Rescuing readers from relentless repair cycles
When a fairly new product goes on the fritz, you want a quick fix at no charge. You hope manufacturers and retailers will stand by what they sell.
That isn’t always the case. Repairs often cost more and take longer than you think. Here are a few stories about rescuing readers caught in a relentless repair cycle. Lastman’s Bad Boy: Paresh Bahadur bought a sofa and reclining chair in April 2014. After being told there was a one-year warranty, he paid for a fiveyear extended warranty.
The following April, he complained about a sag in the seats of his sofa. A technician came to his home to inspect it, but nothing happened.
By the time he contacted me on Nov. 25, he told me about a series of promises that were not fulfilled.
“Is it fair that after filing a claim about a manufacturing defect within the warranty period, we still are waiting for a resolution 10 months later? Between the manufacturer and the retailer, I am the consumer being ignored,” he said. Bad Boy spokeswoman Rimpi Sharma said the manufacturer could not get parts and would replace the sofa instead. Thrilled to have a resolution within a few hours, Paresh said he would donate to the Star’s Santa Claus Fund. Bosch Home Appliances Canada: Ruby Au bought a dishwasher from Lowe’s Canada on Aug. 18. She picked it up in September and installed it in October. On Nov. 3, she called Bosch to complain about the front panel being flimsy and dishes not drying properly.
After two visits from its authorized repair service, Bosch suggested she get a third inspection from another company. She refused to take more time off work.
“This is not how customer service issues should be handled. A brand new, high-quality dishwasher should look and function as such,” she said. “I deeply regret this purchase.”
Au was thrilled to hear that Bosch would replace her dishwasher and pay for reinstallation. This happened just a day after I contacted Laura Arlabosse-Stewart at Paradigm Public Relations, the company’s publicist. Shoppers Home Health Care: Dianne Strickland owns two Nexus walkers bought at a Toronto store (a division of Shoppers Drug Mart). Both needed repairs. Last July, she took the first walker to the store and waited until Oct. 7 to get it back.
She handed over the second one at that time. Five weeks later, she was still calling the store and head office to track down her walker. She paid $65 for repairs to both units.
“I feel disrespected and very upset,” she said. “Something is amiss in their system. The store needs to accept responsibility for items returned to them for repair.”
Spokeswoman Lana Gogas apologized for the delays. She promised to drop off the repaired walker, give Strickland a $100 Shoppers gift card and review the incident to improve future service. Whirlpool Canada: Edward Sadok bought a Maytag dishwasher in fall 2013. When the one-year warranty expired, he paid $79.99 for a fouryear extended warranty from the Maytag Store in Ajax, Ont. This fall, he wanted to fix a few problems, but his extended warranty was void.
The Ajax store had gone out of business without forwarding his $79.99 payment. Sadok went to the Better Business Bureau, which had a complaint from another customer who paid $499.99 to the same store for extended warranties on several appliances. Whirlpool agreed to pay for parts, but not labour ($89.99 for the first 15 minutes and $22.30 for each 15 minutes afterward). It also offered to give back the extended warranty fee. I contacted Monica Clark at Whirlpool’s head office, seeking help for the cost of repairs.
“The dishwasher now works properly,” Sadok said after the rinse- agent dispenser and front console were replaced. “Thanks for your help in getting a response from Whirlpool and coverage for both parts and labour.” My advice: Before buying, check for online complaints about manufacturers and retailers. Read back issues of Consumer Reports magazine, found at public libraries. Pay with a credit card that has a benefit of doubling the manufacturer’s warranty. And if a repair takes too long because parts are not available, ask for a free replacement. Ellen Roseman writes about personal finance and consumer issues. You can reach her at eroseman@thestar.ca or ellenroseman.com