring ourselves to raise the issue with her. Yeah, we had dreams about the snappy delivery of a brand-new TV for the TV-less bedroom, but could Sears really deliver anything snappily? And did we even deserve "compensation" for our troubles? I'll let the ethicists in the comments section sort that one out.

So there you have it. We had our AC units. We were certain we would only do business with Sears again if we were willing to put in a few days' worth of tweets, calls and letter-writing. Still, it was a consumer and social networking learning experience.

But then Fleur got a voicemail this morning, almost two weeks after we'd first fired up the air-conditioning. It was the Sears store in Queens. Our AC units were ready for pick-up whenever it was convenient.

- Eric

P.S. The AC units are Kenmore brand — couldn't recommend them more. Just be wary of where you purchase them.

P.P.S. More needs to be said about that complaints department supervisor. He was truly amazing, a specimen of such uncaring incompetence he should be encased in glass and studied by biz school classes. He would take about 5 seconds before responding to anything I said, leaving me wondering if he weren't listening and was just following some customer service guide for dealing with phone calls. He kept repeating the same two sentence non-apology apology, making me further believe he was reading from a script. He claimed that no matter who else we talked to, our complaint would eventually come back to him. He was the end all and be all of Sears, he led us to believe. I wondered, Could this really be? By the time we parted ways, I was determined to find out. Hence my letter. I remain proud of the fact that I managed to remain calm during the writing of the letter, even after Fleur and I decided the only way we'd ever, ever be satisfied was if the CEO of Sears personally installed our AC units while wearing a French maid's outfit. Hey, if he wants to bring over a TV, we won't complain.

I think right here, we have a brilliant illustration of everything wrong with customer service in modern America. Powerless, script-reading customer service rep: check. Different departments within the same company with no clue what the others are up to: check. Customer punished for company's disorganization: check.

PREVIOUSLY:
Sears Won't Deliver Air Conditioner Until Customer Pays Fee Sears Forgot To Charge

(Photo: Miss_TH77)

Air conditioners were especially hard hit, with annualized shipments sinking 60 percent. The cool, wet late spring/early summer hurt AC sales, but even where the mercury rose, many homeowners decided to forgo air conditioning to save on energy costs, according to this recent article in The New York Times.

If you're not willing to sweat it out all summer, the slumping shipment figures could mean even deeper discounts on air conditioners, and you might find it easier to hire a top contractor to install a central-air system.

Excellent. I refuse to run an air conditioner at home, but I buy all of my fans in late summer and early fall, myself. I predict that there will be fewer fan deals to be had this year.

By the Numbers: Shipments of air conditioners and major appliances decline in June

Blogger Russ Taylor discovered the coincidence and tracked her down. Brilliant. Wall Street Journal blog The Wallet picked up the story and put it in its proper context:

Amazon has to police a huge and exponentially growing space. So it's up to shoppers to take any star rating or comment with a grain of salt. The real-life equivalent would be questioning someone standing outside a store yelling "shop here!"

"I think the majority of reviews are fantastic reviews," Russell Dicker, Amazon's senior manager of community content says.

Dicker declined to comment on specifics of how Amazon spots phony listings for security reasons. (The U.S. government isn't going to tell us all the things that make a dollar bill special, either.) "Making reviews helpful and making them a pristine source of consumer opinion is incredibly important to us," he says.

In her work, Carpenter probably had the opportunity to try a wide variety of her company's products, or access to freebies. Maybe she genuinely did enjoy them that much.

Or maybe another company has just been caught astroturfing their reviews.

DeLonghi faking its Amazon product reviews [Russ Taylor Ephemera]
A Fake Amazon Reviewer Confesses [The Wallet]

"This was born out of listening to our customers," said Kevin Brown, chief marketing officer/home appliances. Customers were saying, "We're just in a spot where we're deferring major purchases due to our concern about our personal economy and the national economy."

For the moment, the program will only apply to purchases made between July 6 and August 1.

We're skeptical of these recession guarantees, which seem more like clever marketing than a fail-safe that consumers find useful. And since it's Sears, we'd definitely want to see the fine print before believing anything.

Sears to modify payments if appliance buyers lose their jobs [The Chicago Tribune]
(Photo: raindog808)

Without a place to keep the flowers fresh and cool in the summer heat, they might as well close down the shop—but who wants to do that?

Billy writes:

We had a couple of days off from working in the flower shop and came back to find that the floral cooler had stopped working. The cooler still powers on, but doesn't cool. We not only lost the cooler, but several hundred dollars of flowers. I had a refrigeration guy look at it, but the cooler doesn't have service ports and they can't hook gauges to it. I've tried calling other people, but they want $200 just to look at it and tell me it needs service ports.

I thought that our business insurance would cover all of the loss. We had a great insurance policy a few years ago that would cover any and all loss, but they cancelled it based on someone (my wife's a$$hole brother) calling them saying we didn't own the business. We ended up getting another policy thru another company that was supposed to be the same, but it isn't. I spoke to the adjuster today and they only cover the cooler if it is damaged based on a natural disaster. There isn't too many times that we will have a wind or rain storm inside the building, so the only other disasters would be lightning or fire. We had neither and now we have no cooler and no business.

We have a huge wedding that will keep us going thru the slow summer, but nowhere or nothing to store the flowers in. I'm emailing you guys to see if anyone in the Austin / Central Texas area has a floral cooler or two that they aren't using and want to sell. I've tried Craigslist and the Austin newspaper, but no luck so far. We have to find something within the next week or face closing the business for good. We can't afford a new one, so finding an inexpensive used one is priority. I wouldn't mind paying someone to look at it, but not for the price that I can buy a used one for.

Any ideas for the shop, Consumerists? Sources for used coolers, repair ideas, or alternative flower-chilling ideas would be much appreciated.

(Photo: matsuyuki)

Mary Olsen of Copake, NY, called Maytag when her washer had motor problems. It was still under warranty, and the Whirlpool rep transferred her to Sears—the retailer the washer originally came from.

The repair guy, who came from Sears, fixed the washing machine. He charged the couple $466 for parts and labor, and left.

And the Maytag was back in business.

When the Olsens tried to get reimbursed, they were denied. Why? Not because it was the wrong part that failed. In fact, no one disputes it was the motor, which was still covered. No, apparently because Sears was not an authorized Maytag repair center.

"Then why did they transfer me to Sears?" Mary Olsen asked, reasonably. "I didn't know who was coming to fix it."

