Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[belinda]

I'm so mad that I could SCREAM! I've been dealing with service issues for the past six weeks and NOBODY will help RESOLVE the problem. I want a answer NOW. I don't have the money to go to the laundry mat again. I have spent $20.00 a week for the past 6 weeks toting my laundry and I can't afford it. My husband and I work full time and I have two kids. They need clean clothes so we have sucked it up and made it happened. But really this could have been handled so much more professionally. I can't believe that a company like Best Buy would tolerate the lack of customer care. This only confirms I will never buy from Best Buy again....And I still don't have a washer!! Nice job!!

[belinda]

I wrote earlier...Thought id here back from someone who cared BUT NO!! So I did a little research on my washer service nightmare. I purchased the washer in 11/03. Got the service plan which expires in 11/09 (lucky me) this year I have had SIX service calls. One in July and one on Sept. 24th! The beginning of the end...Since Sept. 19th I have been w/o a washer. I wish I didn't have this PSP. I would of gone more in debt and bought a new one. But I have no money so I have had to date SIX service calls over 5 hours of calls made to the wonderful  888.BESTBUY and again I call to see what is happening and NOW I'm waiting for the service tech supervisor to to do the lords work and put in a request for a replacement. DO I REALLY THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN??? NOOOO! SO my washer has over $1000.00 of best buy money in it and still doesn't work. Oh and I don't think the water sitting in it is helping much. I keep muttering the words I'm done...But still I wait to see if Best Buy is really going to fix it???????

[damon]

Man, that is a depressing story.  I feel bad that you, like I, fell prey to Best Buy and their PSP scam. How could you have known?  The flashy commercials, and the salespeople that sale you the product, then upsale you with the wonderful PSP plan.  Sounded great in the store, didn't it.  Only to finally need it and realize BB has scammed you.

[Sarah-BBY Retired: Community Connector]

Hi belinda!

I can completely understand you frustration as I unfortunately, experienced a similar situation about a year ago.  However, I was happy to see that you have purchased the Best Buy® Performance Service Plan (PSP) with your washer and are not stuck with purchasing a brand new unit or paying out of pocket for a costly repair. 

I do apologize for any delay with your repair process.  Please rest assured that Best Buy® strives to complete our repairs as quickly as possible.  According to our service records, it appears that some of the delay is due to parts on order, which as stated in the terms and conditions of the PSP, is a situation that is outside of our control.  However, I have done some research on your behalf and have some good news for you!  Please refer to your private message box for more details.

Thank you,

Sarah

Community Connector

Best Buy® Corporate

[lingo250]

Sarah

As I read your post I've got sick to my stomach. Parts from the manufacter may be out of your control, but someone not ordering the parts in a timely matter is. I never in all my years heard so many excuses about parts and the time to get them until I started reading post on this board. 100 years ago it might take 6 weeks to get a part in remote area of our country, but today 3 to 7 days should be the norm. If you have so much trouble getting parts, I suggest you go to any repair shop and purchase a factory part from them. I know everytime I have had someone to my home to repair an appliance I gave them model number and explain the problem they usually brought parts with them, and if parts needed to be ordered it took about a week and my item was repaired.

Come on 6 weeks and the best you can do is parts on order out of our control.

[Mary]

Brenda,  (copy to Sarah, Community Connector, Best Buy® Corporate)

I an in the EXACT situation and feel your pain - and yesterday I broke down at the Customer Service Desk at the Best Buy in Elkridge, Maryland (near Columbia, Maryland) and received the same non caring treatment I have from the beginning of my nightmare, and it appears it will go on for at least another week, over Thanksgiving, and I have guests coming. 

I will start at the beginning of this nightmare.  My husband bought a Whirlpool Front Loader from Best Buy in July, 2008.  We had bought a similar washer earlier in the year at Loewes next door to this Best Buy earlier in the year for his parents, and they have had no problems with it.  My husband decided to buy our washer from Best Buy, because of the great dealon it - about $50 cheaper.

On October 8, our washer stopped working.  We called Best Buy repair, and they said the earliest someone could come would be in 3 days.  I took a day off work, waited for the repair person to arrive only to be told in the middle of the 4-hour waiting period that the person had called in sick, no one else could come and they would have to reschedule. 

My husband took the next day of work for the second attempt to fix the washer, which was October 14 the Geek Squad repair person arrived; tried to fix it, could not, ordered a part. He was on the phone with Whirlpool repair for most of the time, and it was clear he did not know what he was doing

One week later, the new part arrived, we arranged for a another Best Buy Geek Squad rep to fix it week of October 20 and I took another day off work. The Geek Squad rep   could not fix it, ordered more parts, and said he would be back in a week - note, I  heard from Best Buy nearly 3 weeks later, to reschedule after this part had just arrived, and the 3rd Geek Squad representative is due to come back this Tuesday, November 18.

