Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On March 11th 2024, I had EMT appliance come and repair my Kitchen Aid, 4 burners electric glass cooktop with middle exhaust. I had broken glass and one of the switched failed. I was charged $1,424.49 for the repair and technician repaired it. 5 months later, all 4 switches (new one and 3 old ones) are acting funny. In some positions they turn on and in some they don't (not in off position). Today, they are quoting me $1,004.45 for replacement of the 3 switches not replaced before and they will replace 4th one under warranty. But if I just claim warranty, and they install one switch they replaced before, they won't give me warranty on that switch as other switches are broken and they can damage this new switch (as per their supervisor). Which, as per his logic, if they installed defective switch, it broke all my good switches as well.My problem is that during original installation, technician did not install switches together properly which, when cooktop was installed completely, made all k**** angled (it was very visible by eye). We had to take it apart completely again (as technician was alone, I was his helper), fix that (enclosure of the switches were not sitting in properly as they were not screwed in) in order for k**** to be somewhat straight (they are still not but it does not look that bad). We did test everything, and it work at the time. But more time passed, we had more issues with the switches turning on.They decided to give me 10% discount on repair and new switches (means about $900 plus tax for repair now). I refused stating it may very well be their fault.I asked for just the warranty repair and they informed me they will do it but will not warranty new work as I am not repairing everything. I refused and stated that that was illegal (means even if the put in switch that is broken, they will not honor the warranty). They (supervisor) as well informed me, that if I file complaint with BBB, they will sue me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2024

  To the Better Business Bureau,
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the complaint filed by [Customer Name]. It is important to address the inaccuracies and omissions in the customer's account of the situation and to provide a clear, factual representation of the events.
  On March 11th, 2024, our company, Appliance EMT, provided repair services on the customer's KitchenAid cooktop. We replaced the glass top and one of the burner switches. During the reinstallation, one of the alignment brackets was initially not perfectly centered, but this was corrected by our technician before the unit was powered up. The technician thoroughly tested the cooktop before leaving, and it was confirmed that everything was working correctly. The customer expressed satisfaction with the repair at that time.
  Five months later, the customer contacted us again, reporting an issue with the cooktop. Our technician inspected the unit and determined that a power surge had affected all four burner heat controller switches. This issue was unrelated to the original repair. We offered to replace the switch we had previously installed under warranty, but due to the interconnected nature of the switches, we explained that replacing only one switch while the others were damaged could lead to further issues, potentially voiding the warranty on the new switch.
  The customer then attempted to negotiate for the other three switches to be replaced at no labor cost, which we declined. He later contacted our office, where we again explained the situation and provided a quote for the replacement of the remaining defective switches, offering to replace the one covered under warranty at no charge. We also offered to send the switch to the customer at no cost for self-installation, which he refused.
  It is concerning that the customer has intentionally omitted these critical details in his complaint and has made several false claims. He has also threatened to damage our reputation online if we do not comply with his demands for free repairs. We believe this is an attempt to coerce our company into providing services that are outside the scope of our warranty and standard business practices.
  We have documented all communications and interactions with the customer and have forwarded this information to our legal team for further review. We take allegations like these seriously and are committed to maintaining our integrity and the trust of our customers.
  Thank you for your attention to this matter. We are confident that our actions have been in line with industry standards and ethical business practices.
  

  Sincerely,
  Appliance EMT

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/20/2024

   
  Complaint: 22154430
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  They are correct when stated that first installation bracket was not installed properly, and before powering up, that was corrected. And thank you for filling the blanks, I did not have enough space to do it. Everything written by EMT is correct, no dispute.

  However, my complaint lies with the fact that first install was not done correctly and stove top was put together. This made k**** crooked. K**** are connected to potentiometers, which if pulled one was or the other, can lose contact in some areas. 
  EMT reasoning is I was happy with initial results, and they are correct. I am not happy that after repair, 5 months later, every switch is bad, including new one they installed. Yes, initially it worked but slowly it worked less and less, not like what they say its either working or not. With initial installation, potentiometers were bent and damaged. If they worked after that I would not complain but 5 months later they barely work.