An epic consumer battle has followed, since $466 is $466. Sears has offered the Olsens $100, and a letter to Whirlpool's CEO produced an offer of $180, covering parts but not labor. (Whirlpool bought Maytag a few years ago.)

If you find yourself in a similar situation with Maytag (or any appliance company) how can you fix this situation once your washer is fixed? If you don't have your own newspaper columnist on retainer, check out this post or this one to learn how to get Maytag to listen to you through the magical power of the executive e-mail carpet bomb.

Though, in this case, the Olsens did write to the CEO and that still didn't produce the refund they should be entitled to, so maybe media attention was needed here.

Maytag balks on warranty [Albany Times Union]

(Photo: jspatchwork)

• Use The Right Detergent: Your dishes will come out cleaner if you use powder detergent over liquid or tablet detergent.
• Load Dishes Properly: Put glasses along the side of the top rack, and saucers and cups in the middle. The durable stuff belongs on the bottom rack.
• Avoid Clogs: Wash the spray arm once in a while to remove any clogs.
• Use The Normal Cycle: Consumer Reports tests dishwashers using the normal cycle. Dishwasher makers know this and make it the most efficient cycle. Skip past pots and pans.
• Flash Dry Your Dishes: Quickly dry your dishes by opening the dishwasher immediately after it shuts off. The hot dishes will quickly give up water moisture and should dry within ten minutes.

The Dish on Dishwashers [The New York Times]
(Photo: NJ Tech Teacher)

Two weeks ago, Jason e-mailed us looking for executive contact info to launch an EECB at LG. He was frustrated with the usual channels:

We've been having problems with a refrigerator we bought from Best Buy last October. It's never worked right and every time they've sent service out it's gotten worse and worse. After their latest attempt last week, the freezer runs all the time, the ice and water doesn't work, we've got water dripping down in the freezer forming mini-glaciers and the front panel controls for temperature don't work. They've been out four times and insist that they have to continue throwing parts at it. We feel that under the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act we have the right to elect repair, but we're stopped by the first level supervisor at their customer support line (Jewel) who says that their policies supersede law. They gave me an address to write to but promised that it only goes back to their department. We're extremely frustrated and we can't keep losing food and medicine to this thing, but they're not helping us out at all. They say that the service company they contract with has to say that it's unrepairable and the service company says that they can't do that since technically every part but the cabinet is replaceable and LG's technical support line tells them to keep putting parts in. Jewel denies this and says that we're really not caught in the middle like we actually are. Best Buy is being surprisingly helpful and the operations manager of the store we purchased it from is checking with her district manager to see if they can just junk it out and give us a new (non LG!) refrigerator.

Well. How did this all work out? We heard back from Jason earlier today. LG never came through, but Best Buy did—remember, they just bought this refrigerator there six months ago.

After LG sent out parts again, the repair finally killed the refrigerator and tripped the circuit breaker inside the house. I called LG back up and was connected with a different supervisor (Sherry Pederson). She was very nice and apologetic that the issue had gotten so bad and the support we received was so bad and given the current situation, forwarded our case to their RA department. It still took from April 24 to April 28 for them to get the RA approved and then we encountered more hassle at Best Buy.

The operations manager we originally spoke to was on vacation and got the runaround from the managers on staff. They did not want to honor the promise of the operations manager to honor all discounts that we received. After a total of over two hours in the store they finally agreed to honor the original discounts on a new refrigerator and we selected a Samsung. We chose Samsung because the refrigerator that the LG replaced was a Samsung was flawless. So far we are satisfied with the Samsung and will never purchase another LG product again due to the complete breakdown of the LG repair and support process.

It's unfortunate, but not surprising that the appliance had to be broken beyond all functioning before it was replaced.

(Photo: Dominic's Pics)

John writes:

On 1/2 Best Buy delivered a washer, drier along with 2 matching pedestals. Since the delivery persons came unexpectedly earlier than their delivery window, I was not home at the time of delivery, so a neighbor took it. Upon returning home, I noticed that one of the pedestals has a chip out of the front of it which goes all the way to the metal. My neighbor told me that the delivery persons assembled the washer and drier in front of my home in the gravel by the road. Obviously this carelessness is how the pedestal was damaged.

Since my basement tends to be damp, I'm concerned that this chip will begin to rust the pedestal and eventually the underbelly of the washer that sits on it. I immediately (on 1/2) called Best Buy Customer Service and reported the problem. Apparently since the delivery team’s paperwork was not yet received, they said I would be called back. I waited days and heard nothing. I submitted a request for assistance online 3 times before I received a reply on (1/6) - three days later. In that reply, from “Ann”, she indicated that this would be dealt with by the “Delivery Department” and they would be in contact with me. I received no reply until today (1/19), when I received an email indicating that the pedestal would be returned on 1/21. Hours later I was called by a Best Buy Customer Service person who said that they would be coming to my home to remove the old pedestal, but would NOT be replacing it, I would have to place ANOTHER ORDER. He said that if I placed another order on bestbuy.com, the delivery charge would automatically be waived. So after we hung up, I tried to do just that, only to find that I was being charged a $70 delivery fee. So YET AGAIN I called Best Buy Customer Support with my case number and waited on the line for a FULL HOUR while the representative fumbled around, complaining about the Best Buy website, his browser, “too many screens”, how “busy it’s been around here” and mumbled incoherently before FINALLY he was able to place another order for me.

So now, I’ve wasted HOURS of my time to remedy this situation, have to pay out of pocket TWICE for a pedestal while I wait for a refund for the first one, AND have to be home from work TWO MORE TIMES for the removal of the pedestal (on 1/21) and the delivery of the replacement (on 1/26).

As an owner of a small business, I make purchases totaling in the tens of thousands of dollars each year – nearly all online. Most of my purchases are made from Amazon.com, but I thought I would give Best Buy a try this time around. I have to tell you that this has been a customer service nightmare. Never have I been given this type of run-around by an online retailer – especially one with such a large corporate backing as Best Buy.

Yuck. We suggest that you launch an EECB (executive email carpet bomb) on Best Buy. Ask for some compensation for your trouble, and for a speedy refund.

Perhaps if you can reach intelligent life at Best Buy, you could also convince them to pick up the damaged item and bring you another one — on the same day. Just a thought.

UPDATE: This story has a happy ending. John contacted Best Buy and they're making everything right. That was quick!

John says:

Thank you for featuring this story. With your advice I contacted the executives at Best Buy who, within 24 hours responded by both phone and email. The are providing the following as compensation for my trouble:

A refund of the purchase price of the pedestal
A refund of the delivery charge of my original order
A replacement pedestal at no cost and with no delivery charge
A $25 gift card

The representative that I spoke with, John Morrison, was very courteous and sympathetic to my problem. In the end, they did make a good effort to right their wrong, so I wanted to be sure they were given credit for that on your website.