On October 21, after the second visit from the Best Buy Geek Squad, I called Best Buy to have the washer replaced and was told only Whirlpool could authorize this, and was given Whirlpools # to call. 

I called Whirlpool and asked for a replacement washer, and I was informed by the Whirlpool Customer Service (CS) Rep that it is Best Buy's policy that there by 3 repair calls visits before Whirlpool can authorize a replacement washer.  The CS rep with Whirlpool was very understanding and sent out a repair tech the next day. 

I took yet another day off of work for the arrival of the first Whirlpool repair person was much more knowledgeable and could not understand why a member of the Geek Squad was repairing a washer, and noted that who ever had attempted to repair the washer did not have any of the right parts ordered.  The Whirlpool rep attempted to fixed the door part that was broken, but had to order a new door part because something that the Geek Sqaud had done in replacing another fitting did not work. 

he second Whirlpool repair rep was here yesterday, on a Saturday so we did not have to take off work, November 15 to try to fix the washer, and said the door was fixed, but now it appers to be the control panel, which was what the original service call placed with the Geek Squad  to fix, and they did not.  The Whirlpool repair person orderd another part and he is scheduled to come back on Saturday, November 22.

Now, my husband will take off another day of work, on Tuesday, November 18, waiting to see if our 3rd visit from the Geek Squad will show up and fix the problem, and if not, then we have the back up of the Whirlpool rep coming on Saturday, November 22, and all prepared to work on different parts which they are believe are broken - not the same part, different parts. 

 Out of pure frustration, I went to the Best Buy in Elkridge, Maryland yesterday, November 15 with the 6 parts that have already been sent to my home to repair my washer, and asked simply to have a new washer. 

I was told by the Customer Service Rep that that Best Buy could not authorize this, and that the only Whirlpool could authorize, which is completely opposite of what the Whirlpool CS rep had told me.  Also, I was treated rudely and litteraly broke into tears in front of the Best Buy CS rep, and all they just wanted to me leave as it  "was not their problem".

If Best Buy were to check my "Rewards" program, they would see that I have been a loyal, dedicated customer to best buy for many, many years and have spent many thousands of dollars with them.

Unless I get this matter resolved, I will go someplace else this holiday shopping season, and every day thereafter to do my shopping.  I also plan on filing complaints with the BBB, and every place I can find.

The lost days of work, the stress, the frustation, the dirty clothes and having to go someplace else to wash them is not work the "Best Buy" that we received on this washer. 

I realize there are bigger issues in the world, but during these tough economic times, when companies are trying to keep customers, one would think that Best Buy would have done more to resolve this problem.  From researching on the internet, I am now discovering that I am not alone in my washer problem with Best Buy.

Sarah - please HELP!!!!

[Mary]

I agree with you - see my nightmare posted November 16, 2008.  Appreciate someone supporting us,

Mary

[Mary]

Sarah,

PLEASE read my post of November 16, 2008 regarding my challenge with too many parts to fix a washer, just not the right ones; lack of knowledgeable Geek Squad Service Repair staff, a disconnect between Whirlpool and Best Buy CS reps on the policy of replacement washers and the loss pay for days off work, up to 4 as of today, that my we have taken off work plus another day off pending for this coming Tuesday, plus a Saturday repair visit which left us housebound for the entire day; and still having to go someplace else to wash clothes.

PLEASE HELP!

[Sarah-BBY Retired: Community Connector]

Hi Mary,

I am happy to help you with this and I am really sorry to hear that you have been without use of your washing machine for so long.  As a mother of two boys, I understand that there’s just not much worse than being without a working washer!

Just to help you make a little sense out of all the information you have received, it is accurate that since you did not purchase a Best Buy® Performance Service Plan (PSP) with your unit, it will be at Whirlpool’s discretion as to whether your unit is to be repaired or replaced as they are the holder of their manufacturer’s warranty – the information you were given about the 3+ repair rule is per the terms and conditions of our No Lemon policy through our PSP only.  I’m very sorry for any confusion.

I am also very sorry to hear that the assistance you received in our store left you feeling so lousy.  While unfortunately, the store is unable to authorize the replacement (as I’ve explained); it is absolutely our expectation that our employees make the best attempt in assisting our customers at all times, and in the most respectful and courteous manner possible.  I again apologize if this was not the case and will make sure the situation is looked into for future quality purposes.

Don’t give up hope yet!  I was able to look into your situation and although the unit is being serviced under your warranty with Whirlpool, I believe I can still help.   Please refer to the private message I have sent you for exact details. 

Sincerely,

Sarah

Community Connector

Best Buy® Corporate