This Frigidaire Mini Fridge Has A Mini Lifespan

Living far from home in a dorm, Damian took advantage of a Black Friday sale at Best Buy to purchase a tiny refrigerator that could hold the necessities of life. (Insert joke about what you thought the “necessities of life” were when you were in college here.) The Frigidaire appliance didn’t last long, though. It’s already dead after less than a month. And while Best Buy would be happy to take the fridge back, he doesn’t have a truck and can’t take it back to the store it came from. What can he do?

I bought a Frigidaire mini fridge at bestbuy on Black Friday thinking it would be a great deal. Sadly I was mistaken.

As a college student freshman, out of state, living in dorms, I needed desperately a small fridge, so when I went to Best Buy on Black Friday to check out the fridges I found this deal on a Minifridge by Frigidaire which I thought it would work and be good.

Two and a half weeks later the fridge dies, and when trying to reach Best Buy their answer was a mere “Take it back to the store”. I told them that as a freshman out of state I don’t have a truck to carry it, nor can drive over 3 hours to the store where I got it (in rural [state]). Nevertheless I told them there were repair services, and according to the manufacturer there was a repair service available in town. To which Best Buy replied “We don’t do repair services on mini fridges, so take it to the store before the 24th”.

What kind of service does Best Buy deliver? and in turn, why is there discrimination between the appliances bought? If I had bought a fridge they would’ve perform an in house repair, but since mine is a small fridge then I’m SOL?

I’d very much appreciate any tips on how can I handle this, given that I might just lose the money I invested because I don’t have the means to take it to the store and they refuse to perform a home repair service like they do for other appliances.

It might depend on the dollar value: sending a technician out for a visit costs more than most minifridges, and most people are able to get small appliances like that back to the store they came from.

Frigidaire has an active Twitter presence: maybe they will be able to help in some way. Best Buy’s social media team also might appreciate the PR value of helping a college student during his time of greatest need: finals week.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.