Thanks again for featuring my story and for all of your hard work on behalf of the consumer!

Hooray!

(Photo:penner42)

Tracey Fox, had bought the washer, which was still under warranty, 10 months ago and this was its fifth servicing. The repairman set off his entrapment after he told her that she would have to pay for the repair parts herself and it would probably be cheaper if she just bought a new washer. The man called the police and she eventually let him leave. She is not facing any chargers and Currys, the retailer she bought the washer from, has since given her a free replacement washer. "I'm not proud of my actions, but I felt there was no other option," said Fox. "It sounds stupid thinking about it now, but it was the final straw." I wonder if that would work against Sears?

Woman locked repairman with washer [UPI] (Thanks to EraserGirl!) (Photo: Meggito)

CR guesses that a jump in the cost of food is encouraging more families to buy in bulk from warehouse stores— and they need more freezer space to do it.

Rising food prices could be a factor in the growth of freezer sales. From 2005 to 2008, the overall cost of food for home consumption was projected to climb 4 to 5 percent, according to this Wall Street Journal report. The ever-increasing tab at the checkout line has spurred more Americans to buy in bulk at warehouse clubs such as Costco and Sam's Club, likely creating a need for more freezer space.

Stand-alone freezers can be really helpful. You can buy meat and veggies in bulk and save time and money. You could even consider buying a side of beef.

Interested? Consumer Reports has a buying guide ready to go.

U.S. freezer sales buck overall appliance downturn[CR]
(Photo: mandysuemccaul )

We have a brand new KitchenAid Refrigerator beep beep beep that has been beeping since it was first plugged in. beep beep beep A call to Sears, resulted in a 3rd party repair man beep beep beep showing up. He, over the course of 3+ weeks replaced every computer board in the unit and this beep beep beep still did not solve the problem. Following their torturous policies meant a replacement could not be ordered until he had been out to repair the unit at least 3 times. beep beep beep The new unit is on order and won’t be shipped until October 30th. At that point we will have been listening to the beep beep beep ing for well over 2 months. KitchenAid says they are only human and they make mistakes but there is nothing more they can do. beep beep beep If they are acknowledging that they are human and make mistakes; shouldn’t they keep a few units around as replacements for the ones that are faulty? beep beep beep The beep sounds just like our security alarm. Not a pleasant way to live. I don’t recommend beep beep beep KitchenAid or their customer service to anyone. Well, maybe the Defense Department would like to use our refrigerator beep beep beep as an instrument of torture, but, wait, that is illegal. beep beep beep.

Maybe a smoke detector is stuck in the fridge and the batteries are running low?

We wouldn't expect anything from Sears, but KitchenAid is known for their excellent customer service. Call their executive office and explain that constant beeping drives people to lose their minds and their brand loyalty. If they don't have a replacement unit on hand, considering the suffering you've clearly experienced, it's not unreasonable to request a free upgrade to something—anything—that is in stock.

(Photo: Meggito)

Aaron writes:

Dear Consumerist,
I recently purchased a Craftsman snow thrower from sears.com during an online 12-hour 10% off sale. I selected the store pickup option as the website stated that my local Waterford, CT Sears had this model in stock. Well, later in the morning the local department clerk called to inform me that the only available unit of that model snow thrower was a floor model. The clerk told me that this was last years model that had been reduced and he could possibly get me a bigger discount if I agreed to continue with the purchase & take the floor model. Now the clerk tries to apply a larger discount on top of the ten percent I've already received but can't, the computer is telling him that I've already reached my limit on discounts on this sale. Ok, I've received the 10% from the 12-hour sale then another $5 discount for signing up for sears.com emails. Fine, I decide to take the unit anyway as long as the unit is complete, manual, keys, etc...

Cut to later the next morning, Waterford, CT Sears. During my lunch break I leave the office to drive to the store to pick up the machine. I first stop by the Lawn & Garden dept to confirm that the snow thrower does in fact carry all the relevant warranties and is not an 'as-is' purchase. The clerk, different from the one I talked with the previous day, confirmed that the unit is not an 'as-is' sale and the unit carries all associated warranties. Fine, I head up to merchandise pickup. He further confirms that the unit was assembled two weeks ago and everything is upstairs waiting for pickup.

Upstairs, merchandise pickup:
Two associates very promptly bring out the machine, just the machine, and no user manual. I tell the associates that I will not accept the unit without all relevant accessories. They go back into their area and leave me for about ten minutes. This time one associate returns with user manual but he tells me that he can’t find the key to start the machine. I am left waiting for another ten minutes, at least. He comes back with a plan that Ray from Lawn & Garden will “mail me the key” when he gets back from his day off. I tell the associate that this is unacceptable. I will not accept the unit unless it is complete. Take it off the truck and do what you will with it, just refund my money. The associate tells me that it will get “complicated” if I refuse the unit and he heads back to further search for the key; further leaving me hanging for another ten minutes and making me late for an appointment. After another ten minutes he returns with the key from another model Craftsman snow thrower and tells me that the keys are basically universal. He leaves and I take the key & go to the truck to try it in my model. It doesn’t fit.

As it turns out there were two other merchandise pick up associates walking by as I was on the truck trying out the key. They walk over ask if it’s working. I explain that it isn’t. They both look at the machine & notice that the unit is missing a critical piece of equipment that fits onto the electric start socket. The machine will not start with out this piece. I thank them & tell them to remove the snow thrower from my truck. The associate processes the order as a return & I leave extremely unsatisfied.

Now, there's a sign hanging up at merchandise pickup that states if the associates don't have your order out in five minutes then you're entitled to a $5 coupon good on a future purchase. I take this into account when I email sears.com about my experience. The following day the operation manager from Waterford Sears contacts me and apologizes for my inconvenience. She offers me a new in box unit (apparently they found one sitting around) for $499, discounting it $90. I tell her this is untrue, as I paid $526. She puts me on hold & comes back with her final offer of $489. So it's not $90 off, it's $37 off.

$37 off, for my trouble. Thirty-seven dollars. I was lied to by the lawn & garden clerk, waited at merchandise pickup for upwards of forty minutes, drove forty five minutes round trip to borrow a pickup truck to haul the snow thrower, took over an hour off of work. Oh, and my eight month pregnant wife was with me the whole time waiting. I decline her offer & email national customer service to have a regional manager contact me. Nothing, not even a reply.