  Why would I accept warranty repair that does not come with warranty of the repair. Means they dont even need to test anything, install it, leave and whi cares if it works or not. Why would I install it myself, and if it doesnt work they can claim no warranty as I installed it. That is just nonsense.

  I gave them fair offer as ***** is damaged this way, they are refusing. I would pay for parts, no labor, as I already paid for labor before and it was done improperly. And I had to help with first installation as the tech was alone.
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2024

  All potentiometers were installed correctly, with no wires pulled or damaged. The entire installation was completed according to the manufacturers specifications, thoroughly tested, and confirmed to be functioning perfectly at the time of service. We stand behind our repairs and honor our warranty, which covers only the work performed by us, not the entire stove.
  The failure that occurred five months later was due to a power surge, unrelated to the work we performed. The customer's actions, including making unfounded claims and threatening to tarnish our company's reputation, are unacceptable. There are laws in place to protect businesses from being unfairly targeted by customers, and we will not hesitate to take all necessary legal action to defend our company against these baseless threats.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 22154430
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  You say you are reputable business and yet if someone complains you treaten lawsuit. Really??? Go ahead.

  The only fact we both agree on is that original installation was done improperly, period. Yes it was fixed but neither you or me can say with definite certainty what caused for switches to go bad. You say its power surge now, which if I had it should have melt something as well. There is no visible damage on the switches and it has to be internal, contact or something. Power surge would not do that, and you know that as well as i do.

  I do not accept your warranty repair as its nonsense and i rather do it myself. Keep your money. I filled this report as I know I am correct and i gave fair offer for both of us to carry responsibility. That was more than fair. Your offer is $100 off and warranty switch which is still over $900 plus tax. It is honestly, insulting.

  So this it it, sue me, I do not accept your answer or offer, I will repair it myself and get proper switches myself. 

  You are an insulting person and if this is your idea of customer support, you are a joke. Threaten your customers with lawsuits for filing ******************** for complaint that they truly believe is correct is showing your true colors. I refuse to do any business with you ever again. No, you or your technicians will never enter my house again!!!!

  By the way, new switches, all 4 of them are less than $500. its cheaper than you and more safe as at least, job will be done right!

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/14/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Nov 14,2023 replace igniter on oven. when I called for an appointment I asked for a rough price quote. **** said only that they charge $75 if you don't do the repair. Service person, who came in an "unmarked"service truck, ended up charging a total of $347.86, including "tax", which no tax should be charged. I asked him why so high as such a part is no more than $60. He said labor is $200. So I was being charged another $125.11 for this part is robbery!Called the office to complain. Lady said there is a "Flat Price" for any repair. How deceitful is this business? I told her if I would have known about this flat charge at the time I called, I would have hung up! After all that drama, he had the nerve to add a 3% processing fee!! eventually he removed that.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  The trip charge amounts to $77, but it is waived if a repair is carried out, which is a practice we have consistently followed. When ************** arrived at the customer's location, they promptly diagnosed the issue and provided a quote that the customer approved. Our pricing is determined based on the national appliance repair price guide, and we use a flat-rate pricing system, as indicated on our website. According to both the Georgia tax code and IRS regulations, the entire amount is subject to taxation since we do not provide a breakdown between parts and labor.
  We accept various forms of payment, including credit cards. If a customer opts to use a credit card, a 3% credit card processing fee is applied. It's important to note that this fee is standard and imposed by the credit card merchant; we do not profit from it. To accommodate the customer, ************** generously discounted the 3% fee on-site.
  However, after the service was completed, the customer sent threatening messages to the technician and called our office to complain about the tax code. Despite our attempts to explain the situation, the customer refused to listen. In an effort to resolve the matter and show goodwill, our office manager extended an additional discount as a courtesy and approved a refund of $22.75, which would cover the tax amount.
  We processed the refund promptly, and it was credited back to the customer's card ending in ****, as previously agreed upon. It's worth noting that the customer's behavior towards ************** and phone staff was rude and very disrespectful.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Stop holding back pricing details until after customer sees your bill.

  Sales tax is illegal on such services.

  Why repairman signed the invoice and not the customer?