Thanks for nothing. So long Sears.

(Photo: Getty)

Here's what CR had to say:

The best-selling handheld vacuum, the Dirt Devil Kone, has been touted as an elegant, sculptural form, but Consumer Reports found issues with the Kone M0213, $45, and M0212, $43. Four of the M0213 and two of the M0212 test samples threw some of the fine silica sand Consumer Reports uses to test cleaning for all vacuums out their exhaust ports and towards the faces and eyes of the testers. Both models also released small particles of sand found in many backyards and glass from broken lightbulbs in the same way.

If you have one of these vacuums and want more information about the test results, click here. They also had some harsh words for the Roomba 560, which was among the worst at "cleaning edges and corners, and it sometimes roved beyond its electronic borders."

There was some good news, however, from the world of vacuuming. Here are CR's new "Best Buys":

For most consumers, Consumer Reports found that the Kenmore (Sears) Progressive 35922, $350, which is quiet and excellent on carpets, the Kenmore (Sears) (Sears) Progressive 36932, $350, which is a bagless option, and the Eureka Boss Smart Vac 4870, $150, which is inexpensive and impressive on bare floors, are the best choices. All three of these models are designated CR Best Buys.

Vacuum Buying Guide [Consumer Reports]

Across the country, shoppers bought more than 1.1 million freezers during the first six months of the year — up more than 7 percent from the same period last year, according to research firm NPD Group.

That rings up to nearly $400 million in freezer sales — a staggering figure compared to the rest of the home appliance sector, where industry data shows shipments are down nearly 8 percent.

And, experts said, it's a trend that's expected to continue at least through much of next year as penny-pinching shoppers buy in bulk to take advantage of deals or bundle grocery shopping trips to conserve gas.

We once had an adorably clunky spare freezer straight out of the 50s hiding in our basement. It held ice cream and pasta sauce, and its outrageous power demands easily gobbled up any savings gleaned from buying ice cream in bulk. It's not the kind of freezer you want. Instead, look for newer, Energy Star compliant freezers that might actually save you money.

Socking it away, in freezers [AP]
Refrigerators & Freezers [Energy Star]
(Photo: Getty)

So what should you do? CR says:

Our advice:

• When washing, use warm or hot water unless a load requires cold.
• Wipe the door gasket and glass dry once you’re done washing.
• Clean the detergent dispenser and any attachments once or twice a month.
• Run a dehumidifier if your laundry room is damp.

If you see mold buildup in a front-loading washer, call the manufacturer for service and save all paperwork related to the purchase and service of your machine. In the Maytag Neptune and Whirlpool Calypso settlements, plaintiffs eligible for restitution needed to document multiple authorized repair visits made during the warranty period and soon after the warranty expired.

In response to the many reader letters we've received, we're asking owners of front-loaders whether repairs they’ve had done to their washers relate to mold alone. We’ll report on the findings from the Annual Questionnaire, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, in future stories.

Does your front loading washer get moldy?

Mold can be a problem for some front-loading washers [Consumer Reports]

He just laughed when I went through my story of frustration with the Sears service personnel and told me he had had 75 similar calls in the last 2 days. His bottom line: Sears is not sending him product and he has nothing to deliver.

Sandra writes:

I’m wondering if you’ve had other tales about the woeful lack of service from Sears and their so-called “Delivery Specialists?” I’ve been attempting to get concrete information about the delivery of 6 kitchen appliances (purchased and ordered for delivery last month). Delivery was confirmed twice by phone for yesterday. My contractor and plumber were standing by to install and do the necessary connections. But then, a Sears call-center rep informed the contractor that nothing would be coming at 1:00 PM, and gave no reason for the cancellation and no date for rescheduling. My contractor alerted me and I started the farcical pursuit of information at that point, totally consuming the rest of my work day. Telephone conversations with the Enfield, CT Sears acting store manager, appliance department sales reps and 3 different “delivery specialists” segued into the last futile hour working with a sales rep at the Enfield store where the purchase had been made. Even his valiant attempts to get info through his channels were all to no avail. We gave up after nearly 90 minutes of total aggravation at the store and left at 6:30 PM.

Starting again this morning, I obtained the number of the warehouse from which the appliances were to be delivered yesterday and finally got through to one of the managers at 7:20 AM. He just laughed when I went through my story of frustration with the Sears service personnel and told me he had had 75 similar calls in the last 2 days. His bottom line: Sears is not sending him product and he has nothing to deliver. Meanwhile, I paid a contractor and plumber to stand by for nothing. And the family get-together I had planned for this weekend will not take place since I have no kitchen appliances and no way to prepare the meals I had planned.

My question: do you know of any way to get straight answers and real solutions out of Sears for delivery problems?

Although the sales personnel in the appliance department at the Enfield, CT Sears store were extremely professional and helpful, they have no tools at their disposal to assist a customer having this kind of issue. I will never, ever, buy another Sears product. My contractor and his plumber agree with me and have said they will advise their clients not to purchase Sears products if they require delivery or service. This is all the more frustrating because I intentionally patronized Sears (and not Home Depot, Lowe’s or Best Buy) because I thought I could count on good service from point of purchase through delivery. You can be sure this extremely negative experience will be shared with friends and colleagues. And the most egregious point of all is I’m sure the customer service management team at Sears could care less.

Straight answers? Real solutions? We can do many things, but squeezing service out of Sears isn't on the list. We could tell you to launch an EECB or file a chargeback, but for all the good it would do, you might as well fly a kite with "HELP!" emblazoned on the bottom.

Sorry Sandra, you've been Seared.

(Photo: jritch77)

Anonymous writes:

I work at a Best Buy store and I discovered this bit of information while going through employee news. Whirlpool and Maytag top-loading washers will no longer come with the inlet water hoses (the hot and cold water hoses), but they will be sold separately. The loss of our free delivery, combined with the previous price hike for range and dryer power cords (from 19.99 to 27.99) a short while ago, irritated me enough to pass this along to you folks.

These two images are from the printout I made of the employee news item. I had to take them with my phone because my scanner is not working and I apologize for the bad quality but everything should be readable.

As far as I know, washer hoses will still come with Whirlpool and Maytag front loading washers.

Consumer Reports' Happy Refrigerating Tips:

1. Clean the compressor coils every few months or so. (The coils typically are at the bottom of the appliance, though on some older models they are behind the box and on some built-ins they are behind a grille at the top of the unit.)
2. Keep gaskets on the refrigerator and freezer doors clean with mild detergent and water, not bleach. This will ensure a good seal and prevent wasted energy.
3. Check the gasket seal by closing the doors on a dollar bill; replace the gasket if the bill falls out or can be easily removed without opening the door.
4. Be sure the refrigerator is level; if not, the door might not close properly. Most refrigerators have adjustable feet or casters.
5. Before you open the door to retrieve items, decide what you want. Every time you open the door, up to 30 percent of the cooled air can escape.
6. To maximize the storage life of your food and use the least energy, keep the refrigerator temperature at 36º to 38º F and the freezer at no colder than 0º to 5º F.
7. Try to keep the refrigerator compartments full to limit temperature fluctuations.
8. If you have a choice of location when remodeling your kitchen, keep the refrigerator away from direct sunlight and heat sources.

For more information and tips about your fridge, check out this blog post.

Protecting your investment: Refrigerators [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: Meggito )

While we do recommend you pay for large purchases with a credit card and then pay it off immediately in order to take advantage of the credit card's various warranty/ purchase protection benefits, we sort of suspect that Home Depot is suggesting something else.

So how about you answer Home Depot's question in the comments. What are the benefits of paying cash?

Zack writes:

OK, I'll try and make this a quick summary. I called GE with a problem with my 11 week out of warranty washer machine on August 4th. Long story short, I get forwarded to customer relations, who tells me that as a courtesy a technician will be sent out the following week, on the 11th. I get immediately suspicious and ask that he will in fact fix the washer, as I thought this might just be a courtesy diagnostic to tell me the true cost of repair. No, she said that it would be a full repair.

A week later, on the 11th, a technician comes and immediately determines that the motor and lid switch need replacing. He says that there is no courtesy credit to my account, and calls in to confirm that yes, they will not repair the washer for less than $175. I decline, it is a $400 washer give or take and I don't want to throw good money after bad. I talk to customer service with the technician there to confirm that the previous weeks technician did not in fact fill out the correct form to give me the free repair. I am informed those forms can no longer be filled out. So be it, I am where I was last week, no big deal.

The problem comes as the technician leaves. He tells me that I will be charged $99 for the visit. To make it clear, the first time out of several phone calls and speaking to several people I am informed of the charge is as the guy is leaving. I tell him to leave the property immediately, and he does.

I call GE, and they say that they will not remove the charge. I never would have consented to it, it was said that this would be a courtesy call for which I expected there would be no charge at all. They have already threatened to send this to collections. One representative said it doesn't matter if I was not informed of the charge as, and I quote this, "I should have been aware of the service charge already." I will be filing complaints to the BBB and NY Consumer Protection Board, but is there anything else I can do to not have to pay $99 to get my credit out in the clear?

We'd suggest getting in touch with someone higher up at GE to see if they can resolve this.

(Photo: silent (e))

The store manager gave Michael two options: he could keep and use the dinged-up appliances until Home Depot found suitable replacements, or he could come back to the store and pick out new models that were in stock. She "even offered that should the only models they have in stock be slightly more expensive, that I would be upgraded free of charge."

The 'slightly more expensive' models ended up being $800 more expensive, a difference the manager approved "without hesitation." She then refunded the delivery fee.

Here's what Michael wrote to Home Depot's CEO:

Hello Mr. Blake.

I am writing to express both my satisfaction and displeasure with my Home Depot experience. First, the facts. My wife and I purchased a set of front-loading washer/dryers on May 6th for $1,293. Since they were not in stock, we made a "special order". We were given a delivery estimate of 5 business days. The first time our order was received at the local store, (Garden City, KS) it was damaged. We received a call from the store informing us of this. We were told our only option was to wait for a 2nd order. When we asked if this order could be expedited, and if our order could arrive quickly, the store's response was "Well... I hope so." Today, May 23rd, I checked my order status online, in hopes of finally receiving our appliances soon. I saw a notice of ANOTHER cancellation and subsequent re-order. I was not informed of this by the store. I called the store, spoke with a special order representative, and was told that yes, our order again came in damaged. Again I was told that I needed to wait on a re-order. At this point I called Home Depot's 1-800 number to ask for assistance in this matter. I am 100% satisfied with the help I've received from the staff at the 800 number. (More on them later, I will first continue with the bad...) After their intervention, I was told that I would receive a call from the store within 2 hours, and that they were searching stock for a similar set of appliances in the same price range. This was at 11:15 AM. It is now approaching 5:30 PM, and I just got off the phone with the Garden City Home Depot. The only reason they EVER called is because I again had the help at the 800 number intervene. (2 hours indeed...) On the phone, I was informed by "Justin" that there was in fact a washer/dryer set, the same models that I ordered, in stock that could be delivered. This leaves me puzzled, so I ask Justin how this could be. (When I came into the store, they weren't in stock. Both the first and second shipments were damaged. How could they be in stock?) Justin's response was "I wish I could tell you". In addition, he informs me that delivery can't be made until Tuesday... 4 days from now. I am to report to Home Depot later tonight to inspect the appliances for damage.

It's going on 3 weeks since I made this purchase. This washer/dryer set isn't a luxury item like a DVD player or a pair of shoes. This is something I ordered because my family NEEDS these appliances. Mooching off of co-workers to get laundry done is not a past-time of mine. Having said that, I am very upset that the exact models I ordered are sitting in stock at the Garden City Home Depot. Have they been there the whole time? Why did I have to escalate the situation to even find out that they were there? Do you even care if my order is ever fulfilled?

Now, I promised that there was an aspect of my experience that has been satisfactory, so here goes. Abdi (Extension 41553) at customer care has tried very hard to rectify this situation. He has been sympathetic of my problem. He has called to check on me nearly every 2 days since my first busted shipment. He as intervened for me when the Garden City staff proved that they were completely indifferent to my needs. He has even returned my calls when he said he would! Go figure! He has been the only one to get answers out of this local store, since all that they'll tell me to do is to wait for the next shipment. My order experience continues to worsen, but Abdi has been trying his damnedest to help me out. I very much appreciate his attempts, even though they have proven essentially fruitless to this point. Kudos to Abdi and the entire staff at the 800 number's customer care.

I sincerely apologize for having taken up so much of your time with this lengthy letter, Mr. Blake. I just thought you might like to know the that the level of support at the local store and at phone support are polar opposites. I am enthralled with the special care with which Abdi has handled my case. Conversely, I am thoroughly disappointed with the care I received at the Garden City store. My saga isn't over yet, and I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that it will only get worse from here. And despite the excellence of your 800 number's staff, I can not in good conscience ever recommend the Home Depot to friends or family again. And I can never again shop there myself, the taste in my mouth right now won't allow it. Good day.

Sincerely,

Michael

Notably, Michael launched the Executive Email Carpet Bomb before reaching a seemingly final resolution. We usually recommend that you exhaust all normal customer service channels—in this case, returning to the store—before launching an EECB, but Michael's timing clearly worked out well.

His letter is spot-on, highlighting Home Depot's customer service shortfalls while remaining reasonable. Michael comes off as a customer that you would want to help, which made it easy for Frank Blake to respond with this:

Michael: I apologize for the bad experience you've had. And I thank you that in the middle of it, you still took the time to recognize one of our Customer Care associates. I will have someone contact you as soon as possible to address this problem and if you're not satisfied with the resolution, please let me know directly. – Frank Blake

Here is the response from the store manager:

My name is Jan Morgan, the store mngr at the GC Home Depot. I am trying to contact you to set up the delv of your appliances. I understand that Justin asked if you could look at the product before we deliver. If this is not able to happen, that is ok, the driver will wait while you look them over.

From the research I did on why this set is at the store, this is a canceled order from another customer that was upgraded again due to received damage.

Looking forward to speaking with you to correct this situation.
Jan Morgan
Store Manager
2219 Home Depot
Garden City, Ks.
620-275-5943

By 9:30 the morning after I sent my letter, I had these responses as well as a missed call from the Garden City, KS store manager. When speaking with the manager, Ms. Morgan, I was given the option of accepting the busted merchandise to use at home until a satisfactory shipment was received. I declined, and countered that instead, we could replace the models I chose with something of comparable value that was in stock. She agreed, and even offered that should the only models they have in stock be slightly more expensive, that I would be upgraded free of charge. Awesome!

I showed up at the store about an hour later, and from then on was taken care of by Stan and Sarah. After searching their stock for me, they found that there were no front loading washer/dryers in stock. They then offered to give me floor models instead, should I find their condition to be acceptable. At this point I say that whatever is closest in price to what I originally purchased is fine. They directed me to a set of LG's, priced at $699 a piece. This would have been a comp of hundreds of dollars, so I was delighted to accept their offer. The floor models had been stacked onto each other for display, and had seemed to be in great shape. When they were taken down for shipment however, it was revealed that these were also damaged! Having been stacked for so long the bottom appliance had significant damage on top. At this point Stan says, "Well, what about the grey ones? Are they OK?". I replied that yes, that would be fine. Soon after saying this, I realize that the sticker price on these appliances is $999, and $899 respectively. Holy crap! (GE Washer model WCVH6800J0MS, Dryer model DCVH680EJ0MS) When Sarah informs Stan of the difference in price between these models and the ones I purchased, (At about $530 a piece) and if she should just write-off the difference, he says yes without hesitation. As we finalize our exchange I thank them both profusely for helping us so much. I'm still stunned as I'm writing this letter that this worked out so well.

I will be writing Mr. Blake back to let him know what happened, and that despite what was said in the letter, I will indeed be purchasing from Home Depot again. How could I not? You have no idea how guilty I felt throughout the process. I mean, that's almost an $800 difference! They even refunded the delivery charge!

I didn't expect in my wildest dreams for my EECB to turn into this. Thank you so much consumerist!

We knew EECBs worked; we've seen the results; but even we didn't think they worked this well! Great work, Home Depot!

(Photo: ZacharyTirrell)

The information on your website helped me get an error corrected with how Sears/Citibank credited my Sears credit card payments. Since you have Sears and Citibank going against each other today in your "worst company" tournament, I thought you might like to hear my story.

Late in 2006, I purchased a Sears appliance, using their "no payments, no interest for 12 months" plan. Then last December 2007, around the time I was to pay off the remaining balance (apx $500) from the 2006 purchase, I purchased a Sears Kenmore furnace, also with the 12 months no payments, no interest plan. This purchase could not be postponed; it was December, and I had to have a furnace. I asked at the time of purchase, and was assured that my future card payments would first be applied to the older purchase then to the new purchase after the old balance had been paid off. A few days after my furnace was installed, I made a payment of $1000 on my Sears/Citibank credit card, which should have paid off the entire previous balance, and reduced the new balance on the furnace by about $500. But when I received my next bill, I saw that Citibank had applied only the minimum payment of about $25 to the old balance, charged me $21 in interest on the remaining old balance, and applied the remainder of the $1000 to the new purchase. I called the Citibank 1-800 customer service number, received an immediate acknowledgment that that didn't look right, but the system wouldn't let the customer service rep make the correction; I asked for and was connected with a supervisor who told me she couldn't make the correction and that my "Citibank" agreement allows them apply payments as they seem fit. I asked for her supervisor and was told there was no one higher than her available, but she would set me up with a call back when someone was available. (That call never came.) I hung up and redialed the same 1-800 customer service number, thinking I might get a better response from whoever answered the second time. I got a customer service rep in Puerto Rico, who also acknowledged that the payments didn't appear to be credited correctly, and he tried to correct the problem, but he too said the system wouldn't let him do it. Then I used the Citibank CEO contact information from your site, and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts, I got through using the [*] key after accessing the company directory. I was ultimately referred to executive customer service, who politely, professionally told me that my account appeared to have been corrected after all, by the first rude, unhelpful supervisor. She said she would check the following day after the overnight postings, to make sure it was in fact corrected. Then I again got the lecture that Citibank can apply my payment any way they see fit. I've since received another bill, which shows that the correction was in fact made. My problem with all of this: 1. The Sears "12 months no payment, no interest" promo is illusory if payments are applied first to the promo balance rather than the old balance on the account. 2. By applying only the minimum to the old balance each month for the next year, Citibank was set to make a killing off the interest they were charging me on the old balance. If I didn't get the payment corrected, I was prepared to pay off the entire balance, rather than pay interest to Citibank. This was a predatory tactic that would have cost me hundreds of dollars, literally, if I didn't have the means to pay off the card immediately. I sure there are many people who are being victimized by this Citibank/Sears practice.

This is the sort of thing that everyone should watch out for when taking advantage of "no interest, no payment" financing from retail stores. Be sure to read the fine print and don't be afraid to stand up for yourself like reader D.

For more information about how to learn to launch your own EECB, click here.

(Photo:cmorran123)

She writes:

Dear Consumerist,

I purchased a Black & Decker food processor from my local Walmart store. When I opened the box for the first time, I found a religious pamphlet with the other paperwork (user's manual, etc.). The pamphlet has an "American Idol" theme. I'm not sure if it was put there by Black & Decker or a Walmart employee or customer. The box was sealed with a strip of packing tape but I noticed when I removed it that the box is so glossy that the removal of the tape left no mark on it. Here are scans of the pamphlet. I hate these things. I've emailed Black & Decker and Walmart. Do you have any suggestions for me, aside from the action I've already taken? I'm totally creeped out.

Jessica

PS. Scans of the pamphlet are attached. Sorry the quality is so poor, not sure why.

Faith aside, if the food processor works then you can ask for an open-box discount, but not much more. If it only works for true believers, then bring it back and ask for a refund and a non-proselytizing appliance. We hear KitchenAids are fabulous and accepting.

Here's her letter:

Dear Best Buy,

I bought a stove on-line on January 3, 2008 (order number[redacted]). I paid for delivery ($60.00) and set a delivery date of January 28, 2008 in the hope that I would be able to use my new stove for the Sunday Brunch/Super Bowl party that I was planning to throw on February 3, 2008. When I ordered there was no mention that there would be a separate installation charge ($100), nor did the website describe the procedure for how to get the stove installed—it only asked me about delivery. For someone like me who has never purchased a stove before it was unclear that delivery and installation were two different things. When I purchased my new refrigerator from Sears last year, for example, they delivered it, installed it, and took away the old one, free of charge! It did not occur to me that this would not be the case with my new stove.

On Sunday, January 27, 2008 a local Best Buy clerk called to confirm the delivery time for the next day and informed me then (in response to my asking) that the stove would not be installed when it was delivered and that I had not requested installation. When I asked about how I could get the stove installed when it was delivered, the store clerk was completely unhelpful and blamed me for buying it on-line. I called the Best Buy helpline repeatedly that Sunday afternoon to determine what I needed to do to get the stove delivered, installed, and the old stove removed. Often put on hold I was entertained by the friendly Best Buy spokesman who informed me that buying appliances online with Best Buy was so easy and installation was a breeze! I'm sure that you can imagine that these reassurances did not help my frustration. In fact, no one was able to help me on that day, despite my many calls and what seemed to be their best efforts.

Repeated phone calls to the Best Buy helpline the next day yielded a promised installation date of Monday, February 04, 2008—a week after it was supposed to be delivered and too late for my planned party. I figured that this was the best that I could do under the circumstances. I waited all day for delivery on Monday, January 28, but no one came. I did, however, receive an email from Best Buy informing me that my stove had been delivered on that day. I wrote back to say, "hey, no it had not" and I received an email in response that said that they would look into it and that they had assigned my case to a specialist—ohh a specialist! I have not heard from said specialist, so I fear that your specialists are not so special.

I made many more calls to the Best Buy helpline, local store, and the distribution center. I was told that they would now deliver on Friday, February 1. I waited all day, but they did not come. I called and was told that the local store would contact the delivery guys and call me back as soon as they learned something. I received no phone call. Many, many more phone calls between me, Best Buy helpline, local Best Buy store, Distribution Center, Delivery guys, and Installation guys ensued. I had now wasted two whole days waiting for my stove to be delivered without getting a stove.

Finally, my stove was delivered yesterday (on Super Bowl Sunday while I had a house full of guests). Today the stove was installed (only a half hour late!) and seems to be working fine. I suppose that I should be grateful that I have my new stove, but I have to admit that I'm still quite frustrated. On a positive note, I liked that the many times when I called your helpline there was an actual human being to direct my call—well done, Best Buy! Additionally, the many Best Buy helpline folks I spoke to were friendly, but unfortunately there was little that they could do to actually get my stove to my house or get it installed. The local people I spoke to were rude and frustrating, for the most part.

Here are my questions for you now: Why doesn't your website tell consumers that delivery and installation are not the same? Why not give them the information about how to arrange to get their new stoves installed? Why did I have to make phone calls to five different levels of the company to get my stove to my house and installed? Why has no one offered to refund my delivery charge?

Obviously, I am not pleased. Recounting my tale of woe to everyone I know has frequently yielded the same question: "Why didn't you order your stove from Sears?" Gee, I think, that sounds so sensible. Why didn't I buy my new stove from Sears? I am going to need to purchase a new dishwasher in the next year, I'm sure that Sears is the sensible choice for all of my future appliance purchases.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

It took 8 visits before he finally gave up. The washer leaked somewhat on the various cycles, heavy duty, normal, and quick, but leaked severely on the clean washer cycle. He had made numerous calls to Whirlpool tech support and finally told us there was nothing more he could do, and our next option was for us to contact Whirlpool. In December 2007, we called Whirlpool. They were very apologetic, and after doing some research, they determined that the washer needed to be replaced. They asked us to be patient, and told us that the new washer would be shipped to the appliance dealer and be delivered to us in February. The new washer was delivered on January 29. We were thrilled that our leaks were behind us with a new washer. We decided to run the clean cycle, figuring that we may as well start with a clean washer. I am not writing this letter to tell you what a great washer Whirlpool manufactures. I am writing to tell you that this BRAND NEW WHIRLPOOL WASHER is leaking!!! I called the appliance dealer this morning to express my disgust. I spoke to the tech who told me that there is a new "fix", and that he would be out in a couple of days after he receives the parts. Fine. I am going to call Whirlpool yet again to advise them that there are problems with this washer. I will advise you as this saga continues. Consumerist, my patience is wearing thin, as is my optimism. Would you alert the world of this issue?

We guess this is a non-repair fee, which is an impressive new way to make money.

Last fall, I purchased a Hoover steam carpet cleaner for $170.71 from Best Buy in Fort Collins, CO. It worked properly the first time, but the second and third times failed to suction up water. When I took it back to Best Buy, they refused an exchange because more than 30 days had past. A steam cleaner is hardly like a TV or computer that is used every day. It would have been impossible to know within 30 days that the steam cleaner was not functioning properly. However, several levels of managers culminating in store manager Brandon Pagani refused to consider an exchange.

My only option, according to the Best Buy managers I spoke with, was to have Best Buy send the steam cleaner out for repair. Since the machine was still under warranty, the repair would be free and I have a slip from Best Buy showing an estimate of $0.00 for repair.

However, the repair people (I do not know if they were Best Buy or Hoover people) could not duplicate the problem I had experienced—twice—so they shipped the steam cleaner back to Best Buy unrepaired.

Best Buy informed me that I would have to pay an additional $34.95 to retrieve my steam cleaner since there was no repair. Best Buy's policy says it can resell the steam cleaner if I do not pay the retrieval fee within 30 days. I have lost $170.71, plus $34.95, for a steam cleaner that only worked once.

(Photo: Getty)

"Under the Consumer Product Safety Act," writes the CPSC, "Manufacturers, distributors and retailers are required to immediately report to CPSC information about products that could create a substantial risk of injury to the public or that create an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death."

"Shopping Channel HSN Agrees to Pay $875,000 Civil Penalty" [CPSC]

Two ozone-based purifiers, EdenPure Area Model and the EcoQuest Fresh Air, "do a poor job of removing smoke and dust, and they emit very high levels of ozone." Consumer Reports slaps a "Not Acceptable" for use by homeowners label on them. (More memories of Granny.)

Of course, the most heavily marketed purifiers we know of are from Sharper Image. So how did the company fare?

Consumer Reports also tested air purifiers from market leaders Oreck and Sharper Image. The Sharper Image Hybrid GP Germicidal Air Purifier is $500 and the Oreck tower, the XL Professional Air Purifier, is $700. But Consumer Reports says neither did a good job of cleaning the air.

A much less expensive air purifier did a much better job and earned top-ratings. It's the Whirlpool Whispure model number AP45030S for $230. It uses only a filter to clean the air, so it doesn't emit any ozone at all.

"CONSUMER REPORTS: Air purifiers" [9 News Colorado]

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"Air cleaners, how to choose" [Consumer Reports]
(Photo: Getty)

Dear Mr. Lewis,

We are writing to you to document the abysmal experience we recently had with Sears following break-down of our Kenmore refrigerator/freezer.

The unit broke down on November 2nd, less than 1 year since we purchased it, and we called for repair service under the factory warranty. We were surprised to find that it would take a week before a technician could come to take a look, but we treated this as just 'bad luck' and resigned ourselves to throwing away 100's of dollars of frozen and refrigerated groceries.

The technician came out on November 10th and replaced what he thought was the problem part and left. Within hours the unit was no colder and so we immediately called Sears again and were dumbfounded to be told that it would take another week for someone to come out again!

This was not acceptable to us and so we emailed you to request assistance and as a result were contacted by Carla in Sears Executive Office. When we spoke to her it transpired that she was unable to get our local Service department to respond to her. She said that she would call us back if and when they got in contact. As we did not hear back from her we can only assume they did not respond. If the Executive Office cannot get in contact with the Service Department, we as customers surely stand no chance!

At this point we waited until November 17th until the technician came out again. This time he diagnosed that the compressor was broken and that he'd have to order a new one. The earliest appointment we could get to install it was quoted as November 26th . This would mean that we would have been without a fridge & freezer for some 3 ½ weeks and our big family Thanksgiving Dinner plans would be ruined.

We decided to approach the Sears store that we purchased all our appliances from to see if they could help. The floor manager on duty was extremely unhelpful :

* She said that she couldn't help us as, in her opinion, this was purely a Service issue and the Service department "is a separate organization". Clearly your employees do not feel that they represent Sears Holdings as a single entity.

* She said that Kenmore appliances were very reliable but that we should have paid extra for the Extended Service Agreement to get timely repairs. It is extremely annoying to be told this when we already have a broken appliance and are trying to it repaired UNDER WARRANTY.

* She said that if we wanted to buy a new refrigerator she could give us a 10% discount. You can perhaps imagine how angry we were to have it suggested that spending another $1100 on a fridge was a good solution to Sears not being able to repair our existing one in less than a month.

* Understanding that her powers appeared to be limited, we tried to be flexible in accommodating any reasonable alternative approaches to addressing the situation, but even when pressed she could not suggest how we could escalate the issue other than calling the 1-800 number again

We can only hope that this is not how Sears would wish to be represented.

We contacted the Store Manager, who is our one positive experience with Sears in all this. He was very apologetic, and really made an effort to listen to the problem and try to find reasonable and creative ways to address it. He made some calls and we were in turn contacted by Executive Level Customer Support who modified the service date to November 21st (still a huge 19 days after the original problem occurred). Although apparently only having been an employee with Sears for a month, we really feel that the Store Manager treated the issue as his own and with respect, unlike other Sears people we had dealt with until this point.

We hope you would agree that there seem to be some serious problems with Sears Service, and the communication lines between them and the rest of the company. While the Store Manager is a good representative for your company and did his utmost to restore our faith in Sears, we see no indication that we would not encounter a similar situation with Sears Service in future. We were without refrigeration for 19 days, which is bad enough, but if we hadn't engaged in vigorous, time-consuming and stressful chasing of this problem we may have been without this crucial appliance for nearly a month. We know from frank conversations with everyone involved in this (from Sears technicians to executive customer support) that our problems with getting timely service are not unusual exceptions, but are persistent and endemic.

Your Vision Statement says that "Sears Holdings is committed to improving the lives of our customers by providing quality services, products and solutions that earn their trust and build lifetime relationships." For us, you have failed spectacularly on all counts.

Our entire family has purchased from Sears for many years based on your historical reputation for good customer service, but they will no longer make any purchases in your stores. We hope that by bringing our problems to your attention it will allow them to be fixed promptly and permanently for the good of other customers. We will not be buying from Sears again.

Yours faithfully,

Chris

(Photo: j2dread)

For washing machines, they recommend a few Kenmore and Bosch models. None are cheap, but if energy costs remain high, the prices start to look a lot more reasonable when your new washer is 60% more efficient than older models. For toilets, replacing one "made between 1980 and 1994 and you could save as much as $90 a year." If you have a natural-gas furnace that's 15 years old, you can see huge savings ("about $32 per $100 of annual fuel costs") if you spend the extra $1000 for a new one that's 95% efficient.

They also suggest looking at VOC-free interior paints like Yolo Colorhouse. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, contribute to smog and can also aggravate allergies or respiratory ailments. And if you're looking to replace any countertops, you can check out a few brands made from recycled materials, like IceStone or PaperStone (see article for more information).

"A Shopping Guide to Eco-Friendly Products" [Kiplinger's]
(Photo: MShades)

After much calling and being put on hold for so long, i finally got a replacement washer. The only way to get anything done at Lowes is just talk to a manager, cut through the bullshit. I got my replacement washer and had to watch the delivery guys like a hawk when they came over to replace the washer. Although i did finally get the replacement washer I wanted, I will never go through Lowes again to buy anything. Dealing with mom and pops or smaller companies is much easier and less stressful since you just talk to one person. Those rebates from the energy and water company/delivery fee/gift card still haven't come back yet, but knowing how long rebates usually come back I'll probably never see them ever again.

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